Technical Specifications

• Quad-Band 850/900/1800/1900MHz
• Compliant to GSM phase 2/2+
  Class 4 (2W @ 900MHz)
  Class 1 (1W @ 1800/1900MHz)
• Operating temperature range: -10° to +50°C
• Backup batteries: 1250mAh
• Dimension: 66mm x 36mm x 20mm
• Weight: 76g

GPS:

• GPS Chipset: SiRF Star III
• Channels: 20 channel all-in-view tracking
• Reacquisition: 0.1 sec., average
• Hot start: 1 sec., average
• Warm start: 38 sec., average
• Cold start: 42 sec., average

A-GPS:
Main Function:

• A - GPS Position
• Fixed time reporting
• Emergency Alarm
• GeoFencing Alarm
• Remote Control Alarm
• Lower power alarm

Interface:

• One Mini USB connecter to PC
• LED indicate: Power / GSM network / GPS
• 3 keys: Power on / Function / Reset

Figure 1: WorldTracker Enduro Retail Box

Compared with most other GPS tracking devices, Enduro is good looking, and feels rugged and well made. Measuring just 2.5-inches long, and 3/4th's of an inch thick, this device is the smallest real-time tracking device I've tested to date.

Figure 2: What's in the Box

Enduro ships with the following items in the box:

• WorldTracker Enduro GPS
• Power Adapter/Charger
• Protective Cary Case
• Magnetic Slip Case (Optional)

Figure 3: WorldTracker Enduro

Battery and GPS service status are communicated by the color of the LEDs located on the front of the device. The signal status icon LED has the following possible conditions:

• Red - The device is powered on and has received a valid configuration
• Green (fast flashing) - searching for cellular network
• Green (slow flashing) - Registering on the cellular network
• Green (solid) - SIM pin locked
• Blue (fast flashing) - Acquiring GPS fix
• Blue (Solid for 2 seconds) - GPS position acquired

The Battery icon LED has the following possible color status conditions:

• Red (solid) - Low power
• Red (slow flashing) - Battery charging
• Green (solid) - Charge complete
• Blue - S.O.S. (this LED will be solid blue when the SOS button is pressed and held for three seconds). Blue is also used to indicated GeoFence mode.

Figure 4: WorldTracker Enduro, Left Side

Enduro uploads location data via AT&T or T-Mobile's cellular network using a SIM card. The SIM slot, located on the left side of the device, is secured with two small screws.

Also located on the left side of the device is the SOS button.

When pushed and held down for 2 seconds, the SOS button will cause the unit to send 20 location reports,2 minutes apart. These location reports will display on your map page with an SOS alert message.

The SOS button can also be configured to send a pre-defined email or SMS message. The button can also be configured to setup an instant GeoFence around your current location. For example, you could set a GeoFence around your parked car, and leave the Enduro in the glove compartment to receive an automatic alert if the vehicle moves.

Figure 5: Opening the SIM Card Slot

Use a small phillips screwdriver to open the SIM card slot.

Figure 6: Sliding Out the SIM Card

After the screws have been loosened, pull out the SIM card tray.

Figure 7: SIM Card

WorldTracker's Enduro is GPRS/GMS compatible.

Figure 8: WorldTracker Enduro, Top

The power button is located on the top of the device. Press the power button for 1-2 seconds to turn Enduro on or off.

Figure 9: WorldTracker Enduro, Right Side

The USB/Power port is located on the lower-right side of the device, and is protected by a rubber flap.

Figure 7: WorldTracker Enduro

About the size of a matchbox car, Enduro is one of the smallest real-time GPS tracking devices available. It is easily concealed in a bag or coat pocket, and it's internal lithium-ion battery lasts between 5 and 10 days of continuous tracking on a single charge (depending on the frequency of location updates).

Figure 8: Enduro's Included Protective Pouch

Included in the box is a protective carrying pouch, shown above.

Figure 9: Enduro, Inserted into the Magnetic Case

TrackingTheWorld.com also sells an optional magnetic case ($59.95) that can be used to attach the Enduro to a vehicle or other metal object.

Figure 10: Magnetic Case, Back

The magnet on the case is strong enough to securely hold the GPS in place on a moving vehicle. TrackingTheWorld says this is a pre-production version, and that the final product will have two magnets that will be bother slimmer and stronger.

Figure 11: Optional Extended Battery Pack

Also available is an optional extended battery pack / waterproof magnetic case combo that allows the Enduro last 6 months on a single charge.

Figure 12: Bird's Eye View

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 Bird's Eye, 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 (available for most US cities). 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.

Figure 13: Bird's Eye Map Report

The Bird's Eye map view, shown above, combined with Enduro's high performance GPS receiver (SiRF) makes it easy to pinpoint the device's location on the map, down to about a 15-50 foot accuracy.

Most of the time I found myself using the "Bird's Eye" view, whenever it was available.

Figure 14: Viewing Historical Location Data

The page also displays a calendar that allows users to choose a different day's reports, letting you see exactly where Enduro has been on any given date for which tracking data is available (notice that only the days for which tracking data is available are highlighted blue on the calendar).

Figure 15: Viewing Breadcrumb Trails

Breadcrumb 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 Enduro has taken.

Figure 16: 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 17: Viewing Breadcrumb Trails

Enduro can be configured to send location updates as often or seldom as you prefer. My test unit was configured to send updates every 15 minutes. This produced nice detailed reports of where the tracker had been. For example, I put the Enduro in the glove compartment and headed out on a road trip. The device had no problem keeping tabs of my position, and the entire route I drove was shown on the map.

