Table of Contents

1. Features
2. Technical Specifications
3. What's in the Box
4. Using WorldTracker PLD
5. Pros
6. Cons
7. Conclusion

1. Features

Figure 1: WorldTracker PLD

• Quad mode GPS tracker works worldwide (850/900/1800/1900 frequency bands)
• Reporting and monitoring for up to 2 weeks
• Capable of updates every 5 seconds
• GPS assist and works inside buildings and parking garages
• GPS/A-GPS with tracking of up to 14 satellites
• One-way emergency listening and two-way voice options
• Optional multi-day ephemeris support
• Time to first fix: 2 s @ 5 m; 2 sec navigation fixes (with assistance data)
• Motion sensor and vibrating alerts

2. Technical Specifications

3. What's in the Box

Figure 2: What's in the Box

WorldTracker PLD includes the following items in the box:

• WorldTracker PLD
• USB/Charging/Programming Cable
• SIM Card
• Battery

Figure 3: WorldTracker PLD, Front

WorldTracker PLD's case is constructed of rugged polycarbonite gray plastic with protective black rubber backing on the left and right sides of the device.

Figure 4: WorldTracker PLD, Left Side

A 2.5 mm headset jack and Mini-USB jack for power and local data access are located on the left side of the device, protected from the elements by a rubber flap..

Figure 5: WorldTracker PLD, Right Side

The PTC (Push To Call) button is located on the right side of the device. The PTC button is used to initiate a cellular voice call to a pre-programmed number you define, such as emergency services, a family member, rescue team, etc.

Figure 6: WorldTracker PLD, Top

The top of the device is home to four LED indicator lights:

• CALL: Blinks yellow when registering blinks for 1/4second every 2 seconds to indicate a missed call, solid yellow during a phone call (incoming or initiated)
• ON: Blinks yellow slowly for 1/2 second every 10 seconds to indicate the unit is on and active
• GPS: Blinks yellow briefly once every 2 seconds when receiving satellite reception
• BAT: Blinks red once every 10 seconds when the battery is less than 20% (this light turns off altogether when battery is below 5%). Blinks fast once every 2 seconds during charging, turns off when fully charged

4. Using WorldTracker PLD

Figure 7: WorldTracker PLD's Buttons and Functions

One of the first things you notice about WorldTracker PLD is the lack of a power button -- the unit is always on. An engineering decision designed to avoid confusion (and possibly disaster), this Personal Locator Device cannot be powered off; if the battery is charged, the unit is on.

LED indicators on the top of the device display its current status, including battery life, GPS reception, and GPRS/GSM cellular reception.

One small gripe I had when first using WorldTracker PLD is that the function of each physical button is not obvious, so you'll have to crack open the manual and figure out what function each button performs -- a small issue, but a nuisance nonetheless. Let's take a closer look at the controls and their function:

• Push To Call (PTC) - allows the user to place a call to a number that has been programmed into it, such as a family member's cellular phone or emergency services.
• Geo Fence - Can be configured to setup a Geo Fence around your current area, and send an alert if the device moves outside that area
• User-Defined Button - Reserved for future use (currently this button does nothing by default, but can be configured perform various functions.
• Volume Buttons - The + and - buttons are used to increase or decrease the audio volume level.

Figure 8: Inserting the SIM card in the WorldTracker PLD

In order to access the SIM card slot on WorldTracker PLD, you'll need to remove the belt clip, battery cover, and battery. Then slide the SIM tray to the unlatched position and insert the SIM card. Replace the battery and cover.

It takes 12 hours to fully charge the device. Once the battery is fully charged, WorldTracker PLD is ready for use.

Location data is accessed via TrackingTheWorld.com's website, and can be setup with or without a password, depending on your own personal preference. The company also provides a smartphone-friendly version of the page for viewing location data from a Blackberry, iPhone, or other smartphone with internet access.

Figure 9: Bird's Eye Map Report

WorldTracker PLD has some of the best location reporting I've ever seen. Leveraging both Google Earth and Microsoft's Virtual Earth, the web-based location report provides 5 different ways to view the WorldTracker GPRS' location, including the Bird's Eye view, shown above.

Reports are accessed via TrackingTheWorld.com (IE6 or higher is required). Maps can be viewed in 2D, 3D, Road view, Aerial view, Hybrid (Road & Aerial), or Bird's Eye. The map can be zoomed in or out, and panned by dragging the mouse around or using the pan/zoom control in the upper-left corner of the screen.

The page also displays a calendar that allows users to choose a different day's reports, and a Geo Fence button for drawing a Geo Fence on the map.

Figure 10: Bird's Eye Map Report

The Bird's Eye map view, shown above, combined with the accuracy of WorldTracker's Personal Locator Device makes it easy to pinpoint the GPS's location on the map.

