Static navigation data filter: Understanding its impact on slow-moving vehicles

Static Navigation is a GPS filtering system designed to improve tracking accuracy for stationary vehicles. When enabled, it filters out small GPS position changes when a vehicle is determined to be stationary, helping to eliminate the "position jumping" that can occur when a vehicle is parked, especially in areas with poor GPS reception like inside sheds or under cover.

How does it work?

Our GPS tracking hardware uses an internal accelerometer (movement sensor) to determine when to apply the Static Navigation filter:

• When no movement is detected by the accelerometer, the system assumes the vehicle is stationary
• The GPS position is then "locked" to the last known position before the filter was activated
• This prevents small GPS errors from creating false movement records when your vehicle is actually parked
  
• GPS errors can be caused by poor GPS signal, such as being parked in a shed, garage, carport or near tall buildings.

Potential issues with slow-moving vehicles

While Static Navigation is beneficial for most vehicles, it can cause tracking issues for:

• Agricultural machinery moving at very low speeds (1-3 km/h)
• Boats operating in "make no wake" areas (under 3 knots)
• Other specialised vehicles that move too slowly to trigger the accelerometer

In these cases, the accelerometer may not detect enough movement to disable the Static Navigation filter, resulting in:

• Gaps in GPS tracking data
• Missing position updates
• Incomplete route history
  

When to consider disabling static navigation

You might want to disable Static Navigation if:

1. Your vehicle frequently operates at very low speeds
2. You need precise tracking of slow movements
3. You're experiencing gaps in your tracking data during slow-speed operations
   

How to request static navigation disable

If you operate a slow-moving vehicle and need more accurate tracking at low speeds, please contact our support team at support@trackmyride.com.au. Our technical team can disable the Static Navigation filter for your specific device to ensure more accurate tracking of slow movements. You will need to ensure that the engine on/off detection for your device has been setup correctly, so your tracker can enter sleep mode when parked up.

Note: Disabling Static Navigation may result in more GPS position variations when your vehicle is actually parked, especially in areas with poor GPS reception.

Additional considerations

Before requesting to disable Static Navigation, consider:

• The type of operation you're performing
• The typical speed range of your vehicle
• Whether accurate low-speed tracking is essential for your use case
• The potential trade-off of experiencing more GPS variations when parked

For most standard vehicles that regularly operate at normal road speeds, we recommend keeping Static Navigation enabled as it provides the most accurate overall tracking experience.