Customer Reviews
Noodles said:
i bought the Astro 220/DC30 in May of 2009 for my Samoyed who in case you have ever owned a sled dog (Samoyeds, Huskies, etc), you understand all too well their fondness for roaming, chasing, and running all of the while forgetting to listen (ignoring is more adore it!) for you calling them!
I now feel extremely comfortable when my dog is off leash on hikes, because the Astro 220 does as advertised. i do know whether my dog is at the move, treeing some kind of critter, or resting. I also know what direction she is found and approximately how far-off she is. It’s also turn out to be useful finding my as far back as the auto a few times.
On the occasions that i’ve needed to retrieve her the GPS/compass has been 100% at the mark every time. It saves me lots of time wandering in the course of the woods aimlessly calling her with that slightly panicked edge to my voice!
So far the collar has withstood several swims, miles of terrain, a lot of digging into boroughs, and rough-housing with other dogs.
As somebody else mentioned, ensure the units sync up before you release your dog. I sync them off the dog, then put the collar on her. Carry spare AA batteries with you. i am getting about 24 hours out of a hard and fast at the Astro. You don’t wish to be DOA if you find yourself trying to find your pup. The collar however gives me about 15 hours on a recharge with the 5 second refresh.
Aside from all that, in case your dog is a difficult-running type, you can be amazed at how much ground they could cover in an amazingly short while.
If there has been a wish-list for this product i’d say some kind of rechargeable battery for the handset would for me make it perfect. A second-tier wish can be to make it slightly smaller.
I am sure i’ll buy regardless of the next-gen of this product is because it can only go from Excellent to Excellent, i believe.
J. Schockett said:
Nowadays should you can see your mailbox from space on google earth, basic mobile phones have gps and mp3 players and you’ll buy 16gb usb flash drives for only the price of a tank of gas, technology products include high expectations, especially ones with $500 price tags. The Garmin Astro meets expectations, but stops there rather abruptly. Okay, that is a bit critical. The technology is pretty amazing. For those who first get it out of the box, work during the quick start guide, and put it for your dog, it’s impressive. Once our Schipperke, Lucy, was greater than about 15 yards away the hand held unit clearly and accurately showed her position on a straightforward color map and the dog tracker pointed at her approximate location while correctly tracking her distance. My wife walked across our neighborhood with Lucy and from our home, i may easily follow their entire walk(500 yards away). However the glow wore off quickly. If you begin to examine the features of the device, you’ll realize that there isn’t far more too it. Outside of the single (admittedly cool) feature, the GPS is actually an uneventful GPS from 5 or 10 years ago. The included map shows highways, but not surface roads (it costs another $100 to download detailed maps). It has a compass, a barometric altimeter and a few gps games that I’ll probably never play. The collar (despite being an improvement from previous versions) is additionally a chunk big and ponderous for a small dog, though seeing Lucy run with that antenna sticking up fromm her collar is awful cute. In total, we like having the ability to let Lucy run free within the forest without those moments of panic once we don’t know where she is, so I’m glad I own the Garmin Astro. i used to be at the fence between 3 and four stars and value pushed me to three. At $500, I’m still uncertain it’s worth it. Fundamentally, this can be a GPS unit that communicates with another GPS unit via radio. i’m able to’t see any reason this shouldn’t be half the worth. Give it two years and that i anticipate that it’ll be. For now, this seems to be among the finest gps dog trackers available, but that it isn’t saying a great deal.
Product Details
- Bundle includes Astro 220 handheld GPS device, DC 40 dog GPS collar, and accessories
- Rugged, orange polyurethane DC 40 collar pinpoints your dog’s position every 5 seconds
- Astro handheld has each of the features of Garmin’s top-line handheld outdoor devices
- Accepts downloaded map detail, including TOPO maps with elevation information
- Barimetric altimeter provides elevation profiles for climbers and hikers
Bored with looking for your hunting dog in tall grass or dense cover? You can now leave the hunting entirely to him. Astro is the premier high sensitivity GPS-enabled dog tracking system for sporting dogs. This unique system pinpoints your dog’s position and shows you precisely where he’s, even if you are able to’t see or hear him.
Uninterested in are looking for your hunting dog in tall grass or dense cover? You can now leave the hunting entirely to him. Astro is the premier high sensitivity GPS-enabled dog tracking system for sporting dogs. This unique system pinpoints your dog’s position and shows you precisely where he’s, even if you’re able to’t see or hear him.
