Saturday, September 12, 2009

Review of Spotlight GPS Dog Collar

I tested the Spotlight GPS dog collar made by Positioning Animals Worldwide, Inc. (PAW), an innovative GPS technology company, in conjunction with the American Kennel Club Companion Animal Recovery (AKC CAR).

I was very impressed with their customer service.  I did need to call a few times for clarification on properly using the unit and the website dashboard.  They could improve their documentation is some areas.  For example, there is no information telling you how to get the battery into the unit.  Users may be tempted to pry the door off - but this will break the small plastic hinge.  On the plus-side, they sent me a new battery door right away and explained that there was a sliding tab above the battery door that eliminated the need to pry it open.  If there had been some instructions or even a small arrow on the tab to indicate that it moved, I would have been less frustrated. 

Their product tracks my dog's position to within 5 yards and can send text alerts or browser-based tracking on Google maps. Customers buy the unit and activate a monitoring service. A browser-based dashboard allows you to configure tracking preferences and other settings. Read more about Spotlight GPS Locator - the product tour will sell you on this product.  One negative I experienced was the light on the Satellite connection indicator was frequently blinking red, which is supposed to mean that the unit is not connected to the satellite.   This did not bring me the full peace of mind I was hoping for.    There were a few times I got a message when trying to track her location from the dashboard that reported a connection was not available and to try back later.  Not what I'd want to see if she were really lost.  The customer service person reported that could have been when I was testing inside a building.  Also, the unit is reasonably bulky on a sheltie.      With a 30 day guarantee, this is a product worth trying to see if it works for you.

GPS Dashboard
Gracie's Route
Images of GPS Locator in Action.  Dashboard and 2 views of the tracking - images show the route she traveled and a close up of the streets and direction traveled. 

Close Up of dog location