SageTracker Fleet
Sageplan, Inc
Users Guide
RELIABLE, AFFORDABLE VEHICLE TRACKING
Caution: Tracking other people or their equipment can be illegal.
Consult local regulations before using this device.
Table of Contents
Welcome.......................................................................3
Initial In stallation............................................................3
Troubleshooting............................................................. 4
Do’s and Don’ts with your S ageTracker.......................... 5
FAQs.............................................................................5
Where to get help.......................................................... 7
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Welcome
We hope that you enjoy your new SageTracker, and that you find it both practical and easy to use.
To summarize, there are 3 parts to using SageTracker:
Get the location: SageTracker uses GPS (Global Positioning System), which tracks the location of the
device via satellites.
Send a Report: The SageTracker reporting system uses cell phone text messaging technology to send
reports on the device’s location. SageTracker Fleet is programmed for 5 minute reporting when the vehicle is
in motion and hourly when parked.
View your Reports: Your personal web account at www.sagetracker.com (click on My Site) holds all your
tracking maps, reports, and other information for 120 days.
Initial Installation
Please read this section carefully before beginning with the installation.
Your device package will include your SageTracker Fleet device and an antenna (looks like a small hockey
puck) which is connected to the SageTracker via the long black wire. Your antenna may be attached to the
underside of the dash with a clip or magnet (specified when you placed your order).
Before you install your tracking device, be sure to select a location for the antenna that has sufficient GPS
satellite signal for the device to function properly. When installing the SageTracker antenna, be sure to place
it in a location that allows the antenna to “see” as much of the open sky as possible. GPS satellite signals
are transmitted to varying degrees through glass, fiberglass, rubber, plastics, and many other fabrics and
materials. The antenna cannot “see” through metal, but can generally be placed directly underneath a
vehicle’s dashboard. If you place the antenna in a car trunk or under the hood, it will be unable to obtain a
geographic fix.
Caution! You must follow the vehicle manufacturer’s safety recommendations when installing
1.
SageTracker or any other electrical device. A vehicle’s electrical system may retain electrical charges
even when the battery has been disconnected, and failing to follow proper safety procedures may result
in serious injury or death.
2. Disconnect the vehicle’s battery supply and insure that all stored electrical energy has been dissipated.
3. Locate a wire in the installation area that is directly connected to the vehicle’s positive battery terminal.
Attach the red wire of the SageTracker wiring harness to battery positive.
4. Locate a wire that is live only when the ignition is engaged. Connect the white wire of the SageTracker
wiring harness to ignition.
5. Connect the black wire to a suitable electrical ground.
6. Reconnect the vehicle battery.
7. Move the vehicle into a location where there is an unobstructed view to the open sky and start the
vehicle. Once started the LED labeled “PWR GPS” should be solid red. “USR2” will begin to flash red, and
will become solid red when a sufficiently strong GPS signal has been detected from the satellites. “USR1”
will cycle between flashing green (GPRS idle) and solid green (GPRS) communication.
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The unit should now begin to send in updated location information at ~5 minute intervals any time that the
vehicle is in motion, and one hour intervals when the vehicle is stationary. After verifying that SageTracker
is working satisfactorily, mount the unit in its final installation location to verify that you are still receiving
Address Information with each incoming message. If not, you may not have sufficient GPS signal and will
need to find an alternate location for your antenna.
View your Reports Online: On any internet connection, log on to www.sagetracker.com and click on My
Site. Using the username and password included with your unit, sign on to your account. To see your first
tracks, select the Vehicles & Locations tab. Click on Today’s Track, then click on the Show Me button to bring
up the map and report. Make sure your pop up blocker allows pop ups from the tracking site.
