Tracking collars

[LIVE WIRE KENNELS]

Can anyone help me with info on a multi dog tracking system that is reliable, easy to use, and accurate. what is the best choices out there? Thanks

[mihunter]

I had the tracker maxima a few years back and went to the garmin astro when they came out and have been very happy. The astro let's you track up to 10 dogs at a time, you know exactly how far out the dogs are and if you get the map loaded on to the system you will see most roads and other hazards that your dog maybe getting close to. I also like that I can see what areas my dog have covered and what areas he hasn't, so I know where to work him next, and the unit keeps a log of how much ground your dog has covered (good for getting a dog in shape). I find I have about a mile range with it where I hunt, and you can buy a longer range antenna if you think you need it, but I have never lost a dog with using the regular antenna.

[J Steelman]

Cant go wrong with a Garmin.

[hack52]

i love my garmin

[deerhost]

Garmin, Never had one problem with it....DH

[rabbit runer]

all i use are bells they are cheap don't have the money for the good stuff but i did break down and buy 5 tri tronics g3 collars and that cost me $700

[mjd]

i like my wildlife materials trx3 with mini antenna,also have a yagi if i need it,i run 4 collars on it,3 wm 3190/3280 magnums and 1 lighted marshall,nice thing about the marshall is it just takes regular AA batteries and you can have freq changed to whatever you want,with so many going to garmins you can usually pick these up pretty cheap,just depends on how many collars you want to run ,if i had it to do over id go with a trx 16

[DIXIEDOG]

I have the Tracker Maxima Complete with 6 collars...it's works well, is dependable and easy to use.... A couple years back I was convinced to get the Garmin GPS system...I've not got the Garmin Astro w/ 4 collars so far, it works good and gives you alot of info. Alot of it's fluff but I like the distance ran by each dog...I use that when I'm just running the dogs to condition them and it's nice to see their tracks after several circles, that helps you get into position to shoot the rabbit on the next pass but either system works great for tracking dogs...if you don't like messing with a bunch of digital stuff and multiple menus I'd go Tracker...if you're into extras I'd go with the Garmin.

[deerhost]

With the garmin it tells you EXACTLY were your dog is. I lost my ti-tronics G2 reciever this fall while I was hunting and I used my Garmin to back track over were I walked and walked right into my lost Tri-tronis reciever...Good luck with a another tracking collar doing that for you as well as knowing exactly were your dogs are. Spend the extra money and get a Garmin...DH

[cpuckett]

i have a tracker maxima and it does a fine job,i have a buddy that has the garmin and it has alot of nice things about it like how far your dogs are from u which direction there in and shows all roads and creeks,but i would not trade my system for it he is always loosing signals on 3 or 4 dogs they may loose there signal for 5 minutes or it could be 45 minutes and that's the truth i was with him win it happened.that may be the time there in danger,it run's off satellite and that depends on cloud cover - trees- culverts- if u have satellite tv then u know that sometimes it don't work and it will say aqurying a satellite signal it may take 15 minutes or 2 hours so if u can afford a tracking system i would go with tracker or wildlife materials..charles

[deerhost]

I have the Garmen Astro with the DC-30 Collars and I just about never loose the signal. I run my dogs 3-4 times a week and I may have lost the signal only 3 or 4 times in the 3 years I've had it and when I did loose it, it was only for 3-5 seconds not enough to ever loose my dogs. Comparing a tracker system to a Garmin Astro is like comparing a 10 speed bike to a Motorcycle. Don't take my word for it. Do a search on this board for the Garmin Astro and you will see what I am saying,,,DH

[cpuckett]

i'm not speakin for anyone's garmin except my buddy's and maybe it's the area but trust me he has lost signal several times and it has been for very long times on several occasions.some times he looses it and it comes right back but other times it takes forever i don't have any reason to lie i'm not a salesman for either,maybe he's got something wrong with it all i know is i have always had a signal with my system and the battery life is way better,so to each his own.it's kinda like some people like blue tick's- some tri color and some lemon & white so buy what u like.......

[buckshot464]

I recently purchased a garmin astro dc 40 and I am glad to say , it may have saved my two ten month old pups from being lost. They took a pair of coyotes for more than 2 miles up and over a mountain range and I lost signal but when I got to the top of the ridge after and hour and a half of hiking on snow shoes , I got signal again and was able to put he shocker to them and they came back. Even though I lost signal I was able to pin point the last spot I had signal and as soon as I hit he high point on the mountain I reconected right away.
Thanks Garmin , with the old telemetry tracker we had it would have been tough to find them. They were gone so quick. Heavy crust made it easy for them to cover miles in minutes. My shocker just didn't go far enough to stop them once I figured out they were on a coyote. The were on the rabbit when they started. Thats part of training.
Garmin is awesome

[DIXIEDOG]

I too experience signal drops with my Garmin unit with DC30's....as soon as It drops off and I hear the warning tone I start beating feat to get to the dog....if I don't my unit will not reconnect, I've waited in excess of an hour before and that dog never got a signal again. A dog can cover alot of ground in an hour.

[cpuckett]

that's what my buddy's is doing but his will do it on more than one collar..it may be like comparing bicycle's to motorcycle's but so far from what i have seen i will take the bicycle.i have had to use my tracker several times over the years and have always found my dog,so untill i have a problem i'm going to stick with tracker or wildlife material.if u like GARMIN better then use it...