Being a security guard means your every movement on-site is going to be tracked. Back in the days’ supervisors used to play that part. But, nowadays when every security guard can’t be tracked or monitored using the traditional way, it’s done with the help of technology using GPS tour system. It’s nothing more but a security guard tracking software that makes use of a smartphone to track down every step of a security guard.
This technology undoubtedly has revolutionized the security industry, but it has its own implications. A common dilemma faced by most security guards using a GPS tour system is quickly draining smartphone batteries. Since one cannot stop that from happening, one can surely take precautions using a power bank. But, what causes it?
Why GPS Consumes So Much Battery Power?
Ingeniously developed by the US government for military navigation, now anyone with a smartphone can have access to GPS. Global positioning system or GPS as we all know it is a worldwide radio-navigation system of about 30 satellites orbiting the earth at an altitude of 20,000km.
The built-in receiver in the smartphone trilaterates your position using data from at least three GPS satellites and the receiver. Based on the intersection point of overlapping spheres determined by the satellites and the phone’s GPS receiver, a calculation is performed. It determines your real-time location in your security guards tracking system. That’s precisely where the problem begins as this process does not allow the phone to enter a sleep state.
Smartphones usually try to extend the battery life by aggressively and quickly entering into and exiting from a sleep state. However, using GPS implies keeping the whole radio system online along with the apps to process the data repeatedly. Thus, forcing the whole system into higher-power state than it would be cause the battery to drain drastically. Since there’s not much one can do about it, a power banks can help when the GPS tour system is on at work. Let’s find out how.
What Exactly Is A Power Bank?
A power bank is a device, compact & portable in nature made of a special battery in a special case with a special circuit to control the flow of power. It’s what allows to store electrical energy using a charger when power is available, and then later used to charge a smartphone.
Initially, the reason that led to the explosive growth of this portable device was the limited amount of power mobile phones and other digital devices have. To be able to run them throughout the day, power banks made it easier to charge them anywhere anytime. Today, it’s considered a game changer.
By keeping a lightweight battery backup close by you, especially while on-job working with the GPS tour system, you can top-up your smartphone far away from a wall outlet.
Types Of Power Banks To Choose From
Power banks can be categorized based on numerous criteria. However, here we’re going to take a look at the two major categories, available easily in the market.
1. Universal/Standard Power Bank
These are the ones that come in many sizes and configurations. They can be tailored as per your smartphones requirements and to your budget. Therefore, it’s perfect for every security guard’s smartphone while using a security guard tracking software.
2. Solar Power Bank
As the name indicates, they are made up of photovoltaic panels which trickle charge the internal battery when placed directly in sunlight. Since it’s not as fast as the former, it can be charged via cables too.
How To Charge A Power Bank?
Well, charging a power bank is no rocket science. It will have a dedicated input socket for receiving power. On very extraordinary occasions, it will have the same socket for input and output. The power can come from a USB socket on the computer, but it may charge faster using a wall socket adapter.
When the question is about how long it will take for the power bank to charge, it ultimately depends upon its capacity. For instance, a 1500 mAh rated power bank should take roughly the same time as a typical smartphone to charge. Power banks with larger capacity, the time can be doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled.
How Long Will The Power Bank Last?
How long it will last can vary due to the difference between power bank models, their internal components as well as the quality of their manufacturing. Though, technically there are two important things to consider:
- In a lifetime, the number of charge and discharge cycles a power bank can reliably perform.
- How long can a power bank retain its charge when in not use?
Note: Lithium-ion & lithium-polymer batteries are used in power banks. The fun part is, smartphones use them too. So, eventually, they lose their capacity over time between 200 to 1000 cycles depending on the quality of the battery and its chemical composition. The bigger the battery is, the fewer cycles will be required to charge it and therefore, the longer it will last.
Choosing The Right Power Bank
Being a security guard you certainly are going to have specific need while using a GPS tour system on-job. So, here are few quick tips to ensure you choose the best power bank for yourself:
- First of all, find out about the battery size and the specifications of your smartphone.
- The power bank you should buy at least have the same size or more than your smartphone’s battery to ensure it can get fully charged at least once.
- Do ensure that the output voltage of the power bank to be bought is equal to or higher than that of your device.
Security guard tracking can’t be complete without a security guard tracking software nowadays. It’s an essential aspect of every private patrol company they can’t do without. So, don’t let a drained smartphone battery ever be the reason to stop you from working on-site. Always keep your backup ready, so you don’t regret it.
