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User Guide

11

Set up your account and Spotter

Set up user account

Visit 

https://spotter.sofarocean.com/

 to set up your user account. Enter 

personal details and click 

‘Register’

. This will take you to the overview page. 

Register your Spotter

To register your Spotter, click 

 and then 

“Register Spotter.”

 

Enter the Spotter ID number and your Activation code, which you should have 
received by email from the Sofar team. If you have not received this, or do not 
have this available anymore, please contact Sofar at: 

[email protected]

The Spotter ID number is also listed on the device, and looks like
SPOT-######.  After entering this information, click ‘Register.’

You will now see your Spotter listed on the overview page. The map will 
be updated  as soon as the first data message is received, which typically 
takes 1-1.5 hrs from device power on. Please note that message and data 
transmission require a clear view of the sky with minimal obstruction.

STEP 01

11

Spotter requires a clear view of the sky with minimal obstruction.

Summary of Contents for SPOTTER

Page 1: ...SPOTTER User Guide ...

Page 2: ...SPOTTER ...

Page 3: ...SPOTTER User Guide ...

Page 4: ...SPOTTER SPOTTER 4 N S W E ...

Page 5: ... 06 07 08 09 20 22 25 10 What s Included Sofar Spotter Features User Interface Measurements Product Specifications Safety Compliance Getting Started ...

Page 6: ...he lid of the Spotter Lanyard and magnet to switch from IDLE to RUN mode USB C power charger to charge the battery prior to deployment SD card for data storage during deployment shipped with unit Marine safe desiccant to reduce moisture inside the Spotter Spotter toolkit including Bow shackle ...

Page 7: ... tracking data system status and alerts data visualization and allows you to configure your Spotter remotely Sofar Spotter CORE SYSTEM FEATURES 2 Way Communication Remotely change settings on Spotter through the online Dashboard Alerts Notifications Set watch perimeter and receive alerts when Spotter moves outside Spotter API Access Spotter via our API for seamless application integration Track Mo...

Page 8: ...he solar battery power system is designed to support Spotter even through higher latitudes and limited light conditions Core Features VISIBILITY LIGHT Flashes amber for nighttime visibility TRANSPARENT LID Removable for access to product interface CAPTIVE LID SCREWS 5mm hex will not get lost when lid is removed HARDWARE INTERFACE Integrated bottom attachment point SURFACE Holds magnet to activate ...

Page 9: ... and battery charge USB C Charger and data transfer ON OFF switch SD CARD Cover protects SD card from unlocking during use SPOTTER ID MAGNET Hold here for 3 secs to switch between modes QR CODE Scan for quick access to Spotter Dashboard SYSTEM LED Communicates the status of system hardware VISIBILITY LIGHT ...

Page 10: ...ting Started STEP 01 Set up your account and Spotter STEP 02 Set up Spotter device STEP 03 Deploy Spotter in the water STEP 04 Check your Spotter Dashboard STEP 05 Retrieve and store Spotter p 11 p 12 p 16 p 17 p 18 ...

Page 11: ...team If you have not received this or do not have this available anymore please contact Sofar at support sofarocean com The Spotter ID number is also listed on the device and looks like SPOT After entering this information click Register You will now see your Spotter listed on the overview page The map will be updated as soon as the first data message is received which typically takes 1 1 5 hrs fr...

Page 12: ...ch to the on position to turn Spotter on During boot up the two user LEDs will be orange and after startup will switch to green The Spotter device has two possible operating modes IDLE mode and RUN mode You can switch between modes using the provided magnet by holding it at the designated area for 3 seconds The Spotter device will always boot into the last mode it was in before it was switched off...

Page 13: ...en in IDLE mode Important Spotter needs to be switched into RUN mode for deployment If Spotter is in IDLE mode you can switch to RUN mode by holding a magnet onto the recessed area directly on top of the electronics box until the lights turn off Or if the transparent lid is screwed on hold the magnet onto the recessed round area in the lid for 3 seconds The flashing pattern of the 2 user LEDs and ...

Page 14: ...lid green System is fully charged Blinking green System is charging Blinks in sync with GO LED Both solid red Battery error Indicates battery is not connected Both blinking red Charging error Indicates device is connected to DC power but not charging properly IDLE mode Both solid orange System is booting up and running self check SYSTEM GO Blinking green The system is in IDLE mode Flashes in alter...

