Watching Cats and Dogs - Tractive GPS Tracker

    Meet: this is Dranik (abbr. From Dranin).



    The once stray village cat, who now lives in a city apartment in the cold, and spends his summer vacations in the Vladimir region. Despite the fact that he is already deprived of some sexual characteristics, he loves to walk, and by the first it disappears for several days, and therefore has recently become accustomed to a GPS tracker.

    Well, on it the review of a cat so necessary on Habré is finished. And under the cut, we will briefly talk about Tractive.

    Tractive is a tracking device whose primary audience is pet owners. It hit the market just in parallel with the Supreme Court statements about concessions regarding espionage technology for personal use, but it hasand notification of the FSB. From this point of view, it is safe for owners of four-legged friends.

    Like any gadget, Tractive has its own characteristics, advantages and oddities, which I would like to briefly talk about, especially since the holiday season is just around the corner, when many get out of the apartment with their pets.

    How it works

    Tractive has a built-in GPS sensor that works almost all over the world , having agreements with mobile operators. This is a universal solution, so as not to bother with SIM cards, not to open the device to replace them, breaking the seal. As a partner in Russia, MTS.

    This decision seems justified: firstly, the integrity of the structure is really preserved, and the Tractiv has protection against water, which is right! Plus, it eliminates the thought of which operator to choose, and what to do if you are leaving, what’s with roaming, etc.

    Like any GPS tracker, Tractive provides precise control only in open space. In conditions with a weak signal, there will be an error in the room. Another thing is whether it is necessary to control the animal in the apartment? - Question. But if the cat left and hid somewhere in the attic, then this can only be understood approximately. As soon as he runs out into the street, everything will resume again with high accuracy.

    You have to pay

    for Tractive. Several tariff plans are provided for the device:

    • Base
    • Premium
    • Premium + device insurance

    The basic Tractive tariff is optimal for those who are geographically attached to one country and do not travel with animals systematically. Such a tariff offers several functions, including “real-time” tracking, but, for example, does not store the movement history.

    It will be enough just for Dranik's search: he looked where he, if necessary, shook the box with the “Whiskas” nearby and forgot.

    The premium tariff gives you access to your device’s functionality with coverage in all partner countries, history preservation and some other less useful features.



    Premium Care - duplicates the functionally previous tariff, but also includes “insurance” for the device in case of breakage / loss.

    Subscription price for a year:

    • Base: 3499 rubles
    • Premium: 4199 rubles

    You can sign up immediately for a year or two. But an important difference between the Basic tariff and the Premium is a tricky and unobvious “lafhack” with a monthly subscription - in the “one country” version there is such an opportunity, albeit hidden.

    The fact is that Tractive can be activated both through the mobile application and on the site . So, to activate the monthly tariff plan for 349 rubles, you need to start the activation process on the site . Then, having reached the choice of a tariff plan (picture above), click “NEXT”.



    Where besides two (for a year and two) options there will be a barely noticeable link “more options”. By clicking on it, you will get another option - a monthly subscription.



    It, of course, is understandable why it was done that way, but it looks at least cunning ...

    Mobile app or website?

    The principle of the tracker’s work in itself is clear and straightforward: it doesn’t seem to be paired with devices, but works “paired with a satellite”.



    Therefore, by and large, there is no difference where to view data on this. There are slight differences between the site and the application, but the main functions of tracking both work the same. The only thing worth saying is that the Tractive application is translated into Russian, the site is not.


    An example of a mobile application

    The most popular functions are brought immediately to the main screen: Live, Virtual Fence, Calendar.



    The Live function is real-time tracking. Suitable, for example, in the city, to owners of dogs who, in conditions of poor visibility, release the animal from the leash.



    Virtual fence - a sort of function to save battery, so as not to constantly use real-time mode, you can pre-set "walking areas". As soon as the pet leaves them, the owner will receive a notification.



    The calendar is the history of movements (available in the premium rate).



    Some more basic settings.

