[ryan]

Has anyone here ever tried to track where your pigeons go on a day by using gps tracking devices? i am looking for some but they are too big for a bird and too heave like 3 pounds.
so if you know any info about it it would be great ...
thanks

 

[Keith C.]

Search some of the falconry supply sites.
Many falconers keep GPS equipment on their falcons and hawks, because the birds can be extremely expensive if purchased and not trapped from the wild and they can get lost extremely quickly.
The equipment is not cheap, but works well.
Keith

 

[A_Smith]

www.pigeontrack.com

 

[george simon]

Spend your money on a good electronic timer, and forget where the bird has been, once the bird is released he is on his own and you have no control of him until he hits the landing board.GEORGE

 

[RodSD]

Here is one: http://www.pigeongps.com/index-en.htm
It doesn't weigh a pound.

 

[george simon]

Well there is one thing for sure if a hawk nails your bird at least you will know where the hawks nest is.GEORGE

 

[RodSD]

George,

This gps device kind of still sucks. It is not a locator device or some form of transmitting device. It goes like this: You put the device on the pigeon, turn it on, then fly the birds. You are not really tracking them! When the bird comes back, you get the device off and download the data. Then you use their software and plot the graph. You can then use google earth to plot your data as well. As you can see, if the bird gets hit by a hawk, then the device can't be located at all. It is not like radio transmitters they use for tracking other animals.

 

[george simon]

George,

This gps device kind of still sucks. It is not a locator device or some form of transmitting device. It goes like this: You put the device on the pigeon, turn it on, then fly the birds. You are not really tracking them! When the bird comes back, you get the device off and download the data. Then you use their software and plot the graph. You can then use google earth to plot your data as well. As you can see, if the bird gets hit by a hawk, then the device can't be located at all. It is not like radio transmitters they use for tracking other animals.

Hi ROD, I guess you didn't see that I was being sarcastic AS I FEEL THIS DEVICE IS JUST A WASTE OF MONEY. Why is it that there are those that need to buy these toys. You can't use it in a race that extra12 grams of weight will just tire the bird out in the longer races and in the speed races the bird will be left behind so what have we proven. These tests were coducted on some fly speck of an island in the ALANTIC OCEAN I would like to see them test it out on the 395 race course from BENTON thats about 300 miles to me and about 340 to the race guys down in SAN DIEGO.GEORGE

 

[RodSD]

Hey George,

I didn't know you were being sarcastic. LOL! I would only like this device if it turns out to be like a tracking device just like tracking an airplane. If it will weigh just the same as those band ring it would even be better. If people loss their birds, then they perhaps can find them if they can track them. If I have this tracking device I can use it for studies. For example, if i can put all tracking device on each pigeon and release them, i would then know who is the fastest. I think it can be use in other studies, too. For example, I suspect that some birds might slow down in flight speed at certain distance. Those I may consider not to be good in a long race. Basically this future tracking device can help us know how the birds really perform. I think we will end up knowing a lot of stuff with this device. I can think of a lot of things that it can be used for. For now, I don't like the device. It looks heavy and I can't track birds in real-time. It is expensive, too!

The last race of that one-loft race showed a disastrous results. None of the Belgian team birds (even an Ace-pigeon), failed to return. Apparently, it requires a different bird to perform flying over a sea:http://www.pipa.be/en/trips/trip/derby-arona-tenerife-one-loft-race-2009

 

[ryan]

thanks

thanks a lot for the replies...
helped me a lot

 

[Alamo]

Was interested in finding out if anyone has one,or knows somebody who has/uses one....When training your birds on the line of flight(hopefully),you can find out if they have a better/faster route home...Then you can train on THAT line of flight....Also in a race,when the bird/birds do well,you will find out what route they took home on that race day >>>Pertaining to wind/weather....Alamo