Tri-Tronics G3 EXP with Tracer Light

I recently purchased two Tri-Tronics Tracer lights to test and the following are my thoughts after 3 months of use:

First, they were fairly easy to install into the e-collar receivers (GP2 or GP3). I removed the collar from the receivers and took out the two screws. The unit then separates from the battery and you insert the tracer light between the battery and the stimulation unit and screw it together with the longer screws provided.  It was pretty straight forward.

The light works by setting the power level dial to “A” (Accessory) to control the light. Click any of the control buttons to turn the light to flash mode (unit flashes a quick double flash every 3 seconds), push again to turn on the light solid.  Another click turns the unit off.  The only catch is that the light must be turned off before the collar is manually shut off on the underside or the light continues flashing and will run down the battery. This really isn’t much of a problem since you clearly see that the light is on, even in broad daylight and can turn it off.

The first thing that struck me about the Tracer was how bright the light is. These new LED lights are really bright. As long as the dog is facing you and the collar is not hidden by the dog’s head, you can see the light a long way off. I didn’t test it to see how far it can be seen at night, but it has to be several miles. I liked the fact that they make it in white, blue and red, so you can run multiple dogs and tell the difference. I was also impressed at the ruggedness of the light. It is built to the same high standards I have come to expect from Tri-Tronics.

Battery life is another thing I haven’t specifically tested, but running the light on flashing mode for 5 to 15 minutes almost every day, I didn’t notice that I had to charge the receiver any sooner than I normally do. Tri-Tronics reports that running the Tracer in the constant on mode will drain the battery 40% faster than the flashing mode.

The Tracer light is nifty, but do I really need it? That is the real question to ask yourself. I guess that answer really depends on how much you have your dog out after dark. If I were running coon hounds night hunting it would be an absolute necessity. Otherwise, I guess it depends. I often take the dogs out to the back pasture for a quick run and bathroom break before putting them up for the night. I really enjoy the Tracer for this. I can easily keep track of several dogs in the total dark by watching the lights. The second way I have used this is with my big running pointer at the end of the hunt. Late in the chukar season this year I was headed back to the truck at the close of shooting hours when he disappeared. I got to the truck and he wasn’t there as I expected. I was able to remotely turn on the Tracer and in a few minutes I saw the light in the growing darkness way off. I was able to drive a little closer and call the dog over. That saved me a lot of nervous time and frustration. I could also see how it might save a dog’s life if an oncoming car could see the light and slow down to avoid the dog.

The Tracer does add 1/4” thickness to the e-collar, but I have run it on cocker spaniels up to large labs and not felt like the thickness or weight was an issue. The lights retail for $49, and can be purchased from many online sellers, including Tri-Tronics.com for $44. If you already have the G2 or G3 EXP collars, you will have to think through you need for such a product, but if you are thinking of getting one, they’re rugged and work great.

Tri-Tronics Tracer Light - Flash mode (1x/3 sec)

Tri-Tronics Tracer Light in constant mode (dog moving)

I have been using e-collars for over twelve years to train dogs and believe that when used correctly as a training tool rather than a control tool or punishment device, they can facilitate dogs learning whether they are at 4 feet or 400 yards. Two keys to their use are correct timing and using as little electricity as possible, just enough to feel it. Almost every time before I put a collar on a dog I test it on my skin. I am constantly amazed at how the placement of the collar makes a big difference on how strongly it is felt. Try placing the prongs of an e-collar on your hand shock in on a low constant setting, then move it one inch and try it again. It is surprising how different the perceived level of stimulation is.

I am concerned about how those differences affect a dog if the collar shifts around a little bit, it may be further from a nerve now and require a little higher level of stimulation, then shift closer to a nerve and be felt too strongly. I hoped that the SCG-LBM adapter device would be the solution. The idea is that you would have seven points of contact rather than just two and would therefore have a more consistent level of stimulation.  The advertising promises to revolutionize electronic animal training; dogs will automatically jump 50 IQ points and move to PhD level programs in just a day or two.

I bought one to try it out. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to make any difference. After a fair bit of experimentation on my skin and using it on several dogs, I don’t think there is a difference. It is a novel idea, that with six more prongs that it is more likely to come into contact with a nerve and therefore would only require a low level of stimulation and be more consistent. It just doesn’t prove itself out.

The other advertised feature the SCG-LBM adapter touts is that a dog can wear the device much longer without causing irritation to the skin, whether it is on a bark collar or on a training e-collar. I can definitely see where there would be less wear on a dog’s skin with more contact points. However, it won’t work with any of the three different bark collars I have (Innotek, dogtra and tri-tronics), because either doesn’t fit between the prongs, or it would interfere with the vibration receptor on the collar between the prongs.

