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NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT! – Added Function Very High Frequency (AFVHF)

Wildlife ACT Innovations is excited to share that we have developed our own, specialised Added Function Very High Frequency (AFVHF) transmitter for...
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Wildlife Tracking Products

Wildlife ACT Innovations – Wildlife Telemetry Solutions Company Launches in South Africa

Wildlife ACT and AWE Telemetry Systems have joined forces in the wildlife telemetry space. The new company, called Wildlife ACT...
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In the video, we demonstrate our new Added Functio In the video, we demonstrate our new Added Function Very-High Frequency (AFVHF) transmitter within a Rhino Pod. AFVHF has a long history of assisting conservationists to monitor Rhino populations in nature reserves across Southern Africa. Our AFVHF has important features including “Duty Cycle” & “Mortality Mode”. Duty Cycle allows users to choose the period that the transmitter should pulse (eg 16 hours on and 8 hours off), which can extend battery life. A timer starts when a magnetic switch is removed & a series of pulse rates start emitting. The reserve manager may choose if they want a ‘latching’ or ‘non-latching’ mortality mode option for their AFVHF. ‘Non-latching’ sets the device to emit an emergency 80bpm after 8+ hours of zero movements from the animal. If the animal moves then the accelerometer is triggered and the device immediately reverts back to an active/inactive pulse rate of 60/40bpm.

This Rhino Pod has been set to a ‘latching’ mortality mode. The accelerometer is programmed to detect inactivity for longer than 8 hours. At this point, where the video begins, the AFVHF has been triggered to emit an emergency 80bpm. If the animal moves or is moved by another animal, the AFVHF will continue to emit 80bpm. Alerting the reserve monitor that there is a problem & that the animal is in potential danger. Even if the animal is moved by a scavenger, monitors will have a strong range and pulse emission to be able to track it to check on its current status. The latching option can be reset by removing the collar/tag. Then switch it off and on again using the magnetic switch provided. As shown in the video, the switch enables the AFVHF to revert back to its active/inactive mode at 60bpm followed by 40bpm. These pulses are used to indicate the animal and its movements. Designed to inform reserve managers and monitors of the animal’s behaviour during tracking. 

#VHF #newproduct #technology #vhftracking #telemetry #wildlife #tracking #endangeredwildlife #endangeredspecies #trackingcollars #conservation #wildlifemonitoring #SouthAfrica #WildlifeActInnovations #AWETelemetry #animals #wildlifeconservation

@wildlife_act @wwfblackrhinoproject @wwfsouthafrica
Photographed here are conservation monitors from @ Photographed here are conservation monitors from @wildlife_act fitting one of our Satellite collars onto a Cheetah. One of the most effective animal tracking options we have to offer is our GNSS or GPS Satellite collars. Through our private portal, users can access fully uploaded data information which is part of a service package we provide.

Location data is collected by the tracking device embedded within an animal’s collar or tag and delivered to the user via a satellite network and the Internet. The physical size of the tracking devices has only recently become small enough so that they fit into collars. It has always been a priority of ours to ensure collars/tags are within a certain weight class based on the species, for example, a Cheetah collar can securely hold a Satellite device within a 3D-printed housing and be limited to 400-500 grams. 
 
Challenges which Satellite tracking technology presents are the need for a good sky view to enable accurate GPS data, the cost of satellite data services, and the amount of power required to communicate to a satellite. Satellite tracking can however be the cost-effective option if a monitor is in need of long-term, high-quality data and can often be for the purpose of conservation and research combined. 

WildlifeACT Innovations prefers using Iridium as our satellite service provider, but also offers Global star solutions.

