Protect Who Matters Most™
LonerGPS™ User Guide
Mobile Worker Safety Solution
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Introduction
This user guide provides valuable information on getting started with LonerGPS and its use. It is geared
towards the personnel within a corporation who are responsible for implementation of safety programs, IT
personnel, and management. However, the implementation process of the LonerGPS solution is
straightforward and can be accomplished by anyone who is mildly technical within organizations ranging
from small and medium businesses through to enterprise.
The Loner Protection System™ is comprised of the following components:
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For mobile workers: The BlackLine LonerGPS worker-worn safety device
For office monitoring staff: The BlackLine LonerPortal™ Web application that runs on an office
computer
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For mobile monitoring staff (Optional): The BlackLine LonerMobile™ application for BlackBerry®
smartphones, operating in Team Leader mode
The LonerPortal web-based monitoring application provides monitoring staff a toolset for real-time
monitoring in an office environment. LonerPortal configuration and use are described separately with the
BlackLine GPS LonerPortal User Guide.
The LonerMobile application for BlackBerry smartphones provides a mobile safety-monitoring interface
and is separately discussed in the LonerMobile User Guide.
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Overview
This section provides foundation-level information about LonerGPS device and LonerPortal web-based
monitoring application.
About LonerGPS
The LonerGPS safety device incorporates the following key components:
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Global positioning system (GPS) receiver and antenna
Wireless GSM/GPRS communications radio and antenna
Motion-detection technology
Built-in rechargeable battery (Lithium polymer battery technology)
Compact enclosure
Two-button keypad with status indicator lights
Buzzer and vibration user notification
The LonerGPS safety device is typically belt-worn and is accompanied by a BlackLine-supplied holster with
belt clip.
LonerGPS Features
Features of the LonerGPS device include:
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Real-time and scheduled GPS tracking allows mobile workers to be located quickly in times of
emergency and also provides a history of prior locations (a bread-crumb trail)
Motion-detection technology enables worker activity to be monitored – if no worker motion within
factory-configurable timer, an instant No-motion Alert is triggered
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Emergency button allows the mobile worker to trigger an instant alert
Up to 7-day battery life
UltimateSense™ GPS tracking technology for optimum performance in challenging conditions
Beeper and vibration notifies the mobile worker of a pending No-motion Alert, giving the worker
the chance to cancel it before going into alert
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Factory-configurable No-motion Timer enables an employer to tailor the device for the degree of
responsiveness required for a particular job function. The default settings are described in the
Specifications chapter.
About the Loner Safety System
The Loner Safety System™ is supported by the BlackLine Location Services Platform™ (LSP). The
BlackLine LSP provides the foundation for LonerGPS Safety Devices and includes networking,
communications, data storage, user accounts, billing systems, alerting engine, tracking engine, and more.
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The BlackLine Loner Safety System is comprised of the following components:
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For office monitoring staff: The BlackLine LonerPortal™ Safety Web Interface is a user interface
for safety monitoring personnel. LonerPortal facilitates monitoring and interaction with BlackLine
GPS Safety Devices for the purpose of monitoring mobile worker safety. LonerPortal is
compatible with the BlackLine LonerGPS™ Safety Device.
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For mobile workers: The BlackLine LonerGPS worker-worn safety device and the BlackLine
LonerMobile application for BlackBerry smartphones.
For mobile monitoring staff (Optional): The BlackLine LonerMobile™ application for BlackBerry
smartphones, operating in Team Leader mode
LonerPortal Features
LonerPortal provides monitoring personnel in the office the web-based tools to efficiently monitor
LonerGPS devices in the field. LonerPortal offers the following list of features:
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Web-based monitoring interface – log in at the start of the day; LonerPortal will continue to
operate within the web browser while other tasks are managed on the same computer.
