A position tracking system for Tags to collect relative proximity to other Tags using received signal strength, with methods to reduce power consumption with controlled degradation in overall system performance such as location accuracy and frequency of location updates. Configurable parameters for control of tag functions facilitate performance tradeoffs against application requirements. System architecture using mobile phone and gateway for uploading data enables efficient upload of tag data without user intervention. Applications of the disclosure include self-quarantine, contact tracing, mother-infant pairing, location history tracking, and personnel-asset usage monitoring.