There are several GPS dog collars without a subscription; usually they’re solutions which don’t charge to use the map and the GPS service but inevitably require a GSM subscription to allow the device to communicate with our phone. But let’s figure out why.
How GPS collars work without a subscription
GPS dog collars without a subscription are devices which allow us to locate our pets through the technology which forms the basis of car navigators and which, nowadays, can also be found in our phones. This is a location system owned by the United States government but which can be freely accessed to determine the coordinates of a person, object or animal thanks to a constellation of satellites orbiting the Earth. By trilaterating the position of these satellites, the device can calculate latitude and longitude, that is, the spatial coordinates in which it’s located. The next step is to plot that location on a map, and this is where some manufacturers will charge for using a map, usually on a periodic basis.
However, there are also GPS dog collars without a subscription for these maps which are offered, but the problem comes in the next step. Because once the location is determined on the map, this information has to be transmitted in some way. Some devices use a handheld device which connects directly with the tracker via radio frequencies, but this has two disadvantages: the range, however large it is, will be limited and, more importantly, taking up radio frequencies requires prior approval from the government and not all devices are equipped, with a risk of sanctions as a result.
Therefore, the most popular GPS dog collars without a subscription use the GSM Telephone Line to transmit this information and that’s why some of them require the user to have a SIM which is inserted into the device. In the more complete versions, however, the GSM module is inserted inside the device and allows us to track our dog without any range limit thanks to a GSM signal which will use whatever the best operator in the area is at the time: you’ll always get a connection and always be able to find your dog.