Background-monitoring – Loner Safety devices are monitored continuously whether or not a user
is logged into LonerPortal
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Mobile alerting and notification via email and text message (SMS)
Real-time alarm banner with visible and audible indications
Convenient device listing provides a quick overview of LonerGPS summary data
Real-time and scheduled tracking interface provides the flexibility required to ensure current
location data is close at hand
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Cross-team Sharing to extend safety awareness and increase accessibility of location-based data
in times of emergency
GPS location scheduler automates the process of retrieving locations from LonerGPS Safety
Devices
Call-out List escalates monitoring if alerts are not addressed within a configurable amount of
time
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No software to download or install
Compatibility with BlackLine LonerMobile application software for BlackBerry smartphones
provides a convenience mobile interface (when running in Team Leader mode)
Each of these features are described in detail within the LonerPortal User Guide. For download
LonerGPS Alerts
Alerts are defined as critical message communications to safety stakeholders that indicate an immediate
threat to a worker’s safety. LonerPortal manages all alert communications from LonerGPS devices to
safety stakeholders. Alerts are communicated in two ways:
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Email and text message (SMS) via LonerPortal’s configurable Call-out List – when an alert
situation occurs, LonerPortal will immediately send email and text message alerts to individuals
as specified within the Call-out List.
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Via the alert banner within the LonerPortal web application – when an alert situation occurs,
LonerPortal will annunciate the alert within its alarm banner, generating audio and video
indications in real-time.
The following list describes the alerts generated by LonerGPS:
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No-motion Alert (effectively a man-down alert) – generated by LonerGPS and communicated via
LonerPortal when the LonerGPS device does not measure sufficient worker activity within a set
amount of time.
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Emergency Alert – generated by the user who presses the emergency button on LonerGPS.
Failed scheduled location Alert – generated by LonerPortal when a schedule GPS location has not
returned a location.
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Network timeout Alert – generated by LonerPortal when a specific LonerGPS device has not
checked in recently with LonerPortal servers.
LonerGPS Notifications
Notifications are defined as message communications to safety stakeholders that indicate when
something may affect the safety of a worker in the future. Notifications are communicated in one way:
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Email and text message (SMS) via LonerPortal’s configurable Call-out List – when a notification
event occurs, LonerPortal immediately sends email and text message notifications to the Priority
1 contact as specified within LonerPortal’s Call-out List.
Notifications supported by LonerGPS include the following:
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Low-battery (40%) Notification – when a low-battery condition is triggered, a Low-battery (40%)
Notification can be optionally sent to the priority 1 individuals specified in the call-out list.
On-network Notification – When a device logs onto LonerPortal, an On-network Notification can
be optionally sent to the priority 1 individuals specified in the call-out list.
Off-network Notification – When a device logs off from LonerPortal, an Off-network Notification
can be optionally sent to the priority 1 individuals specified in the call-out list.
Note – Notifications are optional but recommended by BlackLine GPS to promote awareness of system
operation and status.
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Getting Started
This chapter provides a variety of information regarding LonerGPS including hands-on information for
mobile workers plus the details required for an organization’s monitoring and administrative staff to
support the LonerGPS deployment.
Note - Prior to getting started with a LonerGPS device, a LonerPortal account must be set up and the
LonerGPS device activated on the account. The LonerPortal User Guide provides detailed information on
this process. For download information, please visit the BlackLine GPS website: www.blacklinegps.com.
The following list provides a brief overview of system operations.
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LonerGPS devices are charged (a full charge takes approximately five hours)
At the start of a shift, mobile workers are each equipped with a personal LonerGPS device
Monitoring personnel log into the LonerPortal web application
The mobile worker powers their LonerGPS that connects through the wireless network to the
BlackLine LonerPortal web application
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Once connected, LonerGPS devices are automatically monitored
In the event that any alert conditions occur, monitoring staff are alerted immediately of the
condition
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LonerGPS devices can be tracked in real-time when required. Locations can be schedule for
automatic retrieval to bread-crumb worker’s locations to ensure that a current location is always
available
Alerts can be reset by monitoring personnel when alert situations are verified and addressed
The LonerGPS Device
The LonerGPS device is compact and self-contained. It has a few physical features worth noting:
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Front: a two-button keypad with indicator lights
Rear: a DC charging jack
Bottom: A serial label with the device’s unit ID and activation code
Top: a LonerGPS logo
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Keypad
The LonerGPS keypad provides the mobile worker with the following functions and indications:
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Power button: The power button is used to turn the LonerGPS device on and off.
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Green indicator light: The green indicator light tells the user the power status and also whether
connected to the wireless service
Emergency button: The emergency button allows the user to trigger an emergency alert to their
monitoring personnel via LonerPortal
Red indicator light: The red indicator light provides status of alerts
Charging LonerGPS
LonerGPS is conveniently charged using the supplied wall charger. The wall charger is compatible with
any North American 110/120 VAC 60 Hz outlet and consumes approximately 0.5A of current while fast-
charging.
