Tracking system quality & quanity VS PRICE . Help !!!

[klrconcrete]

I have a Wildlife system that is approximately fifteen years old and has been totally bullet proof- all kinds of weather- it has never failed me. I have hunted with friends that have the Garmin systems and they are a neat toy, but I am not ready to depend on them totally just yet. Range, battery life, and overall durability are three things that these guys seem to think that the Garmins lack right now. Two of these guys run big hounds and both run regular tracking collars along with the Garmin for range and concern over batteries going dead mid race. I think the day will come when these types of systems rule but it is a ways off yet.

[Joe Parrino]

It comes down to personal preferance. I have tryed many types Receivers & collars and its like this, The cheaper Innotek RD400 gave me range and with qictrack XL collars gave the best range along side the Johnson & Magnum & RD 50. The down fall is its size. The older Johnsons if your running big hounds and stay in truck they work but the size of a car Batt. Wildlife has an excellent rep & many love them.The Tracker systems work best for me put it on your belt like a knife and your good, Stick new Batterys away you go 200hrs. The sealed type collars are not for me. The Garmin is GPS and at times in bad weather you will have short periods of black just like any hand held GPS and when under thick snow covered pines, & its batt life is not great. Garmin is on its 3rd collar now 1st collar DC20 failed, collar attachment trouble, 2nd was'nt good enough and now DC40. Ask any one who runs big hounds they put both Tracker & Garmin on hounds there is a reason for it,Extra in case Garmin fails,batt life,Sat downed time, ETC.. They cost more & are a new fad and maybe for short distance cottontail hunts they are nice. but untill I see it as dependable as the radio collars, and guys trusting those big expensive hounds to just Garmin I'am using Tracker. Tracker has The GPS system in New Zealand but not in the states yet, company won't comment on why.? Just my 2 cents.

[LEP]

I have a Wildlife TRX 10. It works great on my coonhounds. They guys I run with have Garmins and hands down the Garmins win. With the beagles its nice to see exactly where they are in case of a problem. Coon dogs about the same way. While the TRX has more range the Garmins have never failed. If I could sell mine for what I have in it Id get a Garmin. But seems there is no market for the radio trackers now that GPS has came around.

[dingo]

My Garmin once lost its calibration while I was out hunting and I did not have a backup compass. Fortunately I knew where I was and there was snow on the ground but I had a tangled mess of a backtrack as I had been hunting all day and walked all over the place. Never could get it to re-calibrate and had to send it in. I also had my track on the Garmin to follow. It just made me think I wont go without a my compass again. I have carried that old compass for many years and it has never malfunctioned once. I live in some pretty remote country here and a backup is a necessity now that I have learned from this. I was not all that familiar with the Garmin when this happened and I thought I had caused it to loose the calibration but it ended up the Garmin was defective for some reason. Sent it in and it has worked perfect ever since. Lesson learned.

Dingo

[Matt Glomski]

I have had a tracker for years. Can not complain about it. But I plan on getting a garmin. I think a Garmin would be GREAT for starting and getting young dogs going. You would know where they are at all times....you would know how deep they hunt 100yd, 200yd, 400yd....you would know how much ground they are covering while hunting.....if you know exactlly where they are there would be no need to bump them with tri tronics (and that can take hunt out of some dogs)....I hate shocking a young dog that goes hunting and a Garmin would help me from doing that.....if you have two dogs out there and one ran two miles and the other ran three miles it would tell me what hound is waisting alot of energy for no reason. I think a Garmin would be a great tool for me, and I can not wait to get one.

[Househounds]

Matt said

if you have two dogs out there and one ran two miles and the other ran three miles it would tell me what hound is waisting alot of energy for no reason.

.

It may also tell you which one is hanging out on the trails and not beating the brush like the one with the extra miles on him. I have one like that... but like my kids I love them all the same .

[Brian Westra]

I've had both and IMO Garmin wins hands down. Plus Garmin has a better resale value. You almost have to give the old style away.

[dogwood's PNV]

the garmin system is nice for precise location where as a standard tracking system givs you the direction and a guess how far by signal strength varies by terrain and conditions but you will be able to find the hounds for a good bit less money