7 Feb 21, 2024
Water Sensing
Water is great at attenuating high-frequency signals. As such, both GPS and LTE-M
cellular signals cannot penetrate very far into bodies of water. For animals that spend a
significant amount of time in the water, the L20 has an optional conductivity sensor
which allows it to sense when it is submerged in water. This allows it to skip GPS and
LTE activity when in the water, saving battery power. If a scheduled fix is attempted in
water, the tracker keeps record of that fix time, skips that GPS data point, and will check
the conductivity sensor frequently. When the L20 sees that the animal is out of the
water, it will take a GPS fix, and return to its normal GPS schedule. This results in large
amounts of power saving for the tracker, especially when attached to amphibians.
Section 6 Attaching the Tracker
The method of attaching the L20 to an animal varies on the exact model that was
ordered.
Glue-on Attachment
The Glue-on configuration is up to the customer, when it comes to choosing adhesives
and location on the animal. To ensure proper operation, do not cover the solar panel,
even with a clear material. Also, when testing the L20 in your deployment area of
interest, do not place the tracker near (within 6”) of metal objects. This may cause
detuning for the antennae in the tracker.
For trackers with a whip antenna, it is possible to bend the antenna (say around the
perimeter of a turtle shell, less than 90° from original angle), but expect some slight
reduction in cell signal.
Backpack Attachment
The backpack configuration has through-holes for feeding wire through, creating loops
to go around an animal’s limbs. ATS leaves the wire loop attachment to the researcher.
Ear tag Attachment
Use a standard tag applicator, and the provided stud with the tag to affix the ear tag to
the ear of the animal.
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