GPS Tracking Systems

Review by HMMWV:

This astro should be pointed out that its fixed many of the bugs those of us early adopters encountered (like using velcro to attach anything to a dog was mistake 1).

The early versions featured an orange “box” with a non-amplified antenna built into the top of it, plus a li-ion battery. You got a velcro harness to hold it on the dog and keep it pointing skyward. After 2-3 trips the velcro was full of hair and the antennas were being broken by anxious dogs racing through brush.

Garmin re-designed the astro and fortunately for us all we had to do was buy the upgraded collar design. The (now black) collar works the same but features an amplified antenna on top, the electronics box down below where it naturally hangs, and an improved longer antenna with better range (about 25% better in my testing)

From the top of one mountain I can now find my dog 7.48 miles away with almost full signal strength, so this really works. Getting to the dog is another matter.

The collar transmits either every 5, 10, or 30 seconds. 10 is a good value as you get about 2 days of use from the transmitter before the battery dies. 5 seconds will die in under a day (about 18 hours). These settings are made by placing the collar in close proximity to the handheld tracker and uploading them.

Finally for the radio folk the collar transmits on the MURS VHF frequencies at 2 watts digital. The frequencies are 151.82, 151.88, 151.94, 154.57 (old analog radio channel – not a good choice) and 154.6 (same as 154.57) [all in MHZ]

The 151 frequencies provide the best range near towns becuase every fast food drive through uses the 154 frequencies to talk around. These correspond to the last 2 sets of 10 channels in the Astro.

If you are wondering how they get 10 channels on one frequency, its simple – both the receiver and transmitter have GPS inside, so they know EXACTLY when a second clicks by to a great precision. They then divide a time period (1 second) into 10 parts, each 1/10 of a second long. Channel 23 for example specifies frequency 2 (151.94) and timeslot 3 – the 3rd 1/10 of a second after 0.00 seconds. Since the radio and the transmitter both know when the transmission will happen the radio tunes frequency 2 at 0.3 seconds after a second “ticks” to listen for the 1/10 second transmission from the collar.

The only problem with this is you can not put multiple collars next to each other as the receiver needs time to process the data it receives (about another 1/10 second) so if 151.94 is a good channel for you, pick dog numbers of 21, 23, 25, 27, and 29 if you have multiple dogs on one system or are hunting with another astro user. Also, you can’t have the radio tune different channels at the same time, so don’t pick dog A on channel 14 and dog B on channel 24 because their transmissions will be at the same time on 2 different freqencies.

Keeping those simple rules of separation in mind you can track alot of dogs a long ways with Astro.

Review by Paul Dobrovolskis:

The updated version of the previous 220/DC20 combo improved the transmitter unit making it hang better and more durable than it’s predecesor. The unit is rugged and durable and seems to handle rough use well. The range is very dicey. On flat terrain easily got one mile but in hilly country or thick forest this dropped considerably.

The GPS220 is the weak link in this system. It is an average GPS unit, good for a monopurpose unit. Maps are good but if I want to use My RINO series GPS/Radio and have my GPS in my car and need to put an e-collar on my dog, it’s a lot to lug around. The dogs collar does not accomodate a e-collar reciever and the GPS transmiter without getting too bulky. The 220 does not have communication ability nor does it do text to voice driving directions hence, is not useful as a standalone GPS unit in a car So If you want a high end GPS for your car you will need a second unit. I would hope garmin would have built this in and then this would be a truly universal unit. But why not make it a RINO unit as well, one less thing to carry in the field.I actually hope garmin teams up with Tritronics or Dogtra and builds a e-collar/GPS Locator.

If you want to just locate a dog and have a rudimentary GPS this is a good unit.

Review by Gadget Freak:

After reading many reviews, I decided to rate my Trackstick

The Trackstick is nothing like any of the other GPS tracking products on the market. Its software is very top rate with hundreds of different features. You can sort data, export to Google Earth (the Google Earth integration is flawless)

Because of the vast number of features, it can take some time to learn how to use the Trackstick propperly but when you do, the information you can get as a result is amazing.

The geotagging feature worked well for us when we were in Italy. It tagged every photo exactly where they were taken and showed all the ground we covered on our trip.

