VEMCO

AcousticTelemetry
NewUserGuide

Dr.DaleWebber
ResearchBiologist,VEMCO

211HorseshoeLakeDrive
Halifax,NovaScotia
CanadaB3S0B9
www.vemco.com

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TableofContents
Section1:..WhatIsVEMCOAcousticTelemetryAllAbout?....................................................1
1.1 AcousticTelemetryDefined.............................................................................................1
1.2 WhatisaTransmitter?.....................................................................................................1
ContinuousTransmitters..............................................................................................................2
CodedTransmitters......................................................................................................................3
CodedIDTagvsCodedSensorandIDTag...................................................................................3
WhatisaCodeMap?....................................................................................................................4

1.3 WhatisanAcousticReceiver?.........................................................................................4
1.4 PassiveMonitoringwithFixedListeningReceivers.........................................................5
Batteries.......................................................................................................................................5
Mooring........................................................................................................................................6
Spacing..........................................................................................................................................6
DataUploading.............................................................................................................................6
DataAnalysisandDetections.......................................................................................................6

1.5 ActiveTrackingwithMobileListeningReceivers.............................................................7
ElectricalHookup..........................................................................................................................8
HowDoITrackandPositionaTag?.............................................................................................8

1.6 StudyDesign..................................................................................................................10
ChoosingtheTransmitterModel...............................................................................................10
TagProgramming.......................................................................................................................11
PassiveTelemetryDesigns.........................................................................................................12
ActiveTrackingDesigns:.............................................................................................................13

1.7 ManagingData...............................................................................................................14
VUEsoftware..............................................................................................................................14
WhatIsaFalseIDandHowDoIDetermineIfaDetectionisFalse:..........................................16

1.8 RangeTests....................................................................................................................16
AreRangeTestsUsefulforMe:..................................................................................................16
SuggestedRangeTestProcedures:............................................................................................17

Section2:..WhatToDoTheDayBeforeIReleaseMyTags...................................................18
2.1 VerifyReceiversandTags(inAirTests).........................................................................18
CheckYourOrder:......................................................................................................................18
VerifyTagActivation:.................................................................................................................18
CheckYourReceivers:................................................................................................................19
CallUs!........................................................................................................................................20

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Section3:..WhatToDoTheDayIUploadData.....................................................................21
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4

EquipmentIneedtotakeonboard...............................................................................21
TimeSynching................................................................................................................21
UsingaTestTag.............................................................................................................21
UploadingTips...............................................................................................................22

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ListofFigures
Figure11:GeneralizedAcousticSignal.........................................................................................1
Figure12:VEMCOTransmitters...................................................................................................2
Figure13:DiagramofaContinuousTagTransmission................................................................2
Figure14:DiagramofaCodedTagTransmission........................................................................3
Figure15:V9APCodedSensorTransmitter.................................................................................4
Figure16:VR2WAcousticReceiver..............................................................................................5
Figure17:VR100Receiver,Omnidirectional(VH165)................................................................7
Figure18:ImpactofDepthonPositioningAccuracy...................................................................9
Figure19:ExampleofaTypicalReceiverLayoutforaRiverMigrationStudy...........................13
Figure110:WindowDisplayofDetectionsinVUE.....................................................................15
Figure111:GraphicDisplayofDetectionsinVUE......................................................................15
Figure112:RangeTestTransmitter...........................................................................................17
Figure113:TypicalRangeTestGraph........................................................................................17

ListofTables
Table11:FishWeightinAiras2%ofTagWeightinAir.............................................................10

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WhatIsVEMCOAcousticTelemetryAllAbout?

1.1 AcousticTelemetryDefined
Acoustictelemetryisthetransmissioninwaterofultrasonicenergyorsoundsignalsatfrequencies
generally above our hearing range of 20500 kHz (20,000500,000 cycles/sec). Ultrasonic
frequencies are generally used for transmitting data underwater because, compared to radio
frequencies(100200MHzmillionsofcycles/sec),acousticfrequenciesareabsorbedmuchless.
However, acoustic signals, due to their lower frequencies, experience more distortion than radio
and cannot transmit as much information per unit time. Our acoustic systems are designed to
maximum data transmission and minimize errors due to many physical limitations on the
transmission.Weusefrequenciesbetween50and84kHzand180kHztomaximizetransmission
rangeinfreshtosaltwater.

