© Josip Kusak, Veterinary Faculty of the University of Zagreb
SURVEY Collars
The SURVEY collars have been designed for long-term survival and monitoring studies and replace conventional VHF tracking collars. They combine a long lasting and reliable VHF tracking collar with a GPS collar and regular GPS data updates using satellite communication at significantly reduced costs.
The collar is built with only one housing including battery and electronic which makes it very resistant towards mechanical damage and environmental influences. This design also enables the user to deploy a collar to a wide range of species and specimen as it is highly flexible in length adjustment.
It comes in 3 variants (Globalstar, Iridium & IoT) which differ in the number of GPS locations possible per day and also communication flexibility (see below). They are available with 3 different battery sizes allowing the usage on many small species as well.
- Up to two GPS fixes per day
- New GPS scheduling rules for very high programming flexibility
- Daily updates with location, ambient temperature using Globalstar satellite communication
- Powerful VHF beacon included for on-site tracking
- Mortality notification message (optional also to a mobile number)
- Very long study periods
- Compact housing / electronic reduces weight and size of the collar
- Very high collar adjustment range
- Remote data transmission of 10 GPS fixes per day
- New GPS scheduling rules for very high programming flexibility
- Daily updates with location, ambient temperature using
Iridium satellite communication - Two way communication to alter and adapt the scheduling of
VHF beacon, GPS and data transmission - Powerful VHF beacon included for on-site tracking
- Mortality notification message (optional also to a mobile number)
- Very long study periods
- Compact housing / electronic reduces weight and size of the collar
- Very high collar adjustment range
SURVEY IoT combines the proven features of our SURVEY GPS collars with energy-efficient IoT communication based on NB-IoT and LTE-M networks. For more information about IoT communication, coverage requirements, and data transmission, please visit our IoT Technology page.
- Extended battery life: Energy-efficient IoT communication and flexible scheduling help minimize power consumption and support long deployment periods.
- Long-term monitoring: Regular transmission of collar data, combined with energy-efficient IoT communication and flexible scheduling, supports extended deployment periods and long-term wildlife studies.
- Large-volume data transmission: Supports larger data packets, enabling the transmission of up to 59 GPS positions per message and temperature information.
- Included data package: Each collar includes a VECTRONIC Aerospace SIM card and a 500 MB IoT data package. Depending on the transmission schedule and amount of data used, this can support up to 10 years of operation. Additional data packages are available for approximately $15 if the included data package is exhausted.
- Easy setup: Connectivity is included, reducing the administrative effort required before deployment.
- Remote two-way communication: Activate Drop Off and adjust VHF beacon, GPS, and data transmission schedules without retrieving the collar.
- Integrated VHF beacon: Supports on-site animal tracking.
- Mortality notifications: Notifications can be sent by email and, optionally, SMS when a mortality event is detected provided the collar is inside network coverage.
- Flexible scheduling: Advanced GPS and data transmission scheduling provides a high degree of programming flexibility.
- Data storage outside coverage areas: Data remain stored on the collar and are marked as unsent when network coverage is unavailable and are transmitted automatically once connectivity is restored.
- Compact design: Compact electronics help reduce collar size and weight.
- Wide collar size adjustment range: Accommodates a wide range of neck sizes and study species.
- 1C battery for small species (collar weight less than 350g)
- 1D battery for medium species
- 2D battery for large species and for extended deployment periods
- Batteries also available as “hp” type (high performance). This battery type is characterized by a gain in capacity and increase of the total lifetime.
Some SURVEY Collar variations:
Features of the chosen collar:
- Battery: 1D
- Shape: Round
- Weight: Starting at 450 g
- Belting: Elastic, cotton belt break away, white
Further information about the 1D battery, round shaped, elastic belt collar:
This SURVEY collar is primarily designed for herbivores. The collar features an elastic belt section, making it particularly well suited for species that experience neck swelling during the rutting season or other seasonal fluctuations in neck size. All SURVEY collars with an elastic belt section include a cotton belt break away. This collar variation has been successfully deployed on a range of species, including red deer, mule deer, bighorn sheep, and moose calf.
Features of the chosen collar:
- Battery: 1D
- Shape: Round
- Weight: Starting at 450 g
- Belting: Standard, yellow
Further information about the 1D battery, round shaped collar:
This SURVEY collar is universally applicable and suitable for a variety of study species. It is a simple and economic option within our portfolio. This collar variation has been successfully deployed on a wide range of species, including leopard, jaguar, mountain lion, wolf, Mexican wolf, brown bear, black bear, mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, moose, caribou/reindeer, mountain goat, Arabian ibex, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and domestic sheep.
Features of the chosen collar:
- Battery: 2D
- Shape: Drop
- Weight: Starting at 650 g
- Belting: Standard, green
Further information about the 2D battery, drop shaped collar:
This SURVEY collar is primarily designed for herbivores and is commonly deployed on elk, moose, and caribou/reindeer. Similar to the collar shown to the left, it is a simple and economical option within our portfolio. This collar variation has been successfully deployed on a range of species, including elk, moose, caribou/reindeer, mule deer, red deer, wild boar, feral pig, and scimitar-horned oryx.
Features of the chosen collar:
- Battery: 1D
- Shape: Round
- Weight: Starting at 450 g
- Belting: Expandable, black
Further information about the 1D battery, round shaped, expandable belt collar:
This SURVEY collar is primarily designed for herbivores and features an expandable belt section that ensures a secure fit, making it particularly well suited for growing animals, such as fawns and calves, as well as species with seasonally varying neck sizes. This collar variation has been successfully deployed on a range of species, including red deer, mule deer, bighorn sheep, and moose calf.
Features of the chosen collar:
- Battery: 1C
- Shape: Round
- Weight: Starting at 350 g
- Belting: Elastic, cotton belt break away, black
Further information about the 1C battery, round shaped, elastic belt collar:
With a 1C battery, this SURVEY collar has the smallest battery size in our portfolio. It also features an elastic belt section, making it particularly well suited for species that experience neck swelling during the rutting season or other seasonal fluctuations in neck size. All SURVEY collars with an elastic belt section include a cotton belt break away. This collar variation has been successfully deployed on a range of species, including adult elk, elk calf, bobcat, and wild dog.
