Garmin Astro GPS Dog Tracking System
List Price: $624.82 Availability: | Usually ships in 24 hours (as of 4:57 PM CT - detail) |
Handheld GPS device and wireless transmitter with up to 5-mile range3-axis compass works regardless of orientation and shows dog's locationShows dog's status, such as running, sitting, on point or treeing quarryIncludes barometric altimeter, microSD card slot, celestial information and an area calculatorRugged construction has an IPX7 waterproof exterior
Product Description
The Garmin Astro GPS Dog Tracking System lets hunters and sportsmen spend their time looking for game, rather than looking for their dog. This unique dog-tracking system pinpoints your dog's position and shows you exactly where he is, even when you can't see or hear him. This system includes a bright, color-screen handheld Astro 220 GPS device and a wireless transmitter, called the DC 20. Simple and easy to use, you just take the Astro outdoors and turn on both units to acquire a GPS satellite signal, then attach the DC 20 to your dog, either via the included neoprene harness or by threading it onto an existing 1-inch e-collar, and you're ready to go. 
The Astro system features a bright color-screen handheld GPS device and a wireless transmitter. View larger. | 
View the Astro minisite | 
Tired of searching for your hunting dog in tall grass or dense cover? The Astro is the answer. View larger. | The DC 20 transmits your dog's position to your handheld every five seconds, showing current location as well as where he's been on the Map page. The Dog Tracker page shows you a compass that points to your dog's location, and lets you see your dog's current status, such as running, sitting, on point or treeing quarry. The Garmin Astro can even sound an alarm to let you know instantly when your dog goes on point. The Astro 220's high-sensitivity GPS receiver can track your dog's position even in the densest cover, and lets you track up to 10 dogs at one time, up to five miles away in open territory. The Astro features a Covey Counter, which lets you place a special waypoint that tells you the exact location, time of day and elevation where you found your prey, as well as the number of birds flushed and taken from that location. The Astro also lets you save other important waypoints, such as Truck and Lodge, and choose special icons to represent food plots, tree stands and other hunting-related items. The full-featured Astro handheld has all the same functions as Garmin's top-line handheld outdoor devices, including a barometric altimeter, a microSD card slot for maps, celestial information and an area calculator, as well as optional detailed city street maps, over 6 million points of interest, and exact turn-by-turn directions. This unit has an extremely rugged construction, with an IPX7 waterproof exterior that can withstand full immersion in water up to 1-meter deep for up to 30 minutes, and a revolutionary 3-axis compass that works no matter how the handheld is oriented. 
Each dog's collar transmits his exact location to you. | 
A variety of bright and colorful icons and markers are available. | 
Check sun and moon cycles for your location. | 
Special waypoint icons to represent food plots, tree stands, and other hunting-related points. |
What's in the Box
Garmin Astro 220 handheld with VHF antenna and DC 20 wireless transmitter with VHF antenna, a neoprene harness, a collar attachment plate, a carrying case, a lithium-ion battery pack for the DC 20 transmitter, a vehicle power adapter and AC adapter for the DC 20 transmitter, a trip and waypoint manager CD, a USB cable, a wrist strap, a belt clip, an owner's manual and a quick reference guide.
Spotlight Customer Reviews:
Summary:
Two thumbs up
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Comment:
I purchased the astro primarily for hiking with my dog in the wooded dunes of West Michigan. It surpassed my expectations. My dog will be chasing something 200 yards away, well out of sight and hearing range, and it works great. All of the stress and worry of not knowing where the dog is is gone. Because my dog doesn't stray for more than 200-300 yards, I haven't had a chance to test the full range, but within those yards and in very hilly terrain it's tracked flawlessly.
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Summary:
Garmin Astro GPS
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Comment:
Fantastic! I'm not a hunter, but I use the Garmin on my dogs when we go hiking. I've found the product to be very accurate. The construction of the product is very rugged. I'm glad I elected to use the shorter antenna because my dogs like to rough house. I'd be afraid they would damage the longer antena when rolling around. The piece of mind I have knowing that I can locate my dog should he chase after a rabit or deer is worth every penny to me.
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Summary:
If you hunt with dogs you want this.
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Comment:
I had a hard time convincing myself to try this because I already had a traditional dog tracking system. Trust me it would be like comparing apples to oranges.
I've been using this system for two months now. I will never go `coon hunting again without it. It works exactly as advertised. I feel a little guilty because it takes most of the guesswork out of hunting. You will know exactly where your dogs are and where they've been, and you will know when they've stopped moving.
My gripe list:
The dog unit isn't nearly durable enough. The antenna has been lost. The replacement antenna has now been damaged. The clip that holds the unit to a collar has broken.
The battery only lasts for twenty hours.
The topo maps should be preloaded.
It should be compatible with the RINO series, from a layman's perspective it looks like the same technology.
If you buy this unit go ahead and buy:
The mag mount antenna, you pick up some serious distance with it.
Extra pack of antennas, they come two to a package. I lost one right away and I check them for tightness now. They will get damaged, especially if you use the vest instead of the collar attachment.
Extra collar attachment, it might break if your dog decides to go in a hole chasing something.
Extra DC20 for each dog you hunt. I knew exactly what dog #1 was doing and I hated not knowing what exactly what dog #2 was doing.
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Summary:
Garmin Astro 220
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Comment:
I am a little disappointed with this product. Technically it works well, but the human/canine usability factors are not well thought out.
On the plus side, the vendor shipped quickly, and the units were easy to set up and use. The main unit works well as a GPS, and locates the tracker unit within at least half a mile if there is reasonable line of sight. Going over a ridge loses the signal, but at least the tracking function lets you know where it was lost. (This was tested by leaving the tracker unit inside a vehicle. The signal might be stronger outside.)
On the negative side, the provided carrier harness is worse than useless. Perhaps it works better on short-coated hunting dogs than my rough-coated border collie mix. Every time we tried it, the transmitter would wind up underneath her within a minute or two. Now it goes in a pocket of her backpack.
Another negative is the lack of topo maps. As shipped, it just has major highways & lakes. The supplied PC map software is worthless - it only works on Windows, which I do not use - so it appears that the only option is to fork over more money for maps on SD chips.
A minor irritation is the fact that the manual and menus refer to all the dog-related functions in hunting terms - and bird hunting in particular. That seems oddly restrictive.
To summarize, it is a good product, and with a little tinkering should do what I want - keep track of a dog who likes to take off on her own - but with a little extra thought, it could have been much better.
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Summary:
great product, slow delivery
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Comment:
The product was exactly as advertised, and what I wanted however I paid 30 some dollars for expedited shipping and it took over 2 weeks to recieve luckily I did recieve it in time for xmas.
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