OMNILINK System OM500 Beacon User Guide
- June 3, 2024
- Omnilink
Table of Contents
OMNILINK System OM500 Beacon
Version
OM500B Last Updated 02/09/2022 OVERVIEW Omnilink’s OM500 beacon is designed to be used in conjunction with Omnilink’s OM500 Series offender tracking devices. The beacon allows the Omnilink OM500 series tracking devices to obtain location data using Wi-Fi radio frequency. Beacons are generally used in highly impaired locations where GPS and WiFi location are not available. Beacons can also be used in dense residential areas and high-rise residential structures to reduce participant’s movements vertically and horizontally. When the OM500 tracking device comes within range of the paired beacon, the tracking device starts to locate via Wi-Fi technology. The OM500 tracking device will attempt to get a non-beacon location point based on impaired rate while in range of the beacon to verify the beacon is in the correct location. The beacon has multiple alerts to notify the supervising agency if the beacon has been moved or unplugged from the electrical source.
ORDERING BEACONS
The first time you order OM500 Beacons, you should contact your account manager to ensure you have the proper contract addendums in place. Beacons can be ordered by submitting an Omnilink Sales Order form, by emailing nmx- ordersandreturns@sierrawireless.com or by contacting your account manager.
PAIRING PROCEDURES
-
Before an Omnilink OM500 Beacon can be used, it must be charged for a minimum of two (2) hours. The beacon has an internal battery that needs to be charged before being paired with an OM500 Series tracking device.
-
The OM500 Beacon has a LED light located on top of the unit. The LED is typically on constantly, but it will blink if the charger is disconnected. The blink is slow to conserve power, approximately 1 second on, 15 seconds off.
a. LED blinking blue: Un-provisioned, disconnected from power source
b. LED constant blue: Un-provisioned, connected to power source
c. LED blinking green: Provisioned, disconnected from power source
d. LED constant green: Provisioned, connected to power source
e. LED blinking red: Battery is low -
Log into FocalPoint and open the offender’s profile page to start pairing the beacon.
-
Scroll over to the offender’s Personal Information Tab, then drop down to devices and select `Devices’
-
Select `Add Beacon” at the very bottom of the device page.
-
Select the desired beacon serial number from the available equipment list. The serial number can be found on the back of the beacon.
-
Select the entity zone for the beacon, then click “Pair”.
-
You will hear a confirmation tone from the beacon when it is paired with the tracking device.
-
Placing the beacon:
a. Place the beacon in the center of the offender’s living space near where they sleep and spend the most time indoors.
b. The beacon should be placed on a stable location that does not move or is likely to be disturbed. The top of a refrigerator or cabinet are good locations where the beacon is less likely to be moved or disturbed.
c. The beacon does not need to be near a window, as the beacon only sends out a Wi-Fi RF signal and does not need to communicate with cell towers. -
Plug the beacon into a wall outlet that is not controlled by a wall switch. It may be necessary to use a small extension cord to place the beacon in the desired location.
-
Clear the no power and beacon motion alerts. (Wait 10 minutes after last beacon motion) **It is recommended that staff place the beacon in the offender’s home. If this is not possible, have the offender place the beacon as directed above, and then plug the device into the outlet not controlled by a wall switch. If staff did not place the beacon in the offender’s residence, you must get a GPS point in the offender’s zone before you clear the beacon movement and beacon no power alerts to confirm the beacon is actually at the offender’s residence. If no new beacon motion alerts and beacon no power alerts are generated for 30min, beacon mode will be enabled automatically.
-
Beacon points should now start appearing on their location history.
BEACON ALERTS AND EVENTS
- Beacon Enter and Exit- Device enters or exits the Beacon range approximately 150 feet (Does not mean that the offender left their zone, only they are out of range of the beacon. The approximately 150 feet range is in open air.)
- Beacon No Power- Beacon is not receiving power. It is unplugged or there has been some type of power failure. *
- Beacon in Motion- Beacon is moving. 60 seconds of movement will cause a beacon movement alert. The beacon must be still for 10 minutes to clear this alert. *
- Beacon Tampered- Beacon has been opened and must be inspected.
- Beacon Low Battery- Beacon is not receiving power and backup battery is low. If battery drops to 30% this alert is generated. The beacon battery has a 24-hour life when fully charged.
*If you ever get a beacon in motion and a beacon no power at the same time, it is likely that the beacon has been moved. The tracker will switch to regular indoor or impaired mode until these alerts are cleared. Supervising agencies must verify the beacon location before clearing these alerts. Locate the offender using GPS or visit the offender before clearing these alerts
TROUBLE SHOOTING
-
Beacon alerts that will not clear.
a. Verify that you are using latest beacon firmware
i. Select the device from the manage device option under the administration tab.
ii. Verify the firmware version
b. Verify the OM500 is using latest firmware version
i. Select the device from the manage device option under the administration tab.
ii. Verify the firmware version
c. For additional assistance, contact Technical Support. -
The beacon light does not turn on.
a. Make sure that the beacon has been charged for two hours.
b. If the beacon light is not on after the 2hrs of charge, the beacon may be in a sleep mode. To wake the beacon up from the sleep mode us the following steps.
i. Hold the device in inverted orientation
ii. Press and release the button 6 times within 10 seconds. The first press should result in a short beep indicating the orientation is sufficiently close to inverted. The final press should result in another beep indicating the unit will now reboot.
iii. Return device to normal orientation iv. Light blinks briefly once, goes off for approximately 7 seconds, then comes on constant. It does this promptly after the final button press so you may miss part of it while the unit is still inverted.
c. For additional assistance, contact Technical Support. -
My beacon is paired but I do not see any points in the home zone.
a. The beacon points may be filtered out if you have a low accuracy threshold set. Adjust the accuracy settings for the offender to allow the beacon points to be displayed.
b. Make sure beacon does not have any active alerts in FocalPoint system related motion and power loss. c. Make sure beacon light is on while plugged in. -
I see multiple beacon entry exits on the event log.
a. The beacon has a range of approximately 150 feet in open air. If the beacon is inside of a residence that has concrete or brick walls, the range will be less. It is important to place the beacon in the area where the offender spends the most time while inside the residence. Contact your account manager or Technical Support for additional assistance.
Important Safety Information and Regulatory Notices
FCC COMPLIANCE §15.19(a)(3)
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
FCC COMPLIANCE §15.21
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void your authority to operate the equipment.
ISEDC COMPLIANCE
This device complies with Industry Canada license-exempt RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) this device may not cause interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void your authority to operate the equipment.
FCC COMPLIANCE §15.105(b)
This device is to be used solely by law enforcement agencies in conjunction with Omnilink’s OM500 Series offender tracking devices and must be professionally installed. The user must be informed that this device emits RF energy and found to comply with all health and welfare agencies. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
- Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
- Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
- Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
- Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
