Garmin has seamingly change the dog hunting world with the GPS Tracking system. The Garmin Astro Dog Tracking system has already saved countless hours and miles
Looking for Lost dogs. In August of 2010 Garmin will introduce the next revision of the Tracking collars, the long awaited DC40. Although
I don't believe it is as Good as it could be. (BTW. Garmin.. If your readin this please give me a call) It is sadly missing the mark on many
aspects of what we need for Big Game Hunting with dog using the Astro. However, even with these holes, When it works right, (more on that later), There is nothing on the market that competes with it.
Ready to Buy? as soon as the DC40's are released we will have the best price garanteed, We do price match and we will not be beat..
The Garmin Astro with the New DC40 Collar gives you everything you need to track dogs with a Hand held GPS.
You can always add additional collars (up to 10 total)
at any time, if you add more dogs.
Garmin introduces the next generation of their GPS dog tracking system: The Garmin Astro 220 with DC 40 collar which is specifically designed for hunters. Track your hunting dogs in heavy cover without making a sound. With the Garmin Astro, you'll know where your dog is and what your dog is up to.
Garmin Astro Combo Unit includes:
Astro 220, belt clip
Swivel button
Lanyard
USB cable
VHF handheld antenna
DC 40 Collar transmitter with strap and whip style antenna
The Garmin Astro system consists of two components: a Handheld GPS unit (Astro 220) which looks like a walkie-talkie and a Dog GPS unit (Astro-DC-40).
These two GPS units communicate via radio signals.
The Dog GPS computes its location from the GPS satellites, detects whether your dog is moving or on point, and sends that info to your Handheld GPS every 5 seconds.
The Handheld GPS then plots the exact location of your dog on a map screen, shows distance, and whether your dog is moving or on point.
On your Handheld GPS, the MAP SCREEN shows your location, your dog's location, and the path that your dog has hunted. Alternately, view your dog(s) on the COMPASS SCREEN which shows your location, your dog's distance and direction. The COMPASS SCREEN is perfect for running multiple dogs. Add up to 10 dogs to one Handheld GPS system. All you need are extra DC 40 DOG GPS collars.
GETTING STARTED WITH YOUR GPS
Turn on both GPS units and wait until each unit has acquired a GPS satellite signal. Put the Dog GPS (DC-40) on your dog and start hunting. The handheld receiver will automatically display your dog's location.
NEW 2010 DC-40 COLLAR DESIGN
The new rugged Astro DC 40 collar / transmitter is a complete stand alone unit. The DC 40 is an improved designed based of the popular DC 30 collar.
The DC 40 is a self contained transmitter. It incorporates the GPS antenna / receiver, battery and electronics into one unit. Garmin has eliminated the multiple parts of the DC 30 and combined everything into one durable smaller package. It does away with the wires that connected the GPS Antenna to the electronics. This allows the unit to be mounted on a standard plastic coated nylon collar strap.
The DC 40 Astro collar has a Whip Style RF antenna that will take all the abuse a hunting dog can give it.
The DC 40 is built tough to handle the rough terrain where your dog hunts, and it doesn't require the use of any additional counterweight, ecollar, or vest to keep the unit on the dog. Just buckle it on and go!
The new compact design of the DC 40 will also allow you the option of mounting both the DC 40 and most standard remote training collars on the same strap. This will eliminate the need for two straps if you run both an ecollar and the Garmin Astro on your dog.
New Charging Cradle
The DC 40 now comes with a charging cradle that snaps on to the DC 40. This new design eliminates the grooves that allowed dirt and mud to collect in the earlier versions of these collars and made charging difficult.
The DC 40 also has a system of blue lights that blink while the collar is charging and glow solid after it is finished charging. You snap your collar into the cradle and plug it up, the light will blink blue. Once it is fully charged, the light will glow solid blue.
"Collar Lock" PIN system
A new feature that has been added to the DC 40 is the option of putting a "password" protection feature on your collars.
The new "Collar Lock" feature allows you to block other people from being able to track your dog. You select a 4 digit code that the users hand held will require you to enter before it will allow anyone to track your GPS collar.
"Collar Lock" is a pull down selection that you can set on your collar if you want it. It is not required to use the DC 40, and it is easy to reset if you want to change it or stop using it.
2 Minute Update Rate
The Astro DC 40 also has a new update rate that is designed to extend battery life. The Update Rate is the time between location information being sent from the DC 40 collar to your hand held receiver. The quicker the update rate the more information you have on where your dog is and what he is doing.
Previous generations of the Astro have allowed update rates of 5 seconds, 10 seconds and 30 seconds. The DC 40 has those updates and it also has a 2 minute (120 seconds) option. This longer update rate is designed for the dog owner that wants the longest possible battery life (48 hours) and is willing to sacrifice location detail to get it.
DC 40 Collar Specifications
Astro can track up to ten dogs per "Handheld GPS" receiver at one time. Add additional Astro DC 40s as needed.