To charge a LonerGPS device:
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Plug the wall charger into the wall
Ensure that the wall plug has power using a test light, if necessary
Plug the DC plug into the LonerGPS charging jack
Note: If the LonerGPS is currently powered, please note that plugging the device into power will turn
LonerGPS off. This ensures that the device will not trigger no-motion alerts while charging. BlackLine
GPS recommends that a regular charging habit be used to ensure that devices do not enter the field with
near-empty battery capacity.
Wearing LonerGPS
LonerGPS is designed for wearing on a belt using the supplied holster with built-in belt clip, as shown in
the image below.
Note – the LonerGPS logo must face outward, away from the mobile worker’s body for optimum GPS
performance.
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Alternatively, LonerGPS may be worn in a pocket, however the mobile worker should ensure that the logo
side of the enclosure should face away from their body.
Note - BlackLine recommends using the supplied holster to ensure optimum GPS tracking performance
and to ensure audibility of the internal beeper.
Use Procedure
The device should be powered when safety-monitoring is required Using the LonerGPS safety device is
very straightforward:
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The mobile worker presses the power button to turn LonerGPS on (please see the following
section on turning LonerGPS on and off for further information)
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The mobile worker wears LonerGPS on his or her belt
The mobile worker goes about their duties with little additional burden
Note – BlackLine recommends that the LonerGPS device remain powered during an entire work shift.
Please see the note below regarding lunch and coffee breaks.
Turning LonerGPS On and Off
To turn LonerGPS on, press and release the power button. To turn the LonerGPS device off, press and
release the power button. The LonerGPS device features a wireless connection / power indication. When
the green indicator light blinks, the LonerGPS device does not have a wireless data connection. When
the indicator light changes to solid green (continuous), the LonerGPS device is connected to the wireless
network. It takes approximately 30 to 90 seconds to achieve a wireless data connection, depending on
the wireless signal level.
Note - BlackLine recommends that during breaks that the mobile worker continue to wear LonerGPS with
the device powered. The benefit of not forgetting to turn it on after the break outweighs the risk of
forgetting to turn it on, in order to save the occasional pending No-motion Alert beeping.
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Alerts
There are two key alerts types that the mobile worker is responsible for and must be trained on:
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No-motion Alert
Emergency Alet
No-motion Alert
The purpose of the No-motion Alert is to quickly notify safety-monitoring personnel that a mobile worker is
no longer moving. The goal is to quickly confirm the situation and if unable to reach the mobile worker, to
quickly provide emergency assistance.
The No-motion Alert works by monitoring the motion of LonerGPS with the assumption that the device is
being carried by / is attached to the mobile worker. The LonerGPS device monitors worker activity for two
minutes (the default factory-configurable setting). If no motion has been measured within this timer of
two minutes, the No-motion Alert is triggered.
Note - Depending on a mobile worker’s duties, a custom No-Motion Timer period may be factory-
configured into a LonerGPS device. The duration of the No-Motion Timer should be chosen with care,
understanding the level of activity and desired responsiveness. A longer No-motion Timer reduces
responsiveness and can be more susceptible to detecting false motion.
In order to significantly reduce the number of false alerts, the No-motion alert has two phases, triggered
initially by the lack of worker motion within the No-motion Timer:
1. Pending No-Motion alert beeping and vibration (optional hardware feature)
2. Alert communicted to LonerPortal
The first phase, the pending No-motion Alert, tells the mobile worker that a No-motion Alert will be sent in
30 seconds unless cancelled. The pending No-motion Alert is annunciated by a beeping (and optionally
vibrating) once per second, coupled with a flash of the red indicator light. In the last second of the 30-
second count-down, the beep and vibration will annunciate continuously for one second, announcing that
the alert has been sent.
If the user does not cancel the pending No-motion Alert during the 30-second count-down, the red
indicator light will change to a continous illumination and the beeping and vibration will stop.
This process of mobile worker notification allows them to cancel the alert if they are present and aware,
thus reducing false alarms significantly. Otherwise, the alert is transmitted to LonerPortal that notifies-
safety monitoring personnel.
