31 Mar Understanding the Step Lock Feature
Step Lock is a function where the tag must complete the step it was programmed for before going on to the next one despite what the animal is doing. Step Lock can help save the tag’s battery especially when the tag will always be wet and collecting data. For example, the tag can function between hauled-out mode and at-sea mode but it will continue listening to the step it was programmed for and whatever transmission limit was set.
For users that want to identify some haul-outs, but not all, and conserve battery, Step Lock limits entry into the haul-out schedule to conserve transmissions and increase the longevity of deployment.
When setting the step, you will see a screen that offers to lock the step. The duration you set for the step determines how long it will stay in that step.
In this example, rather than transmitting at every haulout, Step Lock allows one haul out per week to trigger transmissions. The setup accomplishes this by holding the tag in the 2nd at-sea step for six days. On the seventh day, the tag can transition to haul-out mode where 250 transmissions occur to locate the animal.
