TELEMETRY EQUIPMENT FOR EDUCATION

Quality electronics for the wildlife research community.

Introduction

Telonics has actively supported educational programs for over 20 years. Over this time we have had many requests for telemetry equipment to be used for educational purposes at all levels of classroom instruction. We have often supplied equipment for teaching high school biology classes, undergraduate and graduate wildlife management classes, and professional development workshops. Unfortunately, it was not always possible to meet the needs of the teachers and provide equipment in time for their class and laboratory schedules. In response to these requests, we are now offering an educational kit available for either rental or purchase in the United States or for purchase only overseas. The kit includes all the items required to demonstrate and teach the basic fundamentals of conventional wildlife telemetry to students. The kit, called the TEK-1 Telonics Educational Kit, is a basic telemetry system that consists of a transmitting and receiving subsystem. The TEK-1 includes the RB-10 Transmitter with a user-replaceable battery, TR-4 Receiver, and a RA-2AK Directional Antenna. The educational kit is being offered to universities, community colleges, high schools, and other educational institutions at a discounted pricing structure. Other accessories are also available at a discounted rate. In order to receive the educational discount, an institutional purchase order stating that the equipment will be used for instructional or educational purposes is required.

As mentioned there are two options available for obtaining an educational kit.

Equipment Rental (U.S. institutions only): Short term use of equipment is available on a rental contract basis within the United States and its territories to accredited institutions of higher learning.

In general, rental agreements are established for a period of one month and are dependent on the availability of kits. Therefore, it is suggested that equipment be reserved by sending a purchase order or request on agency letterhead as early as possible prior to the semester or training date.

Equipment purchase (U.S. and international institutions): New equipment is available for purchase at discounted rate for use in the classroom setting. Equipment options and specifications are designated by the instructor.

*International orders must be prepaid prior to shipment.

TEK-1 EDUCATIONAL TELEMETRY KIT (available for rental or purchase)
(INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING):

RB-10 BEACON TRANSMITTER WITH MS6A SENSOR AND HP OPTION
Dimensions: 2.66" x 1.25" x 1.46" (6.75 x 3.2 x 3.7 cm)
Weight: 129 grams
Operational Life: 2-4 months at 75-35 pulses per minute
Power source: 9-volt alkaline transistor battery, which is replaceable by the user.

The MS6A Mortality-Motion sensor provides "active or alive" or "inactive or dead" pulse period depending on activity state of the study animal. A position sensitive switch is incorporated in the unit to detect animal movements and a microprocessor is used to monitor the status of the switch (open or closed). A user-defined evaluation time interval is established and the number of switch closures occurring during this interval is counted by the microprocessor. The active pulse period is maintained as long as the number of switch closures in an evaluation time interval is greater than the mortality threshold. If the number of switch closures falls below the established threshold, the unit produces the inactive pulse period. This option is unique in that a separate resurrection threshold can be established which allows the unit to return to the active pulse period. If the number of switch closures during the evaluation interval exceeds the resurrection threshold, the unit will assume the active pulse period. When ordering, please specify the active pulse rate of the transmitters (i.e. 60 pulses per minute), inactive pulse rate of the transmitters (i.e. 120 pulses per minute), and the delay period of the mortality sensor (i.e. 2 minutes). A short delay time is best when used for educational purposes so the change in pulse can be detected within a short period of time.

The HP High Power option allows for increased range performance.

TR-4 RECEIVER
The TR-4 receiver is a small, lightweight, user-friendly receiver. It can be tuned for operation within any user-specified 4 MHz frequency band between 142 and 220 MHz. The TR-4 allows up to 100 channels to be programmed within the specified 4 MHz band. When ordering, you will need to specify a 4 MHz frequency range. The TR-4 is powered by two 9-volt alkaline batteries, which are expected to last 16-18 hours at 21 degrees Celsius. It is supplied with a vinyl carrying case, headphones, and two 9-volt batteries.

RA-2AK ANTENNA KIT
Directional, hand-held "H antenna", with rigid elements, 4 dBd gain with 10 dB front to back ratio, BNC connection. Supplied with RW-2 coaxial cable and RA-2P vinyl carrying pouch. This antenna is used to determine the direction of the signal and ultimately where the transmitter is located. A transmitters general direction can be determined by rotating the antenna until the strongest audio signal is received.

OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT (only available for purchase):
A discounted rate for the following items are reserved for institutions that have purchased the TEK-1.