Figure 1: PT-8200 & AC Charger

Included in the box are the PT-8200 and its AC power plug/charger.

Figure 2: Holding the PT-8200

The PT-8200 feels solid and well-made. Hardware quality is a cut above most other GPS trackers.

Figure 3: PT-8200 vs. Matchbox Car

The PT-8200 is slightly larger than a matchbox car, and can easily be concealed, or carried in a pocket.

Figure 4: PT-8200, Side

The PT-8200 measures 2.5 in x 1.25 in x 0.6 in. Two different batteries are available for the device: a slim, flat battery that sits flush with the top of the device, and an extended battery pack (shown above). The thinner battery provides up to 7 days of use on a single charge, while the extended battery can last up to 30 days between charges.

Figure 5: PT-8200, Extended Battery

The extended battery pack, shown above, adds some height to the device, but offers up to 30 days of use on a single charge (battery life varies greatly, depending on how frequently you've configured the tracker to send location updates).

The slim (1800 mAh) battery takes 3 hours to fully charge, and the extended (3600 mAh) battery (shown above) takes 5 hours to fully charge.

Figure 6: Removing the Battery

To remove the battery, hold the battery release open and slide the battery out. To reconnect the battery, line up the edges of the battery to the rails on the PT-8200, and slide the battery into place until it clicks. The device will then automatically power itself on, provided the battery is charged enough to power the unit. There is no On/Off button on the PT-8200.

Battery life varies considerably, depending on GPS signal reception (if GPS reception is poor, the PT-8200 automatically boosts power output to improve performance), and how frequently the device sends location updates. This chart provides a good estimate of how long you can expect the standard and extended batteries to last between charges:

Additional 1800 mAh and 3600 mAh can be purchased for $120 and $150, respectively.

Figure 7: PT-8200 Button Actions

The PT-8200 has a small button on one side that can be assigned a variety of functions, including a panic button feature.

Pressing and holding the button for 2 seconds causes the LED to blink green if the device is getting cellular reception and red if it's not.

Pressing and holding the button for 4 seconds causes the LED to show battery status by showing solid green for "good" battery status, flashing red for "charge soon", and solid red for "charge immediately".

Figure 8: AC Adapter Port

The AC adapter port is protected by a rubber flap that keeps water and dirt out.

Figure 9: AC Adapter

Unfortunately the PT-8200 uses a proprietary power connector instead of the more common mini-USB style connector found on most other trackers and cell phones. That means if you ever lose the AC adapter, you'll have to order one specifically designed for the PT-8200.

Setting Up The PT-8200

Figure 10: LiveViewGPS Web Portal Login Screen

The first step in setting up the PT-8200 is to login to LiveViewGPS's web portal. Launch a web browser and go to http://rp.liveviewgps.com

Figure 11: Select Beacon to Set Up

Looking at the Home tab, you should see a notification that you have a PT-8200 "beacon" ready to set up. Click the "set up now" button.

Figure 12: Setting Up The PT-8200

This setup screen allows you to configure the PT-8200 as a vehicle, asset, or person. Depending how you'll be using the tracker, each selection has different fields of information that can be entered.

Figure 13: Item Type

If you'll primarily be using the PT-8200 to track a person, choosing "Person" as the asset type allows you to enter details about the person who'll be carrying the device, including height, weight, medical conditions, a photo of the person, and more.

Choosing "Vehicle" allows you to enter various details about the vehicle, such as model, make, color, license plate, VIN, and more.

The generic "Asset" type can be given a description of your choosing.

Figure 14: My Items

Once the PT-8200 has been setup as either a vehicle, person, or asset, you'll need to configure how often you want the device to report its location, and how often it should send status reports. This screen also allows you to configure Geo-Fence zones.

Figure 15: Create Tracking with Interval Alert

This is where you can define the schedule the PT-8200 will use to send location updates. You can configure the tracker to report it's position every 15 minutes 24/7, or you might want to configure different schedules for different days of the week and times of day.

For example, if the PT-8200 will be used to track a child, you could configure more frequent updates during school hours, and longer intervals at night when you'd expect the child to be sleeping.

Figure 16: Create Status Report

A status report can be configured to alert you when the PT-8200's battery is running low. Multiple contacts can be notified at the same time, if desired.

Figure 17: PT-8200, Configured

Once the Interval Tracking and Status Report have been configured, the PT-8200 will automatically begin sending updates according to your schedule after you press "Locate" for the first time. Schedule changes are picked up automatically whenever the PT-8200 checks in with the server.