I recomend the Trackstick as the best GPS tracking product online at http://www.trackstick.com

This is what I really like compared to the others:

-Software is amazing

-When used as instructed, batteries last a very long time. I calculated 10 times longer than my Garmin.

-Google Earth Integration is flawless

-Great product support

-The data and time filtering is very helpful

-Geotagging with Flickr was fun for family photos.

Overall, I give the Trackstick very high marks.

Review by Booklover2354:

Telespial Systems makes some big claims in advertising for its Trackstick Mini, a passive tracking device that was introduced to the market last year. Among them, the southern California company boasts that the compact GPS unit has seven times better sensitivity than any of its other tracking systems and that it’s the longest-running vehicle tracker on the market.

In fact, the Trackstick Mini represents a complete overhaul over Telespial’s three other passive devices – the Trackstick II, the Trackstick Pro and the Super Trackstick. Set beside its predecessor, the Super Trackstick, this new device is certainly different in size, shape and color.

1. Passive GPS Technology Overview:

Those new to GPS tracking technology quickly learn that there are two types of GPS vehicle tracking devices: passive and active. Both acquire GPS signal in the same manner. The difference is in how that data is handled and viewed/read.

All GPS systems are receivers. They capture signals from satellites and calculate the unit’s location with a mathematical formula called triangulation.

If the user wants to see that location information immediately (real time), a method must be used to transmit it “live” to a computer server. A modem and cellular data technology are usually the solution. This system involves additional monthly fees.

Passive vehicle tracking systems have no additional fees, because the location data is stored in the device’s internal memory. The user later retrieves the device and downloads the data onto a PC for viewing.

Most consumers initially prefer a real-time solution. But the monthly fees – and often an annual contract – could be financially burdensome. Passive devices work equally well and are cost-effective. They also can store significantly more data than real-time units.

2. Manufacturer Claims and Model Specs:

Two important qualities in GPS tracking devices are always debated: power and signal acquisition. Usually, to get a consistently good signal, GPS devices need a clear shot at the sky. That is the case with GPS navigation devices.

Passive devices like the Trackstick Mini must prove themselves worthy in less-than-ideal conditions. Covert installation is sometimes necessary. The Telespial pitchman addresses this on the company website. The Trackstick Mini has a 360° internal antenna, so, the company says; it doesn’t need to have its face to the sky.

The Trackstick Mini operates on an internal lithiumion battery that is recharged through a computer’s USB port. The thin design of the unit and the black color are appropriate for covert placement. As an added layer of environmental protection, the Trackstick Mini includes a soft rubber sleeve that surrounds the recording device. The magnetic clip permits quick mounting on metal components. Another improvement includes a significant gain in sensitivity as identified by the manufacturer. The Trackstick Mini is supported by Trackstick Manager software. The same is being used on the company’s other passive models.

Features:

* 5-second sampling rate

* Motion sensor/vibration detector

* On/off switch

* Builtin USB port

* Magnetic mounting surface

New features include:

* Sleek, waterresistant housing

* Soft rubber boot surrounding the enclosure as added protection from the elements

* Significant gain in sensitivity (Seven times, according to the manufacturer’s website)

* Lithiumion rechargeable battery

3. The Test

The Trackstick Mini was fully charged and then placed deep under the driver’s seat of an ordinary four-door sedan. Our test involved moving it every two days to a new location in the vehicle until the unit ran out of power, all the while checking for proper signal acquisition.

The Telespial Trackstick Mini uses the same LED, located on the lower right corner of the device, for battery and GPS status. The flashing GPS status is also an indication of each recorded position. There is no way to identify the battery status of the Trackstick Mini when not plugged into a PC. The LED will flash green once every 5 seconds when locked onto a GPS signal. When the battery expires, the unit simply shuts down.

The test car was driven about 40 miles per day, for about two hours daily of wheels-in-motion recording time. After two days, the device was moved to the next position in the cycle. In every placement position, the Trackstick Mini light indicated that it had a good, continuous GPS lock. That meant it was performing well in not-the-best-of circumstances.

Eleven days after the test started, the Trackstick Mini stopped tracking due to a lack of power.

Bottom line, the Trackstick Mini worked great!