Selecting an Ecollar

Which Ecollar to buy is one of the most common questions asked by people who have heard of the tool and want to investigate further. There are many brands and many models and it's easy to become confused. This article will attempt to clear those muddy waters a bit.

Generally there are models that offer a two-mile range, a one-mile range, a three-quarters of a mile range, a half-mile range or less than one-half-mile range. These ranges are measured under optimum conditions in order to standardize them. We're dealing with the transmission of a radio signal so anything that will interfere with a radio signal will interfere with an Ecollar signal.

Very few people will be working their dog at a distance of one mile; in most terrain you can't even see your dog at that distance. But if you work a SAR (Search And Rescue) dog it might be a consideration. If you work a PSD (Police Service Dog) and you find yourself in modern buildings with metal construction, it also might be a factor. The higher power of the three-quarters of a mile or one mile units can help to "punch through" difficult receiving situations such as chain link fences, rolling hills, or metal buildings. But most users won't be facing those situations and will find that a three-quarters or a half-mile range unit will fill their needs.

There are two ways to deliver stim to the dog, with continuous stim or with a momentary stim that one manufacturer calls the "nick mode." With continuous the stim is delivered as long as the button is held down (up to 10-12 seconds when they will automatically shut off in case of malfunction). With the momentary mode, the Ecollar deliver a stim lasting a fraction of a second and then shuts off. To give another stim the button must be released and them pressed again. Both types are useful.

Many Ecollars offer another mode either emitting a sound or a vibration similar to that of a pager or cell phone set on "silent." That can be useful for teaching a recall, praising or warning your dog that a stim is imminent or for giving commands. The dog must be trained for each of these uses. Some people who have dogs that are deaf find the vibration mode useful to get the dog to look at them

On all of the collar units, the RX (the receiver), the part that the dog wears, are waterproof. They're intended to resist the immersion that a hunting or retrieving dog will subject them to. Some of the TX (the transmitter) the part the trainer holds, are waterproof.

The Major Brands

In the US there are two major brands, Tri-Tronics (TT) and Dogtra. A third brand, Unleashed Technology, has recently come on the scene and offers some interesting features, especially for pet owners. All are high quality, well made tools that will provide you with many years of service. The primary difference between the Dogtra and the TT lies in how they have the user select the level of stim that is going to be used on their dog

All brands offer models that allow you to control two or more collar units with one transmitter (TX).

Tri-Tronics

TriTronics uses click-stopped dials that work at pre-set levels to set the level of stim. They offer several general series of Ecollars; the Professional, the Sportsman and the Field units.

The Professional series offer eighteen levels of stim. On the Professional there are two buttons and a dial. You select the range of the stim and then within each range you use the buttons to use a low-medium-or high level of stim. You can switch between the low-medium-high as quickly as you can move your fingers. But to change the range of stim, you have to release the button, move the dial and then get back on the button. These units are fairly large; the body of the TX is over 8" tall with an antenna that adds another 7" to the height. A shorter antenna can be substituted at the cost of a shorter range. The Professional Series consists of the Pro 100 G2, the Pro 200 G2 and the Pro 500. All units also have an "EXP" series that allow the units to be expanded so control up to three different collar units.

The Field Series consists of the Classic 70, the Field 90, the Flyaway G2, the Upland G2, and the Trashbreaker G2. The Field units offer six or eighteen levels of stim, depending on the model. They're the same size as the Professional models.

The Sports series offers ten or twenty levels of stim, depending on the model. The TX's are about 5" long with an antenna that's about 3" long. The Sport series consists of the Sport Basic G3, the Sport Combo G3 and the Sport Upland G3. On these collars the stim can be adjusted continuously (at least at the time of this writing) but they're an "undocumented feature." That can be changed at any time with no notice given to the consumers. But with only 20 levels each jump between levels will be about 5% and that's too much for many dogs.

Some TriTronics Ecollars offer a tone feature.

You can find more details and see pictures at the TriTronics Website

Dogtra

For the most part Dogtra uses an entirely different system for selecting the level of stim on their Ecollars than TriTronics does. They use a dial that allows for the stim level to be changed continuously as the stim is delivered. Unlike most of the TriTronics units that allow for a few levels to be changed quickly within a given range, the Dogtras allow for the stim to be varied from the lowest level to the highest level while stim is constantly delivered. This is similar to a dimmer switch on a light that you may have in your home. Since they have 127 levels the jump between each level is only 0.8% making for a very smooth transition between levels.

Some units have a dial that offers a range of stim that's broken down into discrete settings rather than the continuously variable stim levels. But I prefer the ones that have the continuously variable stim.

All Dogtra Ecollars offer both a continuous and a nick mode throughout their entire range of stim.

