Tagg GPS Pet Tracker - Dog and Cat Collar Attachment

We bought it in September 2013, so I feel like I'm in a good position to give a fair and (relatively) unbiased review at this point. )br>First and foremost, we have never had more than two people in our group. Despite all assurances, the battery life is only three days. And yes, it is in a great location, has good reception and the dog stays in the home zone 80% of the time. As well, it is never exposed to water and we keep it% br>This was a minor annoyance, but it was well worth it because it saved our German Shorthair Pointer's life after she became scared, fled, was hit by a car, and continued on for several miles. br>Because tracking takes three minutes, a fast dog (like ours) can cover a lot of ground in that time, and we couldn't find her until she passed out from exhaustion. Tagg, on the other hand, deserves credit because without him, we would not have discovered her. br>However, she has gone adventuring on several other occasions and has never notified us, or has only notified us 15 times. After she had left, it was 20 minutes later. br>Because of the battery's limited capacity, there have been times when a 50-watt light bulb was used instead. The 60% charge it dies while trying to track her died while trying to track her died while trying br>This was our first year, and while the limitations were frustrating, we were grateful to have a tracking system. br>However, in the last six months, our rating has dropped from four to one star. br>Our tracker died literally the week before the warranty ran out. "Too bad, your previous warranty, you can buy a new one for $99," said one unhelpful customer service representative. Thankfully, after a second attempt, we were able to speak with a helpful representative, and a refurbished tracker was sent out a week or so later. br>The new one's battery life was still only two days, and it died a month later. (By death, I mean no notifications, tracking, charging, or anything else. ) )br>It took several calls and emails to get any kind of customer service, despite their assurances that they would respond within 24 hours. It's been 72 hours, and nothing has happened. However, after two and a half weeks of patient persistence and troubleshooting, I received a new tracker. This tracker lasted a blissful 3 months (with $13 in shipping). br> And then he passed away. I called customer service again, and the guy was nice, and we went through all the troubleshooting (hey, we know the routine; I tried to update it before calling in), and he said, "This will have to be upgraded to our technical team. " In 24 hours or less, you will receive a response. br>"72 hours"br>"5 days"br>"72 hours"br>"72 hours" There has been no response yet. br>So, what's the conclusion? It's a good idea. Customer service is terrible. br>We paid for a tracker and monthly service, and by the nature of the product, customer service should be MUCH more time sensitive! Out of the 18 months we've paid for, there's been at least 6-months of no response! Due to a faulty product and extremely slow company response, our dog has been (and continues to be) unprotected/untracked for the past 8 weeks. Toss in a buggy product with a small set of controls. I hate to say it, but I'd avoid it and look for something else. br>Hopefully, now that this company has been purchased by Whistle, they'll take note of these issues and make changes as needed. Otherwise, they've lost not only me (as a potential) loyal customer, but also my referral to others.

