Your data subscription enables your Spotter(s) to communicate remotely with the Spotter Dashboard and the ****Spotter & Smart Mooring API, providing you with:
Without an active data subscription, your Spotter(s) will continue to operate normally and store any collected data locally on its SD card (see Spotter Data Access).
In this guide, you will get more information about data subscriptions and learn how to view, manage, and renew them in the Spotter Dashboard.
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This guide covers data subscriptions for Spotters and Spotter Scouts for which Sofar manages satellite and cellular airtime and billing. For Spotters whose satellite connectivity is provided by a different Iridium provider (VAR), such as Cubic-I or DISA, Sofar will only manage and bill for cellular service. Satellite airtime and billing must be handled directly with the VAR.
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Data subscriptions consist of telemetry lines and recurring satellite credits.
Telemetry lines enable Spotters to transmit and receive data. There are two kinds:
Telemetry lines cannot be shared between devices. Each Spotter needs their own cellular and/or satellite lines.
If you are planning to deploy your Spotter within cellular range, we recommend enabling its cellular and satellite lines (see Change your telemetry lines). This ensures seamless data transmission in instances where there is poor or intermittent cellular coverage, and allows for recovery if the Spotter drifts out of cellular range. If a Spotter with active cellular and satellite lines loses cellular signal unexpectedly, it will automatically fall back to satellite service. Cellular service will resume as soon as a cellular signal is available again.
For Spotters deployed far offshore or in areas without cellular coverage, or for Spotters without a cellular modem, you will just need a satellite line.
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More on cellular connectivity: Cellular Support Documentation
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Satellite credits cover the additional unit costs of messages sent by a Spotter via satellite. Whenever a Spotter transmits a message via satellite, satellite credits are used up.
The rate at which satellite credits are consumed is entirely dependent on the configured data mode and update rate (see Spotter Dashboard) of the Spotter and any attached Smart Mooring sensors. Use the Satellite cost estimator below to estimate your monthly satellite credit usage and costs.
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To adjust the payload sampling configurations of any Smart Mooring sensors, contact the Sofar Support Team.
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Satellite credits are shared between all Spotters registered to your account with active satellite lines. They can be purchased on a monthly basis as part of your subscription (see Set up recurring satellite credits) or as needed (see Add one-time satellite credits).
Your data subscription will be activated automatically, using the Remote Access Package, the first time you register a Spotter to your Spotter Dashboard account, as long as it is within a year of its shipment date (see Spotter Dashboard).