FAQ
From PTAGISWiki
Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell if a PIT-tagged fish was transported from GRJ, GOJ, LMJ, or MCJ?
You can determine where a PIT-tagged fish was last seen as it passed through a PTAGIS interrogation site by building and running an Interrogation Summary query and then inspecting the value returned in the last monitor name column. At the four smolt transportation sites operated by the Corps of Engineers (GRJ, GOJ, LMJ, and MCJ), a PIT-tagged fish last seen at a monitor with the word "Raceway" or "Sample" in it is generally transported from the facility if the detection occurred during the transportation season.
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How can I remove duplicates from a list of PIT tag codes?
If you are logged in to the PTAGIS Web Portal (http://www.ptagis.org/ptagis), you can register your list of tag codes. Once the list is registered, you can use the Filter Duplicates function on the My Registered Tags page to generate a new list of unique tags.
If you create an Interrogation Summary report with the 'PTAGIS Query Builder', it's possible that the report output will contain multiple records for a single tag detected at two or more interrogation sites. If you want a count of the unique tags in the report, you can capture the tag codes to a registered tag list, and then filter out the duplicates.
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How do I cite PTAGIS, and its database, in a report or peer-reviewed article?
While there does not appear to be an established convention to reference the entirety of data collected in an online database, we suggest the recommendations in the Chicago Manual of Style's citation guide. The year provided in the citation denotes the most recent access to, or retrieval of data from, the database. The form shown in the first example also appears in recent journal articles published by the American Fisheries Society.
- PTAGIS (Columbia Basin PIT Tag Information System). 2008. Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, Portland, Oregon. Available: www.ptagis.org. (June 2008).
or
- PTAGIS. The Columbia Basin PIT Tag Information System. Available: www.ptagis.org (accessed June 2008).
It may be more expedient to cite PTAGIS directly within the text, as recommended in Section 8.39 (Software) of the American Fisheries Society's Style Guide, e.g.,
- ... using data obtained from the Columbia Basin PIT Tag Information System (PTAGIS) database (managed by the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission; available at http://www.ptagis.org).
How do I request use of the SbyC process?
The PIT Tag Separation by Code (SbyC) process allows researchers to collect or divert specific PIT-tagged fish at certain sites in the mainstem Columbia and Snake rivers. The request and coordination process is documented in the Support > SbyC section of the PTAGIS Web Portal at http://www.ptagis.org/ptagis.
What is a "Duplicate" Tag?
If a tag data file contains a tagging/release record for a PIT tag that has been previously reported as tagged and released in another data file, then the second occurrence of that tag is identified by PTAGIS as a Duplicate Tag. The Duplicate Tag event is stored to the tag_dup_data table in the PTAGIS database, separate from the "true" marking and release event stored in the tag_data table. The Duplicate Tag event is hidden from reports that correlate the original marking and release event data with subsequent recapture, automated detection (interrogation), and mortality events.
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What is an "ORPHAN" Tag?
A PIT tag is categorized as an ORPHAN if PTAGIS receives an interrogation record for that tag before we receive a corresponding tagging record. If this occurs, then an ORPHAN record is created as a "placeholder" for that tag code in the tag/release data table. When PTAGIS receives the actual tagging/release data, the ORPHAN status is automatically updated to reflect the "true" tagging and release properties. Generally, ORPHAN tag records occur when tagged fish are released directly upstream of a PIT tag detection site, and the researcher has not had an opportunity to finalize their marking data and submit those data to PTAGIS. In some instances, a researcher may be unaware that some of his or her tagged fish have not been reported to PTAGIS. In this case, the Tag Distribution and Inventory (TDI) records associated with ORPHAN tags, if available, can be used to alert that researcher to their data omissions.
What is a "DISOWN" record?
A mark/release record with a DISOWN File ID signifies that the PIT tag code was originally reported to PTAGIS in a Tag Data file, but that the tag code was removed from a subsequent version of that Tag Data file.
In 2008, a change was made the Field Data Validation and Loading (FDVL) process to help users detect inadvertent omissions after submitting updated tagging files to PTAGIS. Before the change, when processing a tagging correction, FDVL would delete from the tag_data table any detail record that had been removed from the associated tagging file since its previous submittal. After the change, FDVL now marks each such record with a fictitious file_id of DISOWN, rather than deleting it.
Users may be familiar with another fictitious file_id, ORPHAN, signifying a PIT tag for which one or more interrogation records have been received, but no tagging file has been processed. DISOWN identifies a different sort of anomaly, a tag_data record – for a PIT tag with or without interrogation data – which has been disassociated from tag file header information stored in the database.
