Garmin Astro/Alpha/ Update from Industry Canada

[Stuart22]

I continue to plod along trying to figure out what the Canadian Radio Advisory Board and Industry Canada are doing to resolve the issue around the use of the Garmin Dog Tracking system in Canada.
I got the following link from Industry Canada, they tell me it is a proposed modification to the licence requirements to allow for the use of a frequency.
I've read the thing many times. Best I can figure out they might allow it , if Garmin produces a collar that uses a different frequency. Doesn't sound good to me yet.
If there are some techy's out there that can help out. Please do.

http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst...g/sf01320.html

[Snowwalker]

Best I can figure out they might allow it , if Garmin produces a collar that uses a different frequency. Doesn't sound good to me yet.
If there are some techy's out there that can help out. Please do.

It is simple the Freq that the current collars use are bought and paid for by license holders in Canada. If Garmin changes the Freq that the collar uses and apply for a licence to use that freq in Canada they can then sell them here.

Also if you have your Amateur Radio License you can change the freq to a near by ham Freq and use it here.

[dilly]

What happens if you buy a set in the US and just use it?

[BDH]

What happens if you buy a set in the US and just use it?

The legal user of the frequency would need to see interference multiple times. They would then contact the DOC to have them check out the issue. Now unless you are a user within an area that a "legal: user is transmitting, and they are bothered by the interference on their units enough to report it, have enough knowledge to contact the DOC, and the DOC travel to the area to investigate on a day when you just happen to be using your unit, locate you using the unit, you just might be fined, equipment confiscated. I believe there is a better chance of you winning the lottery! I am told not to attempt to do any Garmin updates to the units , while in Canada, take the unit to the states if you have opportunities and do the updates. Some have said they have been successful while in Canada doing updates. That's the chances you take!

Merry Christmas

Dick

[Snowwalker]

What happens if you buy a set in the US and just use it?

You can't( legally ) use them here yet....Not type approved. That is about all I can really tell you. Not sure how fast the "Radio Police" will catch you, but if they ever did you could be in for a bit of trouble.

[jaycee]

You can't( legally ) use them here yet....Not type approved. That is about all I can really tell you. Not sure how fast the "Radio Police" will catch you, but if they ever did you could be in for a bit of trouble.

Have you ever heard of any one being caught and charged?.
I know 4 groups that have been using them for years and have never experienced any problems with the so called radio police.
I have personally over the years asked and checked with volunteer and full times fire depts, and emergency measures services, no one has ever complained about any interference from these units.

[Snowwalker]

Have you ever heard of any one being caught and charged?.
I know 4 groups that have been using them for years and have never experienced any problems with the so called radio police.
I have personally over the years asked and checked with volunteer and full times fire depts, and emergency measures services, no one has ever complained about any interference from these units.

The only real example I can give is this.

Your 12 years old and drive an old 1/2 ton truck with no plates( meaning not registered to legal operate on the road) around the farm and in the fields. Your not licensed to drive on the road, and the old truck has no plates or insurance but as long as your not on the road you are going to be fine. This is like owning one of the collars in Canada. Simple owning it is not illegal. You can own a lot of thing you need a license to "operate", as long as you only own and don't operate them.

Now it's ok to drive around the farm buildings, but just across the road is the huge Cattle pasture with lots of places to drive. So you load up your brothers and sisters, or friends and drive straight across the road to the pasture. As long as your on the road you are illegal, when your not it's fine.

The chances of the cops seeing you has a lot to do with just where you are crossing the road. But if they ever do, you could just get a warning or you could get charged.

So with that in mind. Lets say that you got caught and got charged. I don't think we will be seeing you on the news. Simple because it's not important enough to be on the news. Now in the event that you were crossing the road and caused an accident, you are going to be all over the evening news.
So that covers the "Why have I never heard of anyone being charged?" question from non-radio people.

Secondly there is likely enough physical distance between parties ( people with collars and the Fire EMS people) to allow the very narrow channelled Radios to handle a very weak data signal( made weak by distance) from the collars. Any interference that Fire EMS people encounter would also likely be blamed on "other" things like power lines, Microwave links, or the terrain. Most would not hear interference on the radio and normally think..That must be one of those illegal dog collars.

[jaycee]

Have you ever heard of any one being caught and charged?.
I know 4 groups that have been using them for years and have never experienced any problems with the so called radio police.
I have personally over the years asked and checked with volunteer and full times fire depts, and emergency measures services, no one has ever complained about any interference from these units.

What I was trying to point out here, is that even though we have used these collars in close proximity to cities, no one has ever complained , even though I had asked.
What these collars have done , is enable us to keep close tabs on the dogs and when they go too close to city boundaries, we were there to cut them off and get them before they actually went into the city limits. We have on many occasions run coyotes into city limits, but were able to keep the dogs out due to the use of these collars.
As I have said , no one has ever complained about us.
Where I think the problem lies,is that the Gov.is not getting any revenue from these collars that are brought in from the U.S. and they are getting their knickers in a knot over the situation .
There are many groups of hounds men also quite a few bird dog people that use these collars province/country wide with no problems.

These collars are an absolute " boon " to men/women that run their dogs out of sight , be it hounds running coyotes or bird dogs that are over hill and dale well out of sight. With these collars the owners are always well aware of what the dog/dogs are doing, running/baying/treed or on point.

[Snowwalker]

What I was trying to point out here, is that even though we have used these collars in close proximity to cities, no one has ever complained , even though I had asked.
What these collars have done , is enable us to keep close tabs on the dogs and when they go too close to city boundaries, we were there to cut them off and get them before they actually went into the city limits. We have on many occasions run coyotes into city limits, but were able to keep the dogs out due to the use of these collars.
As I have said , no one has ever complained about us.
Where I think the problem lies,is that the Gov.is not getting any revenue from these collars that are brought in from the U.S. and they are getting their knickers in a knot over the situation .
There are many groups of hounds men also quite a few bird dog people that use these collars province/country wide with no problems.

These collars are an absolute " boon " to men/women that run their dogs out of sight , be it hounds running coyotes or bird dogs that are over hill and dale well out of sight. With these collars the owners are always well aware of what the dog/dogs are doing, running/baying/treed or on point.

There are collars that use frequencies that are approved for their use as well. The Government is getting money from the licensed users the frequencies the astro/alpha collars are using. The paying customers are not Garmin, and they don't want people( companies like garmin) using them for free.
Truth be told Garmin does not want to make design changes to have the collars use Frequencies they ars already allowed to use because Garmin is Paying for them, or pay for more frequencies for the collars to use. Why? Because Canadian Markets are not big enough to be worse the cost.

[swampsinger]

Another perspective on this. Apparently those wildlife units we used for 25 years were illeagal. Who knew,,, no harm no fowl. If they are willing to look the other way so am I. There ain't enough of us to cause a problem.