Page 15: ...SD card please contact the Sofar team Solid red GO LED Limited GPS connectivity System may be indoors or no clear view of the sky If outside please wait a few minutes while the system establishes a connection with the GPS satellite If the system has a clear view of the sky and the GO LED remains red for longer than 30 minutes something may be wrong In this case please contact the Sofar team Both s...

Page 16: ...ive screws will bottom out to avoid over tightening them Note on mooring design Sofar Spotter can be deployed either as a free floating drifter or in a moored configuration For free floating deployments the Spotter device comes with everything required to deploy For moored applications you will need to design a mooring to anchor the Spotter to the seafloor Sofar provides some general guidelines ba...

Page 17: ...ing or otherwise moves outside the set boundaries Remotely switch the Spotter into WAVES or TRACK mode See the Spotter Measurements section on page 20 to determine which mode you need for your application Access our API to integrate ocean data into your own applications Review health status of your Spotter battery system status and get notified when something is off Check and renew your data subsc...

Page 18: ...er period of time please see the notes on Lithium ion battery use and storage below If you plan to deploy after a prolonged storage we recommend that you use the included wall charger to fully charge the Spotter before deployment This ensures that the system can start up and operate without delay Before re deployment we also recommend that you replace the desiccant inside the Ebox and use a freshl...

Page 19: ... days without solar power in a box or dark room before turning it off and putting it in storage Avoiding submersion of Spotter Prolonged submersion can interfere with solar charging GPS signal barome ter and other core subsystems of your Spotter Submersion is to be avoided Possible causes of prolonged submersion include excessive accumulation of biofouling or too much drag from mooring Please see ...

Page 20: ...ulk statistics and Spotter geographical location To save trans mission bandwidth two time stamped 30 minute updates of bulk statistics are transmitted every hour So although the data resolution is 30 minutes the satellite updates are hourly The Standard Waves message payload consists of Time epoch Position latitude and longitude Significant Wave Height estimated from zeroth order moment of wave sp...

Page 21: ...d 6 hours Update rates faster than 6 hours will incur higher data usage costs than Waves Standard mode due to the increased amount of data transmitted Track mode Designed for faster positional updates of the Spotter device It is intended for retrieval of Spotter when in free drifting mode or for other tracking needs In Track mode messages are transmitted every 15 minutes and the payload contains o...

Page 22: ... Free drifting Spotter measures waves position and surface currents designed to operate in any current speed Moored Spotter measures waves and position Onboard Data Analysis Spectral output Function of frequency variance density spectrum directional moments mean direction directional spreading Frequency range 0 033 1 Hz 30s to 1s Frequency resolution 0 0098 Hz default Bulk statistics Significant w...

Page 23: ...ngitude Wave frequency range 0 03 1 Hz 30s to 1s Wave direction range 0 360 degrees full circle System monitoring Internal temperature humidity and solar charging monitored for system health Sampling rate 2 5 Hz Nyquist at 1 25 Hz 5 C to 50 C range 0 1 C absolute accuracy 0 02 C resolution Wave displacement accuracy Approximately 2 cm practical accuracy depends on field of view conditions and GPS ...

Page 24: ...24 SPOTTER Product Specifications Dimensions and Weight Weight 7 45 kg 16 lbs 7 oz Dimensions Width 42 cm 16 4 height 31 cm 12 2 42 cm 16 4 31 cm 12 2 24 SPOTTER ...

Page 25: ...pictures videos or any other proprietary intellectual property included with this purchase are the property of Sofar Ocean or its vendors or licensors Terms and Policies Your purchase and use of Spotter including any associated software is subject to the following Sofar policies Sofar Terms of Sale Sofar Terms of Use Privacy Policy Warranty Policy Return Policy www sofarocean com legal Should you ...

Page 26: ... communications Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense Changes or modifications not expressly approved by Sofar could void your warranty and your authority to operate this equipment This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules Operation is subject to the f...

Page 27: ...t drop Spotter onto hard surfaces or subject the Spotter to extreme temperatures below 20C or above 45C or fire as doing so may damage the Spotter or its battery Dispose of batteries according to your local environmental laws and guidelines Any damage caused to your Spotter by incorrect use or unauthorized modification or disassembly may void your warranty You are responsible for following all law...

Page 28: ...SPOTTER support sofarocean com www sofarocean com EMAIL WEB Sofar Ocean Technologies Inc Pier 28 Annex San Francisco CA 94105 USA 2022 Sofar Ocean Technologies Inc DOC 000607 AB 00 ...

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