Smartphone Tips and Tricks

Utilizing the functionalities of a Smartphone will optimize your Mission experience. Many helpful features exist for Smartphones, such as customizing the Smartphone ringtone or text tone for the Mission callout number. Mission sends alerts in the form of voice, text, and email so it is useful to distinguish these important messages from other messages. This can be accomplished along with other helpful features, which include creating home screen shortcuts and installing cell tower coverage and other apps.

Create a custom ringtone or text tone for the iPhone. First, create a contact using the Mission callout number. Next, select "Edit" in the upper right hand corner, choose "ringtone" and/or "text tone", and assign a different alert to this contact. This ensures that Mission messages will be distinct and have your immediate attention.

Assign a custom ringtone or text tone for the Andriod.  First, assign the Mission number to a contact folder then, view the contact. Within the contact folder, the ringtone option will be visible at the bottom of the page. Select the desired ringtone option to assign a new alert for this contact. Androids do not have the capability to assign specific text tones without third-party apps. WhoIsIt Lite

is a free version of a popular app that performs this function. After downloading and launching the app, you will see your contact list. Scroll to "Mission", open the contact, and edit the text alerts by selecting "SMS", "MMS", or "email alerts." You may also enable the vibrate alert for a contact with this app.

Mapping carrier coverage and identifying cellular towers. Beyond creating custom tones, carrier mapping and cellular tower locator apps can be particularly useful in the field. iPhone users can download the Cell Towers or Cell Phone Coverage Map apps. Similar apps for the Android include OpenSignal or Signal Stat. These apps quickly determine signal so it is best to run the program several times to ensure accuracy.

Text-To-Speech for handsfree emails. Another app that is well suited for Mission customers in the field is Voice Dictation for iPhone. This app allows you to record your voice while it translates it into text. This hands-free solution permits you to submit service reports and send emails directly to Mission Technical Support without any hassle.

Create shortcuts for easy access. Another useful feature of a Smartphone is the ability to create shortcuts to webpages directly on your home screen. To do this on an iPhone open the Safari browser, go to the desired webpage, click on the center arrow button and select "Add to Home Screen." Assign a name to the shortcut and click "Add." Android users can accomplish this by going to the desired webpage, clicking on the Menu button and selecting "Add Bookmark." Once you have added the bookmark reselect "Menu," click "Bookmarks," and scroll to the bookmark you created. Long press the selection until the options bar opens. Once the options bar opens, choose "Create Shortcut on Homepage." An icon will appear on your homescreen.

Utilizing Smartphone functionality is one of the many ways you can maximize the benefits you receive from your Mission devices. Using contact specific tones will make you aware of Mission alerts faster, allowing you to respond as quickly as possible. Smartphone apps can assist you during the installation process and ensure that communication from your device is at an optimum level. The mobile age continues to make our lives easier allowing us to benefit more now, than ever before.

Clay Shirky stated, "There is no such thing as information overload, only a failure in filtering," at the Web 2.0 Expo during his presentation on filtering information. This concept is directly related to the way in which we deliver data. Over the last twelve years, the engineers of Mission have listened to the requests of water and waste water operators and incorporated the business logic that distills thousands of data points into useful information. You might say that the Mission Managed SCADA system is a set of smart filters. 

Integrated business logic and data filtering begins with the RTU. The M110s, for example, constantly monitor pump starts and analog values. The pump starts and accumulated run times are posted to the database hourly, as are the minimum, maximum and average analog values. Of course - alarm events, whether digital or analog, are sent instantly. As a result of filtering the data, transmissions and service costs are minimized without compromising the monitoring of the sewer lift station. For applications where it is useful to study analog performance curves and monitor real-time pump runs, we offer the M800 model. 

  

Once the right amount of data is collected, Mission Control (the data bases, web servers, and messaging system) refines the raw data and presents it in useful ways. Every report we offer is an example of this. The Mission system will also make you aware of inconsistent events by way of the Alert system. For example, when pump starts are excessive, a battery is low, or pump run times deviate, a message is sent to notify you.

 

With the use of data filtering, the Run Time Variance graph displays irregular pump runtimes that can easily be identified.

 

To further minimize information overload, the schedules and destinations of call outs are configurable so that the most appropriate staff member is notified of alarms and events. The four standard categories of events are Alarms, Communication Fails, Wire Faults and Pump Starts. Larger utilities will generally direct events, such as Wire Faults, Phase Faults and Communication Fails to the electrical specialists on staff. Alarms related to pumps and hydraulics are directed to the pump specialists. More specifically, time of day schedules and even location specific RTU schedules can be used to direct the call-outs.

 

Nuisance alarms can be filtered under the Setup/Unit Maintenance section of the web portal. For example, if a float tips, but recovers shortly thereafter, a three minute delay on the input will avoid nuisance call-outs. Also, if you have a runaway alarm input, you can disable that input via the web portal until the problem can be identified.