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A GPS tracking system for marinas, boat rentals, and other watercraft

Raveon’s asset tracking solutions gives customers the ability to focus on keeping up with their assets, instead of keeping up with monthly fees.  Using radio transmissions to broadcast received GPS messages, Raveon’s GPS transponders allow a marina operator to track all of their rental boats or other watercraft in real-time using a graphical display.  Competing GSM (cellular based) systems charge monthly data usage fees to transmit your GPS tracking information through their cellular telephone signal towers, and only function where you have cell phone service.

If you can’t make a cell phone call, likely, you can’t be tracked. Instead of getting the oars out when you lose cell service, the RavTrack real-time tracking system provides a complete standalone system.  No usage fees or third party infrastructure is necessary; instead RavTrack GPS transponders operate via VHF or UHF digital radio transmissions, providing you with instant status updates on every rental boat or other watercraft in your fleet.

Raveon’s easily configured and customizable GPS tracking system is designed to operate where and how you want it to operate, including a specialty line of weatherproof IP65 rated GPS transponders perfect for small watercraft such as jet-skis, kayaks, or the like.RTPC screen

On the boat, the Raveon GPS transponder simply requires access to the 12 volt (DC) power source, that’s likely already a part of your rental boat, an antenna for the radio, and an antenna for the GPS.  With available power saving modes, Raveon’s data radios will only draw a small fraction of power, meaning that it’s even suitable for a sailboat!

Raveon also offers compact design options suitable for jet skis (UHF systems suggested for Jet Skis for more compact sized antennas.)  Once your transponder is installed in your boat just turn it on and go.  The transponder will immediately begin searching for GPS lock and will begin broadcasting its location automatically at your chosen intervals.

The powerful GPS transponders broadcast position signals that can easily be received several miles over open water.  At your marina, truck, or your general base of operations, another transponder and antenna receives the incoming GPS reports from the boat or rental fleet. View the Port Asset Tracking infographic to learn more about how the RavTrack system is designed. For more information, learn how the Port of Long Beach partnered with Ravtrack for their tracking needs.

GPS Tracking Software

Raveon’s Windows based RavTrackPC program is available to provide you with a platform to view your assets (As seen in the image on the right.)  Customization integrated into RavTrackPC will provide your tracking system with the map you want to use.   You will be able to see the locations and IDs of each of your tracked boats out on the water on your map.  You can also configure RavTrackPC with rules and alerts so that if your boat starts moving at 2 AM or simply hasn’t reported in several minutes an alarm will be triggered.  Alarms can do anything from making a loud noise, to sending an email, tweet or SMS message, to triggering a third party program on your system through a command line interface.

RavTrackPC does far more than just tracking movement too, it can be used to track speed, duration and proximity to other tracked objects as well!  RavTrackPC provides Geo-Fence alerts, where you can create invisible borders to alert you when a boat is not where it’s supposed to be, or when it is heading back in to the marina or launch ramp.  This greatly facilitates dock service not to mention how much easier it is catch your daredevil kids/clients in the act of doing 40mph in a no-wake zone in your boat!  It also keeps the harbor master happy.  Furthermore, if the people in any of your rental craft have an issue, the optionally installed boat assistance switch can be triggered and help can be dispatched directly to the distressed boat’s location.

Displaying GPS Position

The RavTrack GPS transponder can also be set up to be displayed on many on-board GPS systems for boats or vehicles.  (Such as the Lowrance HDS-5 and Garmin 400 seen in the images on the left.)   This means that not only can you track your boat from the marina, it means that your boat or tow vehicle can also track yourboats!  No more awkwardly waiting around at the loading/unloading ramps!  You can watch your boat approach from anywhere, long before it’s in eyesight range.  This is also very useful for the private yacht operator in keeping track of tender boats or tracking recreational watercraft.  Not only is RavTrack great for keeping marina staff updated, the mobile tracking capabilities of RavTrack are ideal for use in your service or rescue craft.  Furthermore, if your rental boat has a compatible display, your marina dock location can appear on the display to guide the lost helmsman back home. display

Raveon’s GPS tracking solutions provide a service that’s simple to use as well as appropriate for an enjoyable boating experience while eliminating the stress of uncertainty.  Whether that means the peace of mind of knowing your customers whereabouts, or simply knowing your boat/fleet will be where you parked it last, Raveon’s stand alone, recurring-fee free, real time tracking will help improve your overall customer service, safety, and fleet maintenance.

Give us a call to discuss your particular operation and allow us to customize a GPS tracking solution tailored to what you need from your GPS tracking system, including system planning, custom radio configurations, or other special needs. If you have questions about the RavTrack GPS tracking system, we also offer an informative webinar.