Richard Kelly

| Jul 16, 2021

Because current GPS/Cellular technology is slightly too bulky for cats, a volatile Memory tracking device is needed. It's cheap enough to get rid of, and it's more ergonomic for smaller animals. **
br>The unit appears to be more ergonomic than other units on the market right now. The unit initially performed poorly, and it was only after a week of working with technical support that it began to function correctly and as expected. (ie. Firmware not taking after a bad update )br>br>Notes on the Hardware of the Unit:
- The cellular/mobile and GPS hardware are most likely housed in the removable tracking device.
- GPS antennas are likely to be found inside the dark grey flexible rubber wings.
- The base charging unit could have a radio receiver, but I doubt it because of the charger base's light weight, and I won't know unless I open it, voiding the warranty.
- While your tracking device is docked, changes made to the safe zone in your network browser appear to be uploaded to your tracking device. (I believe the docking requirement is to ensure that the device is connected to a reliable power supply. ) )
- The tracking device's cellular/mobile phone hardware then most likely makes calls to Pet Tagg's servers and relays messages to them. Messages are then filtered further until they reach the intended recipient. Rather than sending longitude and latitude coordinates via email, the user can use other well-known routes. TIP: If you're looking for a unique way to express yourself, try using the words "innovative" and "paraphrase. " When attaching the tracking device to a pet collar, the tracking mount is placed on top of the collar and a rubber strap is wrapped around the collar to secure the tracking mount. After that, the tracking device is attached to the tracking mount with a snap. To take the tracking mount off the pet collar, pry the rubber strap from the back of the collar with a flat screwdriver, effectively stretching one end of the rubber strap up and over the lip. The rubber strap is easily removed once you've gotten this far. The accompanying instructions and diagrams do not adequately instruct users on how to complete this task. TIP: If you're looking for a unique way to express yourself, try using the words "innovative" and "paraphrase. " To account for the extra weight of the device, use two breakaway collars for cats, with the weight for breaking one notch above your pet cat's selected weight. However, I'm neither a veterinarian nor a lawyer, so don't hold me responsible if your pet cat gets hung-up. somewhere in the sky (I attempted to use the recommended weight setting with the two collars previously, but they were easily torn free of the cat. ) If you're in an area with a lot of thorns and weeds, I wouldn't recommend using the black protective cloth cover that came with it. Weedy thorns will effectively trap your pet cat until the device is torn free or the collar is broken because cloth material is easily snagged and caught on thorns. br>br>PROSbr>1) Following the manufacturer's manual (forced? Following a purchase sometime in May 01-02, ) pushed a firmware update. The location coordinates improved from being more than 200 feet away to within ten feet on May 15, 2015. 20 feet. If the device is lost with the collar attached and is laying atop brush, the coordinates are just about good enough to locate it. br>2) To date, the most ergonomically designed device for pets. br>3) Excellent technical support (if you can stand the occasional 20-minute wait). Hold times of 30 minutes. br>4) I discovered that when my pet cat "Kit" goes on nighttime mouse hunting expeditions, he travels over 3/4 mile! He could complete the journey in less than five to six hours. br>br>CONSbr>1) Still too big and bulky for cats, even those weighing ten (10) pounds or more. And the larger the object attached to the cat, the more likely it is to get lost, which means you'll be trespassing on other people's property to reclaim the lost tracking device. Trees and shrubbery will also encourage the device to get lost. Veterinarians strongly recommend that cats wear a breakaway collar. The chances of the device being torn-up would be half as high if it was half the size. off would possibly reduce by 70%. Needless to say, he misplaced his tracking device and collar near a rural yard surrounded by No Trespassing signs and a pack of very large dogs. I was fortunate in that I was able to retrieve the device because I am familiar with the people who live there. Because of all of these issues, I would only use the device once every month or two months if I kept it, which is not feasible due to the monthly service costs. br>br>2) During after-work and after-school hours, the Pet Tagg JavaScripted mapping software slows down. br>br>3) The (proprietary) mapping software does not use Google Maps or simply emails text longitude or latitude coordinates, nor does it email any useful information! (MapQuest is used in the mapping software, and it has a lot of features. ) maps that have been out of date To view any coordinates or information, you'll need a computer and a network browser that supports JavaScript. Furthermore, the coordinates sent via HTML layers are embedded within JavaScript requests, making it even more difficult (or impossible) to see the coordinates using a software parser (wget or curl). Another great example of great hardware and/or engineering being ruined by poorly engineered software, or software designed with the manufacturer in mind rather than the end user in mind. Give end users the option of receiving text-only emails that only contain the longitude and latitude coordinates as a fix. Users can then use their EMail client to parse incoming emails for other purposes. whether for logging purposes only or to implement commands based on longitude, latitude, or status br>br>4) To use the Locate and Track commands, you'll need a network browser that supports Javascript. (Refer to comment #3. ) ) Allow end users to send simple text EMail locate and track commands once again. (SMS phone text messages are the only way to do this on a cell phone. ) ) There should also be commands for checking battery status and so on; in fact, this feature is almost certainly already present; it's just that the manufacturer has blocked and disabled it. (ie. 3. See the previous comment. )br>br>5) There are no debugging methods available to the end user. Apart from a few blinking lights telling you when it's in track or locate mode, or if the battery is dead, the end user has no idea if the unit is taking firmwares properly, or if the unit is functioning as expected on your end. (Once again, the only way to see the exact battery status is to use a javascript browser! ) I'm not even talking about my Amazon account. There is a debug key word on the com Kindle device that activates debug mode for end users to diagnose mobile phone connection issues or other issues. br>br>6) There are no published hardware specifications for this hardware. We don't know if the base contains a radio device, but the features suggest that it does. The tracker's GPS and cellular/mobile hardware are almost certainly present. So, we have no idea what the advice from technical support about keeping the charger near a window does other than provide a stable power supply to the tracking device while it charges. (Eh, some tech support from other manufacturers these days says that to get better reception, we should put one finger in one of our ears while holding the other hand higher. ) Unless we disassemble the hardware, we're basically incapable of troubleshooting it ourselves. )br>br>7) Another issue is that the tracking device/unit hangs below my cat's throat when worn on the collar, rather than being positioned on the back of his neck as shown on the manufacturer's website. To my cat, it's not a big deal, but he prefers not to wear the device over a plain collar! br>br>8) I'm getting a lot of false notifications (EMail only, no SMS) claiming the tracking device is outside the home designated area when it's actually inside near the charging base. It appears to be a problem with the manufacturer or service server, or the GPS unit is simply losing signal, causing the device to call for help. out. I don't believe it's possible to avoid this unless the tracking device is properly installed on the base when it's at home. br>br>9) The black cloth protective cover for cats should most likely be made of leather, plastic, or another material that will not be snagged by weeds or thorns. We have a lot of large, thorny weed brush where I'm currently working. These thorns will easily hook a ten-pound or larger cat, just like fish hooking. I don't think a protective cover is necessary for cats because the tracking device is already quite tough and protected by hanging beneath the cat's head, as well as cats' aversion to wandering through wet areas. br>br>The following three items are included in the above list. Four of the disadvantages are truly inexcusable, and point to companies profiting solely from proprietary technology while exploiting customers. Nobody should be imprisoned or blacklisted for using a product for legal purposes. mailed into purchasing more cell phones with the XYZ feature I reduced my rating from three stars to two stars because I was unable to receive longitude and latitude coordinates (as well as issue other commands) via simple text EMail. br>br>I'm returning the device not only because it's too big for breakaway cat collars, but also because there aren't any text emails with longitude and latitude coordinates! I would have kept the unit if it had one of the features mentioned above. Hopefully, they will be able to incorporate both of these features in the near future, or else this device will become just another piece of hardware that will break down in the near future.

Ensley Mora

| Dec 28, 2021