Dog GPS tracker. Anyone have one?

[TableLeg]

25 minutes ago, Ian Kinder (Bagpuss) - Joint Peak District AO said:

Is this any good: https://www.weenect.com/en/gps-tracker-for-dogs-weenect-dogs.html

 

Thanks Ian,

Looks good but as with many of them for what I want to use it for I'd need to know somebody else has used it in the same situation (woodland).
The details say this:

White zones

It’s important to remember that there are white zones that exist, where the 2G network is particularly weak, which prevents our trackers from working properly. Forest and countryside areas are more likely to be white areas.

To find out if this concerns your area, simply check if you get phone network signal there (if you don’t, is there a telephone operator that performs better than yours in the area in question?); if not, our trackers will likely have connection issues in your area.

[dhutch]

I guess all GPS trackers need to see the sky (for location) and another device (to tell them about it) to work.

 

-Either a wide area wireless signal such as gprs/2g which will have some form of cost to use, subscrition or payg sim.

-Or direct to another device you own, which is then going to have a cost to purchase and range limitations. 

 

Facebook keeps showing my a small octagonal tile I can attach to keys or hide in my car and track it, presumably for security rather than spying, but I have no idea what the cost of rural performance would be.

 

Obviously every woodland is different it could work great in a nice forest in Cheshire, flat and high population, and awful i leafy Devon, or the other bl**** way round!

 

 

Daniel

[TableLeg]

27 minutes ago, dhutch said:

Obviously every woodland is different it could work great in a nice forest in Cheshire, flat and high population, and awful i leafy Devon, or the other bl**** way round!

Yes that's exactly why I posted thus question, in the hope that somebody may have tried some of these devices specifically in woodland and could recommend or not what they've tried.

[TableLeg]

15 hours ago, Exitus said:

A mate of mine uses a Garmin one, mostly for working dogs. Doesn't need a subscription or phone signal as it works with a radio signal from a collar to a handheld unit up to about 10 miles. He swears by it, says it's excellent.

 

Downside - one collar plus the handheld are about £700!

I suspect this may well be the best solution but at £700 I could just buy a new dog (joke!).

 

I'll see if there's any radio type devices that are cheaper.

 

 

[dhutch]

Tree dont create much issue in terms of signal, its hills/valleys that block it, and or rural area with lower mast density.

 

You can see if any given network has coverage by taking your phone there and seeing what is says. If it has 3/4g it will almost certainly have 2g but you can also lock it down to 2g/gprs. If you have someone elses phone on another network you can check that too.

 

Else you just have to get one and see. Post back here!

 

 

Obviously hypothetically in a situation where the dog is lost and not coming back when called, knowing the location might allow you to recover them. In practice in order to keep them safe from other dangers, mainly cars, in my experience they are basically alway close enough they come when called and or to a whistle.

 

Daniel 

[dhutch]

Another thread on a simular topic.

 

 

Simple wired in tracker - are they ok and which SIM to install?

https://forum.wscc.co.uk/forum/topic/137538-simple-wired-in-tracker-are-they-ok-and-which-sim-to-install/