WST FBM200A User manual

Beacon Monitor
Operator’s Manual
for model:
FBM200A
Version 2.00

ii
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Copyright © WS Technologies Inc.
All rights reserved.
Printed in Canada
March 2013

iii
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION.............................................................................1
UNPACKING ...................................................................................1
BEACON MONITOR........................................................................2
Antenna Connection:....................................................................3
Optional Outdoor Antenna Installation:........................................3
Installing the Application: .............................................................3
SETTING UP THE APPLICATION..................................................5
Monitor Mode: ..............................................................................6
Monitor button...........................................................................6
Map Button...............................................................................6
Setup button.............................................................................6
Status section...........................................................................6
Beacon Burst log area..............................................................7
Beacon Decode area................................................................7
Full Screen button ....................................................................7
Deleting records .......................................................................7
QR Code...................................................................................7
Map Mode:...................................................................................8
Map Selections.........................................................................8
Selected Log Items Only.......................................................8
Location Beacons .................................................................8
Non-Location Beacons .........................................................9
Normal Mode, Self Test, Test Protocol.................................9
High Resolution Overlay.......................................................9
QR Code...............................................................................9
Map Area..................................................................................9
Icons .....................................................................................9
Zoom.................................................................................. 10
Pan..................................................................................... 10
Rotate or Tilt ...................................................................... 10
Bird’s Eye View.......................................................................10
Monitor Bar.............................................................................10
Compass ................................................................................10
Setup Mode:.............................................................................. 11
Setup Menu............................................................................11
Setup Panel............................................................................11
Admin - Connections..............................................................12
Admin –Passwords................................................................13
Passwords –Setup............................................................ 13
Passwords –Login ............................................................ 13
Logout................................................................................ 13
Password Reset................................................................. 14

iv
Alarms ....................................................................................14
Receiver Setup –Receiver Alarms ........................................15
Audio/LED/Relay Alarm..................................................... 15
Audio Disable..................................................................... 15
Receiver Setup –Receiver Sensitivity ...................................16
Computer Setup –Computer Alarms.....................................17
Visual Alarm....................................................................... 18
Audio Alarm ....................................................................... 18
Resetting Alarms ............................................................... 18
Email Alerts ............................................................................19
Email –Conditions............................................................. 19
Email - Configuration ......................................................... 19
SMS Alerts..............................................................................20
SMS –Conditions.............................................................. 20
SMS - Configuration .......................................................... 20
Customized Notifications........................................................21
Help –About Beacon Monitor ................................................22
Help Contents - Updates........................................................23
Help Contents - Frequently Asked Questions........................23
Help Contents –Feedback.....................................................24
RECEIVING BURSTS .................................................................. 25
Data Files and Log Files: .......................................................... 26
XML Files................................................................................26
Log File...................................................................................26
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.......................................... 27
SPECIFICATIONS........................................................................ 29
Minimum Requirements............................................................ 29
REGULATORY INFORMATION................................................... 30
DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY............................................. 31
WARRANTY INFORMATION....................................................... 32
CALIBRATION.............................................................................. 32
RETURNS .................................................................................... 32
MISSION CONTROL CENTER CONTACT INFORMATION....... 33
NOTES ......................................................................................... 34

1
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for choosing the FBM200 Beacon Monitor. This
Operator’s Manual describes the installation and operation of the
Beacon Monitor.
UNPACKING
Lift up on the inner fold on the right side of the Beacon Monitor box
and remove the Beacon Monitor from the underside. The
accessories are in the box on the right. Be sure to keep the
accessories box for handy storage of the Beacon Monitor
Operator’s Manual and accessories when not in use.
Please verify the contents of your package. It should contain:
Beacon Monitor
Operator’s Manual
Antenna
USB Cable 10’ (3m)
Optional items include:
Outdoor Antenna
Antenna Extension cable
25’ (7.6m)
50’ (15m)
75’ (23m)
100’ (30m)
Antenna mounting hardware
Certificate of Calibration (optional)
NOTICE!
Install the Beacon Monitor software before
connecting the device to the USB port.