Figure11:GeneralizedAcousticSignal

1.2 WhatisaTransmitter?
A transmitter, or tag (see Figure 12), is an electronic device usually implanted or externally
attachedtoafishthattransmitsultrasonicsignals.Ourtagstransmitveryshortpingsofultrasound
(typicalfrequency=69kHz)eitheratveryregularintervals(e.g.1second)orasaseriesofseveral
pings (610) that contain a digital ID (identifier) code and sometimes physical data (e.g.
temperature)thataVEMCOreceiverdetects,decodesandstoresinmemory.
Wehavetwobasictypesoftagswithuniquedatatransmission,continuousandcoded.VEMCOs
transmittersrangefrom6mmdiameterupto16mmdiameterandofvariouslengthsfrom16to98
mm.Pleasevisitthetransmittersectionofourwebsitetoseealltheavailablemodels.

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Figure12:VEMCOTransmitters

ContinuousTransmitters
A continuous tag transmits sequential pings with a precise interval or a varying interval that is
correlated to a physical variable such as temperature or depth (see Figure 13). Continuous tags
arerestrictedtoonefrequencyeach.Forexample,ifyouhavefivetags,eachtagtransmitsitspings
onadifferentfrequency(e.g.51,54,60,78,81kHz).Continuoustagsareanexcellentchoiceifyou
aretrackingindividualfishfromavesselinrealtimeorconductingVRAPpositioningstudies.To
monitorandtrackanimalswithcontinuoustags,youmustuseamultifrequencyacousticreceiver
suchasaVR100(seeFigure17).

Figure13:DiagramofaContinuousTagTransmission

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CodedTransmitters
A coded transmitter transmits a series of pings we define as a burst or code burst. Each burst
contains a digital ID (identifier) code and sometimes physical data (e.g. temperature, depth or
acceleration) (see Figure 14). The code burst usually occurs over a few seconds followed by a
delay which is usually determined by your particular study design. It also often depends on such
factorsasnumberoftaggedanimals,swimmingspeed,detectionrange,etc.Delayisrandomizedto
minimize the chance that the pings from any two tags will overlap or collide repeatedly. For
example, a typical coded tag might have a delay that ranges between 30 and 90 seconds which
means the tag will transmit a series of pings every 30 to 90 seconds. This type of transmission
schemeallowsmanytagstotransmitonthesamefrequencyenablingresearcherstoconductlarge
scalepopulationstudies.

Figure14:DiagramofaCodedTagTransmission

CodedIDTagvsCodedSensorandIDTag
Withinthecodedtagfamilytherearetwotypes:tagsthattransmitanIDcodeonly(referredtoasa
pinger) and tags that transmit both an ID code and sensor data such as temperature, depth or
acceleration(referredtoasasensortransmitter).Sensortransmittersprovideaviewintothe
behaviour of animals by transmitting physical or physiological data of an animals natural
environment.Sensordatacanoftenbeusedtoexplainwhyanimalsbehavethewaytheydoand
notjustwheretheygo!TheV9AP(seeFigure15)isanexampleofacodedsensortransmitter.
IttransmitsauniqueIDcodealongwithdepthandaccelerationdata.

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Figure15:V9APCodedSensorTransmitter

WhatisaCodeMap?
A coding technique involves the details of how the tag ID and data are encoded. VEMCO has
severaltypesofcodingtechniques.UserswillbefamiliarwithnamessuchasR256,S256,R64Kand
more.
A code space is comprised of the coding technique and fixed parameters that provide detailed
instructionsforareceiver.Parametersincludesuchthingsasthelengthofthefirstintervalandthe
frequencyofoperation.CodespacesincurrentuseincludeA691105(sensortags)andA691303
(pingers).TheuniquecodespacenomenclatureisallareceiverneedstofullydecodeanyVEMCO
tagtransmission.
Finally, acode map is a collection of code spaces that determines the type of tags a receiver can
decode.VR2s,forexample,canhaveuptofourcodespaceswhereasVR2Wscanhaveuptoeight.
MorecodespacesmeansthatareceivercandetectagreaternumberofuniquetagIDs.
In 2009 VEMCO released a new global code map, MAP112. All VR2W, VR3 and VR4 receivers
shouldbeconfiguredwithMAP112.VR2receiversshouldbeconfiguredwithMAP110.