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GPS Tracking Service Comparison: RF versus Cellular

Common GPS vehicle tracking systems use “cellular” GSM/GPRS based transponders. Once the device calculates position from the GPS satellites the transponder transmits the position to the cellular GSM/GPRS network of receivers (cell towers) in the area.  At this point the GSM/GPRS system operator transports the data to your output device. Obviously the network operator charges a fee for this service, and is in control of your data as well.GPS Tracking Comparison: Radio Versus Cellular GSM/GPRS

Advantages of Radio-based Solutions

Radio-based solutions are different in that the radio transponders transmit position over a mobile radio frequency, typically designated by a government administrative agency for your exclusive use.  A GSM/GPRS system is not used; instead the operator of the radio system installs one or more receivers in position(s) around the area to be tracked. One receiver – or more exact: the connected RF antenna – is capable of covering an area of typically 10-25 mile radius from its own position, although this range might vary depending upon how high in elevation the receiving antenna is, and what the local terrain is like.

As the radio operator owns both the GPS position transmitters as well as the receiver(s), the fleet may transmit positions very frequently without concern for any fees, and with extremely fast delivery of data; allowing for true real-time position updates which common cellular solutions do not provide (or charge high fees for).

Often radio users install just one receiver, and mount it high atop a building, antenna tower, or point of elevation to cover the tracking area. This area might be a city, an open pit mine or other remote area, or a fleet of boats where the group can be tracked by other boats in the fleet. Since the entire system operates independently from any GSM/GPRS network, radio modems can work anywhere GPS satellite lock can be acquired.  In fact, the entire system can be mobile and – in case of Raveon’s M7-GX series radios – any fleet member can receive GPS reports from other fleet members in radio range, even while all are moving at high speeds.

Large Area Coverage

If a larger area of coverage is needed, or the tracking headquarters is not at a good location for area reception, a single radio repeater may be established at a preferred location where the repeater then wirelessly relays the transmissions it receives to the central tracking location. If the area of coverage is very large, then multiple receivers may be installed and connected together as well as to a central location via an IP backbone, which can include either a private network or the public internet.  The determination of the proper receiver layout is based principally upon the area the system must cover for effective fleet tracking, as well as the local terrain.

Primarily the decision to install a radio-based tracking solution versus a common cellular system comes down to the area of tracking coverage required and the size of the fleet involved. Even the area of coverage required is vast, requiring a large number of receivers, and the fleet itself is small, and the cost per vehicle may become prohibitive.  In these cases the operator must rely on a pre-installed network of GSM/GPRS system receivers owned and operated by another entity and pay their monthly fees. If GSM/GPRS service coverage is poor then an expensive communications satellite relay may be a considered alternative.

See this complete comparison of RF versus GSM/GPRS “cellular” vehicle tracking systems.

For more information about the RavTrack system:

  • Attend our webinar where we introduce the technology and provide an overview of the system.
  • View a list of some of our Customers. We partner with many diverse companies and government agencies.
  • Learn more about how the RavTrack system is designed by viewing the asset tracking infographic.
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Golf Cart GPS Systems

Raveon’s RavTrack GPS tracking system is the ideal golf cart tracking system to track golf-carts and golf course maintenance vehicles. Golf Cart Tracking

golf cart tracking systemRavTrack GPS tracking delivers helpful, real-time location information and displays it on a map image of your golf course. You can track the carts, mowers, trucks, and workers.  You can see where you mowed each hour, day, or week. You can quickly locate carts to deliver food and beverages.

It also can detect potential theft or abuse of your carts and equipment. You can configure keep-out zones and many other rules to notify the ranger or security if a rule is violated.

The Benefits of Licensed Frequencies

Because Raveon’s RavTrack system uses VHF and UHF licensed UHF radio frequencies, you can easily cover your whole course and have no monthly air-time fees. The RavTrack system is also available on the MURS radio band, which is license-free. It works where GSM radio-based systems don’t and because the airtime is free, your update-rate of cart position and status is the fastest in the industry. You can easily track 75 carts with 15-second update rates.

And unlike the short-range 900Mhz and 2.4gHz solutions, RavTrack will cover your course, and reliably show you where your vehicles are.

RavTrack GPS tracking improves golf course operations by:

  1. Quickly locating specific carts, assets, employees, and vehicles
2. Track valuable assets (carts, trucks, cars, generators, trailers, mowers, security…)
3. Reducing wasted time when locating people.
4. Alarm the supervisor on speed, idle, and location violations .
5. Enforce keep-out zones and course boundaries.
6. Reduce theft by alerting when item move outside of the area.
7. Record and report the battery voltage for each cart
8. Log vehicle use, location, speed, and time for later reporting.
9. See what areas have been mowed or fertilized, by hour, day, week, or any time period

For more information about the RavTrack system:

  • Attend our webinar where we introduce the technology and provide an overview of the system.
  • View a list of some of our Customers. We partner with many diverse companies and government agencies.
  • Learn more about how the RavTrack system is designed by viewing the asset tracking infographic.