Thank you, photography credit: @crdutoit @jackie.scott.73550 

#technology #wildlife #tracking #satellite #GPS #trackingcollars #VHF #conservation #wildlifemonitoring #SouthAfrica #WildlifeActInnovations #animals #wildlifeconservation #nature #natureconservation #datacollection #research #fieldresearch #wildlifemonitors

@iridiumcomm @akhani_3d
Added Function Very-High Frequency transmitting te Added Function Very-High Frequency transmitting technology has been used within conservation to track and check on high-priority species. Which can be equipped with a combination of GPS & AFVHF. With a new AFVHF, we now offer a more affordable and effective tracking technology. The AFVHF emits pulse rates of 40/60/80bpm based on the animal’s movements, alerting the monitor who is tracking the animal to its current state. 

In the video, we see how movement in a lion collar triggers an accelerometer from emitting 40bpm (resting animal state) to 60bpm (animal is active). If the animal rests again, it does not take long for the accelerometer to detect the change and revert to 40bpm. If the AFVHF is not triggered by movement for 8hrs or longer, the AFVHF pulses at 80bpm & could mean that the animal is in danger.

“Mortality Mode” at 80bpm is designed to warn a reserve monitor to immediately track & check on the animal. A latching feature means that once the transmitter is triggered into mortality mode, it does not stop emitting 80bpm. Informing monitors that the animal exhibited a lack of movement & could need assistance. A non-latching feature is also an option; if the animal moves or is moved after
80bpm is triggered - it will revert to 40/60bpm. The choice is in your hands, at WildlifeACT Innovations we can design & modify our tracking collars or tags to work for a diverse range of animals and habitats.

Learn more about what we have on offer at our website, link in bio.

@babanango_game_reserve @ezemvelokznwild @africanparks @baobab_wildlife_conservation  @wwfblackrhinoproject  @wwfsouthafrica  @wildlife_act  @tembeelephant@hluhluwewildlife 

#VHF #newproduct #technology #vhftracking #telemetry #wildlife
#tracking #endangeredwildlife #endangeredspecies #trackingcollars #conservation
#wildlifemonitoring #SouthAfrica #WildlifeActInnovations #AWETelemetry #animals
#wildlifeconservation
GPS tracking has come a far way in recent years, a GPS tracking has come a far way in recent years, assisting nature reserves to protect their wildlife. Managers now have the option to install a Low Power Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN). Achieved by installing gateways, which have coverage of 15/20km & using LoRa GPS trackers on their animals. Terrain such as valleys can impede a LoRa device’s ability to send GPS data efficiently. WildlifeACT Innovations processes the data from LoRa collars/tags placed on various animal species. This GPS info is sent directly to reserve monitors who can use it to locate the animals they are tracking.

The LoRa Network is expanding & when neighbouring reserves are on a single network, they both benefit. Animals’ movements have a greater chance of being detected when there are multiple gateways to communicate with & we see an improvement in how regularly the device uploads data. This kind of collaboration could prevent a pack of Wild Dogs from escaping untraced from their reserve boundary. GPS information is protected by data privacy & if an animal is picked up on a neighbour’s gateway; only the reserve will have access to its own animal’s location via a private portal login.

A LoRa network community across reserves can create collaboration, address human-wildlife conflict issues & reduce poaching. The installation of a LoRaWAN system becomes more affordable if reserves agree to install gateways in specific geo-locations; enabling animals to be tracked from both sides. If a gateway fails e.g., due to an electrical storm, animals can still push GPS data to a neighbour’s gateway while the issue is being resolved. In upcoming years, we hope the LoRa network continues to expand so we can give our reserve monitors quality GPS data to assist in their conservation mission. 

