Latest news - August 2010

August 2010 - Peek Associates Limited - Field trials of a GPS enabled Tracking Device and Internet Accessed Service aimed at the cycling enthusiast, sportive rider, event organiser and cycle importer/retailer community - have been completed

During the past 9 months, Peek Associates has conducted a series of field trials and live testing on  small battery powered GPS enabled tracking devices. These devices run on  hosted services accessed via the Internet from PC's, lap Tops or Smart Phones. The testing involved club cyclists in competition and training, retailers managing inventory of valuable stock in storage and on loan, participants involved in charitable sportive rides and selected events where the organiser has a duty of care responsibility, for the participants and service teams.

A prototype service has been benchmarked against emerging mobile application downloads running on smart phones and against other GPS based and RFID tagged services used in LVRC and Surrey League/BC road races, BC track events on Welwyn and Reading velodromes and services available to service teams and participants in the London - Paris Cycle stage One to Dover.  The results have been excellent and we wish to thank our sector associates, clubmates, dealers, the device/ host service providers and event organisers for the support and opportunity to conduct live real time testing and for thier objective feedback.

We are now seeking partners that may wish to use the service, collaborate with us on customized services or to become resellers of the service.

1) Concept description:

The concept involves a small (25mm W x 35 mm L x 20 T) rechargeable battery powered GPS/GSM/GPRS enabled personal tracking device. The GPS receiver has the highest sensitivity to low power consumption chip-set integration available in today's market. The service is hosted from UK servers and the mapped or text (Excel based) report content and real time tracking, is accessed via secure login/password via the Internet or via a browser on a mobile (smart phone/BlackBerry/iPhone).

The device GPS device sends its GPS position, date, time, speed, geocoded address/fix, battery status and other user selected content, to the host server in the UK. The user or administrator who wants to monitor a rider or check the location of an equipped asset/vehicle or person, logs-in via a browser and selects either Road Level, Google Earth, 3D or Bing based mapping look and/or text based reporting data. The Excel based historical trip data is availabel for download, storage and printing.

The user/owner sets the re-fresh update fix report frequency in the range of once every 5 seconds to once every 30 minutes. This is managed via a drop down option on the tracking panel. The unit once charged and switched on reports when it detects motion. It stays in sleep mode when motion has stopped and not detected for a fixed time period. The concept is designed for:

- Training session monitoring

- Ride logging

- Stolen bike/valuable equipment/stock protection and recovery

- Emergency/call for assitance, panic alerting

- Peace of mind for family, friends, clubmates, managers, coaches, event organisers and those with a duty of care.

- Stock in-transit tracking

- Equipment in storage security

The device is switched on and carried by the rider, or attached to an asset, placed inside a vehicle, a bike box or a wheel case. The unit remains in sleep mode until the on-board motion sensor detects movement. Whilst it is moving, the device reports its location and other parameters set by the user/owner/administrator. The reporting profile is set up when the user recieves the unit and these parameters can be changed easily and remotely, over the air via sms from the tracking panel.

If the user does not want to be tracked at any time, the unit can be switched off by pressing the on/off button on the unit or can be controlled remotely over the air. 

The unit comes "ready to go" out of the box and is shipped with a simcard, a mains charger, an outer case and 5000 free look-ups. There is no activation fee or an ongong annual subscription fee, just a once off purchase cost of £129.00 plus VAT 

The users login uis via a password protected web site and a tracking panel loads on the users PC/Lap Top/Smart Phone. Each device has a unique ID that is used to locate and monitor the unit and to ensure security.

The tracking panel offers the user the option of street level maps, Google Earth and 3D look up formats and the ability to set up and reconfigure the device via sms controlled from the users web based tracking panel. There is no need to remove the device from a bike or an asset to monitor a ride or a trip progress, or to change a preset parameter or to access the real time live tracking updates. Many of the SAT Nav orientated bike units, or watch based units on the market today, require removal of the unit/watch from the bike and plugging in via USB to a PC, in order to download and access the data.

Users can access backed-up ride/trip history or pull off Excel spread sheet reports on ride/trip history. These can be viewed via a report viewer via the tracking panel.

The unit incuding simcard and 5000 look ups costs roughly 1/3 of the cost of the most popular bike sat nav devices.

The tracking device has a panic/emergency alert button on one side of the unit. When pressed it sends a distress alert containing the current location, post code address, date and time, to the tracking panel and via sms to a number of user selected cell phones or fixed line phones.  For example if a rider has an accident, has punctured and perhaps run out of spares, got dropped by a training group! or got lost in poorly signed sportive,  they can press the panic button and send an alert to family, club mates, organisers who can send help/assitance. As the unit is GPS based it knows where it is and does not rely on the user themselves knowing the address, road name, post code or even having the ability to talk!

Peek has conducted tests with assistance from event organisers, experienced club racers and technology specialists. We are keen to add new cycling specific functionality to the service and would be keen to hear from any riders, organisers and high end bike importers and teams that may wish to test the service and equip riders with test devices. We will respond generally offering a no obligation trial on a case by case basis.

We will attend the Cycle 2010 at Earls Court in October 2010 and will be available for meetings and demonstrations. 

Please do not hesitate to contact Philip Taylor on +44 (0) 7802 260022 if this is of interest.

May 2010 - Heol Design introduce an upgrade to the Txx Series of Precision GPS NTP/PTP Master Clock Servers

French development and manufacturing company Heol Design have announced the launch of an upgrade to the Txx Series of Precision NTP/PTP GPS Master Clock Servers. Txx is a series of GPS Master Clocks and Network Synchronisation and Timing references. Txx is now available in three grades of PPS precision and in two form factors.

