The SPOT5 tag is our smallest Argos transmitter, other than the AC1 (which is designed for avian applications). It is designed specifically for the marine environment. The SPOT5 is available in a variety of shapes optimized for deployment on seals, turtles, large and small cetaceans, sharks and other fishes, penguins and large sea birds. The SPOT5’s size and weight also make it suitable for other non-marine applications.

Direct U.S. prices start at $1350 for the 3 x AAA back or head mount configuration. Please contact us for pricing on specific configurations.

Controller features The operating code of the SPOT5 can be upgraded. This means you can always have the most up-to-date version of on-board software, regardless of when the tag was purchased.

User-defined parameters All parameters are user-programmable. You are able to set the parameters that control how and when the SPOT5 stores and transmits its data using your PC.

Temperature data collection Temperature is measured from -40°C to +60°C, with a resolution of approximately 0.2°C. Temperature is reported in “time-at-temperature” histograms. You can set the temperature range for up to 12 bins, as well as the number of hours over which the temperature histograms are collected (1 to 24).

Haulout Statistics The tag can be configured to generate the percentage (10% resolution) of each hour of each day when the wet/dry sensor reads dry. This is useful for both haulout behavior studies and for determining the time spent at the surface for pelagic animals.

Transmitter The SPOT5 incorporates the Cricket, a specialized transmitter developed by Wildlife Computers. When configured with one cell, it generates 0.5W of radiated power output, operating at a high efficiency to allow the maximum number of transmissions from the battery. The high-efficiency and frequency stability of this transmitter maximize both the quantity and quality of received messages.

Location accuracy Service Argos provides the locations with an accuracy as good as ±350m.

Size, weight and pressure resistance Electronic components are fully cast in epoxy. Many configurations are available to suit your study requirements. The smallest configuration weighs less than 30g in air.

Battery and deployment length Several battery configurations are available for the SPOT5 tag. For position-only deployments, a single “AA” battery is capable of providing approximately 70,000 transmissions; a single C-cell provides 180,000 transmissions. As a general rule, a budget of 250 transmissions per day is sufficient to provide daily location calculation via Argos. Therefore, a single AA cell provides locations for approximately 280 days; a single C-cell provides locations for 700 days. For deployments reporting temperature histograms or haulout statistics, the number of expected transmissions should be decreased by one third. Battery capacity is quoted based on the battery manufacturers' specifications. Actual results are dependent on animal behavior and environmental temperature.

Extending deployment length. The SPOT5 further extends deployment length by:

Incorporating a wet/dry sensor that limits transmissions to when the tag is at the surface.
Allowing duty-cycling by day or month.
Limiting total number of transmissions per day.
Limiting transmissions to hours when the satellite is likely to be in view.

Tag activation The SPOT5’s can be turned on and off with a magnet. The LED flash sequence indicates whether the tag is in stand-by mode or deployed.

Analysis software Windows-based software is provided to decode the Argos data into an easy-to-use format.

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