Emergency Alert
The Emergency Alert provides a mobile worker and instant notification to monitoring staff of an event that
has the potential to cause them harm. Unlike the No-motion Alert, this alert is triggered instantly and
notifies monitoring personnel without delay and does not offer the ability for the worker to cancel the alert
before it is transmitted to monitoring personnel.
To trigger an emergency alert to safety-monitoring staff, the mobile worker presses and holds the
emergency key. Once triggered, the emergency indicator light (red) will illuminate continuously. The alert
is communicated to LonerPortal that then notifies safety monitoring personnel.
The mobile worker is able to cancel the Emergency Alert at the LonerGPS device, however this does not
cancel the alert at LonerPortal, providing a burden on the monitoring personnel to investigate the
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situation. To cancel the Emergency Alert, the mobile worker presses and holds the emergency button
again.
Note - When an Emergency Alert is triggered by the mobile worker, the red indicator light on LonerGPS will
illuminate continuously. The LonerGPS device does not beep or vibrate during this process with the
intention of being a silent alert to monitoring staff.
Real-time and Scheduled GPS Tracking
The LonerGPS device may be tracked in real-time through the Location Scheduler.
Real-time GPS tracking is exceptionally useful when mobilizing an efficient response in a emergency
situation. Tracking a mobile worker in real-time is accomplished through the LonerPortal application or
alternatively from the LonerMobile application for BlackBerry smartphones. Tracking a worker takes
approximately 20 to 30 seconds typically when GPS signals are moderate to good. In weaker signal
conditions, this can take between 60 and 120 seconds.
In environments where the mobile worker’s LonerGPS is not able to compute a location due to weak GPS
signal coverage, having a recent schedule location is crucial to provide needed response in a timely
manner.
LonerPortal provides the tools for real-time and scheduled tracking, which is described in detail within the
LonerPortal User Guide.
Coverage
The LonerGPS solution currently provides wireless coverage within the United States and Canada. For
current coverage information, visit the BlackLine GPS web site:
If your needs for safety are outside the United States and Canada, consider the LonerMobile application
for BlackBerry smartphones. LonerMobile offers a mobile worker protection mode, Team Member mode,
which is analagous to LonerGPS. LonerMobile on provides safety on the mainstream BlackBerry platform
that is easily accessible and features excellent GPS tracking performance compared to other
smartphones on the market. Contact BlackLine GPS for further information on LonerMobile or visit our
Web site.
Safety Protocols During an Alert
LonerGPS has implications to an organization’s safety policy and procedures. LonerGPS is designed as
an aggressive aid to promote the safety of mobile workers and should not be considered a sole-source of
safety monitoring. Due to the critical nature of safety-monitoring, BlackLine recommends than each
mobile worker be additionally equipped with a mobile phone. By coupling a mobile phone with LonerGPS,
a single point of failure does not compromise worker safety (such as battery discharge or damage to a
device).
The LonerGPS safety solution was designed to meet the needs of each stakeholder within a corporation,
including the mobile worker, team leaders, safety monitoring personnel, management, and unions. Each
stakeholder is keenly interested in mobile worker safety, which should be considered organization’s top
priority. Accordingly, it is critical that safety policy and procedures be considered and developed in
relation to the implementation to the LonerGPS safety system.
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Note - As part of an organization’s safety policy, it is prudent to have safety-monitoring personnel contact
a mobile worker who has triggered an emergency alert and cancelled it. From a diligence perspective, the
mobile worker’s safety is most thoroughly assured.
Further, BlackLine GPS recommends that users be instructed to use a code-word for a situation where a
mobile worker triggered the emergency alert under duress but has been forced to cancel the alert.
Other wider-ranging safety policy and protocol considerations should be examined within each company
who deploys the LonerGPS solution.
Limitations
There are a small number of limitations that must be carefully noted. These limitations relate to the
layered safety approach delivered by the LonerGPS system and affect its ability to provide protection to
mobile workers.
Wireless communications reception (GSM)
Wireless signals are not nearly as weak as GPS signals and as a result are able to penetrate into most
structures that people frequent. As a result, wireless connectivity is more likely to be maintained
throughout a region covered with wireless signals than GPS. Maintaining a wireless connection is the
fundamental layer of safety.
