How to Use to Forest Mode on the SpotOn Fence

February 28, 2022 0 comments

Live on a wooded lot? Going camping under dense tree cover? Use Forest Mode to increase GPS accuracy.

About Forest Mode

SpotOn is the only GPS dog fence with a setting designed specifically for dense tree cover. Whether camping, hiking or anywhere under the trees, SpotOn has got you covered. Forest Mode improves GPS reception and makes the GPS boundaries more reliable.

Using Forest Mode will give your dog the most secure boundaries.

If your dog is outdoors and under trees, brush, or bushes coverage without Forest Mode activated, SpotOn’s indoor detection algorithm may (mistakenly) think your dog is indoors, and disable the boundary tones, vibration and static correction. When Forest Mode is on, the indoor detection is turned off and the tones, vibration, and static correction will not be disabled. All alerts will be active, and your dog can enjoy more time outdoors under the trees without the worry of boundaries under becoming unreliable. The new SpotOn GPS Fence has Forest Mode turned on as the default setting. Enabling Forest Mode helps your collar get a better GPS signal under trees, brush, or bushes. GPS works best when it has an unobstructed view of the satellites. SpotOn is designed to enable the strongest GPS signal.

How can we make SpotOn so accurate under the trees?

It's our superior GPS components paired with our patented technology. Here’s how SpotOn’s design enables the strongest GPS signals.

Antenna placement

GPS works best when it has an unobstructed view of the satellites. SpotOn’s GPS antenna is optimally placed to rest at the top of your dog’s neck, where it has a clear view of the sky and your dog’s body cannot block it. This allows for more accurate positioning and more reliable fence boundaries.

High-quality dual feed antenna

Another key to this enhanced GPS sensitivity is having a dedicated GPS antenna. SpotOn uses two separate antennas-- one for GPS information and one for cell information. This allows for SpotOn to be more accurate and not be affected by the interference experienced by a device that uses a combined GPS and cell antenna. This antenna can also communicate with four global satellite systems simultaneously, ensuring your dog is connected to 25-30 satellites at each time.

The antenna is a noise resistant, ‘active’ antenna that enables a direct, straight GPS signal from the satellites, actively filtering out inferior (or indirect) GPS signals partially blocked by buildings or trees. Here's the easiest way to think about this: all of SpotOn’s GPS signals are passengers on airplanes taking a nonstop (direct) flight from New York to Los Angeles. SpotOn’s antenna design allows for GPS signals to take a direct route-- the fastest and most unobstructed path. Other GPS devices use passive antennas, which is like flying from New York to Los Angeles on connecting flights. You’ll still get there but the route is not direct and will take longer because you’ll be stopping in other cities along the way. With a passive antenna, by the time the signals get to your collar, your dog may have moved, making his location and boundaries more inaccurate. When you create a fence, Forest Mode is automatically enabled to maximize GPS sensitivity. It will automatically deactivate once you have completed your fence, and if you need to you can manually activate it at any time.

SpotOn’s patented True Location™ Technology

Our patented algorithms allow SpotOn to overcome the traditional limitations of GPS to create the most effective wireless dog containment system, that pinpoints and predicts your dog’s location with greater accuracy. This leads to the most reliable fence boundaries whether your dog is in the backyard or the backcountry.

This best-in-class tech not only enables a feature like Forest Mode, but is also why our SpotOn system accurately pinpoints your dog’s location to within three feet, and updates every 6 seconds.

Do I need to activate Forest Mode during fence creation?

No. When you create a fence, Forest Mode is automatically enabled to maximize GPS sensitivity. It will automatically deactivate once you have completed your fence, and if you need to, you can manually activate it at any time.

How do I activate Forest Mode?

Go to 'Collar Settings' in the app to turn Forest Mode on and off.

To learn more about why SpotOn GPS Fence is a great outdoor dog fence solution, check out this page with a How It Works video.