    As you noticed, firstly, you can change the map display: graphics / satellite. You can also add clarifying settings: altitude / compass, specify speed to understand how quickly you lose sight of the animal and whether to panic.



    Working with a computer

    In principle, the interface, although in English, is clear:



    Here, in the web version, you can save movements for viewing on third-party services, for example, in KML.



    To see how the cat moves around the planet Earth:



    But in general, besides the fact that the web allows you to save in the basic version of the subscription, it does not carry any value as such, of course, if you have a smartphone. For people who for some reason do not have a smartphone, this, by the way, may be elderly relatives, but connected to the Internet, a computer is the only way to watch Barsiks or Murziks.

    What kind of animals is Tractive intended for?

    We have a lot of things somehow about cats, although Tractive does not have an unambiguous address as a “tracker for cats”. The company itself on promotional materials draws different animals, including horses.



    And the user’s questions in the FAQ section answer that with Tractive they get along well with all kinds of large and small four-legged ones. In principle, this is true: there are no restrictions on which the tracker would not suit, say, a cow or a goat.

    Cats in this particular case only distinguish Tractive from competitors. Some other trackers with similar functionality are rather bulky and heavy, while others are already a ready-made collar, which really does not allow cats to wear such gadgets. Tractive is not heavy and yet not huge, in any case, personal tests showed that the cat quickly gets used to the tracker, and the gadget does not interfere with it either lick or move.



    In this sense, this device has a competitive advantage. And it is quite in demand, if you go over the same "Instagram":

    Seals










    Why does it still seem to us that this model is suitable for cats - Tractive has good autonomy. GPS is eating a lot of battery, and many trackers are dragging on a day, which is not entirely true if the cat can go away for a week.

    "Traktiv" can work up to 5 days on a single charge. This contributes to:

    • Intelligent tracking mode . This is the basic format of the gadgets: the user cannot adjust the intervals ! Tractive evaluates the animal’s mobility, and if it notices intense movements, it “tracks” more often. If the animal is less mobile, it “tracks” less frequently. This significantly extends the battery life of the device.

    • Fence. Instead of tracking at a given interval, a virtual fence function is provided here. Tracking, of course, is carried out, but again, in some mode of its own, while the owner of the animal understands where the beast is and whether it has exceeded the permissible boundaries of space.

    What it looks like Tractive The



    device has a rectangular shape with smooth edges.



    On the front side is a diode indicator, it can act as a backlight in the dark and a gadget on / off button.



    The gadget is protected from water, so it is very well connected. There are no connectors, extra holes here. Following this logic, even holes for some Micro USB have not been added. Contacts for charging on the back:



    A tracker is charging using its special clip.



    The whole kit includes:

    • Tracker
    • Two clips for attaching to a collar
    • Charging cable
    • Adapter with adapters



    The tracker does not force the owner to change an existing collar and serves as a "superstructure", which is quite practical and convenient. The clips cling very firmly, and at the same time quite easily:



    They have been shown to be serrated on the inside: the tracker sits tightly in one place, does not hang around the collar and does not slip.



    Summary The

    tracker has a subscription model, and it is quite flexible: in the basic version, which is popular with most users, you can pay the tariff monthly.

    There are no complicated settings: to connect the tracker and pay, you just need to enter the code from the box or from the back of the gadget, linking it to your account either on a computer or through a mobile application.

    The overall dimensions make Tractive universal for dogs of large and small breeds, for cats, as well as for other animals. For owners of walking cats, Tractiv may be the best solution in terms of autonomy.

    From the aesthetic side, you will not praise him or scold him: visually, he is quite simple. But the absence of any beautiful things is probably partly dictated by the need to make the tracker less vulnerable to the external environment and protected from moisture.

    The tracker itself is not heavy, has a reliable mount to the collar and will not greatly strain the animal.

    Tractive cost
    The device costs 4,990 rubles . As usual, we are pleased to offer a 15% discount coupon - TRACTIVE15 until the end of March!

    Also popular now: