# ? best add on beeper collar ?



## skidoojc (Aug 28, 2006)

I have been running a bell and want to add a beeper to her collar. What beepers are good and bad? Thanks for your info.


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## GSP Gal (Nov 12, 2005)

I did not have good luck with the Sportdog add a beeper. I went through three a season for two seasons in a row.

Don't waste your hard earned money on these.


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## RecurveRx (Jun 21, 2004)

TriTronics beepers are awful.

I switched to a Dogtra and couldn't be happier.


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## Firemedic (Apr 5, 2005)

RecurveRx said:


> TriTronics beepers are awful.


Agreed. Just buy a Garmin Astro and you won't have to listen to that screeching noise all day. Plus, I think they make my dogs go deaf, cause they usually stop listening to me after 5 minutes......


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## N M Mechanical (Feb 7, 2008)

Lovetts:idea:


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## 2ESRGR8 (Dec 16, 2004)

Nick knows of what he speaks, Lovetts low tone is the best beeper for the grouse woods.


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## midwestfisherman (Apr 19, 2001)

Firemedic said:


> Agreed. Just buy a Garmin Astro and you won't have to listen to that screeching noise all day. Plus, I think they make my dogs go deaf, cause they usually stop listening to me after 5 minutes......


They just like to tune you out!


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## skidoojc (Aug 28, 2006)

2ESRGR8 said:


> Nick knows of what he speaks, Lovetts low tone is the best beeper for the grouse woods.


Would this be the model you speak of, Lovett's LTH low tone hawk beeper, or is the there add on beeper?


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## anon21511 (Jan 13, 2006)

Firemedic said:


> Agreed. Just buy a Garmin Astro and you won't have to listen to that screeching noise all day. Plus, I think they make my dogs go deaf, cause they usually stop listening to me after 5 minutes......


Guess GSP's are a little smarter than I thought!:lol:

I'm going to see if any more info comes of this thread, I'm in the market also. An older gentleman told me this spring while banding that Lovett's wouldn't get another penny from him, but that doesn't seem to be the prevailing opinion here. Please, lets here more info!


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## BradU20 (Jan 17, 2005)

skidoojc said:


> Would this be the model you speak of, Lovett's LTH low tone hawk beeper, or is the there add on beeper?


Either one....
http://www.dogbeepers.com/

If you don't want to run the dog with a separate collar for the beeper - get the Add On. Personally, I like the Low Tone stand alone. Since the heavier battery compartment is below the speaker it keep the collar aligned properly. 

Do you run an e-collar system? Tri-Tronics beepers are loved by some hated by others, but it is very handy to be able to control the beeper with your e-collar transmitter.


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## skidoojc (Aug 28, 2006)

BradU20 said:


> Either one....
> http://www.dogbeepers.com/
> 
> If you don't want to run the dog with a separate collar for the beeper - get the Add On. Personally, I like the Low Tone stand alone. Since the heavier battery compartment is below the speaker it keep the collar aligned properly.
> ...


I am running Tri-Tronics but it is older and doesn't control the beepers.


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## WestCoastHunter (Apr 3, 2008)

I have the Lovett's VLT. It has had the hell beat out of it and taken a few swims and still works like new.

The adjustable volume and tone is nice. Set right you won't lose your dog. At least not for long.


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## Peterson (Jun 19, 2010)

I hate beeper threads...makes me miss the Sonic.

Lovett beepers are tops...which tone you can hear best is individual to you however.

Never a hawk scream, G A annoying...no matter how many grouse they chomp, I see no reason to hear a hawk scream.
Hawk scream was a marketers idea...likely right after lunch on a Tuesday.


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## mudbat2128 (Sep 7, 2004)

After running the Astro last year I doubt I would by another beeper. Most of the time though I just went to where i last heard the bell stop and only pulled it out of the game bag if I couldnt find the dog or to get a general direction. I was pretty amazed at how easy it was to find them with out looking at it at all and on quiet day how easy it was to track the dog with out a bell at all.


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## 2ESRGR8 (Dec 16, 2004)

BradU20 said:


> Either one....
> http://www.dogbeepers.com/
> 
> Personally, I like the Low Tone stand alone.


 Me too.


