Another Garmin Question

[big mike 50]

I have read a lot of posts on the range and while it is not perfect they look like they would be good for running beagles in most areas in most conditions. My question is what kind of battery life are you guys getting out of the collars? I would like to know because on occasions when it starts getting dark in the middle of a swamp there are times when I have to come back the next day and find the dogs. So say the dogs have already been down for three or four hours and daybreak isn't for another twelve or fourteen hous so I am looking at close to twenty hours of time would I still be able to find the dogs in the morning or would the collars be dead? Thanks!

Mike Ware

[mike crabtree]

I dont think mine will hold up that well. I have mine set up to update location on the quickest setting they have lasted 12 hours. If you set them up to update location less often they would probably last longer, but I dont know how long i would trust.

[mobeagle]

I dont think mine will hold up that well. I have mine set up to update location on the quickest setting they have lasted 12 hours. If you set them up to update location less often they would probably last longer, but I dont know how long i would trust.

When you leave turn your handheld off the collars themselves are supposed to last up to 36 hours. We've left a dog out overnight and had no trouble the next day. Turned the handheld on got communication and picked up the dog.

[big mike 50]

mobeagles what update setting was yours on and did you adjust it before you left? Thanks for the info so far guys keep it coming. I really like the plus side of these units but I don't want to regret the purchase later. Thanks again!

Mike Ware

[mobeagle]

mobeagles what update setting was yours on and did you adjust it before you left? Thanks for the info so far guys keep it coming. I really like the plus side of these units but I don't want to regret the purchase later. Thanks again!

Mike Ware

Doesnt matter what your update is set at turn the unit OFF when you leave drive back to the area in the morning turn your handheld on and it'll reconnect to your collars. I think theres a misconception that you have to be close to the collars everytime you turn the unit on to gain communication with the collars and thats false. You will not regret buying one.

[big mike 50]

Thats great!!!

[mihunter]

The thing about these collars is that you should be about to locate your dog quickly without needing to leave them over night. A few weeks ago a young bitch of mine took a deer and stupid me I didn't run her with a shock collar that day. I watched as she ran across a field two hundred yards away. The snow was too deep then to run after her and could only watch the unit read 300, 400 500 600 yards. I ended up loosing signal at about 1.25 miles. I then walked back to the truck another 1/2 mile the opposed direction and determined what road I should take to catch up to her. I figured out my plan of attack which took me down a dead end road, when I got to the end I hit the enter button and got signal right away and she was still 900 yards away. Luckily I was able to get permission to drive on the property and got within 50 yards of her. When I got close I counted 11 deer she was running. The deer crossed the dirt road and I waited for her and poured the coals to her A$$. I have had other tracking units and you could never be as accurate in finding a dog. This thing is the best you won't regret it.

[T LEE]

You won't regret it. We used them on our Hare trip this year. It with tell you distance, direction, if the dog is stopped or running.

Can't go wrong with the Garmin. The roof top antenna will reach out there too. Alot longer range than just the antenna that comes with the Garmin. I think I got the roof top for something like $32. It's worth it.

[DIXIEDOG]

No way I would trust mine overnight, they haven't failed yet but after an 8 hour hunt they are reading less than 1/2 charged so no way I'd leave my dog and come back. My Tracker on the other hand I would leave on all week and be confident it would still work when I got back. The Garmin is nice but for absolute reliability I know I can count on my Tracker, currently I run a Tracker Supra Lite and a Garmin DC-30 on every dog down. I have confidence in the Tracker, the Garmin is a neat toy but I don't trust it yet.

[nhharris78]

not knocking the garmin, i like mine when i can get it to work right. i am still having problems with it locking on the collars when first turning it on. i went fri, sat and had no problems. went to same place mon, and waited 15-20 min and they still never locked on. this isnt the first time this has happened. is this common?

[T LEE]

Make sure that to the left of the screen is the dog symbol (next to the dogs name or dog number)and Not the question mark. We just turned the collars on (Garmin handheld also) and waited a couple of mins. until they locked on. Never had any probles after that.

We always tried to get the dogs up a couple of hours before dark.

Running in the U.P there are alot of things that can happen to a dog ,Wolf , Coyote and who knows what else is out there.

[Dale Pea]

Getting the dogs up an hour before dark is a rule when your in the UP. We know there are wolf's and yotes. There are porky-pines too. There is rumors about a hat shooting son of a gun that is related to the booger man. LOL

As far as the Garmin, man i really, really like mine. I am going to get the roof mounted antena to increase the distance, and to make it easier to drive to the dog if need be. The only negative thing I can remember is I think the power lines messed me up one time. I heard the dogs in one directions but the arrows pointed the other. Once I got out from under the lines everything lined up again.

[DIXIEDOG]

not knocking the garmin, i like mine when i can get it to work right. i am still having problems with it locking on the collars when first turning it on. i went fri, sat and had no problems. went to same place mon, and waited 15-20 min and they still never locked on. this isnt the first time this has happened. is this common?

I've had it happen before, I needed to delete all my collars and add them back to the unit again. After I re taught the collars they worked fine.

[Gary Reed]

I love my garmin but the overnight with out a charge could be a problem if the dogs dont come when you call. Shock collar works great for that. I have not had any problems with mine,hunting the forest for snow shoes or hunting coyotes and fox around clare. I guess what I like about it the best its like watching tv in the woods you can see if the dogs are on a check or running a circle or just taking off on a off game I flip back and forth alot on the map and the dog dist. to keep me in the loop.

[big mike 50]

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.