ORPHAN and DISOWN records are similar in that either record will be overwritten upon processing a subsequent tagging file that contains the associated PIT tag.
What is a "Test" Tag?
Test tags are PIT tags that are used to verify PIT tag interrogation device operation. Test tags are registered with the PTAGIS database in order to differentiate them from PIT tags used to mark animals. Key chains with embedded PIT tags are registered as test tags.
There are two general types of test tags. The first is a stick tag. The PIT tag is permanently embedded in a rectangular wood dowel about 12 inches long. The stick is passed through the field of a PIT tag antenna to verify system operations. Generally, when stick testing is performed by PTAGIS Field Engineering Technicians, a known number of tags (usually 20) is placed in a fishway or fish flume, and allowed to pass by or pass through an antenna array. The reading efficiency of the detection system can be established using this direct measurement method.
Timer tags are also used to verify system operation. The timer tag is not an actual PIT tag. Rather, it is a device that emits a known PIT tag signal to detection electronics at a pre-programmed interval. This device allows operations and maintenance personnel to see a 'heartbeat' from a detection antenna during extended intervals when tagged fish are absent. Timer tags are also known as fixed reference tags. A Virtual timer tag is not a tag at all, but a specific code generated by a transceiver and routed through the antenna circuitry. In the case of a multiplexing transceiver (MUX), the same virtual timer tag code is routed to all of the active antennas.
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How do I replace the lithium battery in my FS-2001 transceiver?
Instructions to replace the FS-2001 lithium battery can be found at the PTAGIS Web Portal (http://www.ptagis.org/ptagis), on the Documents page of the LIBRARY section. Similar instructions are provided in the September, 2001 PTAGIS Newsletter (Vol. 5, Issue 1), available from the Newsletters page of the LIBRARY section. These instructions and the PTAGIS Newsletter can also be retrieved from the PTAGIS FTP server at ftp://ftp.ptagis.org/Documents/Lithium_Battery_Replacement. Note: Digital Angel now recommends replacing the existing battery with a model CR-2032 or equivalent, rather than the model CR-2016 previously cited.
How do I upgrade the firmware in my FS-2001 transceiver?
FS-2001 transceivers manufactured prior to 2005 generally are not capable of detecting the new generation of Digital Angel PIT tags. These transceivers must have their firmware upgraded in order to decode the new SGL and SST tags now commonly used in the Columbia Basin. All FS-2001 transceivers must be equipped with firmware version 5.0 or higher. The firmware upgrade packages, and upgrade instructions, are available from the Firmware page of the SOFTWARE section of the PTAGIS Web Portal (http://www.ptagis.org/ptagis).
Mark, Release, and Recovery Locations
How do I request a new Mark/Release/Recovery Location (RELEASE SITE) code?
Contact your PIT Tag Steering Committee representative, who will approve your request and pass it along to PTAGIS for processing.
If you are requesting a new definition for a river, lake, or dam, please provide the following information:
- The official name of the geographic feature.
- Provide the LLID (if feature is a river/stream), Lake ID, or Dam ID; these values should be available from your agency's GIS department, or through StreamNet.
- The name of the parent river, and the distance (in kilometers) from the mouth of the parent river to the mouth of the new stream, or to the new fixed location.
- The latitude/longitude coordinates of the lake or dam, or the midpoint of the river.
For all other locations (e.g., bridges, islands, etc.), please provide the following information:
- The official name of the geographic feature.
- The name and LLID of the connecting or parent river, and the distance (in kilometers) from the new location to the mouth of that parent river.
- The latitude/longitude coordinates of the midpoint of the new feature.
Interrogation Data
Can I reload Interrogation Data files to fix problems with the data?
No.
Why do I see detections with identical millisecond timestamps in my MiniMon data files?
The redundant milliseconds happen because the timestamps are assigned by MiniMon, not by the transceiver. Because readers send variable length messages, MiniMon cannot optimize serial I/O on the message length. Instead, it has to rely on hardware interrupts to get data from the serial ports, which are at the mercy of a lot of system related tasks that dictate when they can fire. Therefore MiniMon can process a batch of several tag records in microseconds and assign them all the same millisecond timestamp.
What is an interrogation site Data Steward?
