Using a locally sourced cellular SIM card, or global cellular SIM provided by us, that’s loaded with cellular data, you now have the option of sending tracking reports once every 15 seconds, whenever you’re operating in cell range. The best part? There’re no additional charges for these faster reports.
Traditionally, when you purchase a bundle of credits from us to operate your tracking device, every single position report will use one credit. Now, with the option of cellular tracking, these messages won’t diminish your credit pool – instead, these cellular positions are free. You can even have your RockAIR send these cellular position reports faster than satellite ones to make sure you don’t burn through your credits too quickly.
Beyond the obvious cost savings, this is also a very useful safety feature. With the incredible cellular coverage the world’s now experiencing, search areas for aircraft using cellular tracking will now drastically decrease. By using the power of dual sat/cell tracking, you get complete peace of mind regardless of the location you’re flying in.
For example, if you’re flying at 100 knots using a satellite-only device to transmit at a typical two-minute interval, your potential search area is roughly 116 sqkm (72sqm) if something were to happen. However, if you were using a dual mode device, such as a RockAIR, and you were reporting within cellular range at 15 seconds, the potential search area is significantly reduced to a very small 1.9sqkm (1.18sqm).
The RockAIR intuitively changes between satellite and cellular modes as well. If the unit is struggling to retrieve a cellular signal from its GSM antenna, then it will stop trying to send via cell and will switch to satellite tracking – seamlessly. There’ll be no downtime during this switch.
Dual mode tracking is incredibly easy to set up as well:
1. Open up RockCONNECT on your smartphone or tablet.
2. Select the RockAIR you’d like to connect with, assuming it’s turned on.
3. Select ‘Configure’ then type in ‘1234’ if prompted for a pin.
4. Select ‘Tracking > Satellite Context’ and change the ‘Transmit Frequency’ to your preferred satellite tracking rate.
5. Select ‘Tracking > Cellular Context’ and change the ‘Transmit Frequency’ to your preferred cellular tracking rate.
And that’s it. You’re ready to send tracking reports on either cellular or satellite.