Garmin Astro Review

[catdogs]

There are no update software versions for the DC 30 collar, only the Astro. However, the collars can be updated (when there is one) through the Astro when it is plugged into your computer. I believe the DC 20 collars do have an update though.

[Mr.pacojack]

[Dads dogboy]

Mr. pacojack and other dissattisfied Garmin owners,

Please PM me if any of You all want to sell your systems. I have several different friends who have seen the Astro 220 in action and want to buy systems. Perhaps I can help easy your pain and help them at the same time!

Also confirmed rumor is that Tri-tronics and Magellian have partnered up to bring out a GPS system this fall. I am sure it will be a good one to. But as with anything new it will have bugs to work out.

We are on our third Astro 220 unit as we have been unlucky or unskilled and have had problems with both unit and collars but Garmin has had new ones in our hands before we missed the ones returned. If you have to call Garmin for support call in the morning as you will get faster service. Also try to get Jim to help you as he is appears to be a hunter, and has been the most help to me.

Good Running to All!!!!!!!!!!!

C. John Clay

[Buddyw]

John,

Where did you hear that about tri-tronics??

[tman308]

Just my two cents,

I hunt my dogs with just the Garmin collars and have not had any real issues with range. I have dogs that will run trash like deer and elk and end up over 3 miles away and I can ride over to them and pick them up from where the Astro showed them. Other then the occasional lost signal because of canyons and mountains I have no issues with mine.

As far as updates I posted somewhere else but I will put it here there is an update for the Astro and the collars. I updated all my collars last week along with my Astro. You go onto the website and download the updater. Once downloaded you just launch the updater and don't need to be on the website. When updating the collars make sure you have them on and linked to the Astro before launching the Updater. It will show on the Updater Screen Astro or DC-30 depending on which one is being checked.

[HEKK]

Conkey's hound hunting supply sells antennas for the dc 20 that let the unit hang below
the neck and the antenna wraps up skyward. Just like a normal telemetry collar and they
work well. $20.00 There located in Florida. conkeyshoundhuntingsupply.com

[Mr.pacojack]

[Mr.pacojack]

[DesertDweller]

I have'nt had a chance to use mine in the woods though, but I do live in open farm country and have tested it just driving around, I can get 3+ miles out of the rubber stock antenna, and have gone as far as 10.52 miles with the roof top, I have'nt messed with the handheld antenna......I would say somethings not right with your unit or something. That was just messing around with it one day..........

[sheimer]

Something has got to be wrong with your unit or collars or antenna. I can consistantly get at least 1 mile and have had readings of 4.6 miles before with just the factory rubber duckies. I also hunt in broken and rough terrain. Sometimes this is an advantage and sometimes not. If I lose signal I just start gaining elevation and seem to get the signal back fairly soon. Don't get me wrong, I also have lost signal before at 300 yards, but not for long. I would love to get 5 miles or more, and with the right antennas, we probably could. Just to keep the comparisons even, I only have the DC20's not the DC30's.

Scott

[Mr.pacojack]

[Cowboyvon]

I have had nothing but great experiences with Garmin... who did you talk to..?? I have had a few problems with the collars but they have always helped even sending me new batteries without charging me, I have 3 of the dc 30's. I haven't had any problems with range with the system at all and I hunt some of the roughest country in NM.....

Let me say again they have been exceptionally accommodating with me and extremely polite...

Brett Vaughn

[not color blind]

hey paco, where did you order your antenna tunned to 151? I've been looking, can't find one.

[Mr.pacojack]

[Jeff Shaw NM]

OK, I hung a DC 30 on my BBQ grill with the annna up perfect and started driving away.

The factory antenna lost signal at about 1.2 mi.(not good enough) .
Put the antenna from my icom handheld on Astro (151 freq.)... voila,, signal , continue driving with only occasional loss out to 7 mi.(much better) .
Hook up the antenna(cheap no gain magnet mount antenna) coax from my truck radio (Requires an adapter) and the antenna is tuned exact with a SWR meter to 151.820... resumed tracking to 15.5 mi. and could have gone further (saving gas) .

Get back to the house to find that the collar fell off the grill, and is laying flat on the ground (sorta blows the theory of a circular signal) ...

The next day I turned collar on and drove away,(rubber icom antenna on 220)....Checked it all day long from 9 to 12 miles while I drove around (Working-Gas ). I never had a constant signal at that distance, but I could have gone to my dog because I would get a locate about every 30 or so minutes.

I think people forget that it's a radio signal you recieve (Not a GPS signal). Low watt radio signals seem to tend to come & go, even at close range.

We all stop and wave the beeper around 5 minutes so why not stop, be still, give the 220 a chance to recieve a signal, if that doesn't work you may have to actually walk to a higher elevation .

Oh, I'm in mountainous terrain...

Later, Jeff