Product support: I100 Identifier

We’re occasionally asked why individual Identifiers under test in the field struggle to achieve the stated 5 day battery life listed in our product literature.

If you have an Identifier that is not achieving the full 5 day operation then we’d suggest that you consider/check all of the following:

1 – Installation. Our experience has shown that this is the single biggest contributory factor to poor battery performance. If units are not installed as per the instructions/advice given on the Quick Start Guide, then the Identifier will struggle to operate correctly. Below is an example of a poor installation.

This units battery was drained quickly as the Identifier itself was having to work harder in order to receive a GPS fix (The GPS antenna is located mid-way along the internal PCA, roughly to the right of where the SOS button is located.) The metal railing of this vessel acted to inhibit the ability of the antenna to receive a signal.

2 – Battery Charge. Please ensure that the unit receives a full charge prior to use. When correctly inserted into a charging dock, the LED on the front of the Identifier will flash once every second. When charging is complete the status indicator will remain continuously illuminated. It should take no longer than 5 hours for the Identifier to receive a full charge.

3 – Configuration. The default setup for the Identifier is for it to transmit once every 5 minutes. Provided the Identifier is correctly installed, is fully charged and configuration of TX rate is not altered from default, then it should operate 5 days on a single charge. It is possible to alter the TX rate of the identifier with configuration software, but doing so will reduce the battery life of the Identifier.

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With the hundreds of different vessel types and configurations on the water, it’s hard to give exact examples of how an Identifier should be installed, but if you consider some basic points, then you should be able to ensure a good standard of performance from the installed (and correctly configured and charged) unit.

1 – Is the unit accessible? – Unit must be easy to access, with the “ Window” in the Bracket easy to view.

2 – Is the unit secure? – Make sure the unit is firmly attached to the vessel using the fixing kit and bracket provided.

3 – Is it clear from any obstructions? – Make sure that the unit is clear of obstructions over and around the Identifier to ensure good GPS reception and good VHF signal propagation.

4 – Is it installed at a suitable height? – The Identifier bracket should be mounted to a non-metallic, vertical pole with the status indicator clearly visible. It should only be mounted vertically and ideally should be at least 2m above sea-level.. Installing higher will ensure better range, but remember to balance this with the need to be able to gain easy access to the unit.

Each tender or craft associated with a parent vessel will need to be programmed with it’s own unique MMSI number. Please be advised that the standard MMSI number range is 200000000-799999999, with 98xxxxxxx for associated vessels.

Using the same MMSI for multiple units will cause conflicts where it will either appear to jump from position to position, or just not be received at all if the transmissions clash. This will need to be issued by your local radio authority.