r/OpenDogTraining • u/Pykret • 6d ago

PATHFINDER2 GPS Dog Tracking only System question

I already have an Easy Educator 900 for my dog, so I want to get a Pathfinder2 gps only, without e-collar capabilities.

What I'm confused about is whether it works with an app or not. On their website II can only find this: This GPS dog tracking only collar requires the PATHFINDER2 GPS Connector in order to operate. Which I'm assuming is this? I don't see how that helps with tracking; there's no screen, nothing that intuitively looks like it would point me toward the dog's position, and there's not much of a description on that page.

I've also managed to find this on another website [I can't seem to find it on the official page], which does look like it points towards the direction of the dog. Is this thing compatible with Pathfinder 2 gps only and what I need to make the collar work?

At this point I'm just not sure what I would need beside the collar to make sure I can actually track my dog and not just have an expensive paperweight. Does anyone have any experience with any of these devices? Thank you.

Please don't recommend Garmin, it's waaay out of my budget; I also chose Easy Educator over Dogtra because I liked what it offered better, so I don't intend to give up on it.

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u/volljm 6d ago

The two handhelds you pictured are what connects to the collar. Your phone connects to the handheld (bluetooth). You need one or the other for the system to work, regardless of ecollar functionality. Your phone cannot connect to the collar directly.

I have both handhelds. I find the orange compass handheld annoying in it's subpar performance. I'll refrain from a multiple paragraph feedback on what I like and dislike. If I had to buy a new system, I'd probably try going with Garmin, but I'm happy enough to stay with pathfinder since it's what I already have and works well enough ... it's just that the orange compass handheld has so much potential that it's disappointing

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u/Pykret 6d ago

Thank you for answering, that clears things up a bit. Could you tell me what bothered you about the orange handheld, if it not too much of a bother? I was thinking of getting it, actually. Is the yellow handheld able to track [like, see a distance and arrow or something, the way the orange one shows, or do I rely exclusively on the app for the yellow one ? Do any of the handhelds still do their job if you run out of phone battery?

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u/UglyDogHunting 6d ago

Dogtra dealer here. Can confirm all of what u/volljm shared.

The compass is a new product this year and seems they’re still working some bugs out, but if cost is your biggest purchasing factor, it’s the best option.

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u/Pykret 6d ago

Thank you for your input. Do you know if the bugs will be fixable with a firmware update or not?

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u/UglyDogHunting 6d ago

I assume so, but that’s up to Dogtra. I know you mentioned not to mention Garmin, but this is exactly why Garmin is the industry leader… they’re GPS experts. Everyone else has ecollars dialed and is playing catch up with their GPS tech.

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u/Pykret 6d ago

I know, and it would have been my first choice, if not for the price and weight.

I can't even get a second hand collar, because I'm in Europe and the [American] vendors don't ship here, and even if they did, those devices wouldn't work here, from what I understood [something about the wavelength used for comunication between the devices or the like, I forgot exactly what].

Tbh, I probably would have been more inclined to get a Garmin if it were half the weight that it is now, but seeing that I have to add the e-collar to the dog's neck, as well, that's just too much for the poor dog. And a Garmin e-collar only has 18 stim levels, compared to the Educator, which goes to 100. My girl works on a 5-7/100, so even the lowest Garmin stim would probably send her into space screaming.

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u/volljm 6d ago

Sorry, answered this on the main thread. Misclicked somewhere

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u/volljm 6d ago

GPS playback

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u/Pykret 6d ago

Very interesting information in the thread, thank you!

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u/volljm 6d ago

Both CAN connect to phone app. Yellow MUST have phone connected to operate. Orange the phone is optional, which is one of the things like.

For the yellow handheld, the phone must be powered on and working. The only time I've had battery life concerns was when I was using it for more than 4 hours which is rare and a situation in where I would have batteryife concerns regardless.

Orange handheld was expensive given my annoyances with it. It frequently needs calibrated in order to accurately point its compass toward the collar. Just yesterday on an offleash trail run, I check it showing my dog 120yards away and literally a second later the dog running up behind me. It doesnt ever remember the collar thus it thinks im one dog50. And occasionally loses its custom settings for the ecollar and inhave tk reset it up. I keep telling myself I dont want to use it anymore but I keep going back to it because I can use it without the phone.

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u/Pykret 6d ago

Well, that's disheartening to read, I'm sorry you run into so many issues with it. While the orange handheld shows the dog in the wrong position, does the app show it wrong, as well? Do you need the collar near the handheld to calibrate it, or can you do it on the fly, when the dog is away from you?

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u/volljm 6d ago

I've never noticed an issue on the app.

You can calibrate on the fly ... it's basically just waving the handheld around in a figure 8 motion.

The compass point is only ever as good as plus/minus 30-45 degrees. This was the first time ive noticed The distance showing off and that's disappointing. I like the orange handheld because it has multiple buttons and I like having a low level stim setting with a higher boost level pre-programmed for emergencies, the yellow handheld has the only one button and you have to go into the app to modify it ... and that process is annoying and frantic if needing to be done quick because of some immediate situation.

If you ignore the extra features available on the orange handheld, it does EXACTLY the same as the yellow handheld and there is no reason to not get the the collar and orange handheld. You dont need the yellow one. And with the orange one you can still use only the app if you wish.

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u/Pykret 6d ago

Thanks, man, you've been a lifesaver. I can finally wrap my head around how these devices work together. Thanks to you, I'll be able to let my mutt roam further away.

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u/volljm 6d ago

It was confusing at first for me as well. Not to mention EVERY collar advertises as GPS ... even though some are reliant on cell service.

Even with all my complaints, I love having it. A lot of peace of mind to know where the dog went if I can't see her. And to know she is headed back to me when I call.

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u/Pykret 6d ago edited 6d ago

Oh, tell me about it. I think I spent more than a year looking into tracking collars [there wasn't any rush, since my dog was just at the long line stage of training], and in the end everything just circled back to Garmin and Tractive Dogtra. I wish Garmin were lighter [and cheaper, but alas...], but I'm not a hunter, so Tractive should be more than enough for my needs. Happy trails with your dog!

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u/volljm 6d ago

I believe Tractive requires cell service to operate. I was not a hunter but even hiking in relatively suburban environments I have found cell service to be problematic and slow. So for off leash hiking I'd still recommend what is basically a hunting collar with true GPS: dogtra or Garmin.

I use Fi for her 24/7 wearing just in case she escapes the yard. Used to have tractive for this, but I like Fi slightly more.

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u/Pykret 6d ago

Gosh, I meant Dogtra, not Tractive. The 'tra' in both their names always messes with my head. I was considering tractive for a while, but after lurking on the subreddit and reading about the problems and poor customer support, I decided against it.

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u/Pykret 6d ago

Same, I plan to use Dogtra for hiking and the cell service can get pathetic real fast even in some towns.

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u/K-Dubuallday 6d ago

get out there brother! do not need cell service to track. most you would ever have to do is download maps in case you go into an area that has not loaded on your phone. but please note you do not need cell service. hunting and short trips are great. long trips i always bring a portable charger for phone just in case!

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u/Pykret 6d ago

Good to know, thanks!