So our team is going into the budget process with the sheriff's office. I can't think of anything we need for the k9 team. Not that I have to go in with something but don't want to miss the opportunity. Anything on your lists that I could copy? We have dog trauma kits, we have an astro/garmin that one guy uses and no one else seems interested. We get a bit of money for training and vet care. Anything else?
I so often just think about trimming all the gear rather than getting more.
I really like the Astro for documenting training and SAR coverage. I don't so much use the handheld in the field but it is so easy to download track detail and replay your tracks afterwards. At one training I was thinking "where did that little thing go"? yep she hit an earlier trail followed it decided no one was there can came back to scanning. With a dog that ranges well out of site it is very informaitonal to better understand actual coverage. It is also great for documenting search coverage.
Lets see
Neos overshoes are great for working in muck and their sizes span several ( your could have some for the team at large)
While my dog doesn't typically range out of site... unless on scent.. makes me think I need to try out the astro. The guy who uses are astro has a golden that ranges quite far.
How did it go in ...Florida? Are you working the dogs in NC now? Terrible. I hope you guys all dry out and the damage can be quickly repaired (I know that is unrealistic for some locations).
No, we are not disaster - just local wilderness --the various FEMA task forces worked the floods. Just a totally unrelated local call in the mountains.
My issue with using the Astro is it is clunky to be watching a screen while working (though Tilly regularly gets out of bell range, too - Beau gets out of sight range but not sound range) . By looking at the data I am getting an idea of how far she goes..
I would prefer to have a good person along with the map and GPS but that has gotten me in trouble. Did on the last search where he was adamant we were going the right way (we were not and it was a brutal area)...the guy was using the "compass" on his GPS and, uh, it was not really a compass like newer ones have. I kept saying the topo lines on the assignment show us going UP the drainage not DOWN the drainage and finally it clicked.
...the Astro is also not as nice for navigating as a navigational GPS (JMO). Teammate just got an alpha and I am going to help him set it up so I will see how that does. It could just be that the Astro 320 is build on the Garmin 62 and I am used to a Garmin 60 which everyone agrees was a better GPS than the newer 62 (of course that is several generations ago). The beauty of the Astro is with Garmin Basecamp to take the data from the collar for analysis - and if my dogs do get off and hurt somewhere I can find them.
If a dog is not ranging out of sight the GPS track of the handler is probably more than enough to document the dog's activity. I rely a lot on the sound of the bell. Really want to find a better bell because it tells so much about how the dog is working. Mine is a lower pitched bell but would like something better.
NancyJ said: ".... I would prefer to have a good person along with the map and GPS but that has gotten me in trouble. Did on the last search where he was adamant we were going the right way (we were not and it was a brutal area)...the guy was using the "compass" on his GPS and, uh, it was not really a compass like newer ones have. I kept saying the topo lines on the assignment show us going UP the drainage not DOWN the drainage and finally it clicked...... "
I was just talking to my sister who will be talking the SAR Academy this year about how vitally important she learn map and compass and GPS skills.. And how unfortunately possible /common it can be to have a flanker weak in these skills... Frustrating to say the least, as a dog handler's responsibility is to reading their dog, weather conditions that can affect scent distribution, etc... Depending upon the discipline (air or trail) the handler can be only vaguely aware of their location due to eyes on the dog and not on a map or gps. To have someone less then skilled is nerve wracking and time consuming..
Having a computer and printer in individual cars (No, our team doesn't have this but I've heard from other teams that do) so they can view the area before arrival (if given) is a nice concept...
Having a computer and printer in individual cars (No, our team doesn't have this but I've heard from other teams that do) so they can view the area before arrival (if given) is a nice concept...
I am actually shopping around for a small tablet to carry in my radio vest. The little GPS screen is not happy to my old eyes. One thing on our budget is to make some tailgate IC packs. We have two good laptops and one older one but the older one can run basecamp in 2D as well as some cheap printers so that at least someone on a search has them.
Usually when we get a call I sent a quick email with a PDF of a topo and aerial to the team but often the IC location is off the map from the search area so it is not 100%
The way I was trained, I am responsible for the navigation. I just find that my flankers often, not always, are not as good at nav as I am and they don't have much practice on dog teams. So I trained to look at dog, glance at GPS (my trusty 60CSX) and glance at terrain and repeat. Its a lot but it is how most of us work in my area. Lately I have wanted to have the radio too but that is just frustration. The radio possessiveness I'm working on. ;-)
Before I was taken on as an apprentice, my sponsors said, "You will not get fat, your dog will not get fat, and you will become expert at navigation, or we will drop you." They meant too and I get it. Twice in the last month our local evaluators did not pass, in some cases did not start certifying exams because of problems from the get go with navigation. It was a waste of a lot of people's time. It also cost some of the sponsors reputation for fielding these teams. You wonder how they train.
Anyway, I digress. I think with my county I could not justify the computers. We have a great Incident command team with trailer that goes out with computers, printers, and an IC team to each search planning and plotting strategy before we even get to the site.