Fully Backward compatible with the Original Astro 220, DC 20 and DC 30
Collar strap fits neck sizes between 9 and 22 inches
K9 metal collar buckle with metal keeper
14 inch Whip style antenna
Rugged IPX7 waterproof standards
User replaceable Li-Ion battery pack (rechargeable)
User replaceable collar strap
Improved on/off power button
Collar Battery Runtime: 17 hours with 5 second update rate
Collar Battery Runtime: 27 hours with 10 second update rate
Collar Battery Runtime: 36 hours with 30 second update rate
Collar Battery Runtime: 48 hours with 120 second update rate
Weight: 8 ounces with collar strap and antenna
Range: up to 7 miles
Electronics case is 3.5" wide x 1.75" height x 1.25" deep
PLEASE NOTE: Garmin GPS units are waterproof in accordance with IEC 529 IPX7. IEC 529 is the European system of test specification standards for classifying the degrees of protection provided by the enclosures of electrical equipment. An IPX7 designation means the GPS case can withstand accidental immersion in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes.
ASTRO 220 HANDHELD GPS
Contains top-notch features such as a high-sensitivity GPS receiver, long battery life, a bright sunlight readable color display and a rugged IPX7 waterproof exterior.
This unit also offers automatic routing with turn-by-turn directions.
The Astro 220 has a micro SD card slot so you can add preprogrammed data cards with detailed maps such as TOPO, Inland Lakes, BlueChart and City Navigator.
Barometric altimeter and brand new 3-axis electronic compass
Scratch resistant lens on the 2.6" color TFT display with backlit display and keypad
Resolution: 240 x 160 pixels
Weight: 6.4 ounces without batteries
Battery life: 25 plus hours using 2 AA batteries
USB mini-B connector for data updates with a PC
Rugged IPX7 waterproof standards
Quad helix GPS antenna
Removeable VHF antenna
Micro SD card slot available for preprogrammed MapSource mapping detail such as US TOPO, Inland Lakes, BlueChart and City Navigator
Stores 1000 waypoints, 50 routes and 10,000 track points
Area calculation feature
Built-in auto routing basemap
Garmin GPS units are waterproof in accordance with IEC 529 IPX7. An IPX7 designation means the GPS case can withstand accidental immersion in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes.
GPS DOG TRACKING SYSTEM BATTERIES
DOG GPS / COLLAR BATTERY
-- The DC 40 GPS Collar uses a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery pack. Average battery charge life is 17 hours using the standard 5 second update. You can increase battery life by using longer update modes. A wall charger and a car charger are both included. One cradle charger is included. Allow 3 to 4 hours for a complete charge for a fully drained battery.
HANDHELD GPS BATTERY
-- The Astro Handheld unit uses AA batteries. Average run time is 25+ hours.
GARMIN ASTRO GPS RANGE
-- The Garmin Astro transmitter and receiver have a "line of sight" range of up to seven miles. The Astro communicates using a VHF radio signal between the Dog GPS collar and the Handheld GPS unit, so to get the full range out of a system there should be nothing between the transmitter and the receiver.
Realistically, this isn't going to happen in most of the places that we spend time with our dogs, so the actual usable range will be less than 7 miles depending on hunting conditions, including weather, terrain, and the presence of cover.
-- The Garmin Astro has some additional features that many dog owners might find useful. Using the Waypoints and Tracks and the Dog Tracks feature from the Astro Handheld you can download your days hunt into your PC using either MapSource or Motionbased.com to see your hunt on a topo map or Google Earth. This allows you to see the ground that you and your dog actually cover in a days hunt on a map.
Covey Counter
-- The Garmin Astro also allows you to mark the exact location of your
coveys using a special waypoint feature. This will allow you to place your coveys on a map and mark the time of day, elevation, number of birds in the covey and number of birds taken from a covey.
New Icons
-- Astro also comes with new waypoint icons designed for hunting, letting you mark and identify additional waypoints such as your truck, hunting lodge, food
plots, cover, ATVs and other outdoor-related features.
Additional Uses
-- While the Garmin Astro is designed for the hunting dog, many of our customers that don't hunt but enjoy spending time outdoors with their dogs and allowing them to run off leash will find the Astro incredibly useful.
The Garmin Astro is perfect when your dog is not by your side. Hiking, camping, horseback riding or bike riding, the Garmin Astro will allow your dogs more freedom but allow you to keep a close eye on them and help you locate them if they get lost. Since the Garmin Astro 220 serves as a full-featured handheld GPS unit, it will keep you from getting lost, too.
Garmin has seamingly change the dog hunting world with the GPS Tracking system. The Garmin Astro Dog Tracking system has already saved countless hours and miles
Looking for Lost dogs. In August of 2010 Garmin will introduce the next revision of the Tracking collars, the long awaited DC40. Although
I don't believe it is as Good as it could be. (BTW. Garmin.. If your readin this please give me a call) It is sadly missing the mark on many
aspects of what we need for Big Game Hunting with dog using the Astro. However, even with these holes, When it works right, (more on that later), There is nothing on the market that competes with it.