A Data Steward is a Tag Data Coordinator with additional responsibilities to manage the data and meta-data reported to PTAGIS from an interrogation site. The Data Steward's responsibilities include documenting if and when the site begins and ends operations for the calendar year, when the site is out of service for more than one day due to river conditions (low or high water) or a loss of detection capability, and any conditions that result in a significant change in the detectability of PIT-tagged fish. The Data Steward's email and phone contact info are accessible to all PTAGIS constituents so they can contact the Steward if they have questions regarding PIT tag detection activity at the site. The Data Steward can also delegate some of the responsibilities for documenting site operations to a Technical Point of Contact (POC)
How do I submit an event log entry for my interrogation site?
Interrogation Site Stewards and their designated Technical Points of Contact can send an email from their PTAGIS-authorized email address to pitevent@ptagis.org with a subject line comprised of their site's three-character site code and their first name (e.g., TST Duhdley). The body of the message must be plain text (no HTML or images). An event log submittal is required whenever detection activities at a site are suspended or reactivated, whenever facility or hydrological conditions change, or whenever the potential to detect PIT-tagged fish changes due to electronic, environmental, or any other conditions.
What is PIFF?
The PTAGIS Interrogation File Formatter (PIFF) utility will generate a formatted interrogation file using data downloaded from a DF-1001M Mux transceiver into an intermediate text file. The PIFF utility installer, and detailed instructions for using PIFF, can be downloaded from the PTAGIS FTP server at ftp://ftp.ptagis.org/Software/PIFF/. After installing the utility, you can also access the PIFF Help.pdf document locally from the PTAGIS/PIFF application directory on your computer.
How do I resolve interrogation file naming conflicts?
The MiniMon application and PIFF utility use different techniques to automatically assign the Julian date portion of an interrogation file name. MiniMon uses the computer clock to derive the current date when the data file is created; when you import data directly from a transceiver’s on-board memory (buffer), then the file name derived from the Julian date will reflect the current date of data collection, and will match the date in the FILE CLOSED footer record. The PIFF utility scans the incoming data and generates a file name based on the Julian date of the first reported detection or activity record, which will generally match the date in the FILE CREATED header record.
These two file naming methodologies will generate conflicts if a PIFF file follows a MiniMon file. Ideally, you’ll stick with one technology or the other. If this isn’t possible, or when you generate two or more interrogation files on the same day using either method exclusively, then name the first (temporal) file using the conventional “ALL” file extension, and assign a “B” extension to a second file with the same site prefix and Julian date. If necessary, use “C”, “D”, etc. as extensions for additional files created on that same day.
How do I update MiniMon to recognize the 23mm Biomark BIO23.B PIT tag with the 384 prefix?
The 384 prefix is a new country code that MiniMon does not recognize. To add it to the list of known country codes for MiniMon, you need to add an entry to the registry. To do this, please perform the steps on this page.
P3 Data Entry Application
How do I configure my LiveTrack Reader for use with P3?
Currently, there isn’t a specific device type within P3 that directly supports Syscan-ID’s LiveTrack reader. Because the reader outputs tag codes in a familiar format, following these instructions will configure both reader and software to allow the input ISO tag codes into P3.
How do I identify a double-tagged fish?
A double-tagged fish contains two PIT tags. Double-tagged fish are identified with a "DB" Conditional Comment. In most cases, double-tagging a fish compromises both research studies.
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How do I know if my uploaded tag files have been loaded or rejected?
Open the Upload module (click File / Upload) and click on the History tab. Click the Refresh button and check the Status column.
How do I update the River Kilometer for my release site?
Open the Tag Session in P3 and go to the Release Site field in the Header. Select the stream on which your release site occurs from the drop-down box. Double-click in the River Kilometer field to update it and to enter the triplet that represents your tag/release site location. It must be three numbers; use leading zero(es) if necessary. If your site occurs on a tributary of one of the streams that is currently defined as a release site in PTAGIS, you will need to request a new site code be added to the database.
How do I remove a tag data file from PTAGIS?
Tag data files are not deleted or removed, only updated. PTAGIS maintains a copy of every version of each tag data file that is loaded into the database, to ensure that the data received from our contributors is accurately reflected in the database. If you uploaded a tag data file with an incorrect name (e.g. with the wrong file prefix), you will need to upload an empty version of that file, create and upload a new correctly named tag data file, and point the original (now empty) file to the new file.
Complete the following steps in P3:
- Open the Tag Session that contains the incorrectly named tag file. Rename the tag file by changing the value in the Tag File field of the Tag Session header. Save and close the Tag Session.
- If it is the date part of the file name that is incorrect, change the Tag Date field and hit enter.