Hey, I just got asked to be on our Hasty Team! A little promotion and a vote of confidence so I feel good. (Actually, I think a lot has to do with good navigation skills)
Hope both or you are doing super well. Raining like crazy here (finally) and snow for tonight, Yeah. We dodged a big bullet as a wild fire started in 50 mph winds south of me but the rains came almost at the same time. Without the rain, we would have had a HUGE problem.
Hey, I just got asked to be on our Hasty Team! A little promotion and a vote of confidence so I feel good. (Actually, I think a lot has to do with good navigation skills)
Yes, I am good at navigation and believe it to be an essential component to ever be fielded.. A trailing dog handler though does not have the opportunity to steal repeated glances at gps and terrain (other than footing and ducking limbs, or trying to avoid pedestrians, cars etc) AND keep eyes on the dogs body language while on the trail.. So a navigator/flanker is needed, although not always available with efficiency... Air and HRD might afford a bit more time and availability to navigate as you decide how to grid/navigate your area designated.. Trailing, you go where the dog tells you there is odor
Scary though how navigation is often put on the bottom of essential skills to have! Never a good thing not knowing where you are, lol... Understand about good IC and having maps and needed info on hand... Some of our more rural (and I do mean rural) counties don't always have that available though... But it seems the counties and teams on the coast that have the computer printers.. The side where money is more available haha..
Been very stormy out here too.. Snow on the surrounding mtns and should hit the valley for in a week or two should the storm track remain active..
Be careful and again, congratulations on the promo!
looking for one with a USB port because I can hook up my Astro and see the data on a much bigger screen as we take breaks and assess our coverage etc. Basecamp will do real-time communication with it. My 61 year old eyes agree.
There are thinner tablets with keyboards now that have USB ports and SD card slots, plus longer battery life without adding bulk and weight... Might be something to consider... Cheaper then buying a new gps with larger screen as you can use it for more than just the toggling of the GPS...
Lol, I think that is the tricky part for sure! Probably could find one for the tablet portion, but not sure about the keyboard, although the soft key aspect should keep it pretty durable... I wonder what the military uses..? Sure they have rugged cases..
LOL, I'm such a baby, I would never add the weight of that tablet! I'm already trying to think how to decrease the water I carry. Of course, while my eyes are heading down that road of aging, I can say this now... we will see in another 5 years. Ha.
Since I'm new at this co-team leader stuff, I learned we still have money in the budget for this year so we'll buy another alpha garmin. Our county is huge and has a distinct mountain side and a foothills side. So we do have almost two teams and two of everything. We nixed the overboots just because as dry as it is out here (despite the last week) we just didn't see a need. For next budget we are going to look at more structured training workshops... or one of these anyway. We don't have oodles of money but we are pretty well taken care of I realize.
We really need a good trailing dog. All area dogs on our team now. Peter? Anyone of you feel like moving here? I could not slip that in the budget... trailing dog and handler. haha.
I like the rugged protection but think water resistant /proof is a key to longevity... 7" might be a more appropriate size for a chest harness... How would like a galaxy note phone work? It is quite large and bordering on a tablet size, and would have the durability and water resistance needed via cases...
I have a galaxy note 3 but the problem is I need windows for basecamp and other things I would want to load
No android version for that and sucks down battery life. Anywhere we search no internet access or very sketchy. There is some decent software for androids when you can lock in or pre download.
But that was a good idea and I am going to check this out--the android software is only $2 and I just ordered a USB OTG cable so we will see
Yes, ziploc baggies are our friends!! Cheap and effective.. I know android has a ton of apps and truncated free apps conversion for popular os's.. Hopefully it works... Keep us posted please
Unfortunately, probably a matter of choosing what is more annoying to do/carry... Or, spend a large bundle on a rare 'ruggedized - perfect size-fully loaded-waterproof' tablet... I am sure they are out there, but spend... Absolutely love the idea and will look to do the same at same point... Black Friday is around the corner... Might have some deals you can't pass up
Wound up getting a small laptop with SSD drive - 11" not going into the pack but it can be at the car and based on my experience I can clean up my tracks and waypoints quicker than IC and hand them the info on a jump drive. Saves them yanking my GPS out without properly ejecting it. Plus we can use it to look at training files real time.
Sweet! I'm looking at black friday ads and see some 2 in 1 tablet with keyboard for a $100 that would work well.. Not the 'best' but what I can afford, and definitely able to clean up tracks faster then IC, LOL... Hard when 10-30 GPS's are being handed in at the same time for things to get done quickly.. Now to find a small printer that is inexpensive...
We liked the size, the wireless and that it can scan a photo..but inkjet ink is not the best (it runs if wet) and uses a lot of ink...so we would do limited printing ....the team actually has a nice color laser but you use a lot of power running those things from an inverter and even the smallest one is not exactly portable.
Choice of the lesser of two evils... Still, a map is better than no map, lol.. So if it is raining it goes in a baggie .. Someday we will have holographic maps haha haha
Our handheld GPS have topos on them and most phones have aerials unless we are in a bad cell reception area (and that is a real problem in the mountains). Can't really afford more of the higher tech GPS units; our old garmin 60CX are very good workhorses.but cant take imagery [I think there is some back door way but....]
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