Release the hounds and know what they’re as much as with Astro, the GPS-enabled dog tracking system for hunters. |
The rugged, all-weather DC40 collar combines a high-sensitivity GPS receiver and VHF antenna into an all-in-one transmitter. |
The Astro handheld has the complete features of Garmin’s top-line handheld outdoor devices. |
Tall grass. Short dog. Game on.
See Your Dogs’ Every Move
The Astro system incorporates a bright color-screen handheld GPS device and the rugged, orange polyurethane DC 40 collar. The collar accommodates most e-collar receivers–eliminating the necessity to put two separate collars on a dog. Plus, Collar Lock creates a four-digit PIN number that helps prevent others from seeing your dog’s whereabouts–an invaluable feature in field trials in order for an Astro is used only as a recovery tool when a dog in competition becomes lost.
To start, just take Astro outdoors and switch at the handheld and transmitter to procure GPS satellite signals. Then attach the DC 40 on your dog. Now you’re able to turn him loose–no other setup required.
The rugged, all-weather collar is made from durable one-inch orange polyurethane, able to withstand the weather and the search.
Track Dogs in Dense Cover
As often as every five seconds, your dog’s DC 40 transmits his position on your handheld, and you’ll see his current location and a trail of where he’s been at the Map page of your handheld. Switch over to the Dog Tracker page to view a compass pointing on your dog’s location in addition to his current status: whether he’s running, sitting, on point or treeing quarry. Astro could also sound an alarm to tell you instantly when your dog goes on point.
Astro boasts a high-sensitivity GPS receiver which can track your dog’s position even within the densest cover. Possible track as much as ten dogs at one time with Astro, at a distance of as much as seven miles away (reckoning on terrain). The system transmits information by line-of-sight, so it reaches farthest in flat, open territory.
Count Your Coveys
When you’ve captured your quarry, mark the precise spot with Astro’s Covey Counter, a unique waypoint that tells you the precise location, time of day and elevation where you found your prey, in addition to the variety of birds you flushed and took from that location. Astro allows you to save other special waypoints, together with “Truck” and “Lodge,” so that you can save the positioning of those places quickly and simply for every hunt. Astro also offers special waypoint icons to symbolize food plots, tree stands and other hunting-related points.
Experience Full-Featured GPS
Astro shines while you’re out at the hunt, nonetheless it also excels in getting you back for your truck on the end of the day, or maybe back home again. Actually, the Astro handheld has all of the features of Garmin’s top-line handheld outdoor devices.
The barimetric altimeter provides elevation profiles for climbers and hikers, and the electronic compass ensures you get an awesome bearing. Handy tools like a place calculator and celestial information permit you to plan your day. With optional detailed city street maps, you may seek over 6 million sights and create a route on roads with exact turn-by-turn directions; or download TOPO maps complete with elevation information. Finally, the Astro 220 includes a rugged, IPX7 waterproof exterior, able to tackle incliment weather with out a hitch.
What’s within the Box
Astro 220 Handheld, DC 40 Wireless Transmitter Collar, Carrying Case, AC Adapter for DC 40, Vehicle Power Cable for DC 40, USB Cable, Wrist Strap, Belt Clip, Owner’s Manual, Quick Start Manual
Related GPS Trackers Products
GARMIN 010-11049-00 Astro DC 30 Wirelesss Collar Transmitter… ($156)
When the DC30 came out it was a major improvement. Garmin realized that the heavy transmitter would sag down where the dog tags hang, so they put it there intentionally instead of trying to force it on top.
The passive antenna in the original unit was replaced with an active amplified gps antenna sewn into the collar facing the sky. A small thin cable is hidden in the collar to carry the gps signal down to the transmitter below.
Finally, the transmit antenna was redesigned for vhf frequencies and realizes 1dB more gain over the previous transmitter – not alot but still an improvement.
In short, the DC 30 makes the astro a real dog tracker. I bought the collar separately and was immediately impressed. No longer did I have to scrape dog hair from the velcro on their earlier design!
Garmin Astro 220 + 2 DC30 Dog Tracking Collars Bundle… ($696)
Garmin Astro 220 Bundle with the New Dc-40 Collar… ($549)
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