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Lotek VHF, User Manual

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Lotek VHF User Manual Download Page 12

 

11

 

3.5.

 

Before You Begin 

 
Before fitting the collar, ensure that: 
 

 

The VHF transmitter is on. 
NOTE: To do this, turn on the VHF receiver and tune it to the VHF 
transmitter’s frequency.  
If the VHF transmitter was programmed with behaviours and turned on 
earlier, it may not be broadcasting any pulses at this time. 
The VHF transmitter cannot be turned on after the animal has been 
released. 

 

You have the relevant fastening tool and a knife that can be used to 
trim off any excess collar without causing harm to yourself or the 
animal 

 

You have recorded the ideal receiving frequency; and 

 

The animal is adequately restrained and ready to receive the collar 

 

 

Summary of Contents for VHF

Page 1: ...USER MANUAL REVISION 02 18 JUL 2019 MVHF16 VHF Collars ...

Page 2: ... UP A SIGNAL 7 2 3 TO TURN THE VHF TRANSMITTER OFF 8 3 FITTING THE COLLAR 9 3 1 INTRODUCTION 9 3 2 POWER MANAGEMENT BEHAVIOURS 9 3 3 FASTENERS 10 3 4 COLLAR ORIENTATION 10 3 5 BEFORE YOU BEGIN 11 3 6 TO FIT A COLLAR THAT HAS NYLOC NUTS AND BOLTS 12 3 7 TO FIT A COLLAR THAT HAS A NYLON NUT AND BOLT 13 3 8 TO FIT A COLLAR THAT HAS A BELT BUCKLE 14 3 9 TO FIT A CABLE TIE COLLAR 15 3 10 REMOVING THE C...

Page 3: ... 4 5 MORTALITY PULSE RATE 18 4 5 1 MORTALITY MODES 19 4 5 2 LATCHING MORTALITY MODE 19 4 5 3 NON LATCHING MORTALITY MODE 19 4 6 TIME SINCE DEATH 20 4 6 1 DECIPHERING THE CODE 20 4 6 2 TIME COLLAR RELEASE MECHANISM 21 APPENDIX A TESTING THE VHF TRANSMITTER S RANGE 22 APPENDIX B TIPS AND TROUBLESHOOTING 24 ...

Page 4: ...s 1 Turn the VHF transmitter On and Off See Turning the VHF Transmitter On and Off later in this guide 2 Optional Test the VHF s impressive range See Appendix A Testing the VHF Transmitter s Range 1 2 Before Deployment Well before deploying your VHF collar please read this user guide If the VHF collar has been programmed with behaviours it may have to be turned on hours or days before deployment T...

Page 5: ...n and fit the collar have access to a copy of the order summary 1 3 What s Included For a complete list of the items included in your order refer to the packing slip that shipped with your order IMPORTANT Magnets must not be attached to the VHF transmitter For information on how the magnet is used to turn the collar on and off see Turning the VHF Transmitter On Off later in this guide 1 4 Operatin...

Page 6: ...ewed excessively by animals vehicle strike and electrocution Replacements Because of the variance in operating conditions Lotek recommends that VHF collars be replaced between 80 to 90 percent of their calculated life For information about the VHF collar s calculated life please refer to the order summary 1 5 VHF Receivers Lotek recommends using dedicated wildlife VHF receivers Wideband receivers ...

Page 7: ...release mechanism This mechanism is also turned on and off using a magnet For more information see the user manual that came with the time collar release mechanism 2 1 Before You Begin Before turning a VHF collar on or off Ensure that you have a magnet available Your VHF receiver is turned on and tuned to the VHF frequency and If your VHF collar has been programmed with behaviours refer to your or...

Page 8: ...r side of the expected frequency 2 2 1 What can I do if I can t pick up a signal If the VHF receiver could not pick up the VHF signal Check the VHF receiver is programmed to the correct frequency Ensure the VHF transmitter VHF receiver and antenna all operate in the same frequency band Adjust the VHF receiver s sensitivity gain Fine tune the VHF receiver s frequency 1 to 3 kHz either side of the l...

Page 9: ...ly take care not to place the transmitter unit on or near any magnet IMPORTANT Do not store magnets and collars together A VHF transmitter can be turned on or off if a magnet comes within 20 mm of the dimple Other magnets may switch the VHF transmitter on and off from a greater distance It is important that the user knows to within one degree Longitude Latitude where the first location will be att...

Page 10: ...urchase then prior to fitting the collar you may have to turn the VHF transmitter on hours or days in advance For more information refer to the order summary form that you received The order summary will help you determine what time of day and if relevant what day of the week the VHF transmitter must be turned on IMPORTANT For example the VHF transmitter may have been programmed to transmit its no...

Page 11: ... Nyloc nuts and bolts Nyloc is a brand of steel nuts and bolts The Nyloc nut has a nylon locking thread Nylon nut bolt Metal buckle Cable tie 3 4 Collar Orientation For optimum performance of the VHF transmitter and to maximise durability of the VHF antenna the battery housing which also contains the VHF circuitry must be oriented correctly when fitted IMPORTANT When fitting the collar orient the ...

Page 12: ...behaviours and turned on earlier it may not be broadcasting any pulses at this time The VHF transmitter cannot be turned on after the animal has been released You have the relevant fastening tool and a knife that can be used to trim off any excess collar without causing harm to yourself or the animal You have recorded the ideal receiving frequency and The animal is adequately restrained and ready ...

Page 13: ...more information see the diagram above If you need to punch a new set of holes in the strap ensure they are not too close to existing holes or stitching 3 Place the cover plate and nuts back on the bolts and tighten Do not over tighten the nut 4 If relevant Cut off any excess strap If the strap is too long for the animal it may become a hindrance As a guide the length of strap in the photo right i...

Page 14: ...r edges 3 Place the nut back on the bolt and tighten Hand tighten with finger and thumb 4 Crimp the excess thread Use pliers to crimp deform the thread Deform the thread sufficiently to prevent the nut from loosening Alternatively a drop of Loctite 401 supplied will hold the nut in place 5 If relevant Cut off any excess strap If the strap is too long for the animal it may become a hindrance As a g...

Page 15: ...in the strap ensure they are not too close to existing holes or edges 3 Do up the buckle ensuring the strap is securely fastened 4 If relevant Cut off any excess strap If the strap is too long for the animal it may become a hindrance When cutting ensure sufficient length at least two centimetres of strap beyond the loop when tucked under Do not cut the antenna Cutting the antenna will reduce its p...

Page 16: ...Ensure the collar is oriented correctly For more information see the diagram previous page 2 Thread the cable tie through the clasp Do not over tighten Cable ties only slide in one direction 3 If relevant Cut off any excess strap If the strap is too long for the animal it may become a hindrance As a guide the length of the strap in the photo right is sufficient Do not cut the antenna Cutting the a...

Page 17: ...se Mechanism Some VHF collars are fitted with a time collar release mechanism After a programmed period of time this mechanism will release the collar from the animal and the collar will fall to the ground For more information see the user guide that came with the time collar release mechanism 3 10 2 Disposal Please dispose of your VHF collars in an environmentally friendly manner VHF collars are ...

Page 18: ...more information see Behaviours below A different pulse rate indicating that the host animal may be dead or For more information see Mortality Pulse Rate later in this topic A different pulse pattern indicating how much time has elapsed since death For more information see Time Since Death later in this topic IMPORTANT The order summary form for each VHF collar contains information that will assis...

Page 19: ... VHF transmitter broadcasts a particular pulse pattern and The rate at which the pulse is broadcast For example your VHF transmitter may have been programmed to transmit its nominal pulse rate for 12 hours a day five days each week to conserve battery charge and for the remaining time broadcast nothing NOTE Behaviours count down from the time the VHF transmitter is switched on 4 5 Mortality Pulse ...

Page 20: ...adcast retrieve the host animal and turn the VHF transmitter off On turning the VHF transmitter on the VHF transmitter s mortality feature will be reset and the VHF transmitter will begin broadcasting its nominal pulse pattern 4 5 3 Non Latching Mortality Mode If set to non latching mortality mode and the mortality pulse pattern is activated the VHF transmitter will cease to broadcast its mortalit...

Page 21: ... form for the VHF transmitter in question IMPORTANT Functionality of TSD may differ depending on product series selection Contact Lotek for details 4 6 1 Deciphering the Code At the start of the data minute The mortality pulse rate will cease Two quick pulses will be broadcast Between zero and nine pulses will be broadcast The number of pulses indicates the first digit Two quick pulses will be bro...

Page 22: ...rs that have elapsed since death is 24 NOTE Please record the time of death as soon as it is known This information is lost as soon as the VHF transmitter is turned off 4 6 2 Time Collar Release Mechanism If the VHF transmitter is fitted with a time collar release mechanism and the collar has been released from the animal the number of hours being broadcast from the VHF transmitter will be the num...

Page 23: ...e bottle with some fabric e g towelling or fur to simulate the animal s fur enhances the reliability of the test Alternatively you can test the collar on a domesticated animal e g pet dog or animal that is unlikely to run away Before You Begin Before testing a VHF transmitter s range ensure that you Have a plastic water bottle with a circumference that approximates the circumference of the animal ...

Page 24: ...f the bottle to match the angle of the animal s neck 3 Move at least 500m away with the VHF receiver and antenna If driving a car turn the engine off before attempting to pick up the signal The car itself may also affect reception NOTE If you are testing the VHF transmitter on an animal e g a pet dog the orientation of the collar may be changing constantly Vary the orientation of the antenna verti...

Page 25: ...should have been used to verify that the VHF transmitter is on If already released capture the animal and turn the transmitter on For more information see Turning a VHF Transmitter On Off and Fitting the Collar earlier in this guide Because of the VHF transmitter s behaviour it is not currently broadcasting a signal The VHF transmitter may have been turned on when fitted to the animal instead of b...

Page 26: ...r destroyed For example its host may have been eaten by a predator succumbed to the forces of nature e g swept away in a flood or removed by a hunter Problem The VHF tranmitter s signal is weak and difficult to pick up Possible Scenario Solution The VHF receiver is tuned to a different frequency Check that the VHF receiver is tuned to the frequency of the CHF transmitter you are tracking Signal dr...

Page 27: ...ring headphones stay alert for approaching predators Problem The direction of the VHF signal is hard to determine Possible Scenario Solution The VHF signal is bouncing off the local terrain e g mountain walls rock out crops or a tree The transmitter may be pointing in the direction from which it received the signal e g the mountain wall rock outcrop or tree Climb to the nearest ridge to pick up a ...

Page 28: ...hen Tracking earlier in this user guide Someone else has fitted a collar to another animal and it s this other collar s pulse pattern that you are picking up on your VHF receiver Problem The VHF transmitter was fitted with a time collar release mechanism that should have worked by now Possible Scenario Solution If there is no signal the collar may have been released into a cave crevice or river th...

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