For mobile applications Txx series is available in a rugged metal cased form factor designed for use in vehicle and mobile applications. The Txx series has highly protected power supply circuitry designed to withstand over voltage, reverse polarity and power surges typical when commercial and emergency vehicles are started. This patented technology not only protects he Txx device but also the on-board electronics of the vehicle. Typical applications include: Police, Fire Brigade, Ambulance, Recovery Vehicles, Mobile CCTV Security Vehicles, Service and Support Vehicles).

The Txx series is also available in a 19" rack mount server form factor for use in dedicated static networking applications. Txx series is a Stratum One NTP/SNTP Ethernet Time Server, PoE with web and client server functionality and SW.

The high sensitivity GPS recievers used in the Txx series are designed to operate in challenging environments where the GPS signal is weak or within structures that effect GPS signal integrity. Txx series can be used with outdoor mounted GPS antennas or indoor antennas. Standard operating range for the 19" rack mount version is -20 Deg C to +65 Deg C.

Txx Rack mount versions are availale in 3 time stamp accuracy grades:

Platinum grade - 100 msec Ethernet time stamp accuracy synchronised to UTC

Silver grade - 10 msec Ethernet time stamp accuracy synchronised to UTC

Gold grade - 1 msec Ethernet time stamp accuracy synchronised to UTC

* an OCXO version is available as an option to minmise drift in Holdover mode. 

Txx series supports Windows XP and Linux and there is an option for client server functionality with specialized integrated SW and customised user specific functionality.

Please go to www.heoldesign.com for product details and downloadable data sheets or contact Mr Jean Claude Le Guen on Paris office Tel: +33 1 486 15397 or Mobile +33 608 966568 or Philip Taylor at Peek Associates Ltd on +44 (0) 1252 627747 or Mobile: +44 (0) 7802 260022 for technical support or commercial and lead time enquires.

December 2009 - CISTRAK GPS Limited and FindWhere BV have been granted Sold Secure SS203 accreditation for the IF900Q GPS/GPRS ruggedised tracking device

The R&TTE telecom approved IF900Q GPS tracking device was submitted for approval and at Sold Secure the UK mobile home and caravan security test and complaince organisation. IF900Q passed a series of rigorous Safety, EMC, Bump, Temperature Cycling and Environmental tests at Sold Secure and at TRaC, a leading UK accredited test lab. IF900Q meets the stringent Sold Secure criteria and is now oved for use within the Mobile Home and Caravan community. Please contact: www.cistrack.co.uk www.findwhere.com or www.soldsecure.co.uk

October 2009 - FindWhere/Teletech Wireless gain Type Approval for IF800T and IF800E GPS/GPRS Tracking Hardware under NTRA Egypt

European LBS service provider, FindWhere BV, www.findwhere.com has gained the first GPS Tracking Device Type Appoval in Egypt, for thier IF800T and IF800E GPS/GPRS tracking hardware devices under the Egyptian National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) Type Approval regime www.ntra.eg  

Sept 2009 - GPS IIR-2 (M) Satellite Declared Operational

The last in the eight modernized GPS IIR satellites, GPS IIR-21 (M), was declared operational on 03 Sept 09 Thursday, for military and civilian users worldwide, just 10 days after launching from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

GPS IIR-21 will join a constellation of 30 operational satallites in orbit providing global coverage and increased overall performance. IIR-M satellite provides improved accuracy, enhanced encryption, anti jamming capabilities and a second civil signal to provide dual frequency capability and improve resistance to interference. (Extract from GPS World August 28, 2009).

May 2009 - Egyptian  law change - use of civil grade GPS

The Egyptian National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (NTRA) has passed new rules that permit the import of GPS-enabled mobile phones, computers and other devices for use within civilian applications. Meanwhile tracking and AVL applications will still require authorisation from the NTRA in conjunction with the security authorities, prior to import. AVL systems are currently permitted in a variety of applications including rail and ambulance, trials and live services.

APRIL 2008 - HEOL DESIGN add downloadable firmware to the T101 precision GPS timing module

HEOL DESIGN have released a downloadable firmware upgrade capability for users of the HEOL-TIME T101 precision GPS timing module. Users login via a secure URL to the HEOL DESIGN support site and use HyperTerminal to upgrade the firmware and select the profile and configuration options.

Please contact Peek Associates Ltd on +44 1252 627747 or HEOL DESIGN at info@heoldesign.com for more information, or visit www.heoldesign.com to see the full range of HEOL DESIGN products

March 2008 - Peek Associates assist HEOL DESIGN (France) at CeBIT 08

Peek Associates assisted French Industrial GPS solutions developer HEOL DESIGN at this months CeBIT 08 in Hannover Germany. HEOL DESIGN promoted their full range of Industrial grade GPS localisation, precision timing and frequency synchronisation modules and SW within the ICT in Motion special feature area in Hall 015 at CeBIT 08. HEOL saw significant interest in thier automotive grade N101 positioning module from professional system integrators and end-users such as the Police and Emergency Services (search and rescue) and the telecommunications and security sector for the T101 and TR101 (19U) precision timing modules. The T101 module delivered consitent stratum 1, GPS time synchronised to UTC at 10 nanseconds, inside hall 015 during CeBIT 08, using and internal GPS antenna mounted on the top of the HEOL booth. HEOL also launched thier new network traffic and IP measurement software suite, utilising the T101 module as the time reference. This new SW is designed for test and measurement applications.

Please go to www.heoldesign.com or info@heoldesign.com for detailed information on the full range of solutions and products and custom design services or contact Peek Associates Limited.

Thank you for visiting our news page and for your interest. We look forward to talking with you over the coming weeks.