1.3 WhatisanAcousticReceiver?
An acoustic receiver detects and decodes transmissions from acoustic tags. Our receivers are
categorized aspassive or active which define how the receivers are used. Passive receivers like
our VR2W (see Figure 16.), VR3, and VR4 (where VR = VEMCO Receiver) are designed to be
mooredinafixedlocationtodetectthepresence/absenceofcodedtags.Thesereceiversaresingle
ordualfrequency,haveplentyofdatastorageandaredesignedtolastforgreaterthanonetofive
yearsonasinglebattery.ActivereceiverssuchasourVR100(seeFigure17)areusedforactively
trackinganimals.

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1.4 PassiveMonitoringwithFixedListeningReceivers
Passivemonitoringisusedforinvestigatingpopulationresponsesoverlargeareasandtimesuchas
migration routes, home range, spawning and feeding areas identification,, survival estimates, etc.
VR2Ws, VR3s and VR4s are most commonly used for this purpose. These receivers are usually
setupascurtainsorgatesacrossshorelinesorinarraystoquantifytheamountoftimeanimals
spendinanarea.Theyrecordthepresenceofcodedtransmittersonly.

Figure16:VR2WAcousticReceiver

Batteries
TheVR2WispoweredbyaTADIRANlithium3.6voltindustrialDcellbattery.Anewbatterywill
provideserviceforapproximately12to15months.Werecommendthatyourecordtheamountof
time usage if you are frequently swapping batteries in and out of your receivers. Always ensure
yourbatteriesarereasonablyfreshandhavenotbeenshelvedforlongperiodsoftimepriortouse.
Themanufacturerdatecodeindicateswhenthebatterywasbuilt.

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Mooring
VR2Ws are moored in many configurations often reflecting the bathymetry and
oceanographic/weather conditions. A simple mooring design generally works well. However, in
rougherconditions,heavierweightsandmooringlinesareusuallyrequired.Ifabottommooringis
desired,theVR2Wshouldbepositionedabovethefloorsuchthatithasanunobstructedviewof
taggedanimalswithintheirexpectedacousticrange.EnsuretheVR2Wshydrophoneisunblocked
(e.g.donotpositionanairfilledbuoydirectlyabovethehydrophone)andfreeofanybiofouling.In
high flow locations, you may consider using hydro dynamically shaped buoys and low profile
anchors.

Spacing
Receiverspacingisgenerallydeterminedbasedonrangetestingandhistoricalacousticdata.Our
positionisthatyoushouldtrytospacereceiverssuchthatyouachievegooddetectionprobability
in most or all weather conditions. It is not always necessary to have 100% coverage if you have
severalotherlocationswhereyouknowtheanimalswillbepassingthrough.However,ifyouwish
toaccuratelyquantifythepassingofanimalsthroughreceiverlocationsthenyoushouldstrivefor
100%detectionprobability.Typicalspacingisusuallybetween100and1,000meters.

DataUploading
VR2andVR2Wreceiversstoredetectiondatainmemoryalongwithstatusandhealthinformation.
VR2s can store up to 300,000 detection events andVR2Ws can store approximately 1,000,000
detections. Uploading data from older VR2s can take considerable time sometimes up to two
hours.Therefore,youshouldhavereplacementreceiversreadytoputinplaceifyoucannotafford
thetimetostayonstation.TheVR2WhaswirelessBluetoothcapabilityandcanuploadalldata
withinminutes.UsingVUE,VEMCOsPCsoftware,youcanstoredatainfiles,viewdetectionsand
setupyourreceiverforitsnextdeploymentwithinafewminutes.

DataAnalysisandDetections
Detection data is easy to manage. Each detection event is recorded with date, time and sensor
informationifthetransmitterisequippedwithasensor.MostresearchersuseVUEorusetheirown
custom database to store their data. There are also statistical and GIS packages available that
facilitatemovementanimations,homerangeanalysis,andadvancedstatisticaltests.

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1.5 ActiveTrackingwithMobileListeningReceivers
Active tracking entails following tagged animals from a vessel using an acoustic receiver and
directionaloromnidirectionalhydrophone andisveryusefulforinvestigatinganimalbehaviour,
suchasmating,predation,feeding,divingovershortperiodsoftime.
OuractivetrackingreceiversincludetheVR100,VR28,andVR60.TheVR100(seeFigure17)is
the newest member of the family since 2006. This is a multifrequency, digital signal processing
(DSP)receiverthatdigitallysamplesacousticsoundandprovidesoutputthatcanbeheardbythe
humanearanddatathatcanbestoredinitsmemory.