2
BEACON MONITOR
Please read this Operator’s Manual to become familiar with the
operation of the Beacon Monitor.
Relay
contacts
button
Reset
button
LED
Indicator
Antenna
USB
Interface
Mounting
Flange (4)
button

3
Antenna Connection:
Connect the 406 MHz antenna to the front panel RF IN connector.
Optional Outdoor Antenna Installation:
Alternatively, if you have purchased the optional outdoor antenna,
install the outdoor antenna following the mounting instructions
included with the antenna. The U-bolts will fit a mast from
approximately 1.25” to 2.50” in diameter. Connect the Antenna
Extension cable between the antenna and the RF IN connector on
the Beacon Monitor.
Installing the Application:
The Beacon Monitor application must be installed on your computer
prior to connecting the device.
Go to www.wst.ca/beacon_monitor.html and install the latest
version of the Beacon Monitor software. The following message will
appear.
Click Run to install the application on the computer.
NOTICE!
Install the Beacon Monitor software before
connecting the device to the USB port.

4
The Beacon Monitor Setup screen will appear.
Click Next.
If JavaTM is not installed on your computer, you will be prompted to
install it. Follow all on-screen instructions.
Once completed click Finish.
The Beacon Monitor icon will appear
on your computer desktop.

5
SETTING UP THE APPLICATION
Click on the Beacon Monitor icon. The Beacon Monitor application
will start and the following screen will be displayed:
Connect the FBM200 receiver to a USB port on the computer using
the supplied USB cable. This connection is both the power supply
and the communication link to the receiver. When the FBM200
receiver is located, the Connection Status in the Status section will
show Connected.
The LED Indicator on the top of the unit will glow red when first
plugged in, then will flash green when operating normally.
There are three main viewing modes:
1. Monitor Mode
2. Map Mode
3. Setup Mode
The following sections will discuss the setup and operation of the
software and hardware.

6
Monitor Mode:
The Monitor button will switch the screen to the Monitor mode. This
is the normal mode for monitoring beacon burst activity.
The Map button will switch the screen to the Map mode. This mode
allows the user to view actual locations of beacons and the receiver.
The Setup button will switch the screen to the Setup mode. This
mode allows the user to setup the application and receiver as
needed.
The Status section displays the status of the Receiver Connection,
the Receiver Status, and the Computer Status.
Monitor button
Map Button
Setup button
Status section
Monitor
button
Setup
button
Status
section
Beacon burst
log area
Beacon burst
decode area
Full Screen
button
Map
button
QR
code

7
The Beacon Burst log area will automatically record and log all
received 406 MHz beacon bursts. The information in this section
includes date and time of beacon burst, beacon 15 Hex ID, country
code, beacon transmit frequency, receive level of beacon signal,
and a comments field.
All of the information can be sorted by clicking on the header of the
column that you wish to sort. When a new beacon burst is received,
all of the information will be automatically un-sorted.
Click in the comments field to add or modify a comment.
The Beacon Decode area shows the decoded message details for
any selected burst.
To maximize the Beacon Monitor screen click the Full Screen
button. To un-maximize the screen press it again.
To delete records, select a record and right click the mouse, then
click Delete record.
To delete multiple records, select individual records while holding
down the control button on your keyboard, right click and delete.
To delete a range of records select the first record, hold down the
shift key and select the last record. Right click and delete.
The selected beacon burst will have a QR Code
displayed below the Map Selections area. This QR Code contains
information about the burst including location data if present. It can
easily be read by a smart phone to make these details portable and
for use in other mapping applications.
Beacon Burst log area
Beacon Decode area
Full Screen button
Deleting records
QR Code

8
Map Mode:
Clicking on the Map button will take you to the Map mode.
This section lets the user control what beacons are shown on the
map.
Selected Log Items Only
Check the box when you want only the items selected in the Log
Area (Monitor Mode) to be viewed on the map.
Location Beacons
The user can check this box to show all location protocol beacons
on the map.
Map Selections
Map
selections
Monitor
bar
button
Bird’s Eye
window
Receiver
icon
Compass
Map
area
QR
Code

9
Non-Location Beacons
The user can check this box to show all non-location protocol
beacons on the map. All non-location beacon icons will be placed in
a vertical column below the Receiver icon.
Normal Mode, Self Test, Test Protocol
The user can further filter which beacons will be displayed on the
map. Check or uncheck as needed.
High Resolution Overlay
The user can check this box if a high resolution image of the area is
desired.
QR Code
The selected beacon burst will have a QR Code displayed below
the Map Selections area. This QR Code contains information about
the burst including location data if present. It can easily be read by a
smart phone to make these details portable and for use in other
mapping applications.
The Map Area will show the Receiver icon and all of the received
beacon bursts as selected by the user.
Icons
If the decoded beacon includes location data, the beacon icon will
be at that location. If the decoded beacon burst does not show
location data or if the beacon is a non-location protocol, the beacon
icon will be shown below the Receiver icon.
Each beacon burst is represented on the map. ELTs are
represented by an Airplane, EPIRBs are represented by a ship,
PLBs are represented by a person.
A red icon represents a Normal Mode (Live Burst) and a green icon
represents Self-Test burst. A Test Protocol burst is represented by
a green question mark icon.
Mouse over any beacon icon will show the Index number so the
user can reference the same beacon on the Monitor page. Note that
the index number will change when items are deleted from the Log
Area on the Monitor page.
Map Area