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## N M Mechanical (Feb 7, 2008)

Scott what one do you have I have the add on


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## 2ESRGR8 (Dec 16, 2004)

N M Mechanical said:


> Scott what one do you have I have the add on


Stand alone models only, no add ons in my gadget box.
I have an old LT maybe it was called a LT99(?) it works great after 10 years now.
What I use daily on my one dog is the beeper trainer combo collar because I can turn the beeper off remotely with the transmitter which is a really nice feature during woodcock banding.


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## FindTheBird (Dec 18, 2004)

I like my old reliable ATS Sonic--very reliable although bulky, not to mention out of business and never came with a remote control.

I've had issues with my Dogtra 2500 (combo e-collar/beeper) but I do like the remote beeper control functionality. I usually run a bell in combo with the unit in silent mode and use the locate feature to find my dogs on point faster.

I still use my Tritronics beeper, but the damn thing is unpredictable --sometimes turning itself off, sometimes functioning for several days without a hitch.


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## OHIO VIZSLA (Sep 7, 2007)

Lovett's dual tone, it's the best! I also have the Tri-Tronic's G3, & it's the worst!


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## Rugergundog (May 21, 2008)

I really like my Dogtra beeper,ec all in one as it has the ability to turn on and off from the remote.

But i used a sportdog add on beeper with good luck for a season. I still keep it in my dog box of stuff as a back-up. I think they run about 70 bucks.


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## Tecumseh (Aug 13, 2004)

I have two tritronics beepers that I would love to sell towards getting another astro.


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## BradU20 (Jan 17, 2005)

Tecumseh said:


> I have two tritronics beepers that I would love to sell towards getting another astro.


I'd probably buy one...


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## N M Mechanical (Feb 7, 2008)

I would sell you 3 if you want a beeper that only works when there is no rain, snow,lakes/creeks, mud puddles & and hopefully there is no dew!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BradU20 (Jan 17, 2005)

N M Mechanical said:


> I would sell you 3 if you want a beeper that only works when there is no rain, snow,lakes/creeks, mud puddles & and hopefully there is no dew!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I don't hunt in the rain or the cold, and I my dogs don't like to get their feat wet...


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## N M Mechanical (Feb 7, 2008)

Remember heavy dew will shut them down also 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## dogwhistle (Oct 31, 2004)

i've had tritrroncis for years and have been satisfied with them


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## BradU20 (Jan 17, 2005)

N M Mechanical said:


> Remember heavy dew will shut them down also
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Apparently dogwhistle and I have the only quality beepers TT has ever made.
Mine are going 2 years strong, with out a glitch.


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## Firemedic (Apr 5, 2005)

BradU20 said:


> Apparently dogwhistle and I have the only quality beepers TT has ever made.
> Mine are going 2 years strong, with out a glitch.


Apparently! I have had at least 5 over the last 5 years. All trash.


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## WestCoastHunter (Apr 3, 2008)

All I can say about the TriTronics beeper is I bought one from CollarClinic. It was a refurbed unit and the biggest waste of $50.00 ever.

For one it is unreliable, sometimes it starts and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it stays on, others, not so much. 

For another I think it speaks volumes about the engineering that went into it, or lack of it, when you find threads all over the web that tell you to use such & such brand of battery with the thing because all other brands don't fit properly in it. Humorously the same info came with the manual for the thing.

Buy a Lovett's or get the Dogtra 2500.


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## BradU20 (Jan 17, 2005)

WestCoastHunter said:


> For another I think it speaks volumes about the engineering that went into it, or lack of it, when you find threads all over the web that tell you to use such & such brand of battery with the thing because all other brands don't fit properly in it. Humorously the same info came with the manual for the thing.
> 
> Buy a Lovett's or get the Dogtra 2500.


That makes zero sense.
The same instructions come with the Lovett's...



> If you use a quality ALKALINE battery, a weekend hunter can go all season using the same battery. The Duracell battery was the brand chosen when the molds were designed, therefore they fit the best.


Its not Lovett's or Tri Tronics fault the battery companies don't make a standard size 9 volt.


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## 2ESRGR8 (Dec 16, 2004)

I hate the TT beeper as well but using the standard duracell battery does help, it is 2mm longer than most other 9v batteries thus it makes constant electrical contact where the others if bounced around hard enough will make and break contact turning the beeper on and off intermittently.