#LoRAWAN #AWETelemetry #wildlifetracking #wildlifeact #monitors #gateways #GPSdata #technology #outdoors #naturereserves #provincial #local #SouthAfrica #endpoaching #endangeredspecies #animaltrack #WildlifeACTInnovations #community #nature

@ezemvelokznwildlife @wwfblackrhinoproject  @wwfsouthafrica  @wildlife_act  @somkhandagamereserve  @manyoniprivategamereserve  @hluhluwewildlife  @tembeelephant  @peaceparks
New PRODUCT! Watch above as we demonstrate our new New PRODUCT! Watch above as we demonstrate our new and improved Added Function Very High-Frequency (AFVHF) transmitter.
Here you can see how this activity sensor works on this Lion collar, destined for one of the provincial nature reserves we work with. The AFVHF is an additional option to the GPS Satellite or LoRa component in any animal tracking collars or tags we manufacture. It is used by reserve monitors to manually locate the exact position and status of the collared animal. 
This video demonstrates the functions of our AFVHF, including specialised features:

- ON and OFF magnetic switch
- 40/60/80bpm pulses indicating an animal’s movements
- 40bpm means that the animal is resting or inactive & converts to 60bpm when the animal is in motion.

The VHF also features the following:
- Duty cycle
- Latching option; when the device enters mortality mode at 80bpm it does not return to 40bpm even after there is movement. This alert monitors that they should still check on the animal.
- Excellent range, battery life & stronger pulse detection
- User-defined frequencies

Designed with the assistance of Wildlife ACT monitors, reserve managers and Animal Wildlife Electronics #AWETelemetry

#VHF #newproduct #technology #vhftracking #telemetry #wildlife #tracking #endangeredwildlife
#endangeredspecies #trackingcollars #conservation #wildlifemonitoring #SouthAfrica
#WildlifeActInnovations #AWETelemetry #animals #wildlifeconservation #nature
#natureconservation #research #fieldresearch #wildlifemonitors #data #DutyCycle #MortalityMode

@babanango_game_reserve @ezemvelokznwildlife @africanparksnetwork
@baobab_wildlife_conservation @wwfblackrhinoproject @wwfsouthafrica @wildlife_act @selatigamereserve
Wildlife ACT Innovations is excited to share that Wildlife ACT Innovations is excited to share that we have developed our own Added Function Very High-Frequency transmitter for animal tracking. This AFVHF design is based on experience with reserve monitors across Southern Africa. Starting a new year with a new product, we aim to provide affordable & effective tracking devices in the efforts toward protecting our endangered species. 

This AFVHF has been designed to emit pulse rates indicating the movements of the animal being tracked. An accelerometer measures the pulse rate and the AFVHF offers three pulse states, 40/60/80bpm. Each pulse translates as an activity. A pulse of 40bpm informs the monitor that the animal is inactive & resting. At 60bpm the animal is active & moving. The transmitter reverts to inactive mode after 10 seconds of inactivity.

Additional features include Mortality Mode & Duty Cycle. Mortality Mode indicates inactivity & after 8 hours of no movement, the transmitter reverts to a pulse rate of 80bpm. This could mean that the animal is in danger or potentially dead. Mortality Mode can be latching or non-latching. With latching it continues to pulse at 80bpm even if it is moved. If programmed as non-latching then the unit comes out of Mortality Mode if the accelerometer is triggered. This is useful as it eliminates the possibility of a scavenger moving the animal & falsely triggering the active pulse rate (60bpm). A magnet can also be used to switch off & reset it. Collars can thus be re-used if they are retrieved without having to be reprogrammed. 

Duty Cycle allows the User to define the period that the transmitter should pulse (eg 16 hours On and 8 hours Off), this extends the battery life of the unit. The timer starts when the magnet is removed from the magnetic switch.

Keep an eye out for our next post on our AFVHF transmitters, where we will include a video illustrating the above features. 

@wildlife_act 

#VHF #new #technology #telemetry #wildlife #tracking #endangered #trackingcollars #conservation #wildlifemonitoring #SouthAfrica #WildlifeActInnovations #AWETelemetry #animals #conservation #nature #research #data #DutyCycle #MortalityMode

Get in touch

Jason Tarr
Director
+27 (0)73 1712539

Emma Avni
Operations Manager
+27 (0)79 101 8902

info@wildinno.com
sales@wildinno.com

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