Figure17:VR100Receiver,Omnidirectional(VH165)
andDirectional(VH110)Hydrophones

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ElectricalHookup
TheVR100canlastforseveralhoursonafullchargeofitsinternalbattery.Ifyouneedtotrackfor
longerperiodsoftime,youcanconnecttheVR100directlytoanexternalDC(auto/marine)battery
or to an AC source (wall socket or DCAC inverter). However, care must be taken to select an
inverterthatprovidesacleansineACsignal.Inverterscancreateelectricalfeedbacknoisethat
maysignificantlyimpairareceiverandreducerange.Pleasecontactusforadvice.

HowDoITrackandPositionaTag?
Experienceisthatmarvelousthingthatenablesyou
torecognizeamistakewhenyoumakeitagain.
(F.P.Jones)

Activetrackinggetsbetterwithexperienceandrequireshighlevelunderstandingofhowareceiver
and hydrophone function together in an ever changing aquatic environment. When tracking,
remember that the equipment may seem to perform widely within a day, between days and in
different areas. This is usually a result of changes in weather, waves, bathymetry, etc. and not a
problemwiththeequipment.Followingisalistofbasictipstokeepinmindwhentracking:
1. Useyourears!Recognizesubtlechangesinthereceiverspeakeroutput.Youwillnoticethat
pings can vary in strength from ping to ping but you will learn to recognize when you are
gettingcloserormoving awaybydetectingaveragechanges overtimeandbymonitoringthe
receiverdataonthepanel.
2. Turn off your depth sounder if possible. Depth sounders can negatively impact the
performanceofyourreceiver.
3. Use the Manual Gain setting on your receiver (see VR100 Hardware Manual). Auto gain is
usually best for unattended monitoring or times when you have located your animal and are
collectingsensordata(e.g.depthortemperature).
4. As you approach your tagged animal, lower the Gain so that the signal is still audible but not
very strong. You will find it easier to determine an accurate bearing to the tag with the
directional hydrophone. With experience, you will be able to determine the bearing very
preciselybyslowlysweepingthehydrophonebackandforthandwatchingthesignalstrength
values.Maximumsignalstrengthwillindicatethebearing.Occasionally,pointthehydrophone
from180to90and270degreestoruleoutthepossibilitythatyouarelisteningtoechoesor
movingpastthetag.Dependingondepth,youshouldbeabletohearaloudsignalatverylow
gainwhenyouareveryclosetothetag.

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5. Someresearcherspositionbytriangulatingbasedonthebearingfromdifferentlocations.This
is time consuming and is prone to positioning inaccuracies. However, this procedure is
sometimesnecessaryespeciallyiftheanimalsbehaviourisinfluencedbyyouractivity.
6. Be aware that your tracking activity may influence the behaviour of the animals you are
tracking.Ifyouareinshallowdepthsand/ortrackingpelagicanimals,youmaybeinfluencing
theirmovementsanddepthpatternswhenyouareincloseproximity.
7. Whenyouthinkyouareontopofthetagoranimal,thedirectionalhydrophoneshouldgiveyou
astrongsignalin360degrees.Rotatethehydrophoneandlisten.Youcanalsoorientatethe
hydrophone to point down into the water column. This should produce a very strong signal
whenyouareabovethetag.
8. Positioning accuracy will depend on depth (see Figure 18). In deep water, positioning
accuracywillbelesssimplyduetogeometry.Thehorizontaldistancetotheactualpositionis
greaterforthesameangletotheanimalindeepwater.

