# Lighted Dog Collar ratings



## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

On the topic of Howard's night work thread...

I am in the market for a lighted dog collar. I only have reflective ones at present. I was just going to buy the auroralites one, but notice that there are several types on the market today.

For those of you that have used them, or have seen them used, what do you like and why?

Here are a few links I have found:
http://www.auroralites.com/lighted_dog_collars.asp
pro-seems super visable, waterproof...con? big battery, will eat battery power

http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0038347660070a.shtml
LED eat long lasting, waterproof, don't know how visable

http://www.visiglo.com/Visiglo-lighted-dog-collar.html
more like a pet thing, not waterproof

I am sure that there are a gazillion others.

Thanks


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

I have one of these. http://www.bikesomewhere.com/bikesomewhere.cfm/product/36/1092/9740 cheap and works great. Uses AAA batteries as well.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Our ******* lighted collars work well in passive mode. When the dog gets any speed, the candle goes out. :lol: AAA might be the way. How about those jogger lights, Bass Pro or Gander Mountain stores? $15.00 +/-
I use one deer hunting and you can adjust it for strobe or full on...


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

The auroralites REALLY puts out the light but I don't think with some of the cheaper ones on the market I would buy one now - but I might reconsider if the difference in light output made a difference to what I was doing.

I have a tear in my battery pack from a barbed wire fence and he was going to charge me some ridiculous amount to fix it and service is slow. Also it takes a funky 9Volt battery that is expensive and when the battery goes there is no warning. 

If you order one, I would get it through a distributor and not the guy who makes them. It takes forever to get it from Canada. [at least it did when I ordered]


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

Ours just have an infared light so the FLIR can pick us up easily. I'd really prefer to remain in the dark as much as possible. 

DFrost


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## Ian Forbes (Oct 13, 2006)

Jennifer Coulter said:


> On the topic of Howard's night work thread...
> 
> I am in the market for a lighted dog collar. I only have reflective ones at present. I was just going to buy the auroralites one, but notice that there are several types on the market today.
> 
> ...


I have seen the visiglo red siren led collars and they are certainly good on the visibility front.


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

David Frost said:


> Ours just have an infared light so the FLIR can pick us up easily. I'd really prefer to remain in the dark as much as possible.
> 
> DFrost


Of course it is better that LE dogs are NOT seen most of the time.


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

I've retrofitted a couple of the Aurora light collars for people as they found the little snaps came undone way too easy (we added on a nylon fastex buckle instead) I also found them kind of "burn out your retinas" bright.

these ones are nicely visisble and aren't to pricey and work well.
http://www.uflash.com/products/collar.html

Most of my lighting concerns are not being hit by snowmobiles or vehicles at night and I have found that a small LED flasher works well - I just fit mine to a clip on reflective collar. 
These ones are great and fit easily onto most collars
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_...older_id=2534374302697057&bmUID=1205841385762
I really like the headlamps and lights from Princeton Tec - work great and tough stuff that stands up to some abuse.

One of the best ones I have used was a retrofit - one of those armbands they sell for joggers and roadworkers that was a refective band with about 5 very tiny red leds - I just made an extender strap to enlarge it.
It was very visible at night at a distance but the led's were small enough to be unobstrusive on your night vision. Another plus was that it had a very flat profile and being as it attached with velcro it would release if snagged. I think I got the armband at Home Hardware or Canadian Tire and it was only about 6 bucks or so.


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

Nancy Jocoy said:


> The auroralites REALLY puts out the light but I don't think with some of the cheaper ones on the market I would buy one now - but I might reconsider if the difference in light output made a difference to what I was doing.
> 
> I have a tear in my battery pack from a barbed wire fence and he was going to charge me some ridiculous amount to fix it and service is slow. Also it takes a funky 9Volt battery that is expensive and when the battery goes there is no warning.
> 
> If you order one, I would get it through a distributor and not the guy who makes them. It takes forever to get it from Canada. [at least it did when I ordered]


I am in Canada so I wouldn't have to have it pass customs and that business.

Interesting that you say you may not buy one now. They seem impressive. But the 9 volt is a drawback. Especially with how well the LED lights are doing these days, and the fact that you can get them with a watch like battery now.

Next question....what about all this blinking business. Seems that that would just be annoying for handler and dog alike? Anyone? What about colours? Is one more visable than another from what you have seen?


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

Lynn Cheffins said:


> I've retrofitted a couple of the Aurora light collars for people as they found the little snaps came undone way too easy (we added on a nylon fastex buckle instead) I also found them kind of "burn out your retinas" bright.
> 
> these ones are nicely visisble and aren't to pricey and work well.
> http://www.uflash.com/products/collar.html
> ...



Thanks, very helpful. I was posting at the same time as you. Nice to know that the LEDs are quite effective.

I think would rather have a collar and not something hanging from his collar. Lots of stuff to get snagged on.

I have have various great headlamps, as you mentioned, they are a must for night searching, camping, assembling explosives in the early AM and a zillion other times you want hands free light !

Lynn I really wish you lived close by, you are so crafty and I don't have a sewing machine even! I will check out Crappy Tire today and see what I can find locally that might work. Like the velcro idea.

Thanks.


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

I like a small flasher but alot of the flashers now you can have as a flash or a steady. Best way is to check them in the conditions you are going to be using them. I don't find them too irritating but my dogs are 30 feet in front of me.


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Since I have had my dogs quite some distance from me at night I will say I think aurorlites is right about the flasher

It really is much easier to guage distance with a steady light. The flasher is very distracting to me too. - the comment about the snaps is right. Mine has snagged and pulled off.

Oh, I got my first one before 9-11 [it is still good] and the customs was not so bad then it was, just, uh, slow. It also took me months [after 9-11] to get an extender for Grim.


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## Chase Mika (May 2, 2008)

> Ours just have an infared light so the FLIR can pick us up easily. I'd really prefer to remain in the dark as much as possible.


Could you post a link for the collar that you use? or PM me if you don't want to post it?

I'd actually like to get one of each. One of the bright visible ones for training scenarios, and one of the infrared for actual street work. 

A note about the cabelas one that was linked to.....if you read down to the reviews of the collars, it looks like a couple people said that only half the collar lit up, and that one died out after two weeks. Doesn't look like the best option from the reviews.


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

Yes, I'll post the link. It will have to be Monday though. It's on my office computer. I have to work tomorrow, the Nationwide Race, so I won't be going to the office.

DFrost


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