Product Spotlight: Drone XT GPS Tracker

Protecting your vehicles or equipment has never been more important, and a GPS tracking system is one of the smartest upgrades you can make. The new Drone XT from Firstech gives owners a simple and effective way to monitor the location of their car, truck or powersports vehicle in real time. Whether you want added security against theft or want to keep tabs on valuable equipment, a professional-grade tracking solution can improve your chances of quickly recovering your property. Let’s take a closer look at the new Drone XT tracking system.

What is the Drone XT?

Drone XT is a self-contained GPS tracking solution that features an integrated battery for stand-alone operation. Unlike Bluetooth devices like AirTags, the Drone XT operates completely independently from other devices like a smartphone, so you can always check its location from the app or website.

The Drone XT includes a USB-C hardwire power cable that your installer can integrate with the vehicle to power the system and indicate when the ignition is on. There’s also a dual-ended USB-C cable for charging the unit in stand-alone mode. For convenience, four high-strength neodymium magnets are integrated into the base of the unit. If you have heavy equipment to monitor, you can simply attach the Drone XT, and you are good to go.

Full-Time GPS Tracking System

The Drone XT works with the Dronemobile.com website and smartphone app. You can locate your vehicle anytime you want, as long as you have access to the Internet. You don’t need to involve the police or call a phone number. You’ll know the solution is working as soon as you power it up. If you can’t check the location of your GPS tracking system, do you even know if it’s working?

When the unit is moving, the Drone system tracks location with a breadcrumb trail that updates every minute or 30 seconds, depending on the service plan you’ve chosen. Not only can you see where the device is, but where it’s been. This is great as a tracking solution for company-owned service or delivery vehicles.

Low-Power Operation

Firstech engineers have gone to great lengths to maximize the built-in battery’s longevity. The system combines a high-sensitivity GPS receiver with a state-of-the-art LTE Cat M1 cellular radio. Unlike conventional cellular radios, the LTE Cat M1 is designed specifically for low-power IoT devices like the Drone XT.

The Drone XT has power-saving modes to further extend the battery’s life. The unit doesn’t update GPS location or communicate with the DroneMobile server unless it detects motion. The “Wake on Movement” feature has a five-meter buffer, so even shifts in GPS location due to signal strength variations won’t trigger communication. If someone moves the vehicle or piece of equipment, you will be notified immediately.

The 2,200 mAh battery will last up to 3 weeks in Energy-Saving mode and up to 10 months in Deep Sleep mode.

Integrated Environment Monitoring

The Drone XT GPS tracker includes three additional sensors that can be configured to provide alerts to the owner. There’s a temperature sensor that provides notifications for changes by a user-configurable number of degrees. Likewise, a humidity sensor monitors moisture in the air and sends an alert if that changes by a certain percentage. Finally, there’s a light sensor that’ll tell you if someone is snooping around with a flashlight. These alerts show up almost instantly as notifications on your smartphone.

Protection For Unique Applications

The Drone XT GPS tracker is an affordable, convenient way to monitor your car or truck. However, its applications extend much farther. If you have a side-by-side, ATV or motorcycle you want to monitor, the Drone XT is perfect. Your boat, personal watercraft or trailer is also a great application for the compact tracking solution. Did we mention the unit has an IP67 rating for water and dust intrusion?

If you have a service or delivery vehicle and need to monitor its location, Drone XT is a perfect solution. You’ll know when the ignition turns on or off, where it’s located and what stops it has made throughout the day. If the vehicle is used after hours, you’ll be alerted instantly.

Heavy equipment theft is a major issue. Protect your dozers, graders, excavators, compact track loaders and skid steers with this reliable and affordable solution.

For more information on the Drone XT GPS tracker, or to schedule an installation, contact your local authorized Drone retailer by visiting the dealer locator on the Drone website. Be sure to follow the Drone team on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to stay up-to-date with new product releases.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Revisiting Sealed Subwoofer Enclosure Stuffing with SPL Measurements

A while back, we looked at how adding stuffing to a sealed enclosure affects its performance. It was clear from our measurements that the addition of Dacron lowered the system’s Qtc (Total Q). The original theory was that adding stuffing made the enclosure seem larger and let the driver play louder at low frequencies. Let’s revisit this test and add several acoustic measurements to quantify any changes in efficiency and output.

