Another Garmin Question

[Chief Long Hair]

Mike Ware, don't let mobeagle confuse you.

This is off of their website and owner's manual of the Astro 220. DC 30 collar battery life is 17 to 36 hours depending on the updating rate. In other words if the update rate is set at the quickest setting of every 5 seconds, expect the battery life, of the collars, to be 17 hours. If the update rate is set at 30 seconds, the battery life increases to 36 hours. (I think the battery life is 24 hours if the update rate is set at every 15 seconds but don't quote me.) The handheld, Astro 220, doesn't matter. Even if the batteries in it dies, just replace them and the unit will remember the last location of the DC 30 collars till it relocates them. It doesn't matter if you replace the batteries right now, hours, days, weeks or months later, it will at least show the last location it had on them.

As far as taking too long to locate the DC 30's when starting to run your dogs, try going onto Garmin's website, get their "Web Updater" software and update not only the Astro 220 but also update each DC 30 collar, (the instructions on how to do this is near the back of the owner's manual). That should fix them.

Hope this helps,
Da Chief

[deerhost]

Like mihunter said, With this unit, there should be no reason to leave your dogs overnight. You know exactly were your dogs are all the time. When its time to go you just walk to them and get them. Even in the dark. Also I have never had a problem with them locking on when I turn the unit on. I just put the collars on the dogs and leash the dogs to my truck or hold them on a leash I then turn the unit while the dogs are leashed and it usually locks on with in 60 seconds. Then I cut the dogs loose. I have not had one single problem in the 2 years that I have owned the unit...............DH

[DIXIEDOG]

I think there was an old post on here about a gps telemetry system in one. What is this system? Does anybody own one or I could be mistaken and it doesn't exist.

That system does exist it's the tinyloc gps/radio tracking system http://www.tinyloc.com/us/huntingdogsprod.php There is another unit that does the same thing available as well but I can't remember the brand name.

[big mike 50]

Thanks Dixiedog!

[DIXIEDOG]

Thanks Dixiedog!

No problem, I don't know anybody that's actually used one but I remembered looking at them in the past. Might want to try to get some feedback from users, they might not be that good I'm really not sure why we don't hear more about them.

[big mike 50]

Yeah I know it seems like they would be more popular at the price in the add. If you remember the other brand let me know, I have been trying to google it and search it on here with no results. I geuss haveing too many choices is better than none though when looking to buy somethinng likee this.

[Keystone Kid]

In most parts of Indiana I would not suggest leaving dogs out all night. The coyote population is just growing to high for me to gamble that much. I can't speak for others neck of the woods.

My beagles "don't run trash". So for this reason on cottontail rabbits I don't put a tracking system on them, but when we go north to go hare hunting that's a different story. I mainly use my Garmin Astro 220 with DC 30 collars on my squirrel dogs since they occasionally tree squirrels 600-700 yards away and with ravines on the reservoir in the picture tracking to the dogs and back to the truck comes in handy.