Here a few tips to help you get the most out of your unit:
SageTracker will attempt to generate a new location report anytime motion is detected. If the GPS satellite
signal is too weak for the device to generate an updated location, it will still generate a status report for that
time period which will not contain an updated location. SageTracker will be unable to generate a GPS
geographic location fix when it is located inside enclosed structures, such as a garage or storage unit. It will,
however, continue to monitor for motion when inside a garage and will attempt to fix its location as soon as
motion is detected. SageTracker will spend up to five minutes generating a GPS fix, so if the device is
leaving a garage when motion begins; it will spend a good portion of its search time outside the garage. If
after 10 minutes SageTracker is unable to fix its location, it will send a report to the web without an updated
address.
If you install the unit next to other transmitting devices, such as satellite radios, VHF, radar, or other
SageTrackers, they may interfere with each other.
SageTracker uses the GSM cell phone network in the United States to send its reports to the tracking
program, so its ability to connect to the internet is limited by the coverage of this network. Coverage in
populated areas is generally very good, but can be limited in remote regions.
Troubleshooting
1. The device is reporting, but there is no address in the Address Column:
If the unit is sending in reports to the website at the proper interval when the vehicle is in motion, but the
address information is missing from the Address column, then the most likely cause is a weak GPS satellite
signal at the antenna’s location. This problem can most often be remedied by moving the antenna from its
current location to an alternate location. As a quick check to make sure that the device is functioning
properly, place antenna in a location with excellent visibility to the open sky to verify that it does report
addresses under these conditions.
2. The reported address is not correct:
There are two possible causes for the unit appearing to report an incorrect address.
No GPS Location reported during last GPS fix cycle: If the vehicle has moved from its previous location, but
the SageTracker device was not able to generate a new location report due to a weak or non-existent GPS
signal, then the tracking software will place the vehicle at the last known location on the map.
Map Inaccuracies: SageTracker uses a set of public domain maps in order to keep the overall device costs
as low as possible. While these maps are generally very accurate, they may not be completely updated in
areas of rapid urban growth. We have also had occasional reports of the street address not being accurate,
although in this case the physical location on the map generally agrees with the physical location of the unit.
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Do’s and Don’ts with your SageTracker
Do
Place your SageTracker antenna where it will have a clear line of site to the sky and receive a fix from the
GPS satellites. Concealed antennas may give you fewer location fixes than antennas left in the open or may
take longer to get a fix. This should still give you enough information to track, but if it is not, you should
move the location of the antenna. Sometimes a slight adjustment may help.
Don’t
Don’t use your SageTracker in prohibited areas that restrict wireless or two-way radio usage. These areas
often include hospitals, blasting sites, or near aircraft. Using your SageTracker in prohibited areas may be
illegal and/or dangerous. Please use your SageTracker in a safe manner and within the laws of your area of
operation.
Don’t block the antenna with metal or it will not get a satellite fix or be able to report the location.
Things to Remember
The device antenna needs to “see” the GPS satellites in order report the location. If you have no location in
the GPS column or see LOC?? in the Messages Column, your SageTracker cannot communicate with the GPS
satellites.
The device needs to have cellular coverage for text messaging in order to send reports. If the device travels
to a rural area with no cell coverage, it will not be able to report.
Like all wireless devices, your SageTracker may encounter interference that may hinder its performance, or it
may cause problems for other electronic devices. Moving the device usually solves these issues, and
sometimes the interference problems resolve themselves.
Areas that are mountainous, heavily forested, or streets with many high rise buildings may have interference
with your GPS signal. This is similar to the interference found with satellite radios or regular cell phones.
FAQs
Where can I use SageTracker?
Vehicles: SageTracker works well in a variety of vehicles including boats, trailers, RV and automobiles. For
best results, the device antenna should be mounted on the vehicle in such a way that the tracker has a clear
line of sight to the open sky such as on top of or directly under the dashboard of a car.
Regional Considerations: SageTracker can be used anywhere in the US or Canada where GSM service is
available. We operate our devices using the network provided by Kore Wireless. While coverage is
improving almost daily, some of the more remote regions may not have adequate coverage to operate the
device.
