Loc8tor Lite RF Lost Item Finder - Find Keys, Phone, Bags, Model Drone | Suitable for visual or hearing impairment

Having two cats with chronic health problems requiring regular medication, this has proved invaluable! The tags are small enough that the cats don't even notice they have them on their collars.We have been able to track down each cat quickly and easily when time for their meds, but we don't live in a built-up area and so there is little obstruction to the signal. I cannot comment on what it would be like with multiple buildings, garden-walls etc. I would imagine it would just take longer to lock on and be a lot closer.The tag beeps with a high pitched tone when it has "locked" with the tracker on search mode and one of my cats cannot hear it, but one can and it has learned that I will soon bending down and picking it up, so it comes to me instead. EVEN EASIER!I have no idea on battery life time yet, so I will be testing it weekly even if the cats don't need to be found.All in all, it meets our needs perfectly and is well worth the money, if only for the peace of mind!

I bought one of these some time ago as a solution to the regular panic sessions I used to have over losing my wallet (with credit cards, driving license etc., etc.), car keys, phone and so on. I should say right away that by and large it's been a great success and has saved me many frantic searches. The great thing is that after activating a search, it quickly starts beeping to reassure you that the lost item is somewhere nearby, and not (as I always imagine) left at the supermarket, dropped down a drain, stolen or whatever! Finding the object (provided it's static) is then just a game of warmer, colder until it comes to light.With two extra tags at £25 the pair it's quite an expensive item, and I was worried it would be like several similar, but cheaper devices I've bought over the years, i.e. work for a few months before falling to bits, or simply dying. Happily though, the tags have survived some fairly rough treatment - attached to my keys and so on - since I first got it in March 2012, and they're all still working, as is the locator itself - full marks as far as it goes!My main criticism is that there's no easy way of knowing when the batteries in the tags are flat - they simply stop working (or worse become erratic). The only way is to test them regularly by activating each one in turn with the locator, which I try to do once a week or so. Also replacing them when they are flat is quite a fiddly job. The tags have to be removed from whatever object they are attached to, and then the two halves prized apart (like opening an iPod) with a blunt knife, spudger or some such instrument. There's no way I could open them with my thumbnail as suggested in the manual! The two button cells should then be replaced with silver oxide SR54s, not the cheap alkaline LR54s that they come with - these only last a week or two. The silver oxide cells should last up to a year with normal use.So 4 out of 5 - but could do better!Update June 2017I notice that the tags have been redesigned since I wrote the above review, and now use a single lithium cell instead of two silver oxide button cells in the original tags. The lithium cells are certainly more readily available than the SR54s and hopefully should last longer and be easier to change

I bought one of these for my cat, who's gone missing a couple of times recently, for several days in a row. The unit arrived quickly enough, and it was easy to set up & link the tags to the controller. I ordered one of the splashproof silicone tag holders from the Loc8tor website (I was surprised to find that Amazon don't sell them) to attach a tag to my cat's collar, and she doesn't seem to mind the extra addition. The other tag, I placed in my car so that I could locate it more easily in car parks, especially at night. The handset can handle an additional 2 tags, which can be bought separately.The tags are small and light, and pretty problem-free. I had a couple of minor problems with the handset though- firstly, the magnetic strip on the back of the bracket came unstuck suddenly, and the locator fell off the fridge. The battery came out when it hit the floor, but fortunately, nothing broke. I super-glued the strip back to the bracket. I also thought the side buttons on the handset were a bit fiddly- particularly the volume (left) and on/off (right) buttons. Neither one is labelled, so you have to remember what each button does. The other thing which would improve the handset, would be an eyelet so that a lanyard could be attached. Another problem I had was that when I was actually using the unit to try & find my cat, it kept switching itself off in mid search & going into standby mode. Ideally, it would be nice if it stayed on while being used, until I switched it off.So, has this gadget helped to find my cat? Yes & no- if she's nearby (within about 30-100m) & on fairly open ground, it works well. You press the button corresponding to the particular tag, point the unit around, and it beeps when it has located the signal. As you get closer, the pitch rises, and more LEDs light up on the display. When you're really close, the tag itself starts beeping & flashing (I wonder what my cat must think of this?) but this is somewhat obscured if the tag is enclosed in a silicone pouch.But it's very sensitive to walls & other objects between the handset & the tag, so when my cat's been further away & I've had to go searching round the neighbourhood, I havn't been able to locate her at all. So, in summary I'd say it's probably better to have one of these fitted to your cat than not, as it might be helpful, but it's not guaranteed to work every time.Since I fitted the tag to my cat, she's decided to stay indoors most of the time, and hasn't been going AWOL quite so often- but that's cats for you! I havn't used it to locate my car yet, because I keep forgetting to take the handset with me when I go out..July 2012- I've just had to change the batteries in both tags (each one takes 2 SR54 (or SG10, or 389/390) Silver Oxide button cells), so I can confirm that they last about 7 months. I don't recommend using alkaline cells, as these would have a reduced life. Opening up the tags is fiddly, and involves insering a knife edge into the crack around the unit, and prising gently apart, whereby the tag pops open. Replacing the batteries & closing the tag is straightforward, and once closed correctly it will beep and the LED will flash for a while. You need to re-register it while it's in this mode, and this needs to be done pretty quickly. Just turn on the handset, press the correct button corresponding to the tag being registered, and point it at the tag. It will beep & flash more rapidly when it's registered.The handset takes a single CR2032 Lithium cell, and I've just had to replace this battery as well- so it lasts about 8 months. The handset remembers the tags registered to it after replacing the battery.