Results from Our Original Testing

Our original article determined that adding different amounts of stuffing to our 1.358-cubic-foot enclosure lowered the system Qtc. Without stuffing, the Qtc with our audiophile-grade 12-inch subwoofer was 0.9532. That’s a bit high for our liking but offers good efficiency. With 0.25 pound of Dacron added to the enclosure, the Qtc dropped to 0.9148. That’s still on the high side but getting better.

Moving up to a half-pound of stuffing had minimal effect on the driver, and the system stayed roughly the same at 0.919. Cramming another quarter-pound of stuffing into the enclosure made a truly beneficial change. The Qtc was now down at 0.8397. The lower Qtc measurement is better as it results in less resonance and a tighter, more controlled bass perception. In this capacity, stuffing with Dacron does have the same effect as installing the subwoofer in a larger enclosure.

The driver’s resonant frequency in the enclosure barely changed throughout the test. Empty, the system had an F3 of 43.35 hertz. With all the stuffing in place (0.75 pound), the resonant frequency dropped to 41.68 hertz. The difference would be negligible and doesn’t support the claims of stuffed enclosures playing lower.

Sealed Enclosure — The results from our original article on adding stuffing to a sealed subwoofer enclosure.

Round Two of Subwoofer Enclosure Testing

In this test, we’ll use the same enclosure and subwoofer and take several acoustic measurements under strictly controlled conditions. We’ve set the enclosure up in the middle of our lab and placed the Clio Pocket calibrated mic on the floor 50 centimeters in front of the enclosure. This configuration is similar to a typical ground-plane measurement, except the closer proximity to the enclosure will help to reduce the effect the room has on the measurements. A “normal” ground-plane measurement would have the microphone 2 meters from the enclosure. We will continue buying lottery tickets in hopes of financing our own anechoic chamber, but that might take a while!

All measurements are at the same output level. We’ll use 4 volts representing 2 watts of power into the subwoofer’s nominal 4-ohm load. With a drive level any lower than this, the background noise from the HVAC system starts to mess with the very low frequency measurements. Again – anechoic chamber, please!

Sealed Enclosure Stuffing Findings

If you look at the graph below, you’ll see the SPL measurements from the four test conditions. The red trace is the enclosure without any stuffing. The violet trace represents 0.25 pound of stuffing. The black trace represents a half-pound of filling. Finally, the amber trace is 0.75 pound.

As expected, the more stuffing there is, the smaller the bump at the top of the response curve. Why does this happen? Because polyester fiberfill reduces the resonance of the system. With less resonance, the driver returns to rest faster after the signal stops, and less distortion is added to the output.

You’ll notice the difference between no stuffing and the tightly packed enclosure is relatively tiny. Indeed, the maximum difference is a total of 1.4 dB SPL, with the unstuffed enclosure being louder.

I generated a second graph referencing the first three measurements to the fully stuffed measurement. This analysis shows you how much louder the subwoofer is as there is less and less stuffing. While it might be noticeable, the difference is minute.

Sealed Enclosure Stuffing Summary

Unlike what many “old timers” will tell you, adding a large amount of Dacron (or similar) stuffing doesn’t significantly affect output, especially at lower frequencies. It certainly doesn’t cause the same improvement of the low-frequency production that you’d get from a larger enclosure. One consideration, though: If the crossover point for our subwoofer systems is, or should be, around 80 Hz, then a system with a flatter response will seem to be a bit louder at lower frequencies. With that said, we are talking about less than 1.5 dB SPL, so the whole thing regarding output amplitude is effectively irrelevant.

So, is it worth asking the shop building your sealed subwoofer enclosure to add stuffing? Don’t add anything if you’re a bass head and want the system to play as loudly as possible. If you’re into sound quality and want to reduce distortion around the resonant frequency of the subwoofer system a bit, then go for it. It’s not like the cost of some stuffing is significant.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Product Spotlight: Drone XC-LTE Dash Cam

If you’re a regular visitor to BestCarAudio.com, you should be familiar with dash cams and smartphone-based remote vehicle control solutions like Drone. Imagine combining the features of both units into one product and then adding live video streaming capabilities! The new Drone XC-LTE 2K QHD dash cam with LTE, GPS and Wi-Fi does precisely that. Let’s check it out!