Why is the location missing on some of my reports?
The SageTracker device communicates with GPS satellites in orbit to find its current location. In order to
identify its current position, the device must have a reasonably clear line of sight to the open sky. The radio
signals that are passed between the SageTracker and the satellites pass easily through some materials (i.e.
glass, most plastics and composites, fiberglass) but are severely attenuated by others, most notably
conductive metal such as automobile or trailer sheet metal. If SageTracker is in an area that has poor
visibility to the open sky it may not be able to calculate its location. This may be a temporary situation (if the
vehicle is in a garage or tunnel) or a permanent one (if the antenna is placed under the hood of a vehicle).
For best results, place the antenna in a location that has clear line of sight to the sky.
How do I turn Notification On?
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From your tracking home page, click on My Settings then Notifications. Scroll down to Create Notification.
• Enter the message you would like to be included in your email or text message.
• Select the condition for which you would like to receive notification (geofence, specific event, time of day,
etc.).
• Select which vehicles will be used in this user notification.
• Click the "Add" button. The page will refresh and the new notification will be added.
Will SageTracker work inside of a garage?
Probably not. The SageTracker device finds it’s location by establishing contact with GPS satellites. In order
to communicate with the satellites, the device must have access to the open sky. While SageTracker is able
to “see” through many common materials used to build vehicles, the combination of a garage ceiling and roof
are generally enough to keep SageTracker from establishing a location fix. The unit will continue to send
weekly status reports and will make a position report when it has a clear view of the sky.
What is a Geofence?
A Geofence is an area you define on the map that you want to know when your vehicle enters or leaves.
Setting up a Geofence takes only a minute on your personalized website, and once it has been setup you can
tell the SageTracker website to notify you if your vehicle enters or leaves the Geofence. For more
information, please consult the help section of the tracking website.
What is the Reporting Frequency of SageTracker?
SageTracker Fleet is programmed to send out reports at an interval of 5 minutes when the vehicle is in
motion and hourly when stopped. When the vehicle first stops at a new location, SageTracker will send one
position report from that location, and then once per hour after that until the vehicle begins to move again.
Which Browsers can I use with SageTracker?
SageTracker has been verified to work with Internet Explorer on a PC. Using any other internet browser may
lead to unexpected results.
Why is my unit showing my location as Austin, TX?
Until the unit successfully sends in its first location report from your area, it will show its location as being at
our test facility in Austin, Texas, as this will have been the last successful location fix it achieved before being
shipped to you. When the unit is first installed in your vehicle, it will take SageTracker up to an hour to
establish all of the necessary satellite and cellular communication connections. After these connections have
been established, the unit will send in a report the next time it detects motion.
Is it legal to use SageTracker in my area?
Due to the wide variability of state and local regulations, our company is unable to provide legal advice for a
particular application of SageTracker in any given jurisdiction. It is up to the user to understand and comply
with the laws and regulations of their area.
My maps and reports won’t display, what’s wrong?
Make sure your pop up blocker is set to allow pop ups from your tracking site. When you click the Show Me
button, and nothing happens, look on your screen for a message bar from the pop up blocker. Often you can
click on the message bar and select “Allow Pop Ups from this site.” Refer to your pop up blocker’s user
instructions or FAQ for information on how to allow pop ups from a specific site.
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Where to get help
Log into your SageTracker My Site, and click on Help. Many topics are covered on this site. You must have a
username and password to access this help site.
www.sagetracker.com - click on My Site
SageTracker Technical Support Hours
Monday through Friday
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time
Contact Information
Email: support@sagetracker.com
Phone: 1-512-535-5248
We are interested in your feedback on the device and how we can improve this manual. Thank you again for
your patronage, and feel free to contact us with any questions or comments.
Sageplan, Inc.
807 Brazos Street
Suite 910
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 535-5248
www.sageplan.com
www.sagetracker.com
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