Although the iQ-Plus unit seems to be a great starting point for most, for more strong willed submissives I've investigated into making a new wide version of this collar to accommodate the Dogtra 2300NCP.
To get a jump on the basics of this collar idea, it may be a good idea to check out the original shock collar article at (DSG - LEATHER SHOCK COLLAR)
Even though I'm happy with how the original shock collar design turned out, I found that with the Dogtra iQ-Plus some submissives could tolerate shocks at 100 max power. Being similar to impact play concepts; not many like to start at high intensity levels, yet with the proper ramping intense scenes can inspire the desire for more intensity. To keep a sassy submissive in line it is better to always have the option for "more" so this spawned the idea of looking into a more powerful shock unit.
I've been happy with Dogtra so far thus I haven't bothered looking at other brands. For the main idea of my search I wanted to find their most powerful unit at a reasonable price point and that seems to be the Dogtra 2300NCP. The 2300NCP is noticeably larger without going crazy, yet is still very similar to the iQ-Plus layout so I could use the same screw caps for connection points and hole spacing. Not that I've ever had range issues with the iQ-Plus, but it is rated for 400yards while the 2300NCP is rated for about a 3/4mile (1320yards). Dogtra has some new powerful models, but they use the ARC style shape that has a fairly long shock unit which would get in the way of buckle adjustability on my current design. One of the main considerations for me was that the 2300NCP uses a 1" strap so to accommodate the hardware and make the shock unit appropriate I widened the main collar width to 2" from 1.5". The result overall with padding at around 2.5" is not quite a posture collar, however gives what we like to call a "bossy" feel. Most probably wouldn't want to sleep in it, but during play it adds a little to the being controlled feeling.
The 2300NCP has all the great core features of the iQ-Plus including: easy recharge on both shock unit and remote, a pocket-able remote, 2 channel capability, no power button on shock unit, and waterproof. For some differences, like the shock unit the remote is larger on the 2300NCP. This is about the only downside, however can still fit in pockets and includes a belt clip. The remote also has an ON/OFF switch which is another thing to worry about, but the resulting backlit display comes in quite handy when wanting to know the power setting in dark environments. The power is adjusted using a knob on the top where the placement and resistance I think make it harder to accidentally move. It is also nice to be able to see the exact power level while on the iQ-Plus there is some guessing involved. The Nick and Constant shock buttons are now on the side, perhaps to distance them away from the tamer Page button on the front. The channel switch is different being more of a classic small switch instead of a slider style. It seems the shock unit only comes in a grey color at the moment, which I was a little worried about at first, but it seems to look fine on both black and institutional collar looks.
For collar platform changes I've started to make the side D-ring just a simple loop to make the collar look a little more symmetrical. I also noticed on some collar requests to have more sizing range that the shock unit alignment would get a bit offset so added more mounting holes to let the shock unit shift some. This helps let one try and keep alignment of the D-ring in the front, and shock unit centered on the back of the neck. The added height can also make comfort a little more tricky so I've been looking into folding the inner loop velcro edges so less chance of scratchy points. It is a bit of a hassle to setup, but might as well go all the way on a premium product.
When it comes to use, the 2300NCP shock power is noticeably more powerful than the iQ-Plus which was the goal. They aren't on the same scale so despite that the 2300NCP goes to 127 max power, 40 power on the 2300NCP still feels like a little more than the iQ-Plus on 40 power. Everyone is different, but it seems for most that around 90 power is pretty serious and not something one can just shrug off. Like on any of the shock units, Constant shocks are way more intense than quick Nicks even at the same power level. As some may forget, the power level is adjustable at any time, so it can be turned down quite low if that is all it takes to get the results desired; the main idea is to just have a higher max power for particularly stubborn subs.
To take things even further we have also used a shock belt setup with the collar so with one remote the units can be set to both go off, or have each one on a channel that can be switched with channel selection. Once we were able to get the iQ-Plus to have just collar on one channel and both units on the other channel, but it seems this in not intended functionality so not in the manual and we have not been able to get a similar setting again. Anyway, just a note that the multi-channel functionality leaves a lot of room for fun, it could also be used for having 2 collars on 2 different submissives. I haven't tried it yet, but in theory could have a collar and belt shock setup on each channel so both the collar and belt would get shocked, but the channel control would change between which submissive.
The Dogtra 2300NCP alone is a bit expensive so the final price is certainly up there, however I think heavy players will appreciate the option. Other remote electric play units may have more options, but then you have to deal with a lot of cord management. To mix things up we've also been trying out an institutional color scheme. Using Deer skin for the padding it is a little more of a hassle for production, but gives an even softer feel to offset the additional width some.
Currently available at: (THE DSG ETSY STORE)