What Is the Drone XC-LTE Dash Cam?

There are a lot of features and design elements to unpack with the Drone XC-LTE. The unit has a footprint of 4.2 by 2.8 inches with a thickness of 1.5 inches. A vertical mounting orientation on the windshield minimizes obstruction.

The XC-LTE uses a Sony STARVIS image sensor for excellent contrast and low-light performance. The sensor is mated to a wide 154-degree lens to allow recording well off to the sides of the vehicle. The camera records at a 2K Quad HD resolution of 2560 by 1440 pixels at 30 frames per second. A built-in Wi-Fi transceiver lets you download stored videos to your smartphone.

Firstech includes a high-quality 64 GB microSD memory card to ensure reliable recording. Upgrading to a 128 or 256 GB memory card allows the system to store more data. The system also accepts a secondary camera input signal. Your installer can add the XC-RC100 rear-facing or the XC-IR100 infrared interior cameras. The interior camera is very popular with taxi, Uber and Lyft operators. The parking mode feature allows it to monitor the visible area continuously and then record when something or someone enters its field of vision.

What makes this dash cam unique is the ability to view live video on the DroneMobile app on your smartphone using an LTE cellular data connection. You can see exactly what the camera sees on your phone. The system uses an LTE data connection to transmit video. As long as your phone can access the cellular data network, it doesn’t matter where it’s parked or driving. Remote live-viewing capability is a feature people have been requesting for years.

Regarding live-feed details, the video stream has a resolution of 960 by 540 pixels. Depending on your chosen service package, you get 1 or 2 GB of cloud storage for important videos you tag via the DroneMobile app.

Drone Vehicle Control

While the excitement of the remote video viewing is the highlight of the Drone XC-LTE, it’s crucial to remember that this is still a Drone vehicle control interface. When paired with a compatible control module from Compustar, Arctic Start, FTX or NuStart, you can use the DroneMobile app on your phone to lock and unlock your vehicle or start the engine. You can even pop the trunk or open a sliding door or motorized hatch in many applications.

The Drone XC-LTE acts like the DAS-II sensor to detect impact, tilt, motion and glass breakage. Any of these triggers will instantly send a notification to your smartphone. You can use the LTE streaming feature of the dash cam to look around your vehicle to find out what’s going on. The DroneMobile app also allows you to trigger the Panic feature to scare away would-be thieves or the neighbor’s cat.

The system also functions as a vehicle-locating or -tracking solution with one of the GPS-enabled Drone service plans. You can configure speed-based warnings to monitor vehicle operation. Location-based notifications, often called geofencing, are also available. These warnings tell you when the vehicle enters or exits a specific area or location.

See Why Your Car Alarm Triggered

Most of us are familiar with hearing car alarm sirens, getting a security alert from a two-way remote key fob or perhaps seeing an alarm notification on our smartphones. We all want to know what is happening in and around the vehicle. With the new XC-LTE, you can open the DroneMobile app and see what the cameras see in real time. There’s no need to leave the house or your office. You could be on vacation in the Caribbean and check on your car or truck from the pool while sipping a mojito or enjoying a beer.

The XC-LTE is ideal for commercial equipment left on a job site or in a company-owned service or delivery vehicle. The XC-LTE is a perfect solution if you rent your car or truck on Turo or Getaround and want to see where and how the renter uses your vehicle.

The Best Vehicle Monitoring and Control Solution

The Drone XC-LTE is the first aftermarket dash cam solution with live view capabilities that can integrate with a car alarm or remote start system to provide vehicle control and monitoring. You can also use the system as a stand-alone dash cam with remote live viewing. Your local Compustar retailer can explain the remote control and live-view service plans and the features they offer. To find an authorized Drone retailer near you, use the locator tool on their website. For more information about Drone solutions, visit their YouTube channel, Facebook page or Instagram. Check back frequently, as a full Test Drive Review of the Drone XC-LTE is coming soon.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Product Spotlight: Firstech FT-DAS II Security Sensor

A laptop bag in the back seat, a smartphone in the center console or shopping bags in the rear of an SUV – each is the perfect temptation for a thief. In seconds, items you’ve spent your hard-earned money to acquire are gone forever. Protecting your vehicle with a premium car alarm that includes the Firstech FT-DAS II security sensor is one of the best options for stopping theft, vandalism or damage.

