The Oyster3 Global boasts 'Deploy-once' battery life with up to 10+ years on only 3 x AA user-replaceable batteries. Battery life is dependent on a host of features, yet this article will help you make predictions.

Critical Settings for super-long battery life

To maximize battery life, some key parameters should be applied for maximum battery life. Make sure to see Critical Parameters.

Monitoring Battery Status

It is critically important that we set up alerts for early warning when batteries are low - so that we get time to replace them before a device goes offline. 

Make sure to see Battery Level Monitoring for information on how to configure low battery alerts.

Telematics Guru users can also Schedule the Devices Not Connecting Report

The Results

Please be aware that these are estimations, and can be influenced heavily by factors such as:

• Application and configuration
  • The battery life is dependent on the update rate and other settings
• GPS reception
  • If GPS reception is poor, the device has to work harder, and keep its GPS module on for longer in order to get a fix - or it may time out and fail to get a fix, draining additional battery.
• Radio Access Technology (RAT) choice
  • The amount of time spent trying to connect using Cat 1bis versus 2G will have a large impact on the device's battery life, as Cat 1bis requires less power than 2G. 
• SIM Card Selection
  • Some Roaming SIM cards can trigger lengthy network scans, using up a lot of extra energy, see Roaming SIM Cards - Battery Life Impact
• GSM Reception
  • As for the GPS, the same applies for the cellular modem attempting to connect to the network
• Mounting position
  • This will impact GPS and GSM reception
• Battery type and chemistry
  • Different batteries are of different quality and capacity
• Temperature
  • Extreme temperatures reduce the lifetime of most battery types.

Periodic Tracking Mode Estimates

*We would not ordinarily configure a device for 24 updates per day using periodic tracking (i.e. hourly updates). We would use 'smarter' adaptive-tracking features. 

Trip-Based Tracking Mode Estimates

When in this mode, the battery usage is ultimately dependent on parameters but also how long the device spends in trip.

Use the attached calculator to estimate battery life. 

Trips Per Week and Average Length of Trip are required as when in movement based tracking mode - the update rate is increased (using more energy) than when stationary. 

Upload Period in Trip: 
Time between uploads when moving

Log Period in Trip: 
Time between location scans when moving

Trip Tracking Example

The picture details the calculator being used to determine the battery life if a device is performing 1 trip per day for an average length of 4 hours. The logging and upload time are set per the default parameters (2 minute logs; 30 minute uploads). In this scenario, the device is connecting using Cat 1bis.