Duty Cycle Timers

NANO Timer

The NANO timer is a duty cycle timer developed for the 30g NANO PTT. It can be programmed to command the PTT to transmit for various ON times; e.g., eight hours, and then to command the PTT to sleep for various OFF times. This extends the life of the PTT. For example, if programmed for an ON time of approximately eight hours and an OFF time of three days, the lifetime of a NANO PTT would be extended from 4.5 weeks, if it were running continuously, to ten months.

The clock for the NANO timer is derived from the transmission interval timer, which is usually set at approximately 65 seconds. As the transmission interval is purposely allowed to drift a little, the NANO timer cannot be used to command the PTT on at a precise time of the day. We therefore recommend that it is programmed to have a cycle time that is not a direct multiple of 24 hours. This prevents the ON time of the PTT from becoming locked into a time window when there may be few satellite passes.

This timer can be set to the beginning of its ON time by placing a magnet over the STOP switch on the PTT and removing it at the desired start time.

Use our on-line Duty Cycle Calculator for NANO Timers

Multi-Season NANO Timer

Most versions of the Microwave Telemetry PTT-100 Argos transmitter are now available with a multi-season duty cycle timer. This timer can be programmed to adjust the duty cycle of the transmitter to match each phase of a study, e.g., in a study of bird migration it might be programmed to give a low duty cycle of six hours ON/ten days OFF while a bird is nesting, and then switch to an intensive duty cycle of eight hours ON every second day at the start of migration. When the bird reaches the wintering grounds, it could again be used to slow the duty cycle for the winter (e.g., eight hours ON/ten days OFF) while the bird may not be making significant movements and then switch to a more intense duty cycle to follow the spring migration. In this way, the limited battery power can be conserved for the phases of the study that are of most interest.

This timer can be programmed with up to five seasons each with a different duty cycle.

Use our on-line Duty Cycle Calculator for Multiseason Timers

Duty Cycle for Solar PTTs

The standard duty cycle for 18g, 35g, and 50g conventional solar powered PTTs is 10 hours ON 24 hours OFF.

For 9.5g and12g solar PTTs the standard duty cycle is 10 hours ON 48 hours OFF.

These duty cycles are appropriate for solar PTTs deployed in sunny locations. If you are planning to deploy a solar PTT in lower light conditions, please contact us to discuss a customized duty cycle.

 

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Microwave Telemetry, Inc.
8835 Columbia 100 Parkway, Suites K&L
Columbia, MD 21045
410.715.5292