This impressive device includes four security sensors in one compact, reliable package. The FT-DAS II is also a key component in why Compustar or Arctic Start remote car starters are the safest solutions for vehicles with manual transmissions. Let’s take a look at the FT-DAS II in detail.

Firstech FT-DAS II Features

The FT-DAS II uses a high-sensitivity, multi-axis digital motion accelerometer to detect attempts to break into your vehicle or damage from shopping carts or another vehicle. If the device detects a moderate impact, the system chirps the siren a few times to scare off thieves or alert another driver that they may have touched your vehicle. If the impact is significant, the full alarm will sound instantly. The impact sensor is excellent protection against someone using a battery-powered reciprocating saw to try to steal a catalytic converter or using a cordless impact gun to steal your wheels. Your Firstech dealer (Compustar or Arctic Start) can fine-tune the sensitivity of the impact sensor to keep your vehicle safe without having false alarms when it’s windy or noisy.

The FT-DAS II includes programming logic that monitors the accelerometer to detect when the vehicle is being lifted. If someone is trying to steal your wheels or the car is being hoisted onto a flatbed or raised by a tow truck, the tilt-detection feature will trigger the alarm.

The most obvious difference between the original FT-DAS and the FT-DAS II is the inclusion of glass-breakage detection. If a thief uses a hammer or punch to break a window, the microphone will detect the sound of the glass shattering and trigger the alarm.

FT-DAS II Security Sensor — Thieves commonly use automatic center punches to break windows without triggering an impact sensor. The FT-DAS II’s glass-breakage detection will trigger the alarm instantly.

Forward-Motion Detection Delivers Class-Leading Remote Start Safety

The FT-DAS II is required anytime a CM7 or CMX control module is installed as a remote car starter on a vehicle with a manual transmission. The forward motion sensor is active during the remote start process and will shut the engine down immediately if it detects the car or truck moving forward. Even if all the safety systems have been bypassed (which is very difficult to do), you can be confident that your vehicle won’t drive through your garage when you activate the remote starter. No other brand of manual-transmission-compatible remote starter offers this level of safety and security.

Get Security Alerts Remotely

If your remote starter or security system is equipped with a two-way remote like the T13, R5, T12, T11, Q9, 901 or the T9, you’ll get alarm alerts as long as you’re within range of your vehicle. The remote will beep and, depending on the model, tell you which security zone was triggered. The security alerts include warnings for the door, hood and truck triggers and those from the FT-DAS II. For ultimate protection, the DroneMobile telematics system will show alarm alerts as notifications on your smartphone no matter where you are, as long as your phone has access to the internet.

Factory-Installed Security Systems Don’t Offer Damage Protection

You may have been told that your vehicle came from the factory with a security system. In most automobiles, these systems are typically just a transponder key that helps prevent vehicle theft. They do nothing to protect you against smash-and-grab intrusions as they don’t include an impact or shock sensor. A dedicated Compustar or Arctic Start system that includes the FT-DAS II will provide an instant alert if someone is attempting to damage or break into your car, truck or SUV.

Protect Your Vehicle with A Premium Digital Security Sensor

Whether you’re worried about theft, damage in a parking lot or vandalism, a security system or remote car starter that includes the Firstech FT-DAS II is the best protection you can buy. Drop by an authorized Compustar or Arctic Start dealer to ask about a vehicle protection system today. You can learn more about Compustar remote starter and security solutions by visiting their website and following them on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Product Spotlight: Momento IC6 Infrared Camera

Having a dashcam system like the Momento M6 (MD-6200) or M7 (MD-7200) installed in your vehicle is the best way to protect yourself from fraudulent accident claims. If you drive for Uber, Lyft or a taxi company, or operate a school bus or an airport shuttle, you’ll want video of what happens in the vehicle. The Momento IC6 (MD-IC6) interior camera is the perfect upgrade to the M6 or M7 to capture high-resolution video of the interior of the car, van or bus. Let’s look at why the features of the IC6 make it the perfect upgrade to round out your protection package.

Momento IC6 Interior Camera Specifications

The IC6 is a 1920×1080 pixel, 60-frames-per-second video camera with a 125-degree field of vision. The unit features six infrared LED emitters to illuminate the vehicle’s interior so it can record clear images at night.

