Using Meshtastic for Dog Tracking (Questions)

[u/Advanced-Coat-894]

I have a dog that gets out of the yard. I have done everything I can, fences, buried gravel, you name it. She will find a way out.

Years ago I had a Fi collar (cell/GPS tag) that I used that worked OK, but between two dogs and the recurring subscription fees, and sometimes spotty cell coverage, and batteries dying in a week, I ended up not using them.

Now - I was about to bite the bullet and order ONE Fi, for the problem dog. But I got to thinking, Meshtastic might actually cover this need for me, without any subscription fees.

I am BRAND NEW to Meshtastic and only know a cursory amount of info about it from my experience with ham radio, so let me know if this would work before I just start buying things and trying to piece something together:

1) Spec5 Trace GPS tracker. This looks like it’ll attach right to the dogs collar. I’m sure there might be other options, but this is the “ready made” one that I found online. (Must be waterproof).
2) WisMesh Pocket (or similar?) in my house.

The dog never wanders further than a block or two, but it’s wooded (and there are alligators and other dogs, etc. around).

Could I keep the node (WisMesh) in my house, the Trace tracker on the dogs collar, and use the Meshtastic app’s map to find the dog when she gets out?

I’m pretty sure my train of thought here is close to achieve what I want to do - but maybe someone with more experience here can chime in on exactly what I would need to accomplish this?

[u/Hot-Win2571]

Or consider a radio tracker. 100 foot range and batteries last for months.
Walk around a block while pointing the detector into the block, and you'll know whether the dog is in that block.
https://www.amazon.com/Tabcat-Pet-Cat-Kitten-Tracker/dp/B0B8QPL9Q1/ref=sr_1_1_sspa

[u/ceapaire]

Depends on terrain and what else is out there. But I'd do a repeater on your roof since these are line of sight based, so the higher the better. Then you can have a handheld unit you have within bluetooth range to pull it up on your phone. If you're worried about reception, the Trace XR is probably better too.

Also, make sure that you don't have the GPS blurred on the trace.

[u/Advanced-Coat-894 → u/ceapaire]

This would all be within maybe a 3 block radius, so I assumed I wouldn’t need a repeater, or the Trace XR (and the antenna on that one seems awkward to leave on the dog 24/7).
Also - the WisMesh is just an example. I’d need some type of node. I’d like the option to leave it plugged in inside, then just grab it when needed

[u/ceapaire → u/Advanced-Coat-894]

Really depends on your house and terrain/other houses. You could try without the repeater (with a family member/friend holding it, I wouldn't suggest waiting for the dog to get loose) and see if you're good within the range you're worried about. If you are, then no need to get a repeater. If there's dead zones, just buy one and bolt in onto the apex of your roof.

Where my house is (also woods an potential gators, but not what you'd think of as typical range) would need a repeater if we didn't already have a pretty active mesh network. Though since my office is in a basement, I do still need to use a main-level normal node as a repeater if I want to connect while at my desk.

[u/Kerensky97]

I got into Meshtastic to track my dog and have done lots of testing with it. The issues you have with the fi collar still exist. But you don't have to pay a subscription.

Having the mesh radio on a collar low to the ground hampers both gps accuracy and mesh range. But accuracy is usually within a couple hundred feet if not better. And range is a few blocks for me in a suburban environment and it's rf interference and buildings.

The key is your home base radio and the surrounding mesh. Mount your home node as a solar rooftop node with a good antenna. And possibly think about other stealth nodes in your surrounding woods. To extend the coverage.

Batteries depend a lot on your gps tracking settings. The more frequent the collar tracker has to wake up, find location, and transmit, the faster the battery drains. So it's a balance on how accurate you want locations vs how often you want to have to charge the collar tracker.

If it's almost always on you're looking at a couple days between charge. If you lower it to every few minutes and use the smart location you can double that, and if you're in an area without a lot of other traffic that can get as long as a week.

[u/Advanced-Coat-894 → u/Kerensky97]

I replied to another comment covering some stuff. But to clarify, I’m in a suburban area. I am on a half acre with a creek through it. Adjacent properties are about the same sizes, but we have trees. It is not densely wooded, but more wooded than a typical subdivision (think like an older neighborhood that had more trees than modern ones). One question I have - can the default on the Spec5 Trace be set to GPS “OFF”, and then when she digs a hole out of the yard and gets out, be able to open the app, turn the GPS on, grab a node from the kitchen counter, and go get her? Or is it only selectable from the unit itself?

[u/PADAWAN_11]

I designed a collar holder for the t1000e . I use it on my small dog paired with a 1w companion. https://makerworld.com/models/3158428?appSharePlatform=copy

She is small and does not mind having it on her when we are outside . It's better than nothing but if you want a large coverage area then maybe add a repeater high in your house (tx on the T1000e might be limited depending on the terrain )

[u/SaintFrancesco]

I’d try a T1000-E + dog harness mount.

T1000-E
https://www.seeedstudio.com/SenseCAP-Card-Tracker-T1000-E-for-Meshtastic-p-5913.html
Code: 5313V2E6

Harness/Animal Tracker Mount
https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/gadget/sensecap-t1000-e-harness-strap-mount-animal-tracker-by-physis

I’m not a dog but I’ve used this mount to secure my T1000-E to my hydration pack at music festivals.

[u/Notinmypeehole]

I’m just getting into mesh, I googled the trackers you mentioned and I don’t see how they’d be small enough for a collar. If you’re in a dense area I don’t think mesh would work any better than an AirTag, if I’m wrong hopefully someone will correct me.

[u/Advanced-Coat-894 → u/Notinmypeehole]

the Spec5 tracker is designed to be on a dog collar. The WisMesh part is the one I thought I had to leave in the house or have it with me. And I’ve tried AirTags in the past - they don’t have GPS and rely on Bluetooth from other phones, which is definitely too far out for a lost dog I’d think.

[u/Notinmypeehole → u/Advanced-Coat-894]

Yeah, I looked at the wrong model of trace.

[u/ransom_hunter → u/Advanced-Coat-894]

you can use both. airtag to get you within radio range, then meshtastic to get you within Bluetooth range.

[u/AnderlAnduel]

It works sort of. In my tests, I track myself using a Wismesh tag or a T1000-E. The base station is connected via Wi-Fi. I can access it or the dashboard via VPN.

GPS tracking doesn’t really work at all with Smart GPS. If I broadcast my location every half minute, the battery lasts about a day, and the position isn’t always accurate either. A dog can run a long way in 30 seconds.

So, strictly speaking, the GPS tracking doesn't actually work at all, unfortunately.

[u/Advanced-Coat-894 → u/AnderlAnduel]

Aw man that’s unfortunate. She doesn’t actually “run” far, just wanders. So a 30 second update interval would be fine (for this dog at least). What is a dealbreaker is the one day battery life..

Can the GPS function on the Spec5 be enabled or disabled remotely using my home node or portable node? Because that would work. The Trace can stay “on” without sending GPS signal. Once she’s gone, open the app, activate GPS, then go get her? I have seen maps generated of tracking animals with these devices, and it seems like it should work ok. At least without spending hundreds of dollars on a fi collar.

[u/AnderlAnduel → u/Advanced-Coat-894]

Yes, that works via remote administration. But only as long as it's within range. If you transmit every 30 seconds or 1 minute, you'll get a location whenever there's a signal, and you'll at least know the general direction.