Remember the Mercedes that the Boston Marathon bombers carjacked? Turns out that the police tracked it using GPS after the carjacking victim managed to escape and alert authorities. I saw this tweet last Friday, but wasn’t able to confirm it at that time: Authorities tracked the carjacking suspects to Watertown thanks to anti-theft system in read more The post Boston bombers were tracked by GPS appeared first on GPS Tracklog .

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Boston bombers were tracked by GPS

Today marks the beginning of the annual National Championship for Bird Dogs, held every year at the hallowed Ames Plantation outside of Grand Junction, Tennessee.  For bird dog, field trial, and hunting enthusiasts, it's the biggest two weeks in the sporting dog world, pitting nearly 40 of the nation's top dogs against one another.

For the uninitiated, pairs of dogs are released in one-hour "braces," where they are tasked with finding as many quail coveys as possible.  Of course, the number of "bird finds" is important, but so is the style that each dog exhibits while coursing over the 6,000 acres of open fields, hardwoods, and pine trees.  The dogs' handlers chase these big-running English pointers and English setters on horseback, followed by a gallery of hundreds of spectators, also on horseback.  It's a stately procession, one that's been repeated at Ames since 1915.

Of course, Garmin is a big supporter of the National Championship, by providing Astro GPS tracking systems for the dogs, in case their handlers lose them and are no longer eligible to compete.  The winning owner and trainer also receive Garmin and Tri-Tronics gear.  We're also very active in the the Bird Dog Foundation and the National Bird Dog Museum, which help preserve the tradition of field trials with sporting dogs.

You can follow along with a brace-by-brace synopsis here.  And for those of you wanting another fix of bird dog and bird hunting action, come visit us at the 25th annual Pheasant Fest, hosted by Pheasants Forever, on February 15-17 in Minneapolis.  Garmin's gone to the dogs!

Source: Garmin
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It’s the 2013 National Championship for Bird Dogs – And Garmin is There

Is GPS tracking of guns possible or practical? Ever since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary, I’ve been seeing proposals calling for  GPS tracking for guns . I don’t really see how this would work, since GPS tracking systems require a power source and a transmitter. Basically, it would be up to the gun owner to make sure the system was always charged, and anyone up to no good would likely let it drain down or disable it. We’re pretty much talking about turning firearms into an electronic device. Can you imagine what retrofitting existing firearms would look like? Clearly many of the folks proposing this don’t have much of a clue about GPS technology. A workable alternative: RFID tracking Yet there is another option that requires no power source, and would add almost no weight or bulk to a weapon – Radio frequency identification (RFID) . These are the tags that trigger alarms when a shoplifter walks out of a store with merchandise. They only have a range of a few meters, but sensors could be set up at entrances to schools, theaters, public buildings, etc. Apart from the politics of it, this still leaves the issue of existing devices. And while I’m sure the technology could be circumvented, I also know that there are folks being caught committing crimes while wearing GPS tracking devices. Clearly, there are plenty of criminals and deranged people who don’t think things through. RFID tagging would no doubt help prevent some senseless tragedies. Image adapted from kcdsTM , Creative Commons license The post GPS tracking of guns appeared first on GPS Tracklog .

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GPS tracking of guns

BluTracker Bluetooth 4.0 GPS tracking app This is interesting – a GPS tracking device that uses Bluetooth to report it’s location. Surprisingly, it’s got a 1/2 mile range! It uses Bluetooth 4.0  (AKA Bluetooth LE), so it may not be compatible with your current phone, but that’s okay because it isn’t out yet . Still, there’s enough of interest to warrant discussing it, and the company has a good track record of bringing products to market . The BluTracker will include a SiRFstar IV GPS chipset, motion detector and two month battery life. It doesn’t record coordinates; it just provides a way to track down things short distances. Hmm, like geocaches. As a matter of fact, it’s already been postulated that their StickNFind product  might be useful in geocaching , although objections were raised , and I’m betting this one may also need to be paired to a single smartphone. Still, the possibilities are interesting to imagine. Check out their video for more info: Blutracker from Bouncewave on Vimeo . Here’s the full news release . The post BluTracker – Bluetooth-based GPS tracking device appeared first on GPS Tracklog .

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BluTracker – Bluetooth-based GPS tracking device

Even bales of hay are being tracked by GPS these days! It seems like GPS tracking is finding its way into everything these days; even so, I was a bit surprised to see this story about a GPS tracking device being used to nab hay bale thieves . I guess I shouldn’t be shocked, what with the US drought spiking hay prices to as much as  $250/ton , which a single round bale can weigh. Given that, hay theft is apparently becoming  rampant . So a big congrats to Sheriff Bobby Whittington for using modern technology to nab the bad guys. And FWIW, in case you have valuables lying around the field, yard or construction site, here’s a great holiday deal on the Garmin GTU 10 GPS tracking device , the best price we’ve seen. Here’s our review . Image via Darren Shilson ; licensed via Creative Commons

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GPS tracking of… hay bales!

Just in time for the upcoming hunting season, we're introducing Alpha, a fully-integrated tracking and training system for hunters and their sporting dogs.  The Alpha features robust GPS tracking with built-in topo maps from Garmin and proven electronic correction from Tri-Tronics.

With location updates as frequent as every 2.5 seconds, the Alpha tracks and trains as many as 20 dogs up to nine miles away, depending on terrain.  Pre-loaded with topo maps for the entire United States, Alpha features a three-inch, glove-friendly touchscreen display that’s easy to view in bright sunlight.  The touchscreen allows hunters and trainers to configure their setup to their specific needs, yet it displays only the relevant information necessary to accomplish a task.  Three dedicated buttons above the touchscreen allow for “always-there” correction, if needed.

Check out the Alpha in all of its awesomeness here!

Source: Garmin
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Garmin and Tri-Tronics Throwdown: Track and Train Your Hunting Dogs with Alpha