When used with the M6 dashcam, the IC6 replaces the secondary camera included with the kit. When used with the new M7 dashcam, the IC6 plugs into the mounting base and serves as a third video stream along with the forward- and rear-facing cameras included in the system.

Why You Need an Interior Camera

If you have passengers in your vehicle, especially in the case of rideshare, taxi, carpooling or after-school pickup situations, recording what happens in the vehicle is crucially important. Uber, Lyft and taxi drivers are often treated poorly or, in extreme cases, robbed or assaulted by unruly clients. Having a camera like the IC6 connected to a Momento dashcam system may be enough to discourage poor or illegal behavior. In a worst-case scenario, the operator will have clear evidence for law enforcement agencies and the insurance company. The IC6 is also an excellent solution for the owners of fleet vehicles who need to monitor operator behavior and safety compliance.

Flexible Installation Options

The IC6 is designed with a rotating mounting base that allows the camera to be turned 360 degrees and tilted up or down by 180 degrees. Your installer can work with you to choose a mounting location that will capture the entirety of the vehicle interior. The IC6 is often mounted on the windshield near the rear-view mirror or passenger-side corner. Mounting near the dome light might be an option for some specific commercial applications.

Momento IC6 — The IC6 can be adjusted horizontally and vertically, then locked into place to capture clear video day or night.

Infrared Vision for Night Recording

Once the sun sets, normal cameras can’t record what’s happening in the vehicle’s interior. There might be a slight glow from the dash or radio display, but certainly not enough light for high-quality video of what’s happening everywhere in the interior. The infrared lighting system on the IC6 activates automatically when it’s dark to ensure that the IC6 camera captures every motion and gesture and the dashcam captures every word.

If you are curious about how the infrared lighting system works, here’s some additional detail. The human eye can detect light in wavelengths from about 400 nanometers (violet) to 750 nanometers (red) and everything in between. Infrared LED emitters are the same as what’s used on classic TV remotes. They emit light at wavelengths between 820 and 880 nanometers. This low-frequency energy isn’t visible to the human eye. The image sensor on the IC6 camera can detect and record infrared light and objects that IR emitters illuminate. The camera image will look monochromatic as the light source doesn’t cover the visible light range to show color information.

The IC6 camera also works with the M6 or M7 camera’s parking mode while you’re away from the vehicle. If someone is scoping out the contents of your car or trying to break in, the IC6 will record the whole thing. The wide field of vision can capture the faces of people trying to steal wheels or a catalytic converter – a theft problem that’s happening more and more frequently.

Protect Yourself with the Momento IC6 Infrared Camera Upgrade

If you carry passengers or clients in your vehicle and want crystal-clear recordings of what’s going on in the interior, then visit your local authorized Momento retailer and ask about the M6 or M7 dashcam system and the optional IC6 infrared interior camera. You can find a Momento dealer near you using the locator tool on the website. For more information about Momento’s video and safety products, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Product Spotlight: Drone XT GPS Tracker

What is the Drone XT?

Full-Time GPS Tracking System

Low-Power Operation

Integrated Environment Monitoring

Protection For Unique Applications

Revisiting Sealed Subwoofer Enclosure Stuffing with SPL Measurements

Results from Our Original Testing

Round Two of Subwoofer Enclosure Testing

Sealed Enclosure Stuffing Findings

Sealed Enclosure Stuffing Summary

Product Spotlight: Drone XC-LTE Dash Cam

What Is the Drone XC-LTE Dash Cam?

Drone Vehicle Control

See Why Your Car Alarm Triggered

The Best Vehicle Monitoring and Control Solution

Product Spotlight: Firstech FT-DAS II Security Sensor

Firstech FT-DAS II Features

Forward-Motion Detection Delivers Class-Leading Remote Start Safety

Get Security Alerts Remotely

Factory-Installed Security Systems Don’t Offer Damage Protection

Protect Your Vehicle with A Premium Digital Security Sensor

Product Spotlight: Momento IC6 Infrared Camera

Momento IC6 Interior Camera Specifications

Why You Need an Interior Camera

Flexible Installation Options

Infrared Vision for Night Recording

Protect Yourself with the Momento IC6 Infrared Camera Upgrade

Customer Reviews

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