Cat GPS Collar

If you are searching for a cat GPS collar for your pet cat, then you may be looking for a long time. The reason is that making a GPS tracking collar that is lightweight enough for a cat is very difficult with today's technology.

See this article: GPS Cat Tracking Collars Can Be Hard To Find

While the receiver part of a GPS system can be made relatively small and light, the challenge is with the transmitter. To connect to a cellular network -- which is the typical way in which GPS systems can transmit their position data -- the electronic device needs a fair amount of circuitry.

Even more so, the tracking device needs ample power for the transmitter and that is where the bulk of the weight comes in. The weight of the batteries can be overwhelming for even the largest domestic cat. Can you imagine a GPS cat collar that needed 4 AA batteries? Even just a couple of AAA batteries would be a burden for most house cats.

The best alternative given the current technology is to use a radio cat collar or RF cat collar. These devices use low power radio frequencies that operate over a fairly short distances. Since the tracking range is short, they only require a small amount of transmitter power which allows the tracking collar device to be light enough for a domestic cat to carry comfortably.

There are two popular cat tracking devices that utilize RF technology. The first product is called the Loc8tor Pet. This device comes with a credit card sized receiver along with 2 homing tags. These homing tags are extremely lightweight, coming in at just 5 grams each. You simply attach a homing tag to your cat's collar and use the receiver to track the distance and direction.

The good part about this device is that the packaging is very slick and compact. The downside is that the range is quite limited. It only tracks up to 400 feet, and that is with a direct line of sight. Chances are your cat is at least a house or two away and that means there are lots of obstacles that will degrade the signal and make the tracking distance a lot less -- perhaps more like the 100ft range.

Still, for a cost effective cat tracking device often a 100ft or so tracking distance is all you need. You can still walk around with the receiver to cover much more ground so it's not like you're tracking distance is totally limited from your house.

The second product is call the LoCATor and was specially designed for cats and small dogs. This device is more pricey than the Loc8tor Pet and not quite as sleek in the packaging. The collar is operated by a small coin battery and can be easily carried by most cats. In order to increase the transmitter range the manufacturer embeds in the collar itself an antenna for stronger transmission.

The receiver is also extremely large compared to the Loc8tor Pet. It's about the size of a tissue box and has a funny looking -- albeit highly functional -- folding directional antenna. The receiver also has both a signal strength meter as well as a speaker that gives you an additional audio cue. The receiver requires a 9 volt battery to operate.

The receiver is quite "retro" with an assortment of knobs, jacks, and dials and somewhat resembles the control panel you see on metal detectors used by people searching for coins and keys at the beach.

Another big difference with the LoCATor is that it operates on the ham radio frequencies which technically means that you need a ham radio license to use the device. The user manual comes with instructions on how you can apply for one.

The advantage of the LoCATor over the Loc8tor Pet is the range. The LoCATor says it can operate up to 1 mile with direct line of site and 1 to 2 blocks in the city.

The disadvantage of the LoCATor is the price. About $50 for each tracking collar and $299 for the receiver. However, if you need the extra range in your cat tracking collar device then the extra cost might be worth it.

Overall each of these products are great alternatives to the elusive cat GPS collar which has yet to enter the market. However, it is just a matter of time before someone develops the GPS technology so that it requires much less battery power to operate and make it much more feasible for a GPS cat tracking collar.

Click on the following to learn more about the two radio cat tracking devices described above.

 

Loc8tor For Pets

Locator Pet Tracking System Transmitter Cat Collar