Figure 11: Viewing Breadcrumb Trails

Breadcrumb trails can be turned on or off by checking or unchecking the BreadCrumbs checkbox on the reporting webpage. When checked, the breadcrumbs visually display the path the WorldTracker PLD has taken.

Figure 12: Viewing Breadcrumb Details

Each point along a breadcrumb trail can be clicked, displaying the exact street address, speed of travel, heading, date and time.

Figure 13: Microsoft Virtual Earth's Aerial View

The Aerial view is a 2D map that combines aerial photos with street names..

Figure 14: Microsoft Virtual Earth's 2D View

The 2D is less visually stunning than the Bird's Eye view, but provides a clearer overview of where WorldTracker PLD has been.

Figure 15: Setting a Geo Fence

A Geo Fence is a virtual boundary on the map that will trigger an alert if crossed. Geo fence boundaries can be drawn on the map, and an email address can be setup to receive alerts. It is possible to configure multiple Geo fences in as many locations as you want. You can also configure a Geo fence in an area WorldTracker PLD is not currently in, and be notified when it enters that area. For example, you could configure an alert to let you know when your child successfully arrives on his/her college campus.

Figure 16: Viewing Monthly Driving Reports

Because WorldTracker PLD keeps track of both speed and location information, the device knows the difference between walking around on foot and traveling in a vehicle. WorldTracker PLD provides a number of useful driving reports, and time spent in a vehicle can be viewed as a monthly report that shows distance, drive time, idle time, starting and ending addresses. Speed information for each trip can also be viewed on a different page.

Figure 17: Viewing Daily Driving Reports

Daily driving reports offer more granularity than the monthly report, showing the entire day's activity, including time spent parked, mileage driven, and addresses visited.

5. Pros

• Reporting and monitoring for up to 2 weeks on a single battery charge
• Assisted GPS (A-GPS) works inside buildings and parking garages
• One-way emergency listening and two-way voice options
• Sophisticated, visually stunning location reports
• Location reports can be downloaded as .csv files and viewed in Microsoft Excel
• Location can be viewed in Google Earth or Microsoft Virtual Earth
• Driving Reports provide detailed mileage, time, speed, and location data; well suited for expensing business travel or fleet management
• Supports multiple geo fences. Geo fences can be circular, rectangular, or irregular shape
• Can set a geo fence in an area that WorldTracker PLD is not currently in, and be notified when it enters that area
• Ability to easily adjust frequency of location updates from once every 5 seconds up to once every 20 minutes
• Quad band support (GSM/GPRS/EDGE) allows the device to operate from any location in the world
• Motion sensor
• Speaker is loud enough to be heard outdoors
• Device can be completely provisioned and/or re-configured over the air (or by connecting the device to a PC via USB cable)
• Power levels and battery consumption can be adjusted to suit your needs

6. Cons

• It takes 12 hours to fully charge the internal lithium-ion battery
• Setting up advanced features, such as Emergency Voice Monitoring or configuring phone numbers to call is complex and not for beginners (TrackingTheWorld will set this up for you, if you purchase the device through them)
• GPS slightly less sensitive than the WorldTracker GPRS (although battery life on the WorldTracker GPRS is less than 24 hours compared to PLD's 2 week battery life)
• Pricey monthly service fees
• Internet access required to lookup the device's location (no call center or other way to get location information)
• Unit isn't waterproof

7. Conclusion

WorldTracker PLD (Personal Locator Device) strikes just the right balance between GPS sensitivity and battery life, making the device one of the most useful, practical, and powerful real-time tracking systems I've ever tested. Capable of up to 2 weeks continuous tracking between battery charges, WorldTracker PLD provides sophisticated GPS location reporting, indoors and out.

One of the most unique features of the WorldTracker PLD is the integrated ability to receive and place phone calls from the device. Once configured, the PTC (Push To Call) button can be used to place a cellular call to a pre-determined phone number, such as a family member or emergency services (note that this features requires the SIM card to have voice services enabled). The device can also be set to silently answer calls, allowing you to monitor the surrounding area (microphone sensitivity can also be adjusted accordingly). Quad band ensured WorldTracker PLD can function worldwide.

WorldTracker PLD's GPS chipset isn't quite as robust as the WorldTracker GPRS. However, battery life on the PLD is about 30 times that of the WorldTracker GPRS, and that device doesn't have PLD's powerful voice features. The ability to dial out or receive phone calls is an especially unique feature for a GPS tracking device, and makes WorldTracker PLD well suited to personal security applications.

WorldTracker PLD isn't the smallest tracking device I've tested, but it achieves a very practical mix of performance and battery life. Those willing to exchange battery life for indoor accuracy and smaller size should take a look at WorldTracker GPRS instead.

WorldTracker PLD Retails for $394, and monthly service ranges from $20 to $65, depending on the service plan. More detailed information is available at trackingtheworld.com.