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FAQ's

1. Question: Is my omniscout ready to use out of the box?
Answer: Almost! Once you purchase an omniscout all you have to do is sign up for your Service at www.omniscout.com and click the link “Activate my account”. If you don’t have website access call us at 1-877-987-2688 and a Customer Service Representative will be happy to help you.

2. Question: How do I know if my omniscout is working?
Answer: Assuming you have activated your service and your omniscout is fully charged, you can test your omniscout at any time by doing a “Locate” on the Mapping page of the omni Control Centre. If you cannot locate the unit it may be out of cellular coverage or the battery needs to be recharged. You can check the unit’s history to see if a low battery notification was sent as well as its last reported location.

3. Question: With my Geo Fence turned on I get emails/SMS messages indicating that the unit has moved and I can verify it has not?
Answer: The Geo Fence feature uses the GPS satellites to create a rectangular invisible perimeter or “fence” around the unit. If the unit leaves or enters a Geo Fence zone it will send an alert to the user.  There are a number of things that could cause a false alarm; the most common is that the “Geo Fence” is too small or the satellite signals are bouncing off adjacent buildings. Adjusting the size of the Geo Fence will, in most cases eliminate false alarms. We recommend a minimum distance of 200 yards/meters.

4. Question: When I move the omniscout from one vehicle or asset to another I have trouble locating it. Is this normal?
Answer: Whenever you relocate the omniscout you should make sure of a couple of things; it is fully charged, both the GSM and GPS status lights are flashing and it is located in the vehicle or asset with as clear and unobstructed view of the sky as possible. You should always test the communication to and from the omniscout via the omni Control Centre after relocating the unit.

5. Question: When should I recharge my omniscout unit?
Answer: When the battery is getting low, all users who have been set to receive low battery notification alerts will receive an email and/or SMS message. As battery drain is directly related to usage we recommend that you recharge the battery as soon as possible.

6. Question: Will I damage my omniscout unit if I keep it plugged in all the time?
Answer: No. The unit can remain plugged in to keep it fully charged. When using the optional 12V Wiring Kits we recommend that the omniscout be connected to a constant 12V source.

7. Question: How soon after a violation or alarm should I receive an alert notification message?
Answer: Assuming that the unit is in GSM coverage and talking to the cellular network you should receive an alert notification message within 15 seconds. Factors affecting messaging times are cellular traffic and roaming.

8. Question: Does the omni Control Centre keep a history of my omniscout unit’s activity and alerts?
Answer: Yes. The activity panel just below the Map displays a log of the 5 most recent activities as well as allows the user to go back and view activity reports from the unit activation.

9. Question: Can I mount the omniscout inside a container?
Answer: Yes; however, anytime the omniscout is mounted in a new location a status report should be requested to ensure good signal strength and battery level. Additionally, locates tend to be more accurate when the omniscout is on the outside of a container and has a clear view of the sky.

10. Question: I have more than one omniscout. Is there a simple way for me to arm and disarm them as a group without having to do each one at a time?
Answer: The website allows “group” features that will allow users to quickly arm/disarm, customize, and locate multiple units at the same time, provided they are all setup on the same account.

11. Question: What happens if I try and locate the omniscout when it is not in cell coverage or has a dead battery?
Answer: As soon as the omniscout unit is back in cell coverage it will again be able to communicate. In the interim it will report its Last Known Location. If the battery is dead it must be recharged for the omniscout to communicate.

12. Question: If the omniscout is out of cellular communications does it still record GPS points?
Answer: Yes. The omniscout has an internal “buffer” that can log up to 50,000 GPS points. These points can be retrieved when the unit regains cellular contact or can be downloaded at a later date. The omniscout does not automatically download GPS points as this could incur additional cellular charges.

13. Question: Can I leave the omniscout unit outside if it might get wet?
Answer: The omniscout optional waterproof cases and extended battery packs are available for wet and rugged environments. Ask your Customer Service Representative which one would be best for your application.

14. Question: Do I need to tell anyone if I move the unit from one vehicle or asset to another?
Answer: No. The omniscout is a user managed and self monitored system however you may elect to change the name or description on the website to easily keep track of which omniscout unit you are interacting with.

15. Question: Can I make the “Personal Alert” silent when the button is pushed?
Answer: Yes. The “Personal Alert” sound can be silenced, however for the time being this can only be done by an omniscout Customer Service Representative. Please call us at 1-877-987-2688, provide us with your account name and the unit you would like silenced.

16. Question: How long does the omniscout take to fully charge?
Answer: A completely drained omniscout can take up to 5 hours to charge. The unit will be approximately 80% charged in two hours. To ensure it is fully charged and ready for use we recommend daily charging.
 
17. Question: Can I choose to turn off my service if I do not need to use omniscout for a while?
Answer: Yes. You can take your omniscout unit out of service whenever required after your initial contract period. To do so or re-activate, call our Customer Service Representative at 1-877-987-2688. An activation fee of $25.00 will be applied each time the unit is re-activated.

18. Question: How often are the low battery notification alerts sent?
Answer: E-mails and SMS text messages are sent three times to the designated recipients.

19. Question: Will the omniscout work as a GPS logger without the monitoring service being activated?
Answer: Yes. However there are lower cost devices on the market that will serve this purpose.

20. Question: I have a teenage driver, will the omniscout work as a speed monitoring system?
Answer: Yes. The omniscout can be set to monitor two speed parameters; Excessive Speed and Critical Speed.

21. Question: Can I control vehicle operations such as door locks and ignition with the omniscout.
Answer: Yes. The optional in-vehicle Kit will allow you to monitor and control a number of vehicle functions.

22. Question: I have a motorcycle, can I use an omniscout on it?
Answer: Yes. The optional 12V Wiring Harness is ideal for motorcycle applications.

23. Question: How accurate are the locations I see?
Answer: Accuracy is dependant on a number of factors. In an ideal location say in the middle of a parking lot or out in a field, the satellite signals are for the most part completely unobstructed. In these cases accuracy will be within a few yards or meters. The more obstructions that are present such a large buildings etc. the more the chance that the satellite signals will be reflected or “bounce” of an object. In these cases accuracy may be as much as a 100 yards or meters.

24. Question: When the omniscout is in a building or underground can I still locate it?
Answer: Yes. If the omniscout can talk with the cellular network it can determine its position from the location of the cell towers it is communicating with. In these cases the omniscout reports a “Proximity” Location and displays this as a (P) symbol on the map. Accuracy using the cell towers varies depending on the number of towers that the omniscout is communicating with. The more towers the better the accuracy.

25. Question: How often are the streets and satellite images updated on the maps?
Answer: We partner with a number of mapping and geo coding providers to insure that our customers are using the latest available data. The images all come from government satellites and tend to be updated on average every six months. Urban areas tend to be updated more frequently than rural areas.

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