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Pet tracking collars
After hearing Smudge's story, and its wonderful conclusion, I was
wondering if people had any opinions about pet tracking collars. I've noted at least two: http://www.scottcountry.co.uk/produc...productID=1160 http://www.thecatlocator.com The LoCATer sounds like the better system, having a longer battery life, less bulky collar, and a litle less expensive, but a little less range. About $50 for a collar and $200 for a receiver, and $20 for a pack of 12 (a year's worth) collar batteries. I wonder if they could make a product like this using transponders (similar to pet ID chips). I remember hearing years ago about how they tagged butterflies with transponders to track them. Light, rugged, and doesn't need batteries for the tag, but limited in range, I think. |
#2
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Pet tracking collars
On 2006-07-01 20:02:35 -0500, Takayuki said:
After hearing Smudge's story, and its wonderful conclusion, I was wondering if people had any opinions about pet tracking collars. I've noted at least two: http://www.scottcountry.co.uk/produc...productID=1160 http://www.thecatlocator.com The LoCATer sounds like the better system, having a longer battery life, less bulky collar, and a litle less expensive, but a little less range. About $50 for a collar and $200 for a receiver, and $20 for a pack of 12 (a year's worth) collar batteries. I wonder if they could make a product like this using transponders (similar to pet ID chips). I remember hearing years ago about how they tagged butterflies with transponders to track them. Light, rugged, and doesn't need batteries for the tag, but limited in range, I think. I almost think for a cat you would have to have something implanted. Seems like that should be possible. I think it would not even have to be a big range. MOST cats are within 3 blocks when missing (my vet told me anyway). Look at Smudge, she wasn't far at all. |
#3
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Pet tracking collars
"Takayuki" wrote in message ... After hearing Smudge's story, and its wonderful conclusion, I was wondering if people had any opinions about pet tracking collars. I've noted at least two: http://www.scottcountry.co.uk/produc...productID=1160 http://www.thecatlocator.com The LoCATer sounds like the better system, having a longer battery life, less bulky collar, and a litle less expensive, but a little less range. About $50 for a collar and $200 for a receiver, and $20 for a pack of 12 (a year's worth) collar batteries. I wonder if they could make a product like this using transponders (similar to pet ID chips). I remember hearing years ago about how they tagged butterflies with transponders to track them. Light, rugged, and doesn't need batteries for the tag, but limited in range, I think. It is really a tough call to decide how much range you need. I'd guess most cats never go more the a quarter mile from where they start out. Distance dogs however, like my brother's Husky are likely to be many miles away within an hour. Jo |
#4
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Pet tracking collars
Takayuki wrote:
http://www.scottcountry.co.uk/produc...productID=1160 http://www.thecatlocator.com The LoCATer sounds like the better system, having a longer battery life, less bulky collar, and a litle less expensive, but a little less range. About $50 for a collar and $200 for a receiver, and $20 for a pack of 12 (a year's worth) collar batteries. I was really wishing I had something like this when Smudge was missing. I watch plenty of nature shows, where scientists put these collars on mountain lions and so forth, so I know that felines can live with them. I agree the the LoCATer looks a little better - the collar on the other one looks much to bulky. It's a bit pricey for me right now, but it's worth considering. Smudge already wants to go out again, the crazy cat! (I'm keeping her in for a while, though, until she's feeling a little stronger, and I would like to get her microchipped, too.) Joyce |
#5
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Pet tracking collars
Karen wrote:
I almost think for a cat you would have to have something implanted. Seems like that should be possible. I think it would not even have to be a big range. MOST cats are within 3 blocks when missing (my vet told me anyway). Look at Smudge, she wasn't far at all. I'd guess that the range that you could get with a transponder would be a block or half a block. Maybe good enough to find a cat. The radio collars apparently have a maximum range of over half a mile, although that extreme range I assume would need almost a clean line of sight. I don't know if it would be practical today to have implantable transponders with that range, because they need antennas to get their increased range. Even with the butterflies, they needed an antenna on the transponder that was an inch or so long, but it didn't bother the butterflies because the wire was light and thin. I use one of those transponder ID badges at work, and I once had one stop working, except at extremely short range. It turned out the wire inside the badge (a loop of thin copper laid flat inside the card) came loose from the chip. |
#6
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Pet tracking collars
"Jo Firey" wrote:
It is really a tough call to decide how much range you need. I'd guess most cats never go more the a quarter mile from where they start out. Distance dogs however, like my brother's Husky are likely to be many miles away within an hour. I think the first one is more for dogs, being larger and more powerful. I can just imagine how far a husky can run off, considering how long they can pull a sled. |
#7
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Pet tracking collars
Takayuki wrote:
After hearing Smudge's story, and its wonderful conclusion, I was wondering if people had any opinions about pet tracking collars. I've noted at least two: http://www.scottcountry.co.uk/produc...productID=1160 http://www.thecatlocator.com The LoCATer sounds like the better system, having a longer battery life, less bulky collar, and a litle less expensive, but a little less range. About $50 for a collar and $200 for a receiver, and $20 for a pack of 12 (a year's worth) collar batteries. I wonder if they could make a product like this using transponders (similar to pet ID chips). I remember hearing years ago about how they tagged butterflies with transponders to track them. Light, rugged, and doesn't need batteries for the tag, but limited in range, I think. I used to translate the webpages of a project that tracked Ospreys via satellite. They had solar-powered transmitters to strap on the ospreys' backs. That would only work outside, but most cats that get lost get lost outside, I would think. Maybe the battery would retain enough power even if the cat was inside, like Smudge was. (If you want to read more about them, it starts he http://www.fmnh.helsinki.fi/english/...reys/index.htm) -- Marina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki. Stories and pics at http://koti.welho.com/mkurten/ Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki |
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Pet tracking collars
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#9
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Pet tracking collars
Marina wrote:
I used to translate the webpages of a project that tracked Ospreys via satellite. They had solar-powered transmitters to strap on the ospreys' backs. That would only work outside, but most cats that get lost get lost outside, I would think. Maybe the battery would retain enough power even if the cat was inside, like Smudge was. (If you want to read more about them, it starts he http://www.fmnh.helsinki.fi/english/...reys/index.htm) Thanks, that's interesting, and those are about the most beautiful birds I've seen. They don't seem to talk all that much about it, but it must be some interesting technology they're using, if they can make a lightweight transmitter that's both energy efficient and allows satellite tracking. |
#10
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Pet tracking collars
"Takayuki" wrote in message ... "Jo Firey" wrote: It is really a tough call to decide how much range you need. I'd guess most cats never go more the a quarter mile from where they start out. Distance dogs however, like my brother's Husky are likely to be many miles away within an hour. I think the first one is more for dogs, being larger and more powerful. I can just imagine how far a husky can run off, considering how long they can pull a sled. And add to that that they tend to run in a straight line. Any other dog will circle and stop to investigate things, etc. Jo |
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