discussion / Biologging  / 31 March 2023

Margo Luminous Update: Next Phase BETA Release

Hi Folks, 
 

We have been quietly working on a new offering in wildlife tracking collars. After four years of development and testing we have a single-housing iridium collar with solar assist now offered publicly. In most ungulate deployments we are able to achieve 1 gps fix per hour with no battery decline even in winter - meaning our collars are limited to the lifespan of the components, not battery storage.

If anyone has any questions, comments, or a collar project to discuss please reach out! We are keen to learn more and serve this market. We are currently offering this collar commercially for most ungulates species in North America and searching for further test cases on carnivores.

 

Collar Specs: 270g Margo Luminous and 330g Heavy Duty. Available in 1" and 1.5" webbing collars. Store-on-board and remote data globally download through iridium satellite connection. 

Our main innovation is the use of a single-housing design. Rather than the traditional separate battery and antenna compartments, we package all collar components in a single housing that hangs below or on the side of a mammals neck. We are able to achieve lower-weight for the same product and reduce external cable connections. A side benefit is that our collars don't need to be custom ordered by neck size - you just trim off any excess collar material.  

Read more here: Margo Luminous Satellite Tracking Collar - Margo Supplies




Hi Jared! 

First of all congratulations with the new GPS collar! 

It looks very interesting!

When checking out https://margosupplies.com/ca-en/product/margo-luminous-satellite-tracking-collar/ I could have sworn I saw a glimpse of panes with "Video", "Specifications" & "Manuals" but they disappeared when the page properly loaded... 

In your previous post https://www.wildlabs.net/discussion/margo-luminous-beta-launch-new-tracking-collar-manufacturer you mention a few details like accelerometer and Doppler shift which is not mentioning above or on https://margosupplies.com/ca-en/product/margo-luminous-satellite-tracking-collar/. Can you elaborate?

I have a few questions:

  1. How do users access the data ? Web portal?
  2. Will there be download option directly from device (to fill gaps from lost transmissions)?
  3. How do users reschedule fixes? Web portal?
  4. How many fixes are sent pr. message?
  5. Are there any options of geofencing (fix rules, alerts)?
  6. Do the collars include drop-off mechanism (timer and Iridium message triggered, mentioned in provious post)
  7. No VHF beacon, right?

From the images at https://margosupplies.com/ca-en/product/margo-luminous-satellite-tracking-collar/ it looks like there is a need for a counter weight, right?:

Margo Supplies Luminous GPS collar

Can you share a few images of the HD version too?

I assume the protruding part on top of the unit contains an antenna, right? For rough (big & strong) animals, I believe this protrusion might be an issue. Is it encased more in the heavy duty version?

Regarding the solar and power: Any thoughts on how it will work under continuos darkness like above the arctic circle during winter? 

I am keen to learn more about your interesting product which seem to have huge potential!

Cheers, Lars