How to Mount BLE Tags and GPS Tags | AlignOps Help Center

Overview

You attach a wireless tag to a tool or piece of equipment so ToolWatch can track it. There are two types of tags:

BLE tag: A small wireless tag. BLE means Bluetooth Low Energy. The tag sends a short-range Bluetooth signal. ToolWatch gateways pick up this signal and record where the tool was last seen.
GPS tag (also called a GPS tracker or GPS device): A larger wireless device. It uses satellite signals to find its location. Then it sends that location to ToolWatch over cell service.

Where and how you mount the tag is important. A tag that is in the wrong place can fall off, get damaged, or send a weak signal. Metal blocks wireless signals. GPS tags also need a clear view of the sky.

Quick rule of thumb:

BLE tag: Secure, protected, and not closed in by metal.
GPS tag: Secure, protected, and with a clear view of the sky.

Before You Begin

Know which type of tag you have: a BLE tag or a GPS tag.
Have your mounting supplies ready, such as zip ties, cable seals, tape, glue, magnets, or screws.
Have a clean cloth to clean the mounting surface.

How to Mount a BLE Tag or GPS Tag

Choose the location.
For all tags:
- Put the tag where it will not be hit, crushed, or dropped on.
- Keep the tag away from moving parts, belts, chains, buttons, switches, and access panels.
- Keep the tag away from vents, exhausts, engine parts, and other hot surfaces. Heat can weaken glue and tape and damage the tag.
- Make sure the tag does not get in the way when people use, carry, store, or service the tool.
- When possible, put the tag in a place that is hard to see. This helps prevent damage and theft.
- Do not put the tag fully inside a metal box, toolbox, or compartment. Metal blocks the signal.
- Point the flat or top side of the tag up or out. Do not point it at a large metal surface.

For BLE tags, also:

Put the tag near the outside of the equipment when possible.
Keep the tag away from large electrical parts. They can block the wireless signal.
Put the tag where you can reach it later to check it or change the battery.

For GPS tags, also:

Point the top or antenna side of the GPS tag up toward the sky. If the GPS tag uses screws, the screw heads face down.
Do not mount the GPS tag under thick steel plates or deep inside metal compartments.
To hide a GPS tag, choose a place behind plastic or fiberglass, not metal.
If you must mount the GPS tag under the equipment, choose the place with the least metal above it.
Do not put the GPS tag in very hot places, such as the dashboard of a closed cab. Heat shortens battery life.
Leave space for air to flow around the GPS tag.

Choose the mounting method.

Use the table to choose the best method for your tool or equipment.

Method	Best for	Watch out for
Metal zip ties	Frames, brackets, rails, and cages. The best choice for a strong, long-term mount.	Do not tighten so much that the tag breaks.
Plastic zip ties	Quick installs and tools with odd shapes.	Easier to remove on purpose or by accident. Can loosen or break from shaking or hits.
Cable seals	A very strong mount that is hard to remove by accident.	Can be cut with tools. Easy to see. Their size can get in the way of the tool.
Epoxy or industrial glue	A permanent, very strong mount.	Hard to remove when you need to replace the tag. Not good for testing or short-term use.
Industrial-grade double-sided tape	Clean, flat, smooth surfaces where you cannot use ties or screws.	The surface must be clean and dry. The tape needs time to bond.
Regular double-sided tape	Short-term use or testing only.	The least secure method. Can fall off from water, heat, or shaking.
Magnets	Steel surfaces, when you may need to move or remove the tag later.	Needs a flat steel surface. Strong shaking can knock the tag loose.
Screws or bolts	Permanent GPS tag mounts on equipment and vehicles.	You must drill into the equipment.

Clean and dry the surface.
Remove dirt, grease, oil, and water from the place where you will mount the tag. This is very important for tape, glue, and magnets.
Attach the tag.
Follow the steps for the method you chose. Zip ties or cable seals:
1. Hold the tag against a solid part of the equipment that does not move.
2. Put the zip tie or cable seal through the mounting hole or tab on the tag.
3. Tighten it until the tag cannot move. Do not tighten so much that the tag or tab breaks.
4. Cut off the extra end. Make sure no sharp edge is left.
Double-sided tape:
1. Put industrial-grade double-sided tape on the flat back of the tag.
2. Remove the backing and press the tag firmly onto the equipment.
3. Press evenly across the whole tag.
4. Let the tape bond before you use the equipment or expose the tag to shaking or water. Follow the bonding time from the tape maker.
Epoxy or industrial glue:
1. Follow the instructions from the glue maker.
2. Let the glue set fully before you use the equipment.
Magnets:
1. Choose a flat steel surface.
2. Attach the magnet mount. Make sure the tag cannot slide or shift.
3. Make sure the tag is not in a place where debris, moving parts, or service work could knock it off.
Screws or bolts (GPS tags):
1. Use the mounting holes on the GPS tag.
2. Point the antenna side up toward the sky, with the screw heads facing down.
3. Tighten until the GPS tag cannot move.
  1. Note: Do not cover the labels, QR code, IMEI number, seams, or battery cover with tape, glue, or ties. You need these to link the tag and to service it later.
Check the tag.
1. Pull firmly on the tag. It must not move, swing, or shake.
2. Make sure the tag stays tight when the equipment moves or shakes during normal use.

Tags Not Supplied by ToolWatch

If you use tags that ToolWatch did not supply:

Follow the tag maker's mounting instructions.
Make sure the glue, tape, or hardware works with the surface of the tool.
Make sure the tag's location does not block its Bluetooth signal.

Troubleshooting

The tag keeps falling off.

Clean the surface again.
Change to a stronger method, such as metal zip ties, cable seals, or epoxy.
Move the tag away from hot areas or areas with a lot of shaking.

The tag gets too hot.

Move the tag away from engine parts and exhausts.

The tag gets in the way of the tool.

Move the tag to a flat area or the edge of the tool where it is not in the way.

The tag will not stay on a round or uneven surface.

Use zip ties, cable seals, or molded adhesive pads.