Telemetry

[Millet]

I have the field marshall 216 (5) channel..
Im flying my first bird which is a FHH...but ive heard stories from people saying you dont need radio tracking on a Harris..:roll: .
I think it's a load of bull as anything can happen when out hunting..
To date i have lost sight of my bird for long period's 3 time's twice on moorhen and once when she was spooked by horses chasing me..:lol: ..
And if she wasn't fitted with the tracking gear she would of been prob's been lost..
So when you look at it cost wise of the telemetry it has more than paid for it's self..let's say 3x the price of a FHH that's what it has saved me.. :wink: ..
It might be a daft question but how many of you's lads/lasses use it and how often has it come in really handy.
Millet

[Jackson]

wouldnt be without it!!!!

[Sprout]

Good advice about getting telemetry but how many people actually know how to use it once they've bought it? There is no point waiting until the bird is AWOL before testing it - you need to practice first - get an idea of HOW to track a signal ie not just follow in a straight line, be brave and divert off the strongest signal temporarily to triangulate the signal - you'll get to the bird quicker in the end by having 2 or 3 points of reference as opposed to just blindly following one signal which could easily be reflected off something else and not a true direction. Someone can't teach how to use telemetry, it just needs practice. Different areas/landscapes affect signal differently and only experience will teach you how to interpret the signal.

[Coedhirion]

wouldnt be without it!!!!
Nor me. Birds have darn good camaflage and can kill under thick bushes. You can walk within a few feet and not see them, and if they dont move that bell it is like looking for a needle in a hay stack
Use it quite often just to check it is working OK or to double check the position of a bird in thick woodland before flushing quarry that the dog has pointed.

[Jackson]

Good advice about getting telemetry but how many people actually know how to use it once they've bought it? There is no point waiting until the bird is AWOL before testing it - you need to practice first - get an idea of HOW to track a signal ie not just follow in a straight line, be brave and divert off the strongest signal temporarily to triangulate the signal - you'll get to the bird quicker in the end by having 2 or 3 points of reference as opposed to just blindly following one signal which could easily be reflected off something else and not a true direction. Someone can't teach how to use telemetry, it just needs practice. Different areas/landscapes affect signal differently and only experience will teach you how to interpret the signal.

agree totoaly!! theres plenty of people who but the telemetry but havent a clue how to use it!! im lucky at being at a centre because theres people showing me how it should be done!! but i cant find much info on how to use them else where & (im only guessing) but does different systems work differentlY??? shame though bout so many buying the stuff without knowing what to do with it!

[Sprout]

This will help
http://www.marshallradio.com/falconry/fpdf/fm-manual-sm.pdf

[GriffMJ]

Essential piece of kit...... there will always be a time when u need it!

[Jackson]

This will help
http://www.marshallradio.com/falconry/fpdf/fm-manual-sm.pdf

cheers m8!!! im gonna print and keep!!!

[Berkut]

Wouldn,t be without telemetry. Most systems are ok and pretty much the same to operate but Luksander and Marshalls are hard to beat.The biggest advantage I found with the Marshalls is the near,medium and far switches.
You have to watch and not get careless.I know off a couple of people who have flown birds when they shouldn,t ,purely because the bird had a transmitter on. The telemetry is there as a safety measure and traditional methods of finding your bird should still be used.

[Millet]

agree totoaly!! theres plenty of people who but the telemetry but havent a clue how to use it!! im lucky at being at a centre because theres people showing me how it should be done!! but i cant find much info on how to use them else where & (im only guessing) but does different systems work differentlY??? shame though bout so many buying the stuff without knowing what to do with it!
Ive learned to use it myself with no one to show me and believe me it's ****ing hard work..
In my eyes the best thing to do is get a mate to hide the transmitter somewhere and try to track it down..
**** wasting the batteries just use them till you get the hang of it..
When i first bought the system i put the transmitter in a tree near home..i walked the dog's about 2 mile away and tried to pic a signal up...it sent me in the totaly wrong direction..:roll: ..
So as i have now learned it's not fool proof..
With my system it is best to start tracking set on the near mode with the harris..if no signal is picked up then you move to med then far range..
Once you have located the bird you do it in reverse..
Ive load's to say here but bed is calling me..lol..
Ill speak again soon..:roll: .
Millet

[Shannor]

When you say 'wasting the batteries' does this mean there aren't rechargeable power packs/batteries available for telemetry systems? (I know, newbie question, but you don't find out if you don't ask)

[Saker-Clive]

Sarah, ask Julian if he's still got the Bio Track instructions I printed for him; they are quite explicit in their details. Triangulation etc.

[GregMik]

When you say 'wasting the batteries' does this mean there aren't rechargeable power packs/batteries available for telemetry systems? (I know, newbie question, but you don't find out if you don't ask)

Shannor,
The batteries are too small. There are rechargables for the receiver, but the transmitter you have to buy new ones. Most batteries for transmitters are around $3-$5 a piece so it really isn't that bad.
I wouldn't be without it. I made the stupid mistake of not putting it on one time. My harris ended up staying in Texas for a month after 4 days on the lam. He caught a bunny deep in the briars and we couldn't find him. I would not even think about not putting it on the gos tho.


Greg

[Renton]

Sarah, ask Julian if he's still got the Bio Track instructions I printed for him; they are quite explicit in their details. Triangulation etc.

Also available at: http://www.biotrack.co.uk/pdf/howtoradiotrack.pdf

[Jack Merlin]

The telemetry is there as a safety measure and traditional methods of finding your bird should still be used.

I think these words of wisdom ought to be printed out, framed, then hung on the wall in the livingroom of all falconers!

When your telemetry fails (as it will do - one day), I wonder how many here know how to locate a lost hawk by "traditional methods"?

I suspect that a lot reading this won't even know what you are talking about, Berkut!!

[HunterGatherer]

[QUOTE=Jack Merlin]I think these words of wisdom ought to be printed out, framed, then hung on the wall in the livingroom of all falconers!

When your telemetry fails (as it will do - one day), I wonder how many here know how to locate a lost hawk by "traditional methods"?


My Eyesight has deteriorated over the years, but my Ears, Sense of Awareness and fieldcraft are as sharp as they have always been. If i had the choice, of Telemetry or Bell, i would choose the latter.
You belong to an Ancient Race Jack Merlin!

[Saker-Clive]

My Eyesight has deteriorated over the years, but my Ears, Sense of Awareness and fieldcraft are as sharp as they have always been. If i had the choice, of Telemetry or Bell, i would choose the latter.
You belong to an Ancient Race Jack Merlin!

Excellent advice, on the few times my Saker has gone walk about, even when I have got a signal but no sighting, I've heard her Noble no. 5 bells from a good 800 yards plus, and then I've been able to pin point her and get a view of her. :supz:

[Hardcore Hawker]

Prefur to look without telemetry to start with as i cant be bothered to set it up by this i mean taking yagi out of bag and connecting it to receiver this sounds quite lazy but tend to only use it as a last resort flew birds for 10 odd years without it as only ones available were expensive and the size of a small town and i never lost a bird back then may have been out overnight but never lost. And yes you do need it on a harris hawk.