small tracker required

[coldair]

Hello. A local quarry hands out 2way radios to all trucks that enter their site so they can keep contact with them. The problem is the drivers forget to hand them back in.
It would be good if you could fit bleeping device to the radios that was activated when they get near to the exit.
Is there anything out there that would suit or will i try & contact Captain Kirk

 

[bernardgreen]

If there is only one way out then a low ERP ( Effective Radiated Power ) transmitter located at the exit could be automatically key to send a message to alert the person leaving the site with a radio.

This will affect other radios on the site but if the exit gate is some distance from the critical operating areas this may be acceptable.

The message could be a recorded message " Return this radio " or tone or series of pips. If the affect on operations is minimal and acceptable then the gate unit could be transmitting continuously ( This is NOT good practise and may jeopardise the licence ). Better would be the gate unit is activated by a break beam sensor or PIR detecting the vehicle as it approaches the gate.

 

[EightyTwo]

Bernard has a good plan there but...

In my experience of trying to solve this kind of problem, it is better to have a system/procedure in place that forces the drivers to hand the radio back. An example, which wouldn't work here, would be that the driver swaps his/her car keys for the radio - they can't go home without their keys so they have to swap them back at the end of the visit.

You need to look at the process "in the round". If there is a gate and a gate house with a gate keeper, the gate keeper simply asks the driver for the radio before opening the gate. If there is a site office 200m before the unprotected exit (gate always open) then you're going to lose radios!

I once had a similar problem with access control cards - people took them home. We designed a "card-eating box" where the visitor dropped the card in a slot in the top, it slid down runners in the box until it stopped on a solenoid, in front of a short range reader. Once the card was read, the solenoid pulled in, allowing the card to drop into a collecting bin at the bottom and, at the same time, the exit door was unlocked. You couldn't get out unless you returned the card.

Maybe your best solution would be to do something similar: the exit gate (or barrier) would need to be electrically operated and usually closed. You could assemble some 4" drainpipe to act as a shoot with the top end up by the driver's window. Half way down, you could fit a microswitch (or something similar) that opened the gate. At the bottom, you could have a foam-lined box. The driver would simply drop his radio into the drainpipe to open the gate. Regular staff could use a little radio trasmitter fob or access control card.

This contraption would be fine if drivers are simply forgetting to hand the radios back rather than deliberatly stealing them! (If it's the latter, you'll end up with a box full of rocks!)

A few big signs saying "HAVE YOU REMEMBERED TO RETURN YOUR RADIO?" would be a good idea. You could even have one that lights up and flashes as the truck comes up to it...

 

[bernardgreen]

The exit gate could be opened remotely, the driver has to use the radio to request the gate to be opened, the operator who takes the call and can open the gate reminds the driver to put the radio in the "Return Radios" box before opening the gate.

 

[funkydiver]

Swap driving licence (or other item of value) for a radio on entry... pretty sure they won't forget to hand the radio back in.

Wife works in A&E, and they were having horrendous problems with the controlled drug keys going home with forgetful staff. Oddly enough, when their mobile phone began to become their deposit, no one went home without their phone