- If it is the extension, double-click in the Tag File field and retype the extension.
- If it is the coordinator ID part of the file name, see the FAQ How do I rename a tag data file with my Coordinator ID?
- Create a new tag session so that the Tag File field contains the incorrect file name you wish to replace and fill in the mandatory fields in the header.
- Edit the Session Message to read "EMPTY FILE; CONTENTS NOW REPORTED IN NewFileName.ext" where NewFileName.ext is the tag file name from step 1.
- Validate and export the empty tag file (with the incorrect name) and upload it to PTAGIS as a correction.
- Validate and export the tag file with the corrected name and upload it to PTAGIS as a new file.
How do I rename a tag data file with my Coordinator ID?
To change a tag file name that has the wrong file prefix, open its tag session in P3
- Click the Active Profile button
- Click the General tab
- Verify that the value in Tag File Prefix field is correct and click OK to go back to the tag session
- In the Tag Date field of the tag session header, change the time by one minute; this will update the Tag File field so that the prefix matches your profile's Tag File Prefix field
- If necessary, update the Tag Session name to match the new file name
How do I submit P3 data files by email?
Send an email from a registered PTAGIS email address to pitdata@ptagis.org with the data file(s) as attachments. If you are submitting new tag data files that have never been uploaded, enter Tagging into the subject line. If you are submitting updated or corrected data files, enter Corrections into the subject line. If an attached data file is a different type of file than indicated in the subject, PTAGIS will reject that file.
Can I download buffered tags from an Allflex Portable Reader directly into P3?
Yes, after upgrading to firmware version 1.13, released on 9/15/2010. This version of the firmware allows a period to be selected as a delimiter, a parameter not available in previous versions. P3 requires a period as the delimiter between the 3-digit country code (e.g. 3D9) and the rest of the tag code. Please see the Instructions for Upgrading the Allflex Portable Reader Firmware for more details.
Can I download buffered tags from a Destron-Fearing Pocket-Reader EX directly into P3?
No, you can't transfer the stored tag codes directly from the Pocket-Reader EX into P3, but you can download and transform the codes to a text or CSV file, and then import those codes into P3. The stored codes must be downloaded using a serial communications application such as Hyperterm. Since the Pocket-Reader EX stores FDX tag codes in decimal, rather than hexidecimal, format you'll need to transform the codes using a utility such as the Dec2Hex.xls application provided by PTAGIS. The saved list of transformed tag codes can then be imported into P3.
Download the Instructions to connect to and download the PocketReader EX and a Sample Pocket-Reader EX terminal session.
Download the PTAGIS Dec2Hex.xls transformation utility.
Web Query
Why does my query fail every time I run it, even though it used to work?
There is a bug in our report generator that can cause queries to become partially dropped. If this happens, the query will fail when executed, but still appear in your list of queries. Until we fix the problem, the workaround is to open the query in Query Builder as if you were going to edit it, but skip to the final step and save the query without making any changes. This action re-registers the query and fixes this particular problem.
How do I create and run a PTAGIS web query using the query builder?
The PTAGIS Query Builder application provides access to the millions of mark/release/recovery and automated interrogation event records stored in the PTAGIS database. It allows the user to select a data source, fields to display, filter criteria, sorting options and summary fields.
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How do I build a registered tag list?
Please refer to our recipe for How to make a registered tag list.
How do I work with registered tag lists?
Registered tag lists can be used to limit queries of the PTAGIS database to a set of tag codes of interest. There are several tools available through the PTAGIS web portal to manage and manipulate your registered tag lists.
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How do I get a detection report of unique tags detected in the BON or MCN adult fishways?
We generate separate interrogation summary records for each interrogation site, including the multiple sites deployed at a single hydroelectric project (specifically, BO1-BO4 at Bonneville Dam and MC1-MC2 at McNary Dam). A "wandering" tagged fish that falls back across the dam after it was detected ascending the Bradford Island ladder at Bonneville (site BO1), can and often is subsequently detected at either or both the Cascades Island (BO2) and Washington Shore (BO3) entrances and the Washington Shore ladder exit (BO4). In this extreme case, the detections of this single tagged fish will generate up to four interrogation summary records for its upstream passage at Bonneville. If a fish ascends up the Washington Shore ladder (MC2) at McNary, falls back over the dam and ascends the Oregon Shore ladder (MC1), it will generate two separate interrogation summary records for the same Tag ID.
