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A Brief History
Sigma Eight Inc. (SEI) develops and produces state-of-the-art radio wildlife tracking equipment and systems. Having expertise in the industry dating back to 1993, we have provided services in some of the largest studies of wildlife migratory patterns, prominently fish in the North American West. We produce a range of radio transmitters, receivers, antennas, and apps that enable customers to track with ease.
Our radio devices can be fitted to nearly any animal and can be customized to almost any shape or size. Radio tracking is a cost-effective way to observe the behaviour of animals compared to other available methods, therefore enabling researchers to track large groups for a relatively low cost.
Receiving systems have also been developed to autonomously collect and send data to a centralized server, making it easy for biologists to access. Having online data also enables the researcher to see any issues developing, and troubleshoot them before they have had a large impact on the study.
We are always open to working with the wildlife preservation community and providing the most cost-effective solution for their radio tracking project, when others have said it was not possible.
Our Team
Cam Grant Founder
Cam has been involved in radio since 1978 when he was first licensed as a ham radio operator. He founded Grant Systems Engineering in 1993 as he worked on projects for Environment Canada. In 1994 Grant Systems was a full time venture with activity in remote sensing, networking, and wildlife telemetry. In 2008 he founded Sigma Eight to focus specifically on telemetry, and the company has been growing steadily ever since. Graduating from University of Toronto with a Bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering and from York University with a Masters degree in Physics, he earned the tools to begin his life-long career designing advanced systems. His interest in protecting the environment, protecting endangered species and using radio sparked his passion for wildlife research. He enjoys ham radio, camping, scuba diving, travelling, and pursuing new challenges.
Margie Regan Founder
Since 2008, Margie has been at the heart of Sigma Eight Inc., co-founding the company and expertly managing our finances and administration with a personal touch. Her genuine approach to customer outreach and keen market insights play a pivotal role in guiding our journey. Outside of the office, she is deeply devoted to her family, dogs, and friends.
John Grant Scientist
John has been involved with Sigma Eight Inc. from the beginning. He has helped the company grow and evolve throughout his time in high school and university, and now works for Sigma Eight full time. He holds a combined Bachelor of Science in chemistry and physics from Carleton University. Outside of work he enjoys speed skating, photography, camping and playing video games with friends.
Jobs
Unfortunately we do not currently have any job opportunities available. Please consult our Biotelem site for more information, resources and contacts in the fisheries and wildlife telemetry industry.
What we do
Fish and Wildlife Telemetry
Our engineers have decades of experience designing and building advanced radio telemetry equipment for tracking fish and wildlife. They have participated in some of the largest wildlife tracking projects in the world, including tracking thousands of salmon moving throughout the Pacific Northwest. Due to the difficulty of tracking animals such as fast moving salmon, or tiny bees, our products are constantly being fine tuned to provide the most reliability while remaining cost-effective.
Custom Electronics Design
If you need a custom-designed electronic device for your research project, we can provide it! Over the years our engineers have developed several new devices including specialized transmitters, receivers, dataloggers, remote RS232 switches, combiners, amplifiers, filters and more, often while working on a project for a client who required a unique device.
Let us make your life easier with our custom electronics design service. We have the in-house capability to create the schematics for your device and follow through with board production and final assembly. Initial consultation is always free, so call us to discuss your requirements today.
Custom Software
Our engineers are familiar with many different operating systems and computer languages, including Linux, Windows, C++, Java, LabView and Assembly. Consequently, we can develop custom software for PC, smartphones or embedded platforms, for nearly any requirement. If you need custom software to go along with your custom-made transmitter or other product, or if you are simply lacking the in-house expertise or resources to develop the software yourself, give us a call. We will save you time and money and get your software up and running in no time.
Some Animals We Have Modified Our Devices For:
Fish
Our Pisces transmitters are primarily designed for tracking fish, and come in various sizes suitable for different types of fish which can be implanted internally or externally. You will also be able to program and customize your tags to fit the parameters of your research and give you the best results possible. Because of our exclusive programming abilities, transmitters can be used over multiple seasons.
Birds
Another variant of the Pisces transmitter has been adapted for tracking birds and customized according to the researchers needs. For example, we recently created a tag to track stilt birds in Hawaii. It has a special attachment that enables it to fit securely on the bird’s back, and its light weight does not impact the bird’s movement.
Snakes
We are also able to create custom-made Pisces transmitters for snakes. As with any of our Pisces products, they can be programmed and customized to align with the habits of your animal. This can be particularly helpful for snakes that hibernate or slow down their activity in colder months, as the tag can be turned off while they remain dormant during the winter and activated again in the spring, saving on the battery life of your tag and giving you more value for your money. The acid resistant coating is also useful to protect the radio transmitter against corrosion and damaging effects.
Turtles
Custom-made transmitters for turtles have also been produced. Similar to snake transmitters, they can also be turned on and off in accordance with periods of slow activity or hibernation, while their strong encapsulation keeps the transmitter safe from abrasion damage. The radio transmitter can also be formed into a custom shape to fit well on the turtle, so that tracking it does not inhibit any growth.