I have used this device with both my Tri-tronics G3 and Dogtra 200 training collars. It definitely works, I just don’t see any improvement over the standard prongs that come with the collar.

I had a chance to field test the Garmin Astro 220 (DC30) dog GPS unit while grouse hunting.  I put it to the test in a variety of cover types and conditions on both flushing and pointing dogs. The following are my thoughts on the unit:

First, I am an experienced GPS user and long time fan of Garmin GPS units.  Over the years, I have owned the Garmin II+, Garmin V, Legend, Vista, and GPSMap 60CSx GPS units. Garmin has consistently led the industry with quality, accurate, durable products which are easy to use and have intuitive menu systems.  So, as an advanced GPS user and avid bird hunter, I was excited to see Garmin come out with the Astro for tracking dogs.

When Garmin came out with the previous unit, the DC20, I felt that it was too bulky a unit to be practical; you would have to use it as a backpack mounted device on the dog’s back, or use a counter-balance weight to keep it up on the back of the dog’s neck.  It was too cumbersome to be practical. With this new DC30, that changed. The unit is about the size of an e-collar with a flexible rubber antenna coming out the back. 

My first impression of the dog collar unit was that this was a practical collar that you could use in the field on your dog. The collar is solid and appears to be able to withstand some abuse from dog’s running through the brush. It turns on easily and is readily apparent when the collar is turned on or off, by the flashing red lights.  I do have a concern over the life expectancy of the small wire that feeds between the sewn layers of the collar from the unit on the bottom of the collar to the small, flat, square GPS antenna on the top of the collar. Only time will tell the durability of this critical connection.

My first impression of the handheld unit was that it would be the same great unit as the GPSMap 60 series. It’s fairly small and fits comfortably in your hand and has a fairly large screen. It has expandable memory and can be loaded with background maps for your area. One of my biggest complaints with the unit is that with all the great GPS units Garmin makes and their background making simple, sharp-looking, intuitive menu systems, they really fell down here. I think they tried to make the menu system simple; instead, they made it clunky, awkward and ugly. It takes quite a while digging your way through the unit, but all the screens from the GPSMap 60 series are there, just very difficult to get to and under a very clunky menu system.  Maybe they thought bird dog owners wouldn’t be smart enough to have a unit that did anything more than point at your dog.

However, when it came to pointing at your dog, it did so pretty well.   You can either see a compass type screen with an arrow which points toward the dog and a distance to the dog in a window at the bottom, or you can see a map of the area with your location and track and the dog’s location and track.  When we were working open country with no tree canopy overstory the unit worked very well, providing updates of the dog’s location and position (running, pointing, treed game) on a user set interval (5, 10, or 30 seconds). When we were working in sparse woodland type canopy cover the unit work fairly well and would consistently provide dog GPS locations. On the other hand, when we were working moderate canopy cover, including aspen, riparian, and evergreen (spruce/fir), the dog unit had a difficult time getting a location. I assume that this is due to the fact that the antenna on the top of the dog ‘s collar is so low to the ground and has so much cover over it, that it has a hard time seeing enough satellites.  At times in the thicker aspen areas where I was looking for grouse, the handheld unit would show the dog several hundred yards off, long after the dog had checked back and was nearby.  I assume that for hunting pheasants, quail, huns or sage-grouse in open country the unit would work very well.

The unit works really well, however, a bird hunter with fairly close working dogs will have to very carefully consider whether a $600 ($700 with maps) dog pointer is worth it. You can buy a lot of dog bells for $600. The question to ask yourself is if you really spend that much time looking for your dog. Now if I were a houndsman, or running big ranging pointers, those dogs that are always half a mile beyond the horizon, then it would an invaluable tool.  I don’t. I have close working upland retrievers and pointers. Occasionally I will spend a few minutes looking for a dog on point, or one chasing a wounded running bird, but given a few minutes, I usually find them. I certainly wouldn’t buy the unit to simply use as a recreational GPS unit; the menu system is too clunky for that.

I have heard some people say that it should have had a built in e-collar so that the dog doesn’t have to wear three collars around their neck, an ID collar, e-collar and GPS collar. My response is that you can’t have it all. Someday you’ll have it all in one. Heck, someday they’ll be marketing a robot dog that does everything your old dog could do, but better, all on a two hour charge.

Overall, I thought the system (both the dog collar and the handheld unit) were durable and worked very well. However, there were some limitations with satellite reception in moderate to heavy tree cover. For the cost of the unit, I was disappointed with the clunky, but functional menu system as a GPS unit. That said, for someone who spends a lot of time looking for their BIG running dogs, this system will prove invaluable.
Chris Colt
Cove Mountain Kennels

*photos from garmin.com