A major improvement in the line is that they've added an LCD readout so that you know EXACTLY what level of stim that you're on. Previously (and some models still do it this way) there was a painted line on the dial that you lined up with a scale on the body of the transmitter but it's not as precise as the LCD.

All Dogtra Ecollars now offer a vibrate feature.

Dogtra divides it's Ecollars into a "Pro– line Series," an "Obedience/Service K-9 Line" Series, a line for "Companion Pets" and a line for other types of working dogs such as retrievers pointers and hounds. There is some overlap and some of the collars will work for other types of dogs and other applications.

Virtually all of the Ecollars from Dogtra range in size from 4 1/2" tall with another 1 1/2" for the antenna to 5 1/2" inches tall with another 6" for the antenna. Generally they're about half the size and weight of the TriTronics Professional Series and comparable in size and weight to the TriTronics Sport Series.

The Professional Line includes the 3500NCP Super X. The 3500 has both a "Regular" and a "Mild" setting for the stim. The Mild setting cuts the stim level in half and it's exceptionally good for dogs that feel very low levels of stim. It has the LCD readout of the stim level.

The Obedience/Service K-9 Line consists of the 3500NCP and the 200NCP. The 200NCP has 2/3 the stim level of the rest of the Ecollar sin the line. That means that the highest stim if can give is 2/3 the power of the rest of the line.

The Companion Pet Series consists of the 175NCP and the 200NCP.

NEW PRODUCTS that have not been assigned to these Series are the 280NCP, the 1900NCP and the 2300NCP. Basically the 280 is the 200 but with an LCD readout. Both the 1900 and the 2300 also have the LCD readout.

My Personal Favorites
My three favorite collars in the line are these new products, the 280, the 1900 and the 2300. All are waterproof (both the collar and the transmitter). And they all have the LCD readout of the stim level. My favorite is the 2300. It has a 3/4 mile range and the newest Lithium polymer batteries that can be recharged in only two hours.

For the professional who is working outdoors in all sorts of weather, such a law enforcement officer or SAR worker, I think that there is a real need for a TX that is waterproof. If it starts to rain or snow or you fall into the creek, don't worry about them. With ALL other models or other brands, a few drops of water in the wrong place on the TX and it's fried. Of course you can keep them inside your jacket or in a plastic bag but if you have a waterproof TX you don't have to worry.

Most commonly I recommend the Dogtra 280NCP for training pets and the 1900 or the 2300NCP for working dogs. The 1900 and the 2300 will work for pets just fine but they're a bit more expensive.
You can find more details at the Dogtra Website

Unleashed Technology

They offer three models. All models offer about a second of either vibe or stim, then a brief pause and then the vibe or stim continues. They have 15 levels of stim AND vibration. They are the only brand that offers adjustable vibration. The GT-1 offers vibe only. The GT-2 offers a vibe mode and a "mixed mode." In the second mode you get about a second of vibe, then a pause and then the stim starts. The GT-3 offers the features of both the GT-1 and the GT-2. Additionally if offers a third mode where you get about a second of stim, then a brief pause, then continuous stim.

These units offer stim that can be changed while the button is depressed. If you release the button while in continuous mode, it shifts back to the original mode where you get vibe or stim, then a pause and then continuous vibe or stim. You can't go directly from one mode to continuous vibe or stim. The pause will always be present.

This unit is very versatile and allows you to use a combination of vibration and stim or just vibration or just stim, depending on what the dog needs.
You can find more details at the Unleashed Technology Website

Length of Contact Points

Most Ecollars allow for the changing of contact points for shorter or longer ones. This allows the collar to be used on dogs with varying lengths of coat and with and without undercoat. It's essential that the contact points sit directly against the skin, rather than be held away from it by the dog's hair. In rare circumstances you may have to thin out the dog's coat to get good contact. I've never found it necessary to shave the dog's coat.

My Experience With the Various Brands

For most of my dog training career that I used Ecollars, I used the TriTronics brand because in those early years they were far more reliable than any of the other brands available. But a few years ago I was told that Dogtra had improved their construction and their quality control. They sent me a unit to see if I liked it. I did. I switched to Dogtra, using mostly the 1200NCP for just about all of my work. The 1200 model was upgraded and replaced and now I use and recommend the 2300NCP.

The 280NCP retails for about $225 and the 2300NCP for about $300. Again, my prices are a little lower.

If you're still confused or have any questions that aren't answered by this article feel free to contact me at unclLou@aol.com

Note: These specifications as to the various Ecollars were as accurate as possible at the time of this writing. Manufacturers change their models and specifications as they please, often with little or no notice to the consumer. While reasonable efforts will be made to keep this article up to date, I cannot be responsible for these changes.

 

 

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© 2007 Lou Castle