Battery-only device modes

The GO® Anywhere Plus™ has four battery-only device modes.

When the GO® Anywhere Plus™ does not have external wired power, it operates in one of four battery-only modes that balance location update frequency with battery life.

Movement: delayed updates

Movement: delayed updates is the default device mode, providing daily summaries of asset movement while maximizing battery life.

This is the default device mode. In this mode, the device provides daily summaries of asset movement while maximizing battery life. It is best for assets where long battery life is the top priority and daily summaries of asset movement are sufficient.

Delayed updates uses the following behavior:

  • The device tracks when an asset takes a trip:
    • Trip start is defined as when a device is moving faster than 15 km/h, or the device's displacement from its last recorded position exceeds 200 m.
    • During a trip, the device gathers location data every 30 minutes.
    • Trip end is defined as when an asset is stationary for one hour or more.
  • The device stores all information for trips that occur over the course of a 24-hour period. The device then uploads all trip information to MyGeotab at 12:00 AM (midnight).
  • If a device is stationary, it updates its location in MyGeotab every seven days at 12:00 AM (midnight).
Note:

All times are in respect to the device's local time zone. Due to network bandwidth considerations, the device may update up to 15 minutes ahead of the times chosen.

Movement: immediate updates

Movement: immediate updates provides near-real-time updates on when trips start and end, along with trip history shortly after completion.

This mode provides near-real-time updates on when trips start and end, along with trip history shortly after completion. This mode is best for assets where knowing when a trip starts or ends relatively quickly is important, recognizing the increased battery usage as a result.

When using the immediate updates device mode, keep in mind that asset use will impact reporting frequency. Assets that take frequent trips will report location frequently, leading to increased battery drain. In these cases, this mode is not recommended.

Immediate updates uses the following behavior:

  • The device updates its location when movement is detected (trip start). This update allows users to understand in MyGeotab that an asset is currently in motion.
    • Trip start begins when a device is moving faster than 15 km/h, or the device's displacement from its last recorded position exceeds 200 m.
    • During a trip, the device gathers location data every 30 minutes and stores this information for upload at the trip end.
    • Once the device detects that a trip has ended (asset is stationary for one hour or more), the device updates all stored data gathered from a trip.
  • If a device is stationary, it updates its location in MyGeotab every seven days. The specific update time is determined from the end of the last trip.

Time

Time mode provides predictable location updates at user-defined intervals, regardless of asset movement.

This device mode provides predictable location updates at user-defined intervals, regardless of movement. The device updates its location based on the time and frequency you set in MyGeotab, regardless of whether the device is in motion or stationary. This mode is recommended for assets that require periodic location updates at specific, known times, and where trip tracking is not necessary. Battery life will differ depending on customer-specified update frequency.

This device mode reports at user-specified intervals of every 8, 12, 24, or 48 hours. These intervals begin at the selected time of day.

Note:

All times are in respect to the device's local time zone. Due to network bandwidth considerations, the device may update up to 15 minutes ahead of the specified times.

High Frequency Mode

High Frequency Mode increases location update frequency to every 15 minutes while an asset is moving.

The device has a High Frequency Mode that provides more up-to-date visibility into your asset's location. When enabled, this feature increases the update frequency to every 15 minutes while an asset is moving.

Important:

High Frequency Mode results in a significant impact on battery life. As a result, this feature is automatically disabled after 72 hours.

  1. Navigate to Assets from the MyGeotab main menu.
  2. Select the asset you want to update to open the Asset Details page.
  3. Click Asset Options > High Frequency Mode.
  4. Switch the High Frequency Mode toggle On or Off.
Important:

Once enabled, the 15-minute update frequency does not apply until the next time the device connects to MyGeotab.

Changing the device mode

Select the device mode that best fits your asset tracking requirements in MyGeotab.

  1. Navigate to Assets in the MyGeotab main menu.
  2. Select the asset you want to update to open the Asset Details page.
  3. Go to the Devices & Settings tab, and click Show advanced settings under GO Anywhere.
  4. Under the advanced settings, select the Device mode using the radio buttons.
  5. Click Save.

Battery insights

MyGeotab provides State of Charge and Estimated Life Remaining data to help you monitor GO® Anywhere Plus™ battery health.

MyGeotab provides two types of battery insights about your GO® Anywhere Plus™:

  • State of Charge (%): Calculated based on energy utilization onboard the device for operations such as GPS location and cellular upload.
  • Estimated Life Remaining (days, months, years): Calculated based on the average battery usage of each GO® Anywhere Plus™ device over a period of 31 days.
Important:

When using Estimated Life Remaining, keep in mind the following:

  • Changes to a device's reporting mode take approximately 31 days to be reflected in MyGeotab.
  • Changes in device operation or environmental factors can affect estimations.
  • If there is insufficient data for a given device, Geotab will estimate remaining battery life based on an average of utilization of all devices.
  • Currently Unavailable is a temporary status which will typically resolve within three days of a device being added to MyGeotab, as Geotab data pipelines discover new devices.
Important:

Battery performance in elevated-temperature environments:

  • Higher ambient temperatures can increase the self-discharge rate of the GO® Anywhere Plus™ battery pack.
  • Under typical conditions (around 20 degrees Celsius), the Li-SOCl2 battery self-discharges at less than 1% per year.
  • If a device operates continuously at elevated temperatures (for example, +50 degrees Celsius), the self-discharge rate can increase to approximately 6 to 8% capacity loss per year.
  • In most real-world deployments this effect is minimal, as peak temperatures occur only during the hottest hours of the day and the device spends the majority of its time at cooler ambient temperatures.
  • If your asset operates in sustained high-temperature environments, factor this into the battery life expectations shown in Estimated Life Remaining.