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## N M Mechanical (Feb 7, 2008)

Earlier this year at a training day for the DK a TT re was there and I was asking him about why they where "Water Proof" and of coarse his answer was that they where. So we took one brand new out of the box and he was showing how it worked so I asked him to "Put it in the Lake" his answer was they are not designed to work in those conditions! So to sum the story up the rep is saying don't get the unit wet crazy
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## GSP Gal (Nov 12, 2005)

2ESRGR8 said:


> I hate the TT beeper as well but using the standard duracell battery does help, it is 2mm longer than most other 9v batteries thus it makes constant electrical contact where the others if bounced around hard enough will make and break contact turning the beeper on and off intermittently.


My new TT G3 upland exp stated the battery preference right in the package.......Didn't say why, but it is on a separate piece of paper packed with the book.

I have to say I have had great luck with mine, but this will be the first real grouse season, so we will see what happens -as I expect to put some real hours on it this year......three dogs to hunt, and unemployed.

It is really a loud thing, but with Schatzie.....its not too loud as far as she ranges. I do like the remote shut off, but to change the settings, I need to take the back off. Don't care for that in the field. I have a knack for dropping little things in the grass.


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## GSP Gal (Nov 12, 2005)

N M Mechanical said:


> Earlier this year at a training day for the DK a TT re was there and I was asking him about why they where "Water Proof" and of coarse his answer was that they where. So we took one brand new out of the box and he was showing how it worked so I asked him to "Put it in the Lake" his answer was they are not designed to work in those conditions! So to sum the story up the rep is saying don't get the unit wet crazy
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


He is going to go hungry.....not selling units. Schatzie and I run the creek and river beds, and I am sure hers has been under a few times...but not at the bottom of the lake.


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## skidoojc (Aug 28, 2006)

Well looks like Lovetts takes the cake. Thanks for all the great info.


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## WestCoastHunter (Apr 3, 2008)

BradU20 said:


> That makes zero sense.
> The same instructions come with the Lovett's...
> 
> Its not Lovett's or Tri Tronics fault the battery companies don't make a standard size 9 volt.


You're right, it doesn't. They should be able to handle any brand of battery like most other electronics on the market.

My Lovett's VLT never came with battery preferences (I may have missed this) but it has had a variety of batteries in it and it worked without fail.

I can put any brand of 9 volt in my smoke detectors and they work. I should have the same success with a simple beeper collar.


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## #8 shot (Aug 27, 2009)

I have used the TT beeper without fail for 3 seasons. And I have seen it go under water many times. But many of the guys I hunt with have not had good luck with them. At this point I would buy another if needed.


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## BradU20 (Jan 17, 2005)

WestCoastHunter said:


> You're right, it doesn't.


I meant your post made zero sense. Both TT and Lovetts recommend one battery brand.



WestCoastHunter said:


> I can put any brand of 9 volt in my smoke detectors and they work. I should have the same success with a simple beeper collar.


Do you routinely shake your smoke detectors up and down, run them under water and smash them into trees?


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## dogwhistle (Oct 31, 2004)

they are electronics so they all will give you trouble from time to time.
they tritrinica is loud , i can hear it up to 300 yrds. i've listened to some of the othersll they are so quiet they are only good for dogs that work underfoot.


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## WestCoastHunter (Apr 3, 2008)

BradU20 said:


> I meant your post made zero sense. Both TT and Lovetts recommend one battery brand.


Actually that's not true with the Lovett's VLT, they simply tell you to use a 9 volt. I can't speak for the other models (another strike against TT IMO since they have only one) since I've never used them.

However your point is taken. 



BradU20 said:


> Do you routinely shake your smoke detectors up and down, run them under water and smash them into trees?


Well no, but that doesn't mean I think I should expect anything less out of a beeper or not expect companies to be innovative. I don't think we should be forced to settle for mediocrity because some CEO doesn't want to spend more money on R&D.

Really, we shouldn't even have to have this debate. My Astro collars and e-collars are all rechargeable and there is *NO* reason why beeper collars can't have the same setup, period.


