Hello, I work for Loc8tor. First of all I would like to say thank you for doing such a thorough review. We are proud of our products and are constantly developing them to increase their performance.
A top tip to get the best range is to buy a loc8tor plus (has the strongest receiver) and the very latest new black tags (are the strongest emitters).
To help matters and for feeling smug about our product I will offer 10% off all orders and keep the postage low too for the next couple of weeks. Put discount code RCGROUPS to qualify for the offer.
Cheers
TR

Originally Posted by Loc8tor

Hello, I work for Loc8tor. First of all I would like to say thank you for doing such a thorough review. We are proud of our products and are constantly developing them to increase their performance.
A top tip to get the best range is to buy a loc8tor plus (has the strongest receiver) and the very latest new black tags (are the strongest emitters).
To help matters and for feeling smug about our product I will offer 10% off all orders and keep the postage low too for the next couple of weeks. Put discount code RCGROUPS to qualify for the offer.
Cheers
TR

That's great! Thank you for supporting the RCGroups community with the discount code!

Although the plus is more than twice the price, that extra range would be certainly handy for the more extreme situations. People also need to remember that even with the upgraded Loc8tor, if it prevents the loss of just one model with its outfit of gear (even a good parkie is over $200), it's paid for itself... let alone being able to find your cat at midnight or the wife in the mall after you've visited the LHS. And actually, Ozzy Bear's find of disabling the beeper would be great to silently find the wife with the tag in her handbag!


rpage53: that's a good point about the uni-directional abilities of the coiled transmitter wire in the tags.

Ozzy Bear: The one handset per club is also an awesome idea! Spreading the cost of the upgraded handset would be handy indeed. If you're in Manly, where do you fly?... sloping?... I used to live on the North Shore, quite curious if any new places to fly have sprung up that I don't know about

theKM

Yes I live in Manly but fly mainly electrics at North Wahroonga. Had my first slope a couple of days ago off Dubroyd Head but others slope off Dee Why and Long Reef but I am not the best guy to ask about local sloping. Cruiously though i just bought a Windrider Fox!

Originally Posted by Loc8tor

Hello, I work for Loc8tor. First of all I would like to say thank you for doing such a thorough review. We are proud of our products and are constantly developing them to increase their performance.
A top tip to get the best range is to buy a loc8tor plus (has the strongest receiver) and the very latest new black tags (are the strongest emitters).
To help matters and for feeling smug about our product I will offer 10% off all orders and keep the postage low too for the next couple of weeks. Put discount code RCGROUPS to qualify for the offer.
Cheers
TR

[B]LOC*TOR[/B

So how much has the "black" tag range increased?

And - are they now waterproof? (a great improvement if they are)

Hello,

Very nice review.

We are french Retailer and we made tests for this loc8tor lite & Loc8tor Plus.

Very nice products aned very usefull for airplanes and T-Rex ... .

Our video and product description is on this page :

http://www.openplay.fr/systeme-de-ge...-pr-16524.html

And on this other for Plus version :

http://www.openplay.fr/systeme-de-ge...-pr-16620.html

Nice to see that Loc8tor is pleasant for Hobbies

Regards,

Fabian @ OPENPLAY

I have the full range Loc8tor, and I have not been impressed with it. I tested it a couple of times and found that I had to be much closer to the tag than the manufacturer's claim to get it to work.

The one time I really needed it to work, when I lost a plane, it didn't pick up a signal and was of no use.

I no longer bother with using it on planes. I have found it ok for locating keys inside the house.

Interesting Product!
Looked at the website & the "Plus" & the "Lite" show 600' & 400' respectively in their info, but both show the same in their Range "Graphs".
See that manufacturer has responded previously. Could we be advised of the actual difference in range for the two units?
Cheers,
John H

According to the manufacturer's website the Loc8tor Lite ' finds tagged items up to an incredible 122 metres / 400 feet' and '122 metre / 400 feet range is based on clear line of sight. Actual range may increase or decrease depending on use, environment and location'

For Loc8tor plus '183 metre / 600 feet range is based on clear line of sight. Actual range will vary depending on use, environment and location'

So the plus model claims 50% further maximum range.

Hello guys,

After reading a review last year of the Loc8ter, I went ahead and took the plunge. I put them in my two most expensive birds, a 30% scale Yak-54 gasser, and a 1/5 scale Stearman. I put the tag in the rasied panel section in the canopy of the Yak reasoning that if the canopy ever blew off the plane that I'd be able to find it. In the Stearman I found a spot just below a cockpit lined with thin balsa.

I performed a similar real-world test by having a buddy walk into the woods and place the canopy randomly in a spot. He came back and pointed to the general direction and off I went. I had to get within 40-50 feet of it to get a signal as it was in a bit of a dip in the ground and behind a tree. But in my mind, this was entirely acceptable as you will have a general idea (hopefully) where the model went down.

My verdict? Well worth the money for the piece of mind knowing that you are probably not going to lose an expensive bird or it's components in the event of a mishap.

Best,

Dave

Originally Posted by Loc8tor

.... Put discount code RCGROUPS to qualify for the offer.
Cheers
TR

Wish I'd noticed this earlier.. got one.. it's working great!
have one question.. how often should i replace the little batteries in the tags? or is there a way to turn them OFF like i can the Loc6tor unit?

Hi Folks.

Nice to see that the producer is active here! Thanks <TR> at loc8tor for the discount offer. That will probably increase sales I’m sure! I did enquire long ago to loc8tor, but now I will be buying one.

Can you please advise as to whether it is possible to increase the practical working range, bearing in mind that most of us would be looking for a downed plane, rather than a set of keys (the main original stated purpose).
Failing that, will you be working to improve the range, now that you are aware of our use for the loc8tor?

Perhaps you can confirm the comments regarding Antenna length from <Ozzy Bear>, or do you have any other suggestions/ideas for us?


[QUOTE=Ozzy Bear]Found this whilst trawling the web


Cracking open a tag

. . The only thing that might be impeding performance is the fact that the integrated antenna on the tag board is wrapped around the board’s perimeter. A straight dipole antenna, like the one in the receiver, might perform better. . .

QUOTE]

Most people here are acquainted with soldering irons etc, so your practical advice for our consideration would be much appreciated.
Thank you.

Tried this a few months ago. If you fly FPV and use 2.4GHz transmitters, the homing signal will be completely masked. However, if you wait until your video transmitter's battery dies, then it should function normally.

I do not recommend this for FPV fliers since it can be hard to determine the start of one's search area unless you've got some good video of the plane spiraling in!

Originally Posted by jims123

Wish I'd noticed this earlier.. got one.. it's working great!
have one question.. how often should i replace the little batteries in the tags? or is there a way to turn them OFF like i can the Loc6tor unit?

only way is to crack open the tag with a screw driver to replace the battery. Probably wouldn't be hard to put a switch in the circuit though... but remembering to turn it on would be yet another point of failure that may end up losing the model.

I have removed the batteries and wired it into the BEC using a small 3v regulator which fits inside the case. I know that it will not work if I have a complete system failure and lose power but at least it should work if I land in long grass or trees.

Richard

U bought mine of E-bay a long time ago, I wonder if the new one are any better? Range of mine is about 50'feet.

Now a funny thing-- I have never lost a plane since buying this thing. Murphy up and left. That was worth the investment big time.