Active Versus Passive Vehicle Tracking Devices: A Complicated Decision
WOODSTOCK, IL – When consumers begin researching Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking solutions, one of the first decisions to be made is whether they want passive or active technology.
LandAirSea representatives are asked this question frequently. LAS is a manufacturer and distributor of both passive and active vehicle tracking systems. It has been a leader in the field since 1994.
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The 8100 is the company’s current offering in the active category. The GPS Tracking Key is LAS’s top-selling passive vehicle tracking option.
A LandAirSea representative can help the consumer – whether personal or a business person – choose a vehicle tracking system that will best fit the application.
Difference is in Handling Data
All GPS vehicle tracking systems include hardware that is mounted on, in or under the asset. GPS satellite signals are captured by the receiver and the unit records the data, determining location.
On the basis of accuracy, both the 8100 and the GPS Tracking Key are equal. Both will determine vehicle location within 2.5 meters and both will take readings on a second-by-second basis. (Although the 8100 can be set for location sequencing as long as every 30 minutes or anywhere in between.) Both devices are also self-contained, equipped with internal antennas.
There are two major differences between the 8100 and the GPS Tracking Key: One relates to time and the second to cost.
Active systems and passive systems have different ways of handling the data they collect. Users need to ask themselves: “Do I want to know where the vehicle is, or where it’s been?”
How Soon Do You Need to Know?
Active GPS tracking systems are also known as “real-time” devices. They give an almost instantaneous report of a vehicle’s speed, location, stops and direction of travel. Active GPS tracking systems employ wireless networks to transmit data to a remote computer. Users can see a vehicle’s movements on a map on PC, almost as it happens.
Passive vehicle tracking systems like the GPS Tracking Key acquire the same vehicle travel information and they store it for download to computer and analysis at a later time. The GPS tracking device must be physically removed at the conclusion of a trip or the end of the day and connected to PC via USB port.
‘Watching’ From a Distance
Business people interested in efficient dispatch and delivery, or in asset management, should opt for an active GPS tracking system.
With a system such as the 8100 in place, dispatch can determine the location of every vehicle in a fleet, at any time, without talking to the drivers. It allows viewing of multiple vehicles simultaneously over the same map. A geo-fencing feature will send text messages or email alerts to home base if a vehicle moves beyond a virtual boundary.
Dispatchers have the benefit of minute-to-minute time management. They can offer customers accurate arrival times and quickly substitute a driver if one lags behind or is out of service.
Some insurance companies offer discounts for vehicles equipped with active GPS tracking technology. With this equipment, the chances of losing vehicles decrease considerably. Likewise, the devices help prevent theft of personal property such as recreational vehicles (boats, motorcycles, snowmobiles), artwork and large furniture and appliances.
Active systems might also be recommended to caregivers who want to keep close tabs on elderly parents who are still driving and children who are traveling great distances to school or work.
Active GPS tracking systems’ “real-time” recording is a persuasive selling point, but the feature comes, literally, at a price. While the GPS satellite system comes free to citizens, real-time reports require the use of a cellular network to relay information. Those involve monthly subscription fees, usually a 12-month contract, and activation fees. The costs could range from $20 to about $60 a month, in addition to the cost of the unit.
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Tags: Active GPS Tracking, GPS Tracking, GPS Tracking Key, LandAirSea 8100, Passive GPS Tracking, Real Time
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