10
Clicking on a beacon icon will display the beacon’s decode details.
This balloon can be resized as appropriate by grabbing a corner
and dragging.
The map display can be controlled by the user.
Zoom
Use the mouse wheel to zoom in or out as desired.
Double click on the Receiver icon to zoom in automatically.
Pan
Left click and drag left, right, up, or down; or use the keyboard
arrow keys.
Rotate or Tilt
Right click and drag left or right to rotate.
Right click and drag up or down to tilt.
This shows a bird’s eye view of the current map display.
The monitor bar shows the altitude, the mouse position latitude,
longitude (in decimal degrees), and elevation.
The compass points to true North.
Bird’s Eye View
Monitor Bar
Compass

11
Setup Mode:
Clicking on the Setup button will take you to the Setup mode.
The setup menu has a selection of items. See details of each
section in the Setup Items section below.
The Setup panel is the information or setup area for each item in
the Setup menu.
Setup Menu
Setup Panel
Setup
menu
Setup
button
Setup
panel

12
Select a name for the connected receiver (maximum 8 characters).
The latitude and longitude of the receiver must be entered for the
receiver to show on the map. Use decimal degrees format.
Click Apply to save any changes.
Admin - Connections

13
Passwords –Setup
If you wish to prevent an unauthorized person from making changes
to the Beacon Monitor setup, then the password protection must be
enabled. Click the Enable password protection box and enter the
desired password (4 to 12 characters).Then re-type the password
and click Apply.
Passwords –Login
Enter your password and click OK to login.
Logout
If the Beacon Monitor program is password protected, a
Login/Logout button will appear in the top right area of the screen.
For security, be sure to click Logout once you are finished
changing items in the Setup mode, otherwise you will automatically
be logged out after 10 minutes.
Admin –Passwords

14
Password Reset
If you forget your password, the password protection can be reset.
Disconnect the unit from the Computer. Press and hold the reset
button on the FBM200 while connecting the USB cable to the unit. If
you wish to reinstate password protection then enter a new
password.
All 406 MHz beacon bursts are encoded as either:
1. Normal Mode (Live Burst)
2. Self Test mode
3. Test Protocol
The user has the option to set each alarm notification method based
on the mode of the received beacon burst. It is advised to always be
alerted when a Normal Mode (Live Burst) is detected so that the
user can take action and notify the authorities of a potential false
alert.
Check or un-check the boxes on the Receiver Alarms and
Computer Alarms setup pages to suit your requirements.
Click Apply to save the changes.
Note that all beacon bursts, regardless of burst mode, will be
recorded and logged. The user can delete unwanted records.
Alarms
NOTICE!
All Normal Mode bursts have the potential of being received by the
satellites causing a false alert. If you are confident that a Normal Mode
burst is definitely a false alert and has sufficient power to be received
by the satellites, then contact your local Mission Control Center (MCC).
Refer to the MCC list on page 32 of this Manual.

15
Audio/LED/Relay Alarm
The receiver audio alert will sound, the LED Indicator will flash red,
and the relay contacts will close when a burst is received. The user
has the option to set each receiver alarm notification method based
on the mode of the received beacon burst. Check or un-check the
boxes on the Receiver Alarms setup page to suit your requirements.
These alarms are reset by clicking the Alarm Reset button on the
application or pressing the Reset button on the receiver.
Audio Disable
To deactivate the receiver audio alarm, check the Disable Audio
box.
Click Apply to save any changes.
Receiver Setup –Receiver Alarms

16
The receiver sensitivity can be adjusted for each application. To
receive beacon bursts from far away, set the sensitivity to the
highest level of -125 dBm. This setting will receive bursts from near
also.
To receive only the beacons that are near, set the sensitivity to the
lowest level of -55 dBm.
The default sensitivity level is -115 dBm.
The Beacon Monitor has sophisticated algorithms for preventing
false triggering. However, burst reception may be hindered when
operating the Beacon Monitor in an electrically noisy environment.
You may need to remove the source of interference or reduce the
sensitivity of the Beacon Monitor.
Click Apply to save any changes.
Receiver Setup –Receiver Sensitivity
Apply
button
Slider
bars
button