(shallow)

(deep)

Figure18:ImpactofDepthonPositioningAccuracy

9. Theaccuracyandresolutionofsensordatafromcontinuoussensortagsdependsonthequality
oftheacousticsignal.Thetimeintervalbetweenpingsiscorrelatedtothesensorvalueandthe
receiver settings for the tag should be set according to the tag specifications that are sent by
VEMCO.
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1.6 StudyDesign

ChoosingtheTransmitterModel
Themodeloftransmitterthatyouchoosedependson:

sizerangeoftheanimalsinyourstudy

batterylifeyouexpecttoachieve

transmissionfrequencyofthetransmitters

acousticpoweroutputofthetransmittermodel

Withregardtotransmittersize,therearenoregulationsthatgovernhowlargeananimalmustbe
to be implanted with a transmitter. Many fish biologists adhere to the 2% guideline where the
transmitter weight in air should be 2% or less of the fish weight in air. Table 11 provides
calculatedfishweightsbasedonthe2%guidelineforVEMCOsnonsensortransmittermodels.
TagModel

TagWeightinAir
(g)

FishWeight
(g)

V6
V7
V8
V9
V13

1
1.41.8
2
2.94.7
11

50
7090
100
145235
550

V16

2036

11.8kg

Table11:FishWeightinAiras2%ofTagWeightinAir

Theratioyouchoosemaybedifferentdependingonyourstudydesignandchosenspecies:

Someresearchersusehigherratiosforsalmonsmoltstudiesbecauseresearchhasshownthat
smoltscanacceptheaviertags

Sharks can often handle large tags because they generally heal quickly and have large body
cavities.

Laterallycompressedfish(manyreeffish)mayhavesmallbodycavitieswheresmallertagsare
moreappropriate.

Somespeciesaremoresensitivetosurgeryandrecoveryandmayrequiresmallertags.

Researchers who conduct studies in small areas that do not require large and powerful
transmittersoftenusesmallertagsinlargerfish.

Researcherswhowishtominimizetaggingeffectsoftenchoosetousesmallertags.

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Themajorhusbandryissuesarehealingtime,shortandlongtermsurvival,growthandenergetic
costsassociatedwithcarryingthetagsandbehaviouralchanges.
VEMCOssalespersonnelarehighlyexperiencedatprovidingadviceontagsizebutultimatelyyou
willmakethefinaldecisionafterweighingalltheissues.Keepinmindthatifyouhavetheaquatic
facilities available then you may wish to consider conducting your own tests. VEMCO provides
dummytags(identicaltoafunctioningtransmitterindiameter,lengthandweight)foranyonewho
wishes to investigate transmitter size on tag retention, growth and survival in fish and other
aquaticanimals.
Pleasecallusifyouhaveanyquestions.

TagProgramming
Codedtransmitterscanbeprogrammedwithdifferenttransmissionsequencestoaccommodatethe
many unique study designs employed by telemetry researchers. We can vary the transmission
frequencyandacousticpoweroutputoverthelifeofatransmitter:

atransmittercouldtransmitevery1030secondsfortwohoursatlowpower,

thenshutdownfortwoweekswhiletheanimalrecoversfromsurgery,

thentransmitforonemonthathighpowerevery4570secondswhilethefishswimsdowna
river,and

finallyitcouldtransmitevery60180secondsatlowpowerwhenthefishisexpectedtobein
theoceanwhereacousticrangeistypicallyhigherthaninriversandestuaries.

Theprogrammingoptionsthatyouchoosewilldependon:

expectedbehaviourofyourfish

environmentorlocationwherethefishwillbe

numberoffish(residency)thatareexpectedtobewithinrangeofyourreceivers

availableenergybudgetofthetransmitter

Continuous transmitters have fewer programming options available. Simple continuous pingers
transmit pings after precise short intervals of time. They are usually programmed to transmit
between10002000milliseconds.Typically,therearetwotransmissionrangesavailableforsensor
tagswherethemagnitudeofthesensordeterminesthefrequencyoftransmissionsbetween2000
1200msec.or1000500msec.
Pleasecontactoursalespersonnelforadvice.

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PassiveTelemetryDesigns
At VEMCO, we consult with customers and give advice regarding the capabilities of our products
withintheirobjectivesanddesigns.Ihavecategorizedmoststudiesthatuseourpassivereceivers
asgatesandgridstudies.However,Iamcertainthatyoumayhavemorecategories.
Gate studies are generally conducted to monitor the passage of animals through VR2W lines and
are evident in lakes, rivers, estuaries and along marine coasts. They are usually used to define
migration routes for populations and survival of juvenile fish (smolts) when it is possible to
monitorseveralpointsalongaroute.
Gridstudiesencompassahuge group thatconsistsoflayingreceiversasmeshtocollectasmuch
data as possible in areas where populations are known to inhabit for a portion of its life history.
Examplesofstudiesare:

monitoringbehaviouronnaturalandartificialreefs(homerangeandmovementsrelatedtosex
andagewithinareef)

fishhomingandrelocation

predator/preybehavior

activitylevel(nocturnaldiurnal)

pollutantexposure

chemicalexposure

electromagneticexposure(windfarmcables)

effectsofwindfarmsonresidency

spawningandmatingbehavior

stockmixing

cagestudies

distributioninlakesandrivers

behaviourwiththermoclines,haloclines,divebehaviour,etc.

