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If you own a hunting dog like a beagle or bear hound that ranges miles from you it can be hard to hear the cry of the chase especially on windy days or if the dogs are in heavy cover. In the past the full cry of the chase and barking treed were the only way to keep track of these expensive dogs. Technology in the form of telemetry was developed for wildlife biologist to help them track wild animals they were managing and studying. These small radios were placed on the animal with straps and ties that disintegrated and fell off over time. A directional radio receiver was used to pinpoint the location of the radio and the animal that was carrying it. Bear, coon, lion and rabbit hunters who loved the chase soon began to see the value of this technology allowing them to keep track of there expensive hunting dogs. The problem with this system was that this system did not tell you how far the animal was from you and in order to locate an exact fix more than one directional receiver was required. Never the less it was a great improvement and one that is still used today in many parts of the world.
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GPS technology has been around now for more than 15 years. Within the last 5 years the ability to track vehicles and people has become available to the general public. Small GPS tracking devices can be placed on just about anything including dogs. These units use cell phone technology to report the location, speed and direction of the GPS tracker. These small devices allow just about anyone to make a GPS dog Collar. GPS tracking service companies will then provide you with a real time map for the trackers location on your lap top computer or cell phone. The problem is that you do not want to be carrying a laptop with you while you walking or hunting your dog. An additional more serious problem with this system is that you cannot always run your dog in an area with good cell phone coverage. Without good coverage you cannot have real time mapping of your dog's location.
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Recently Garmin developed new technology that allows you to easily use a GPS dog collar to track your dog. The new system is called the Garmin Astro 220 GPS dog tracking system. This system is built around its hand held model 60CSX GPS receiver. The Astro 220 has all the capability of the 60CSX and in addition has a radio receiver. The DF-20 tracking systems GPS dog collar has a transmitter that sends location, speed and direction back to the handheld receiver. The unit then displays the information on a screen that can be layered with various maps including topo and street maps. It provides a compass bearing to your dog and also provides information on what your dog is actually doing including sitting, standing, running or pointing. Really pretty neat stuff. As long as the GPS dog collar's transmitter is within range of the handheld receiver you will know exactly where your dog is. Many people are reporting that the unit has a range of about 5 miles.
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All this technology comes at a cost. The base price for the Astro 220 with one collar is about $600.00 and if you have a second dog that you want to track another collar will cost and additional $200.00. However, many dogs now cost twice that and if you add in the cost of training you may find it more than cost effective. If you have lost a dog and spent time, energy and sleepless nights you may even consider the purchase of a GPS dog collar a bargain. For many people this is a small price to protect their best friend.
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James Kesel, MS is the Publisher of GPS Auto Tracker providing information on GPS dog collars and the latest GPS Tracking and Navigation systems.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Kesel
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