RoamEO GPS Pet Locator - Using RoamEO GPS to Locate Your Dog

The pet location system offered by RoamEO can be a helpful device for anyone who's ever lost a dog. RoamEO allows you to accurately and quickly locate lost pets, using state of the art GPS technology. The handheld color LCD gives you location information in an easy-to-read format, letting you see where your pet is, and where he or she might be heading.

The RoamEO system consists of the receiver and a GPS enabled collar that your dog wears. While there's no reason the technology can't work on cats, the smallest available collar is too large for almost all cats, and a smaller system has not yet been made. The receiver picks up location information sent from the collar, including the speed of your dog, where he or she is, and how fast your pet is going. Every few seconds, you'll get another update, offering a constant stream of real time information.

Except for the GPS technology, the RoamEO is much like a normal dog collar. Just put it on your pet and activate the system to begin tracking. Unlike some other pet GPS systems, RoamEO doesn't require a membership or website access. That means that the initial cost of the device is all you are required to pay. However, RoamEO is limited to a one-mile radius from the handheld unit. If your dog leaves this area, the last known location will be shown, but there's no way to track after this.

Once the system is activated, you can track up to three dogs at once, as long as all the dogs are wearing collars. You can also create a GPS fence by walking around the perimeter of the area where your dog is permitted to be while holding the handheld unit. Once your pet leaves this area, an audible alarm will sound to let you know there's a problem. This electronic boundary is automatically stored, so it's easy to wipe it out and replace it with a new area as you choose.

Both the dog collar and receiver unit come with their own rechargeable batteries, so you don't need to buy new ones. However, these batteries last only eight to ten hours, which means you'll need to use the included AC adapters to charge them regularly. Charging takes about three hours, and can be done overnight or in the morning before you let your dog out.

The five and a half inch by four and a half inch display unit is small enough to easily carry, but large enough for information to be read without a problem. The case on the collar that holds the RoamEO GPS unit is about two inches by one inch, and weighs a little more than two ounces - not enough to strain even a small dog. This case is water resistant up to a meter in depth, making it hard for your pet to break the GPS by swimming or being in the rain.

One big downside to RoamEO is the cost. Some of its competitors are half as much as this system, at a little over four hundred dollars for a handheld unit and collar. Additional collars are about a hundred and fifty dollars each. However, these competitors require monthly subscriptions, with a commitment of at least a year, so costs are comparable in the end.