User's Manual

14
P D L U ser's G uide
Battery Care
The PDL Rover has an internal power supply that allows all-day operation without taking power from the
GPS. The light-weight Lithium-Ion single cell battery can be recharged more than 1000 times, providing
3+ years of normal use. We recommend daily charging for best battery life and performance.
 Warning: The internal Lithium-Ion battery is NOT USER SERVICEABLE. Do not attempt to open
 the enclosure or replace the battery. Lithium-Ion batteries can be dangerous if mishandled.
The PDL Rover has a built-in charger that monitors and controls the charging of the internal battery. The
internal battery quickly charges in less than 4 hours, and can be charged with the supplied charger, or
from an external 12 volt supply. We recommend charging the internal battery at room temperature.
Charging is inhibited if the ambient temperature is below 0° C or above 40° C.
 Warning: The internal battery must not be subject to operating temperatures below -20° C.
 Subjecting the battery to conditions below -20° C will produce permanent battery damage, and is
 not covered by the warranty.
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES FOR BEST PERFORMANCE
Antenna
Antenna placement is critical for good performance. Range and coverage is directly proportional to the
height of the transmitting and receiving antennas. Where possible, select a reference station location that
takes advantage of terrain to get the transmitting antenna as high as possible.
Always use the telescoping antenna mast, and raise the antenna as high as is practical and safe, given
terrain and wind conditions.
Power Supplies
Maintain batteries in a fully charged state. Both the PDL Base and internal PDL Rover batteries will live
longer if not allowed to become completely discharged. We recommend routinely connecting both the
base and rover PDLs to their chargers on a nightly basis. This will assure optimal performance and long
battery life.
How to Use AutoRover™
AutoRover is a feature that allows the PDL Rover to automatically synchronize to the PDL Base. Enable
this feature by pressing the CHANNEL button until an "r" is displayed. After selecting "r", you will note
that the display will flash each programmed channel for approximately 3 seconds, until a base station
broadcast is encountered. The PDL Rover will continue to scan until a broadcast is found.
The next time you turn on your unit, you will see an "r" momentarily, after which the scan process will
begin. To manually select a channel for operation, press the CHANNEL button until the desired channel
is displayed.
With AutoRover the PDL Rover scans each programmed operating frequency, looking for a signal from
the PDL Base. When a signal is found, the PDL Rover selects that channel for operation.
 Caution: Multiple PDL Base stations operating in a single area may lead to the PDL Rover
 selecting the wrong base. In such circumstances, we recommend manually selecting the channel.
How to Use AutoBase™
AutoBase is a feature that allows the PDL Base to automatically select a channel based on a channel
selection algorithm. These features can be selectively turned off to allow you to manually select the
channel of operation on both the PDL Base and Rover.