The DGT is clear about the two greatest strengths of the new V-16 beacon. The first is that it can be installed on the roof of the car without getting out of the vehicle. By putting our hand out the window we can place it on the roof to alert us that there is an obstacle on the road.
The second is your connectivity. In fact, it is the main reason why you have to be careful if you still have to buy a beacon of this type. Until 2021, the intention was simply for the driver to carry the beacon on him but from that year onwards It was decided that this should be connected so that when we activate it we give notice to DGT 3.0.
This platform is what Traffic uses to be aware of everything that is happening and alert other drivers through warning signs that there is an obstacle on the road. Additionally, the promise is that all connected cars will receive an alert in the instrument cluster called signal V-27.
This is all very well but… how do we know that the beacon works and that it does not have any errors without alerting the DGT?
100 seconds test
As we have already told you, the V-16 beacons can operate with batteries. Therefore, it is important to carry a spare pack if you use the first and regularly check if the battery is charged if you choose this second option.
Doubts arise when turn on the beacon for the first time. And in addition to carrying it charged or having batteries, we will have to make sure that the beacon works correctly. In that case, there is no choice but turn it on at home. But don’t be afraid if you think you are going to open an incident on the DGT platform, they are going to find out where you live and they are going to send emergency services to you.
For a start, the DGT assures that the information sent by the V-16 beacon is completely private. It only indicates its geopositioning but there is no private data such as the person who activated it, the broken down car or any other detail that Traffic knows at that moment.
You will also not launch a rescue plan when you activate the V-16 beacon. The DGT remembers It is the responsibility of the driver or passengers to notify the emergency services, their only responsibility is to monitor the incident so that it is reflected in DGT 3.0.
Finally, from the moment the beacon is activated until the first warning is given to the platform 100 seconds will pass. This time window acts as a safety net to avoid false positives, but it is also one of the reasons that guarantee that the emergency light can have a battery for the minimum required 30 minutes.
The beacon connects to DGT 3.0 through IoT networksknown as the Internet of Things. This network is not part of the typical bandwidth of 4G or 5G networks and allows the sending of very small data packets in a single direction, which maximizes the use time of a device. Every 100 seconds, the beacon sends its positioning to the DGT again. The system is similar to that of a sports Smartwatch in which you can choose how often the GPS position is recalculated, with the aim of extending the battery.
That is to say, there is no problem turning on the V-16 beacon when you receive it at home. If you want to check that it works and that everything is correct, it is best to start it to make sure. Of course, you must turn it off before 100 seconds have passed so that a false positive does not occur.
Photo | DGT
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