Figure 18: Microsoft Virtual Earth's Hybrid View

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

Figure 19: Road View

Road View can be useful if you want to view the street layout or determine the cross-street location of the Enduro.

Figure 20: Installing Microsoft Virtual Earth

If your computer doesn't already have Microsoft's Virtual Earth installed, you'll be prompted to do so the first time you try to access the tracking portal's 3D views. Downloading and installing is simple and takes only a few minutes.

Figure 21: Virtual Earth 3D View of New York City

Once installed, Virtual Earth provides detailed 3D modeling of many US and European cities that allows you to view the GPS tracker's location in stunning detail. Maps can be zoomed and rotated into just about any viewing angle.

Essentially a map imposed on a 3D model, Virtual Earth provides an amazing photo-realistic presentation that feels like you're actually hovering over the area in a helicopter.

Figure 22: 3D Shaded Model View

It's also possible to turn off the photo-realistic aerial overlay, and view buildings' shapes on the map. Depending where the Enduro is located, disabling Aerial mapping and viewing the 3D Road view, shown above, can make it clearer to see the device's location on the map.

Setting GeoFence Alerts

Figure 23: Setting a GeoFence

A GeoFence is a virtual fence on the map that will trigger an alert if crossed. GeoFence boundaries can be drawn on the map, and the email you want the alert sent to can be input on the same page. It is possible to configure multiple GeoFences in as many locations as you want.

You can also configure a GeoFence in an area the vehicle is not currently in, and be notified when the vehicle 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 24: Drawing A GeoFence

Defining a GeoFence is intuitive: click to set a GeoFence, then double-click on the map to draw a box around the area you want to define GeoFence around. The highlighted blue area, shown in the screenshot above, is the part of the map that will be included in the virtual fence. You can then choose whether you want to be alerted when Enduro enters, exits, or both. Then click "Set" and the GeoFence is active.

When the WorldTracker Enduro enters/leaves the defined GeoFence, you will receive an alert via email or a text message, depending on your alert preferences.

Mileage Reports

Figure 25: Viewing Monthly Driving Reports

WorldTracker Enduro keeps track of speed information as well as location. That means the device knows if you're moving in vehicle, or walking around on foot. Time spent in a vehicle can be viewed as a monthly report that shows distance, drive time, idle time, starting and ending addresses.

Total mileage reports are also available by year, month, week, or day.

Figure 26: 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.

Pros

• Small size
• Lightweight
• Less expensive than many similar GPS trackers
• Long battery life (5-10 days, depending on frequency of location updates)
• Location reports available from any computer with Internet access
• Good vehicle-related reporting options
• Optional extended battery provides up to 6 months of continuous tracking
• GeoFence feature easy to use
• Rugged (waterproof, able to operate in extreme temperatures)
• SOS button
• Standard USB power connector
• Low power alert feature
• Location reports include speed data (how fast the GPS is moving)

Cons

• Confusing LED status lights
• PDA/Smartphone optimized webpage for viewing location reports costs $60 per year
• Internet access required to lookup the device's location (no call center or other way to get location information)
• Fewer alerting options than some competing devices (no way to alert multiple people, or configure escalation lists)
• Battery status not viewable via the web portal

Conclusion

Last year I reviewed the WorldTracker GPRS and gave it high marks. In many ways, WorldTracker's Enduro is a smaller, lighter, more rugged, all-around better version of the GPRS.

One of Enduro's most important improvements is its long battery life. Throughout my testing period, Enduro routinely achieved 5-7 days of continuous tracking between charges (set to 15 minute update intervals). This can be stretched significantly by increasing the time interval between location updates, or by adding an optional battery pack that lasts up to 6 months between charges.

Slightly larger than a matchbox car and weighing just 76 grams, Enduro is easily carried in a coat pocket, backpack, handbag, inside a stuffed animal, or just about anywhere you can think of. Accurate to within about 15 feet, WorldTracker Enduro uses Assisted-GPS, or A-GPS, to report its location on a user-definable schedule (i.e. every 15 minutes).

Location reports are accessed via a webpage, and position information is spectacularly displayed using Google's or Microsoft's 3D maps. Date, time, speed, heading, and street address information is displayed on the map, and breadcrumb trails show the path the WorldTracker has taken. Customers can choose to view the device's location either on a Google map, Microsoft's Virtual Earth, or a special webpage that's optimized for viewing on a PDA or smartphone (costs an additional $60 per year).

An on-screen calendar makes it easy to view historical tracking data by clicking on the desired date (any dates with tracking data available are clickable). Various driving-specific reports are only available, including daily and monthly mileage, time spent driving, and maximum speed reached for each trip.

Geofences, or virtual boundaries, can be drawn on the map and WorldTracker Enduro will alert you via email or text message if the virtual boundary is crossed. For example, you might setup a Geofence around your home address and receive notification whenever the device enters or leaves home.

WorldTracker Enduro's small size, light weight, long battery life, and relatively good accuracy make the Enduro a very powerful tracker for those looking for high performance GPS tracking in a small package. Though slightly less accurate than some larger GPS trackers, Enduro gives up relatively little in terms of performance, and is unmatched in its size and concealability.

Enduro costs $299 for the device, and $49.95 per month for unlimited tracking service (there's also a one-time setup charge of $69.95). Access to the PDA/Cell-phone friendly tracking viewer is an additional $59.95 per year (this feature isn't required, but might be useful if you ever plan using your cell phone to see where the Enduro is). TrackingTheWorld throws in a free month's service if you pre-pay for a whole year (12/months of service for $549.45). Enduro can be purchased directly from TrackingTheWorld's website. Note that Brickhouse Security also sells the same device under the name "Spark Nano GPS Tracker".