If you want a count of unique fish or a list of the unique Tag IDs (without the associated tag/release data) detected at one of these projects, you can use the registered tag list tools within the PTAGIS Web Portal. Create a registered tag list from your interrogation summary query results and use the Filter Duplicates tool from the My Registered Tags section of the Web Portal. Please refer to this page for complete instructions.
If you want to reduce the multiple detections of a single Tag ID at these hydroelectric projects down to the first or last detection at the project, you will need to use a tool external to the PTAGIS Web Portal. One method involves using a little known function that is available in Microsoft Excel, called Microsoft Query. Please refer to this page for complete instructions.
When I download the results of a web query into Excel, some columns have leading or trailing zeroes removed. How can I get the real data to show up?
We send web query results in CSV (comma-separated-values) format, which Excel will open and import automatically. This is usually a good thing. But for some RKM values (like 023 or 522.100) or coil IDs (like 09), Excel will automatically make those fields appear as numbers without the leading (or trailing) zeros. To take control of the import process, download our CSV file and replace the file's "csv" extension with a "txt" extension. Then start Excel and import the data file. This will trigger Excel's import wizard and allow you tell Excel what data type each column should be imported as. Import the RKM and/or coil ID columns as text and the leading/trailing zeros will be formatted correctly.
How do I prevent Excel from corrupting my old 400 kHz tag codes?
When directly importing a CSV list that includes PIT tag codes, Excel will corrupt any code consisting entirely of digits except for a single "E". Excel perceives codes with this mask as a value represented in scientific notation, rather than as a hexadecimal value. The solution to this problem is to rename your CSV list with a "TXT" extension; this will force Excel to import all of the tag codes as text. Refer to the article entitled Protecting PIT Tag Data When Importing Files into Excel on page 5 of the July 1998 PTAGIS Newsletter (Vol. 3, Issue 3).
[ Retrieve the July 1998 PTAGIS Newsletter... ]
When I try to change a filter in the query builder, instead of getting a pop-up window asking me to specify the filter, I get logged out.
This could either be a problem with exhausting available memory in your computer or your browser presenting stale credentials. When the problem occurs, check to see how much memory is available. If you don't have enough memory to open one more window, then try closing other applications to see if that helps.
If the problem is not memory-related then you should try clearing the browser cache and restarting the browser.
Some reports fail with the error 'RepletException, not found'.
I am receiving an error message most of the time that I attempt to enter hexadecimal tag data into the complete tag history tool. The following is the message I receive when I submit a data request:
Interactive Reports/New Complete Tag History.11998271313101@local could not be generated for the following reason: inetsoft.sree.RepletException: Replet Interactive Reports/New Complete Tag History.11998271313101@local not found
One of the other computers here does not have this problem.
This kind of problem may be caused by a session time out or a corrupt browser cache of your PTAGIS credentials. Either of those problems should be solved by logging out or logging in, depending on whether or not you are currently logged in. If that doesn't solve the problem, you may want to try to clear your browser's cache or restart your browser.
The queries in "My Queries" are not mine.
Your browser is probably presenting stale credentials. Try clearing your cache and restarting your browser.
How do I clear the cache in Internet Explorer?
The default configuration for Internet Explorer may cause problems when using the PTAGIS web site. We've found it helpful to tell IE to be more aggressive about clearing the cache and not holding on to old credentials. This has fixed problems for people who see the wrong queries in their "My Queries" section or are unable to change or create queries.
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How can I tell how much memory is available to my browser?
If you are running Windows, you can open up the Task Manager and watch the performance tab to see the page file usage and page file usage history graph. (Task Manager can be started in Windows XP by clicking the Start button, selecting run, and entering "taskmgr.exe") Task manager also displays kernel and physical memory. If available or nonpaged memory approaches zero, the web browser will be unable to open new windows.
Can I edit a query after it is submitted but before it is run?
I have a basic question about how the queries are functioning in PTAGIS. When a query is written and ran, does the server save the query parameters and then run the query, or does it fetch them from the saved query when it runs the query? I plan to edit three different queries today to get data from 2001 to 2006. Currently I am letting a query finish running before I edit it for the next year. If I know the query is saving the parameters each time it’s run I can get done quicker and download the reports later.
Answer:
Yes, you can edit a query immediately after submitting it for a run. Your edits will not affect the run of the original query. Whenever you edit a query, you are creating a new version of it. The version number of the query is visible in the name of the completed report, immediately before the ".csv" part of the name.
If you think you might use these queries later, you could make copies of the original query and make your edits to the copies. On the My Queries page, there is a Copy button for this purpose.
