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Frequently Asked Questions
about Pebble: |
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We have tried to offer answers to
those technical queries we are asked most often. Some of the
"how to" step by step instructions and information regarding
the Pebble system and its capabilities may change from time to time |
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Pebble
General Questions: |
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Pebble
Configuration |
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Pebble
Online |
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If your question has not been
looked at here, please use the form below. |
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What
is Pebble? |
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Pebble is the name of the
simplest vehicle tracking and security package on the market. It
combines Automatic Vehicle Location ("AVL") with comprehensive
software to allow users to check on their vehicles wherever they might
be. Additionally, our software supports the installation of
sensors and switches that are more than capable of monitoring a range of
conditions within the vehicle.
Perhaps you want to know where the vehicle is, but you also want to
monitor fluid levels, or check that the inside temperature does not
exceed a safe limit. Maybe checking the oil pressure or coolant
level is your priority. Whatever you want to do with a Pebble
system we can pretty much work out how to achieve it. |
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How
Does It Work? |
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Each vehicle to be tracked is
fitted with a Pebble Track unit. This unit comprises a GPS
receiver for establishing location and a GSM module to handle the
passing of information from client to vehicle and back again.
Also included are a number of switches that can be used to activate
or de-activate anything to which a switch might usually be attached, and
a number of sensors that are used to gather information so that it can
be relayed back to the receiving station.
The information is interpreted and made available through the
client's monitoring account at our web site within a few seconds.
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How
Expensive is it |
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Pebble is one of the most
reasonably priced systems available. While many tracking companies
expect a three or five year contract involving each vehicle in costs of
several thousands of pounds, the equipment costs for a Pebble unit are
just £499, however since you decide the complexity of your
installation, you have complete control over the expense. Of
course a basic installation can be upgraded at any time.
The only ongoing running costs are:
GPRS enabled sim card. Tariffs are continually getting
cheaper.
£9.99 Monthly subscription to our monitoring facility. |
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What
equipment do I need? |
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Pebble requires the fitting of a
pebble tracking unit, previously fitted with a suitable GPRS enabled
mobile phone sim card.
Systems that monitor other aspects of the vehicle's condition, or
facilitate a panic alarm may need some extra components, all of which
are easily fitted and supplied by a competent vehicle electrician - or
alternatively may be supplied direct from us. |
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Does it run on a Mac? |
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Yes |
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What
Level of Technical Support is Available? |
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Email and telephone support is
available to all customers. Our installation technicians are
always willing to assist with established or new monitoring ideas to
further enhance the effectiveness of your Pebble. |
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How
Accurate is the Location Information? |
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Pebble uses the very latest
technology to ensure that the latitude and longitude references it
returns are among the most accurate available to civilian
applications. Usually the lat/lon pinpoints a position less than 2
metres from the vehicle's actual location. There are
conditions that can affect the accuracy. The presence of high
levels of electro-magnetic radiation, among others. These are
common to all vehicle tracking systems. |
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My
Daughter is at University. Will She Still Have Her Privacy |
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Tracking devices are being
fitted to young people's vehicles more and more. With the increase
in the numbers of young people travelling to and from university,
parents are feeling that it is a good idea to have some way of locating
the vehicle.
It is still important for the young person to have their independence
and privacy. The Pebble may be configured so that it does not send
positional messages unless a panic button on the dashboard (or
optionally worn around the driver's neck) is activated.
Of course, in the case of theft that does mean that you would have to
contact our tech support who would need to effect an override on the
lmitation. There would be a small charge for this
service. |
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What
Kind of Conditions can I Monitor Within the Vehicle? |
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Almost any condition in your
vehicle may be monitored. As long as it results in a sensor being
activated or deactivated then it can relay the information to the
monitoring software. Examples of conditions currently being monitored
include:
Coolant Level
Panic Alert Button
"Door Open" Sensor
Engine Temperature
Battery Voltage |
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How
does the Panic Button Work? |
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The panic alert is a special
sensor. Activated by pressing a button on the dash or pressing a
button on a specially designed remote key fob. The message is sent
immediately to the monitoring software. interestingly enough it is
also sent to a mobile telephone designated by the client. Once the
panid alert has been activated, whatever action the user deems
appropriate may be initiated. |
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Will
I be able to Track my Vehicle While it is Abroad? |
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Yes. Your vehicle will track
almost anywhere in the world, however the ability to send that data back
to the UK will rely on the presence of a mobile phone network. Mapping
is street level through out Europe. |
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How
do I View my Vehicle's Position? |
Simple:
- Log in to the web facility using the username and password you
have been supplied.
- In the left pane you will find a list of the groups of vehicles
you have registered on the our system click one.
- Click on the vehicle registration you are interested in. The
main pane will display the last tracked position.
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Can
I get a streaming position update? |
Absolutely:
- Click on the + at the side of the vehicle.
- Select Streaming Position from the drop down menu
- Your vehicle will now return positions once per minute
- The text will update automatically, click on the vehicle to
refresh the map to the latest data.
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How
do I print a report of the vehicle's movements? |
- Click the "Reports" link at the bottom of the vehicle
list.
- Select the vehicle and time range
- Click Produce.
- Click "Print" at the bottom of the page to print the
report to paper.
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How
do I change the on-screen captions that my switches and sensors display? |
- Click the "config" link adjacent to the vehicle you wish
to change.
- Enter the new names for any sensors and switches then click Update
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