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I found something (loc8tor) for tracking my furballs!



 
 
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  #1  
Old April 22nd 08, 01:39 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
dgk
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Posts: 2,268
Default I found something (loc8tor) for tracking my furballs!

A few years back I was looking for a way to track the cats; some sort
of radio or gps thing. But what I found were expensive and designed
more for tracking hunting dogs.

Yesterday I was looking in a Sharper Image store nearby and in the pet
section was something called Loc8tor Plus, which seemed to be the same
idea. I went back to the office and looked it up, and it is almost
exactly what I was looking for. It was $150 online, but it was $93 at
Sharper Image. I went back and noticed that SI is going out of
business and everything was at least 30% off. Somehow I hadn't noticed
all the big signs saying GOING OUT OF BUSINESS.

So I bought the thing for $93. It has a hand-held base unit, something
that will fit easily into a shirt pocket, and four tags. Three of them
are the same, and one is a Panic tag that the user can press to get
help, but I think it can also act as a normal tag. Additional tags
seem to be around $40 for two.

Each tag comes with a loop that can attach to things, or a doublesided
sticky thing that can attach to solid objects. I found a way to get a
tag onto Espy's collar with no problem. It's lighter than the metal
tag that has his name and my phone number and address.

I just used it once, to track him in the backyard, and found him
easily. Of course, he was sitting in plain sight, but it did seem to
work as advertised.

There is no directional arrow or anything, you move the base unit in
different directions and the beeping gets louder as you go in the
right direction. Plus there is a signal strength number so the higher
it is the closer you are to the specific tag. Building in a
directional arrow would probably increase the price too much.

The Plus version which I got, also allows you leave the base on and it
will let you know if any of the tags go beyond a certain distance from
the base unit. It's called Alert mode.

This thing could be perfect for me. I allow the cats to go into my
fenced-in backyard, and during warmer weather I leave the back door
open so they can go in or out as they please. This makes finding them
sort of difficult because the yard gets overgrown by late July and I
don't know if they're inside or out. None of them have gotten out of
the yard in two years or so but it can happen. Alert mode would let me
know if that happens before I notice that a cat is missing.

Only Espy wears a collar because he's the only one that would really
put up with it, and normally I only put it on him when he goes out.
But I put it on Marlo last night and she seemed ok wearing it. In fact
it was still on this morning when I went off to work. She's gotten
calmer lately. I think I can get Nipsy to wear one as well.

Well, that's the report so far. I should add that I have no financial
ties to either Sharper Image or Loc8tor.

I plan to drop a tag in the Significant Other's pocket on our next
trip to Target.


  #2  
Old April 22nd 08, 02:11 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Bobblespin
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Posts: 121
Default I found something (loc8tor) for tracking my furballs!

dgk wrote:
A few years back I was looking for a way to track the cats; some sort
of radio or gps thing. But what I found were expensive and designed
more for tracking hunting dogs.

Yesterday I was looking in a Sharper Image store nearby and in the pet
section was something called Loc8tor Plus, which seemed to be the same
idea. I went back to the office and looked it up, and it is almost
exactly what I was looking for. It was $150 online, but it was $93 at
Sharper Image. I went back and noticed that SI is going out of
business and everything was at least 30% off. Somehow I hadn't noticed
all the big signs saying GOING OUT OF BUSINESS.

So I bought the thing for $93. It has a hand-held base unit, something
that will fit easily into a shirt pocket, and four tags. Three of them
are the same, and one is a Panic tag that the user can press to get
help, but I think it can also act as a normal tag. Additional tags
seem to be around $40 for two.

Each tag comes with a loop that can attach to things, or a doublesided
sticky thing that can attach to solid objects. I found a way to get a
tag onto Espy's collar with no problem. It's lighter than the metal
tag that has his name and my phone number and address.

I just used it once, to track him in the backyard, and found him
easily. Of course, he was sitting in plain sight, but it did seem to
work as advertised.

There is no directional arrow or anything, you move the base unit in
different directions and the beeping gets louder as you go in the
right direction. Plus there is a signal strength number so the higher
it is the closer you are to the specific tag. Building in a
directional arrow would probably increase the price too much.

The Plus version which I got, also allows you leave the base on and it
will let you know if any of the tags go beyond a certain distance from
the base unit. It's called Alert mode.

This thing could be perfect for me. I allow the cats to go into my
fenced-in backyard, and during warmer weather I leave the back door
open so they can go in or out as they please. This makes finding them
sort of difficult because the yard gets overgrown by late July and I
don't know if they're inside or out. None of them have gotten out of
the yard in two years or so but it can happen. Alert mode would let me
know if that happens before I notice that a cat is missing.

Only Espy wears a collar because he's the only one that would really
put up with it, and normally I only put it on him when he goes out.
But I put it on Marlo last night and she seemed ok wearing it. In fact
it was still on this morning when I went off to work. She's gotten
calmer lately. I think I can get Nipsy to wear one as well.

Well, that's the report so far. I should add that I have no financial
ties to either Sharper Image or Loc8tor.

I plan to drop a tag in the Significant Other's pocket on our next
trip to Target.


Does it say what the range is? Thanks.
  #3  
Old April 22nd 08, 05:30 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
dgk
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,268
Default I found something (loc8tor) for tracking my furballs!

On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:11:04 -0400, Bobblespin
wrote:



Does it say what the range is? Thanks.



Q - What range does Loc8tor have?
A - Loc8tor has a maximum range of 183 metres / 600 feet. This is
based upon an outdoor application with clear line of sight. Obstacles
such as walls, floors, cupboards and other people will reduce the
maximum range proportionately. The Handheld guides you to within 2.5cm
/ 1” of your possessions.

This is the faq page: http://www.loc8tor.com/faqs.asp
  #4  
Old April 22nd 08, 05:48 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
cybercat
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Posts: 4,212
Default I found something (loc8tor) for tracking my furballs!


"dgk" wrote
I plan to drop a tag in the Significant Other's pocket on our next
trip to Target.


Great minds. This was my first thought, kind of.


 




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