Figure19providesanexampleofatypicalreceiverlayoutforarivermigrationstudy.

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RIVERY

VR2W
receiver

RIVERX
Ocean

Estuary

Rapids

Hydrodam
RESEVOIR

Figure19:ExampleofaTypicalReceiverLayoutforaRiverMigrationStudy

ActiveTrackingDesigns:
Activetrackingstudiesareoftenintermittentinnatureandaredesignedtoprovidemoredetailed
information on animal behaviour and physiology. Active tracking is usually employed when
researchersareinterestedin:

shorttermbehaviouralmovements

divingbehavior

mating,

responsesofanimalstoenvironmentalperturbations,etc.

Also,manyresearchersusebothpassiveandactivetelemetrywithinthesamestudy.

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Continuous transmitters are better suited for active tracking studies as animals are more easily
locatedand thetagsprovidemore frequentupdatesofdata. Continuoustransmitters areusually
programmed to transmit between 0.5 and 2 seconds but it is possible to program shorter and
longerintervals.However,intervalstooshortcanbeanissuewithregardtoechoesandintervals
toolongareproblematicwhentrackingfastmovinganimals.
Codedtransmittersaresometimesbettersuitedforactivetrackingapplicationswhenresearchers
need to track many animals at once however, care must be taken when determining tag
programming.ContactoursalesteamatVEMCOforadvice.

1.7 ManagingData

VUEsoftware
VUEorVEMCOUserEnvironmentsoftwaremanagesdataforpassivemonitoringreceivers.VUEis
a database application used for managing data that is recorded on all your VR2, VR2W, and VR3
receivers.VUEcanuploadanddownloadfromreceivers,timecorrect,filter,query,convertsensor
dataandgraphicallydisplaydataandexportdataforotherapplications.
DetectionsoftransmittersarelistedbyVUEinorderofdateandcanbeviewedbyreceiverorID
codeaswell(seeFigure110andFigure111).VUEisanexcellentplatformformaintainingyour
data. However, data should be exported into other GIS, statistical or spreadsheet applications for
furtheranalysis.TheVUEsoftwareandmanualcanbeuploadedfromtheVUEsupportpageofour
website.

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Figure110:WindowDisplayofDetectionsinVUE

Figure111:GraphicDisplayofDetectionsinVUE

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WhatIsaFalseIDandHowDoIDetermineIfaDetectionisFalse:
A false ID is an ID code detection that does not actually exist and is recorded when a receiver is
detectingmanytagsnearthesametimeorfromnoisesignals.Falsecodesareusuallyveryeasyto
recognizeanddiscardandaccountforaverysmallpercentageofyourtotaldataset.WehaveFAQs
andApplicationNotesonourwebsitethatfullyexplainfalseIDcodesandhowtorecognizethem.

1.8 RangeTests
A range test is a procedure that can help you determine the detection range capabilities of your
systemandmostlyapplytothefollowing:
studiesthatusepassivereceiversmooredasacousticcurtainsorgatestodetectpassingfish
VPSandVRAPpositioningstudies
studiesthatrequirenearor100%coverage(e.g.spawningarea,reef,feedingarea,etc.)
If VR2Wsaretoofar apartand animalsswimthroughgates withoutbeingdetectedthensurvival
estimates may be in question. Also, acoustic range can vary significantly for any location within
hours,daysandseasons.Therefore,werecommendthatyouperformrangetestsinafewdifferent
environmental conditions and at different times of the year. VEMCOs Range Test Guide can
providevaluableassistancewhenperformingrangetests.

