The Answers to some Frequently Asked Questions…
… although if you don’t see the answer to your question below, please get in touch!
How do the trackers work?
Yellowbricks use the Iridium satellite network to transmit a position report on a regular basis. Iridium is the only commercial satellite network to provide truly global coverage, 24/7. This means that when the Yellowbrick sends a position, it’s received within seconds, no matter where that tracker is. Beware non-Iridium based trackers claiming to have global coverage – it simply isn’t true. Polar regions, the middle of oceans, non-commercially viable areas have little or no coverage apart from Iridium.
Should I rent one, or buy one?
In general, if you are looking to use a Yellowbrick for more than 2 months then it is normally more economical to purchase a unit.
What are the costs for renting?
The rental cost depend on a number of things, but is based on how long you have the unit for, and how often it will be transmitting. Click here for more information.
What are the running costs if I own one?
There are two costs once you’ve purchased a Yellowbrick.
- Firstly, A monthly line rental, which you pay ONLY for the months where you wish to use the device.
- Second, you buy ‘credits’ – each time you send a position report, one credit will be used up. Credits are also used for messages.
Please download the PDF information sheet which will explain more, or click here
Both credits and line rental are purchased online, using a credit card, after you have registered your device.
What happens if I run out of credits or line rental?
If you run out of line rental and/or credits, then your Yellowbrick will be unable to send any more positions or messages until you top-up online. We do send an email alert before this happens, both 7 days before your line rental is due to run out, and when you get down to 100 credits left.
When I buy one, what’s in the box?
You get the Yellowbrick itself, a charger, a USB cable, and a registration card. The first thing you are asked to do is go to our website, and use the details on the registration card to register your Yellowbrick. This allows you to setup your YBlog, and optionally purchase your first set of line rental and credits etc.
Do they really work anywhere on Earth?
Yes. As long as they have a good view of the sky, the Yellowbrick will be able to transmit a position report from anywhere.
How do we see the position of the tracker(s)?
Rental customers get an online map for you to view the position of the Yellowbrick(s). An example can be seen here. This is constantly updated, and as soon as a new position is received from one of your Yellowbricks it will show that position. The map can be linked to from your website, or alternatively we can provide you with a nifty bit of code so you can include it inside one of your existing pages on your own site.
Customers who own a Yellowbrick get their own YBlog, which combines both an online map and a blog, with articles, pictures and more.
Do you provide charitable discounts?
Obviously we get approached a lot for charitable events – most expeditions have some sort of charitable element. Regrettably we aren’t able to provide Yellowbricks for free to these kind of events, but we do have great discounts and can help out in other ways – get in touch to find out more.
How many have you got in your rental fleet?
We’ve got about 1000 of them.
Why are they called Yellowbricks?
When we first started out, many moons ago, the trackers were much bigger than they are now. They resembled a normal house brick. They were also yellow.
What about the alert function?
Each Yellowbrick has a little red button under a security cover. If during the hire the red button is held down for 5 seconds then the Yellowbrick will send a position report with a special flag, and our systems automatically send an alert message via SMS and email to those people you specified.
How Much does it cost?
You can purchase a unit from our online shop. Running costs can be seen here.
Rental pricing varies depending on how many you need, and the dates – click here for more information on rental.