Project AdventureDog - Part 1

"I'm like Ma Bell, I got the illcommunication" - The Beastie Boys

This project will require multiple parts to explain as it is of a technical nature. I am trying to break down concepts for people with limited communications / networking experience without treating the reader like a child. If you have questions, please ask. Part 1 will discuss basic concepts and equipment. Part two will discuss assembly of equipment, and programming.

Project Adventuredog

The goal of this project is to create a pet (or anything else) tracking system that is completely independent of any grid communications systems.

The Genesis of this project leads back to one day in May 2 years ago when FarmDog© decided to jump out of the truck. At 60 miles an hour. Seriously. I will remember for a very long time what it looked like to see her body tumble on the shoulder of the road before she got up and took off at a full sprint into the woods. Pure adrenaline. In all likelihood she found a hole, crawled into it (like a dog) and lost consciousness for a little while.

As most of you know I worked EMS for 15 years, and I can tell you I have seen this exact same behavior happen in people. It’s actually pretty common for someone who is seriously injured to get out of the car and walk around a bit before falling over. This is why you see the responders look around the scene and not just in the car.

But anyway, back to the story…

So we get turned around and found a place to pull over. We spent over 4 hours looking for her in those gorram woods. I was on my way back up to the car ready to admit defeat - and admit that the dog was dead - when she pops out right in front of me. Walking. Just a hole in her leg and some road rash. So I scooped her up, and got to the vet ASAP. It turns out she was fine: no broken bones, no internal injuries, no permanent damage. It turns out that heelers bounce, I guess.

But it could have - and should have gone way differently. That was in all likelihood, her one “get out of dead card”.

I determined that I needed a way to be able to track her down in the event that something happens, or she decides to go walkabout.

Now, there are existing pet tracker systems on the market. In all likelihood they work pretty well. The problem with existing pet or asset tracking systems is that they rely on the cellular phone network to transmit their telemetry. Where we live in the rural Ozarks cell signal is spotty at best. Conventional trackers, such as an Air tag are of limited usefulness.

Technical requirements

• Small size

• Capable of receiving and relaying GPS coordinates, not just “google earth” pins

• Inexpensive

• Rugged enough for real world use

• Capable of operating independent of grid communications systems

• Long battery life

• Easy to upgrade or expand