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## N M Mechanical (Feb 7, 2008)

Duracell is in there back pocket 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BradU20 (Jan 17, 2005)

N M Mechanical said:


> Duracell is in there back pocket
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Mystery solved


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## HankVIII (Mar 23, 2010)

My TT beeper went back to the factory after the first season, remote shut off stopped working. Now it works intermittently but is out of warranty. It is too big and always swings to the bottom. Has anybody tried the lion country beeper?


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## dallasdog (Nov 17, 2009)

RecurveRx said:


> TriTronics beepers are awful.
> 
> I switched to a Dogtra and couldn't be happier.


are they awful because they sound like a cell phone or do they break easily?


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## Firemedic (Apr 5, 2005)

They are just a crap design. I hunt atleast 26 days in October alone, so mine get used, abused and have their limits tested. TT beepers fail my test and approval.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## RecurveRx (Jun 21, 2004)

dallasdog said:


> are they awful because they sound like a cell phone or do they break easily?


 
They're awful for all the reasons listed by everyone already.

Mine worked fine for the first 4 months or so. Except for the locate function, that never really worked (fortunately, I had not had a beeper with locate, so I didn't know what I was missing). The remote quit working at that point. About a month after that it wouldn't turn on at all, remote or otherwise. Got it back from TT and it worked for about a month. Then more of the same. At that point I had read of all the problems guys had and I wasn't really impressed with the TT customer service I got (plus I was near the end of my warrenty), so I cut my losses. Trashed the beeper and sold the e-collar.

What I didn't like when it actually worked: Locate never was reliable. There was nothing (and I mean nothing) you could do to keep it facing up. It always slid to the bottom of the neck. It was big and heavy. The fact that it has to be unscrewed from the back to change the functions is absurd. I like being able to switch between point only and run mode. The fact that they use TINY little itty bitty screws is even more absurd. I had enough trouble not losing them at the kitchen table, much less in the truck with cold hands. 

When it worked, the battery life was great.

Funny thing, on Tuesday morning K9Wernet brought along a new guy to run dogs. Nice guy. I had to kinda chuckle though when we got into some heavy cover. I turned my beeper on as did he. His lasted about 5 mins before he was cursing it. Something to the effect of "it quit again." Any guesses as to what beeper he was using?

I'm sure there are good ones out there. But given my experience and that of 3 others I know personaly, I won't own one again.

I picked up a Dotgra T&B2002 (2 dog unit) after they switched to the 2005 for less than I could buy a 1 dog TT unit. Awesome product. My only complaint is the charge time, 12-14 hours. That said, the thing holds a charge for a rediculous amount of time. A full weekend of hunting without a charge is not uncommon. It would also be nice if the beeper could be seperated from the e-collar. This prevents its use at trials. 

I have limited experience with Lovett's. Used one at a trial and used one this morning while training. No complaints. I have also never heard of a single complaint from Lovett's owners.


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## AR34 (Jun 18, 2008)

So the Lovetts beeper would be good for say a dog that does not like to retrieve? Looks like it is about a 100 bucks. I have a Dogtra collar now but it does not have the beeper. Think they will let you upgrade??
Any way, sometimes I have trouble getting my dog off a bird. Will find it and sit with it. I just want to be able to find her faster so she will not drop the bird. I am sure she will get better at retrieving over time....:smile-mad. She seems to not like to give up her prize. Loves to hunt. just dont want to give the birds to anyone..LOL


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## RecurveRx (Jun 21, 2004)

I can't comment on using a beeper for a dog that won't retrieve. I will say though that if your intent is just to find your dog, then yes, a Lovett's is an ecellent choice. 

I highly doubt Dogtra will let you upgrade. Give them a call and let us know.


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## N M Mechanical (Feb 7, 2008)

My new lovetts came yesterday and after putting the battery in turned it on and then put it in the LAKE for thirty minutes and it kept on working
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## AR34 (Jun 18, 2008)

RecurveRx said:


> I can't comment on using a beeper for a dog that won't retrieve. I will say though that if your intent is just to find your dog, then yes, a Lovett's is an ecellent choice.
> 
> I highly doubt Dogtra will let you upgrade. Give them a call and let us know.


yea. She is the family pet too, I am not sold on force fetch YET, I am trying to let her find it. Its getting better every hunt but is hit and miss.


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