AreRangeTestsUsefulforMe:
Itisgenerallyimportanttoperformarangetestforanumberofreasons:

calculatingthesurvivaloffishthroughgates

understandingtheperformanceofyoursystem

highlightingproblemsassociatedwithmooringdesign,locationortagpower

Ifnearbyreceiverrangesoverlap(e.g.atagplacedatVR2W#1canbeheardbyVR2W#2)thenyou
probablyhaveatightline.Ifataginthemiddlebetweentworeceiversisnotdetectedallthetime
thenyourgateisleakyandyoushouldconductmoretestsandbringyourreceiversclosertogether.

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SuggestedRangeTestProcedures:
Themostbasicandshorttermtestisasfollows:

moor one VR2W receiver and position one range test tag (see Figure 112) at several ranges
fromtheVR2Wforaperiodlongenoughsothatthetagtransmitsmanytimesateachlocation
(i.e.100+transmissions)

calculatethepercent#oftransmissionsrecordedbytheVR2Wateachtaglocationandplot%
detectsagainstrange.

Ourpreferenceistoconductalongertermtest(months)usingseveralreceiversandatag:

calculatethe%detectsoverasixhourperiodandplotatimeseriesof%detectionsoverthe
studyperiodateachrange(seeFigure113)

thistestallowsyoutoanalyzetheeffectsofweatherandoceanographicchangesonrange.

Figure112:RangeTestTransmitter

Figure113:TypicalRangeTestGraph

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WhatToDoTheDayBeforeIReleaseMyTags

2.1 VerifyReceiversandTags(inAirTests)

CheckYourOrder:
Whenyoureceiveyourorder:

Checktoensureyourorderiscorrect.

Photocopy the tag specification sheets that come with your order and store the original for
futurereference.

Visuallyinspectalltagsandmakesurethateachtaghasamagnetattached.

Review the tag specifications on the data sheets (e.g. Tag Model, Code Space, ID Codes, Tag
Programming,BatteryLife).

VerifyTagActivation:
Toverifytagactivationforcodedtags:

Connecttheomnidirectional(VH165)ordirectionalhydrophone(VH110)toyourVR100.

TurnonyourVR100andselecttheChannel(18)thatisprogrammedtodetecta69kHzcoded
tag.

EnsurethechannelhasbeenprogrammedwiththeappropriateMap(seetheVR100manual).

SetGAINtoMANUALandchooseavalueof0db.

Positionthetransmitterapproximately23cminairfromthehydrophone,removethemagnet
andreadtheIDcodeontheVR100screen.

Ifthesignalisweakmovethetagclosertothehydrophoneandfurtherawayifthesignalisso
strongthatthetransmitterpingisnotcrisp.

Each tag transmits a series of pings (<=10) depending on the code space and the VR100
receiverwilldecodetheID.

IfanincorrectMapisprogrammedintheVR100thentheIDwillnotbedisplayed(refertoyour
tag specifications to determine the appropriate Map if this occurs). For example, if you are
activatinganA691303codedpinger,youshouldhear8pingsforeachtransmissionburst.If
theVR2WorVR100hasthecorrectcodemap(MAP110orMAP112),theIDwillbedisplayed
whenthelastpingistransmitted.

Repeatthisprocedureforallyourtransmitters

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YoucanalsouseaVR2Wtotestyourtags:

Placethetransmittercloseto aworking VR2WandtheredLEDwillflasheachtime apingis

detected.

OnthelastpingofeachIDburst,theLEDwilllightupforalongerduration.Thisindicatesthat
theVR2WsuccessfullydecodedandstoredtheIDcodeinmemory.

Ifdesired,youcanalsouploadthedataintoVUEandseetheIDcode.

TheVR60andVR28receiversystemscanalsobeprogrammedtodetectyourtransmitters.

CheckYourReceivers:

FirstsetupaPCwiththelatestversionofVUEinstalledandsetthecorrecttimezoneandclock
settingsonyourPC.

UseanaccuratetimebasetosetthePCclock(internetsourceorGPS).

RunVUE.

ConfirmthattheLEDisflashing

ActivatetheVR2WbyinsertingtheactivationkeyintothelargerholeintheheadoftheVR2W
(communicationisthroughBluetoothwirelesstechnology).

UseVUEtocommunicatewiththereceiver.

PlacethetransmitterclosetothehydrophoneonthetopoftheVR2WandwatchtheredLED.

Make sure that the Map corresponds to the Map listed with your transmitter and receiver
specificationssheet.IftheLEDflasheswhenthetagtransmitsandtheIDcodeisstoredinthe
receivermemory,thenyourMapconfigurationiscorrect.

