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Grace Industries, Lite
Tracker (Underwater)
Description..
The Grace Industries Lite Tracker
(Underwater Version) is one of a family of products
that draw attention to the wearer in a number of contexts
and domains including : Highway Safety, Jogging, Hunting,
Hiking,Marine Safety, Child Safety, Camping, Diving,Skiing,
Bicycling, Pet Safety and Spelunking. The basic features
of such devices ar that they are wearable, compact,
rugged and they emit a constant bright beam or flashing
signal for a duration sufficient for the task at hand
or in the case of emergency, till help arrives. Many
such devices are 'active', in that they require an
activation by the wearer. Others types ,such as the
underwater version of the Lite-Tracker are 'passive'
water activated beacons that do not depend on wearer
participation at all. This makes them ideal for applications
that include water related emergencies or frequent
underwater use.
The Grace Industries' Lite Tracker™ is a bright
flashing visual indicator that ensures that the wearer
can be seen at night or in low visibility conditions.
It's aggressive belt clamping easily and securely
attaches to clothing or belts. Overland, the Lite
Tracker can be seen at a distance of one mile or greater.
Lite Tracker™ is made of tough polycarbonate
plastic, making it virtually indestructible. Both
the pushbutton as well as water activated versions
are an excellent choice for use on personal flotation
devices with the U.S. Coast Guard Approval option.
This high quality visual alert system is ready to
use when purchased and is equipped with 2 'AAA' Alkaline
batteries, which will provide over 50 hours of good
light with constant use. The Underwater Model evaluated
is a guaranteed to 100 feet (3 atm).
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Sales Source: Lite Tracker Underwater Use $36.95
http://www.gracesales.com
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Specifications for Aqua Strobe
- Colors: Standard Amber , Red / High
Intensity Green or Blue (Optional)
- Can be submersed underwater up to
a depth of 100 Feet (3atm)
- 50-70 Flashes per minute
- Fabrication: Polycarbonate casing
Stainless Steel + Polyamide
- Attachment: Grip Clip & D-Ring,
Slip Clip, Ratcheting Hose Clamp
- Power Source: 2X1.5V AAA
- Dimensions:L=2.7",W=1.8",
D=1.55" (Including Clip)
- Net weight:W/ Batteries = 3.4oz
- Runtime: 50 Hrs (Estimated)
- Effective viewing angle 120º (one
axis)
- USCG Approval
Evaluation Results &
Conclusions...
Ease of Use
Excellent . Require very little learning
if any. Intuitive functional model. No cognitive overhead
. The manually activated model simply requires a push
of the black rubber switch at one end of the unit
to make it start flashing. Re-pressing this button
stops it. The self-activated underwater model simply
requires submersion in water. This requirement may
be over-ridden by creating an electrically conductive
bridge between the two 'contacts' that act as the
activation points. Battery replacement entails the
removal of a single Phillips head screw and the sliding
out of the internal integrated battery tray.Two AAA
sized batteries are then inserted into the tray with
correct polarity orientation and the tray is re-inserted
into the Lite Tracker cavity and the retaining screw
tightened back up. There are no moving,
loose or other 'un tethered' parts to the Lite Tracker
unit - minimizing damage or loss of internal electronics.
Only the batteries are movable, and the retaining
screw 'losable'
5 points
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Task performance optimization
Excellent . Accomplish the task of making
an otherwise difficult to see, track and find object
or person visible and findable- especially in Watery
environments or during emergencies . Operation simply
involves attaching a Lite Tracker to a host object
using one or more of the integrated attachment options
( 'D' ring/Grip-Clip). The Underwater model was tested
as highly effective for scuba diving, in kayak and
canoe trips, and man overboard simulations
with a life preserver. In all tests the
Lite Tracker Underwater model never failed
to come on and remained on even after removed from
the water. Only when the contact bridge was broken
by thoroughly drying it did the unit turn off (18
second latency). For attachment, the formidable Grip
Clip makes a solid 'bite' into objects such as straps,belts,
or other materials up to 9mm / .35" thick. The
1" wide 'D' ring allows a unit to be tethered
securely or hung from a hook
5 points
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Durability
Long term and stress tests have not been
performed. First impressions are that in normal use
they are durable. Based on a one day test, we have
provisionally given these products a durability rating
of:
5 points
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Adaptability
Within the constraints of their design, they
are suitable problem solvers in several domains
and may be compatible with a variety of end
uses that would benefit from small, waterproof and
omni-directional attention getting illumination beacons/flashers.
5 points
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Quality of match to host product
N/A
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Pros > 1) Very Effective 2) Submersible
3) Durable 4) No cognitive overhead 5) Common battery
type 6)Smooth contours 7) Excellent build quality
and finish 8) USCG Approved
Cons > Retaining screw could become
easily lost.
Rating
-5 Stars = Highly Recommended |