I was locked out of PTAGIS for too many incorrect login attempts. How long until I can be permitted to enter the correct password?
Our policy is to lock an account for 30 minutes after 5 incorrect login attempts within 5 minutes.
Why can't I delete a registered tag list? It just says "Failed to delete tag group" when I try.
Try using the method described here: Deleting registered tag lists
Data Anomalies
What is an "ORPHAN" Tag?
A PIT tag is categorized as an ORPHAN if PTAGIS receives an interrogation record for that tag before we receive a corresponding tagging record. When PTAGIS receives the actual tagging/release data, the ORPHAN status is automatically updated to reflect the "true" tagging and release properties. Generally, ORPHAN tag records occur when tagged fish are released directly upstream of a PIT tag detection site, and the researcher has not had an opportunity to finalize their marking data and submit those data to PTAGIS. In some instances, a researcher may be unaware that some of his or her tagged fish have not been reported to PTAGIS. In this case, the Tag Distribution and Inventory (TDI) records associated with ORPHAN tags, if available, can be used to alert that researcher to their data omissions.
What is a "DISOWN" record?
A mark/release record with a DISOWN File ID signifies that the PIT tag code was originally reported to PTAGIS in a Tag Data file, but that the tag code was removed from a subsequent version of that Tag Data file.
A change has been made to FDVL, the Field Data Validation and Loading process, to help users detect inadvertent omissions after submitting updated tagging files to PTAGIS. Before the change, when processing a tagging correction, FDVL would delete from the tag_data table any detail record that had been removed from the associated tagging file since its previous submittal. After the change, FDVL will mark each such record with a fictitious file_id of DISOWN, rather than deleting it.
Users may be familiar with another fictitious file_id, ORPHAN, signifying a PIT tag for which one or more interrogation records have been received, but no tagging file has been processed. DISOWN identifies a different sort of anomaly, a tag_data record – for a PIT tag with or without interrogation data – which has been disassociated from tag file header information stored in the database.
ORPHAN and DISOWN records are similar in that either record will be overwritten upon processing a subsequent tagging file that contains the associated PIT tag.
What is a "Duplicate" Tag?
If a tag data file contains a tagging/release record for a PIT tag that has been previously reported as tagged and released in another data file, then the second occurrence of that tag is identified by PTAGIS as a Duplicate Tag. The Duplicate Tag event is stored to the tag_dup_data table in the PTAGIS database, separate from the "true" marking and release event stored in the tag_data table. The Duplicate Tag event is hidden from reports that correlate the original marking and release event data with subsequent recapture, automated detection (interrogation), and mortality events.
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Transceiver Hardware
How do I replace the lithium battery in my FS-2001 transceiver?
Instructions to replace the FS-2001 lithium battery can be found at the PTAGIS Web Portal (http://www.ptagis.org/ptagis), on the Documents page of the LIBRARY section. Similar instructions are provided in the September, 2001 PTAGIS Newsletter (Vol. 5, Issue 1), available from the Newsletters page of the LIBRARY section. These instructions and the PTAGIS Newsletter can also be retrieved from the PTAGIS FTP server at ftp://ftp.ptagis.org/Documents/Lithium_Battery_Replacement. Note: Digital Angel now recommends replacing the existing battery with a model CR-2032 or equivalent, rather than the model CR-2016 previously cited.
How do I upgrade the firmware in my FS-2001 transceiver?
FS-2001 transceivers manufactured prior to 2005 generally are not capable of detecting the new generation of Digital Angel PIT tags. These transceivers must have their firmware upgraded in order to decode the new SGL and SST tags now commonly used in the Columbia Basin. All FS-2001 transceivers must be equipped with firmware version 5.0 or higher. The firmware upgrade packages, and upgrade instructions, are available from the Firmware page of the SOFTWARE section of the PTAGIS Web Portal (http://www.ptagis.org/ptagis).
Potpourri
How long is the antenna wire in a PIT tag?
According to the manufacturer, the Destron Fearing model TX1400SST 12mm PIT tag contains about 3 meters (9.8 feet) of copper antenna wire.
How did a PIT tag from a steelhead released from Ringold Hatchery end up in New Zealand?
A PIT tag implanted in a Columbia Basin steelhead released from Ringold hatchery in April, 2005, and subsequently detected at Bonneville Dam in May, 2005, was recovered almost two years later, in April, 2007, from a sooty shearwater chick on a small island in the far south of New Zealand.
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