If you are starting a new study, you should initialize the VR2W. This clears the memory and
setstheVR2Wclocktime.

IfyouareusinganoldermodelVR2,youshouldfollowthesesamesteps.TheVR2doesnotuse
Bluetooth but the VR2PC interface can be used with VUE to communicate with the VR2. The
VUEsoftwaremanual,availableonline,coversmanyofthesetopics.

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AlwayscheckyourVR2sandVR2Wsforphysicaldamagefromprevioususe:

OnolderstylegreyVR2schecktheorangehydrophonetipforcracksorchips.

Ensure you have sufficient battery life left. If the red LED does not flash then connect a new
batterytoyourreceiver.

AlwayschecktheconditionoftheORingsthatcreatethesealbetweenthereceiverheadand
body. ORings must be clean, free of nicks and tears and must have a thin coating of ORing
lubricant.

Ifyouarestartinganewstudy:

Place your receivers in your locations at least a few days in advance of releasing your tagged
animals.

PlaceatransmitteratafewlocationswithinrangeoftheVR2W.Thistestgivesyouconfidence
that you have selected good receiver locations. A thorough range test does the same thing
exceptthatitisusuallyimpracticaltoconductarangetestateveryVR2Wlocation.

Ifyouuseatagwithaveryshortdelay(e.g.5seconds),thenyoucanquicklylowerthetagin
variouslocationstomakesurethatyourreceiversaredetectingthetag.

CallUs!
Werecommendthatyoucontactusforadvicebeforeyoustartyourstudy.

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WhatToDoTheDayIUploadData

3.1 EquipmentIneedtotakeonboard
Whenuploadingdatayoushouldhave:

AchargedPC(WindowsXPorhigher)withthelatestVUEinstalledandwithanaccuratetime
clockthePCcanbesettoyourlocaltimeandtheDaylightSavingsTimeboxshouldbeselected

OneortwoBluetoothBelkinUSBdevices(model)

GPS(handheldorVR100)forstationpositionandtimesynching

Optional are: VR100 to listen to tags, extra zip ties for the VR2Ws, a spare VR2W. Make sure
thattheVR100batteryischarged.

3.2 TimeSyncing
IfyourPCtimeisaccuratethenthedetectiontimeswillbemoreaccuratewhenyoucorrectfortime
drift in VUE. An accurate detection time may be more important when interpreting sensor data
frommorethanoneVR2W.NotethatyourreceivertimeissetbasedonyourPCclock.IfyourPC
time is not accurate then your receiver clock will be inaccurate as well. Minutes and seconds can
make a big difference when correcting for time skew later so always update your PC just before
communicatingwithareceiver.

3.3 UsingaTestTag
WhenyouretrieveyourVR2W:

Placethetesttagnearthehydrophone.

Allowthereceivertorecordtwotothreedetectionsbeforeyouuploadthereceiver.

Before you lower the receiver back in the water, place the test tag near the hydrophone and
watch for the short flashes followed by the long flash. This ensures that the VR2/VR2W is
detectinganddecodingthetag.InVUE,youwillseethedetectionsofthetesttagafterthedata
isuploaded.

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3.4 UploadandPostUploadTips

Ensurethatthelaptop,VUEandBluetoothinterfacefunctionproperlybeforethetrip.

IfaVR2WisinitializedafterdataisuploadedyouwillnotbeabletorecoveryourdataifthePC
fails.

Use your best judgment when deciding to initialize the VR2 or VR2W. A VR2W can store
approximately1,000,000detections.AVR2canstoreapproximately300,000detections.

Ifyouhaveplentyofmemoryleftuntiltheendofyourstudythenyoumaywishtonotinitialize.

If several months have passed since the study was started, you may wish to initialize the
receiverinordertoresettheVR2starttime.

InitializationclearsthememorybutalsoresetstheVR2WclocktothePCtime.

When you upload a VR2 or VR2W, check the start and stop times and quickly look at the
detectiondatainthegraphtomakesurethatalllooksnormal.

Veryfewornodetectionsmayindicateafaultyreceiveroranincorrectreceivermap.

Checkthereceivercasefordamage.

Ifyouchangethebattery,ensurethatyouinsertaneworreneweddesiccantpack.

CheckthecaseORingsbeforereassemblingthecase.

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