There are certain locations where signal coverage does not exist or is poor. Signal coverage is typically
less available within rural areas than urban due to concentration of populations. Consult the Coverage
section above for current estimated coverage information for LonerGPS.
An alert may be configured within LonerPortal for situations where a device has unexpectedly left
coverage, the battery has expired, or the device has been damaged. This alert notifies monitoring staff
once the condition has been detected. Considering that the mobile worker is no longer protected by
LonerGPS, this alert enables monitoring staff to investigate the situation further to ensure safety of the
worker.
Note - In this type of situation, it is crucial to have a recent GPS location to understand the approximate
location of the mobile worker. The LonerPortal’s location scheduler accomplishes this task by
automatically requesting periodic GPS locations from LonerGPS devices.
GPS reception
LonerGPS features BlackLine GPS UltimateSense™ GPS antenna technology that allows LonerGPS to
‘hear’ extremely weak GPS signals.
It should be noted, however, that GPS signals are near noise-floor (extremely weak) and are not able to
penetrate concrete, metal (steel), carbon fiber, and some metallic window tint films. While operating in
areas where GPS signals may not be sufficient, such as within some commercial structures, scheduled
GPS positions may not be retrieved, causing failed scheduled location alerts (if configured within
LonerPortal). Not being able to track within commercial structures built of metal and concrete is
unavoidable and are not a symptom of the product itself, but rather a limitation of physics.
Note – BlackLine GPS recommends a tracking schedule be created for each device in order to provide a
current location within GPS coverage. This ensures a most recent GPS location is available near where a
mobile worker has entered an area of no GPS signal coverage.
Battery Power
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LonerGPS communicates its battery level to LonerPortal periodically. If a low-battery condition is found on
a device, LonerPortal may be configured to notify monitoring personnel of this condition. Notifications are
not treated with the same significance as alerts and do not trigger the Alert Banner.
BlackLine GPS recommends that Low-battery Notifications be configured for each device on an account to
ensure an optimum and consistent level of performance.
LonerGPS Care
There are a number of factors to consider when using and storing LonerGPS devices.
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The LonerGPS device is not a sealed system and should be protected from direct condensation.
The LonerGPS device should not be left in direct sunlight for extended periods of time
Please refer to the Specifications chapter for more information on environmental limits of this product.
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Specifications
Mechanical
Alert data:
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Size: 10 cm L x 7.5 cm W x 2.5 cm T (4”
L x 3” W x 1” T )
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Alert location (lat. & long.), alert type,
time, and date
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Weight: 120 g (4.2 oz)
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Alert reset: user name, time, and date
Radios
User notification
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GPS: 20 channel
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Worker motion detection: factory
configurable settings
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GPS antenna technology: BlackLine
GPS UltimateSense™
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Buzzer and vibration motor: notifies
mobile worker in order to
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Internal GPS antenna: Yes
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cancel no-motion false alarms
Tri-band GSM radio: 850, 1800, &
1900 MHz
Buzzer sound pressure level: ~80 dB
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Internal GSM antenna: Yes
Default settings
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No-motion timer: 2 minutes of no
measurement of worker activity before
generating an alert
Power
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Input voltage: 6 to 18VDC
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Battery: Li-polymer technology (2000
mAh)
Pre-no-motion indication timer: 30
seconds of beeping and vibration
before the no-motion alert is triggered
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Battery life: up to 7 days
Charging connector: DC jack
Environmental
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Operating Temperature: -20°C to
+55°C (-4°F to +131°F)
Performance
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Location request turnaround time: 20
seconds typ.
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Storage Temperature: -30°C to +75°C
(-22°F to +167°F)
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Accuracy: 5 m (16 ft) outdoors typ., 50
m (165 ft) indoors typ.
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Humidity: 95% non-condensing
Vibration motor: Yes
What’s included
LonerGPS safety device, wall charger,
belt-mount holster
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Warranty
Please review Terms & Conditions,
provided separately
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Approvals
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FCC, PTCRB
LonerPortal
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A hosted, web-based safety monitoring
application
Wireless coverage
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United States and Canada (other
countries please enquire)
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No software installation and no
software maintenance fees
Location data
Location (lat. & long.), speed, direction
of travel, time, date
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Easy account management
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Mobile alerting and notifications
through email and text message
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