Holohil Systems Ltd. FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
This page was created to assist first time and frequent customers quickly answer some
of the usual questions that we receive regarding our products and services.
Where are your prices?
We have chosen not to place our prices on our website at
this time. For pricing information, please call, fax or e-mail us at the numbers listed at
the bottom of this page.
What form of payment do you accept?
Payment can be made via credit card (Visa and Mastercard), cheque, money order or direct bank transfer.
For bank transfer details (account and routing numbers), please contact us.
How do I activate/de-activate my transmitters?
LB-2N and LB-2
The LB-2N and LB-2 are activated by
soldering two wires together. For soldering instructions please click
here.
All other transmitters
All of our
transmitters (except the LB-2N and LB-2) are activated/de-activated through the use of an external
magnet. Removing this magnet activates the unit (note: this may take up to 3 seconds),
replacing it de-activates the unit. When de-activating these units for storage, please ensure
that the unit is off AFTER you have secured the magnet to the transmitter, since the magnet
may move slightly while being secured.
What kind of range do your transmitters produce?
In general, range is difficult to estimate as each
person's study area is unique. However, the main factors that affect the reception range of
radio transmitters are terrain and vegetation. Areas with little or no hills will allow for
good signal propagation, whereas hilly or mountainous areas will reduce the transmission range
considerably.
The same holds true for vegetation, with areas of lush vegetation hampering
range more so than sparsely vegetated ones.
For range estimates on our various transmitter
models, please e-mail us.
How do I verify that my transmitters are off upon
delivery?
On the packing list that is included with our transmitters,
we have included a note that reads: "On receipt of transmitters with magnetic switches, please
verify that the transmitters are turned off". This is particularly important for our shorter
lived BD-2 transmitters whose batteries exhaust themselves in a short period of time once
activated.
If you have your receiver, checking these units is quite easy. Simply dial in
the frequencies, one at a time, on the list provided and if you hear any pulsing, the magnet
has been moved during transport. At this point you will need to adjust the magnet on that
unit until the pulsing stops. If you do not have your receiver handy, you can check the
units by dialing a normal FM radio off station, somewhere between 100 - 108MHz. Hold all your
transmitters up to the antenna while listening for a change in background static. If you hear
fluctuations in the static at regular intervals this may indicate a transmitter is on.
Unfortunately, there is no simple way to tell exactly which unit is operating, so you will
have to check each unit until the pulsing stops.
How should my transmitters be stored if I don't
plan on using them right away?
All batteries will naturally drain their energy over a
period of time, even when not being used. The batteries that we use for our transmitters are
no different. If you are not planning to use your transmitters for some time after receipt, we
recommend that you store them in their original package in a cool, dry place (such as a
refrigerator). This will keep the natural drain to a minimum.
For our smaller BD-2N and BD-2 units, we
do not recommend storage for more than 1-2 months prior to use.
Can your radio transmitters be refurbished?
Provided they have not sustained irreparable damage or internal component failures, all
of the radio transmitters we manufacture (including our smallest units) have the potential to be refurbished.
Please contact us regarding prices for this service.
What type of glue should I use to attach my
transmitters?
For information on gluing techniques and recommended types,
please click here.
I'm not fluent in English, can I enquire in another language?
A number of our employees are fluent in languages other than English. We should be able to reply to any questions in:
English, Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) and Czech. If it is easier for you to enquire in your native language, please do so.
How do I read my temperature graphs?
Each temperature sensitive transmitter that we manufacture
is supplied with a plotted graph (see diagram below). This graph allows the user to determine the temperature of
the transmitter (and therefore the animal, if implanted) it is being used with. The graph
indicates the temperature of the transmitter based on the interval between pulses (ie. the
smaller the interval, the higher the temperature; the larger the interval, the lower the
temperature).
The easiest way to calculate the pulse interval is to count 11 pulses (this
will give you a total of 10 intervals) while using a stopwatch to measure the total time this
takes. You then divide the time by 10. The answer will be your pulse interval (1 second =
1000 milliseconds) and you can then determine the temperature on the graph.
If you were unable to find the question/answer you were looking for,
please do not hesitate to contact us. If we feel your question may be of use to other
visitors to this site, we will post it along with our answer.
Holohil Systems Ltd., 112 John Cavanaugh Drive, Carp, Ontario, Canada K0A 1L0
Tel: 613-839-0676 Fax: 613-839-0675 E-mail:
info@holohil.com
