New Garmin Alpha? Plans or Release Date?

[MES Kennels]

Has anyone heard that Garmin will be releasing a new updated alpha? I understand the one has been out for a year now and was wondering if they would come out with a "new and improved" model.

I have been preparing to bite the bullet and buy the system, but didn't want to buy it just to have them make it obsolete in a couple weeks or month.

[packmaster]

Have not heard anything,but do not know how they could improve the unit,except maybe downsize the collar a bit. This thing is awesome!Way better than the astro.

[adirondackjoe]

the only way they could improve the alpha is if it were free.

[MES Kennels]

hahaha good responses!

It's good to hear some positive feedback. Although, it seems from what everyone is saying, the Alpha is amazing.

[BCBeagles]

Just bought one two weeks back with 5 collars, best hound investment I have made, NO DOUBT!!

Really improves your hunts, makes you more aware of where dogs are obviously, but you can see what they are doing in the check and all, you can see if they are skirting by watching there track path.

I find the biggest benefit is just knowing where dogs are at so I can just let them keep hunting in areas that I know they are safe and in cover. Great for young hounds as you know there distances and whereabouts so less likely to tone them if they are in a good area to jump a rabbit and not wandering a path somewhere.

NO buyers remorse at all!!!!

[barnold1]

Question - can you center the tracking/map image on one dog and still have the rest of the dogs' tracks show up? I could do it on the 220 but not on the 320. I don't need themap centered on me; I can find myself. Thanks.

[Budd]

Question - can you center the tracking/map image on one dog and still have the rest of the dogs' tracks show up? I could do it on the 220 but not on the 320. I don't need themap centered on me; I can find myself. Thanks.

I have ran the 220, 320, and alpha and yes they all can be centered on the map and show the rest of the hounds as well, just need to zoom out. I have a friend that gave me a heads up about the alpha 6 months ahead of time, he said at this time there is nothing in the works.

[barnold1]

On the 220, I could center on my lead/preferred dog and zoom in, taking me out of the picture and getting a better look at which dog is going where in the checks. Better.

[Budd]

Yes, I know what you are talking about and you can do it with all three.

[DIXIEDOG]

Haven't heard anything but I don't believe they are done improving yet....they will undoubtedly come out with a new model that is lighter or has more battery life in the not to distant future....if they didn't continually improve they would go out of business. That being said I bought the Alpha when it came out and it's awesome, does everything as advertised and I've been extremely pleased with it.

[Smoke'n Mack]

Something will come, the collars have to get smaller, it's ridiculous that they are still the same size as they were with the first gen.

I run the 320 and can't bring myself to upgrade to the Alpha. I don't like the way you have to shock dogs. I messed around with one a few time, I don't like how the shocker works. If you gotta shock 3 or 4 dogs, or even one dog, you shock, then change dogs by touching the screen, then shock, then change. With my TT, i can get all 3 dogs basically at the same time, and I don't have to look down to know which dog i got because I can feel which button i'm on.

Not that I have to shock my dogs, can't remember the last time I nicked a couple of them, but I just don't like it.

[Swampman]

I have been waiting for the DC-50, extremely dissapointed when it came out the same size as the Alpha collars and without the lights too.

I'll stick with my Marshalls until they get them down to a reasonable size.

[MES Kennels]

I don't like the way you have to shock dogs. I messed around with one a few time, I don't like how the shocker works. If you gotta shock 3 or 4 dogs, or even one dog, you shock, then change dogs by touching the screen, then shock, then change. With my TT, i can get all 3 dogs basically at the same time, and I don't have to look down to know which dog i got because I can feel which button i'm on.

Not that I have to shock my dogs, can't remember the last time I nicked a couple of them, but I just don't like it.

I do not have the Alpha, but I am fairly confident that you can program the handheld to operate similar to the classic G3 or Trashbreaker. The way it was explained to me was that you could set it up one of two ways:
1. Just like you explained, select the dog and then push one of three buttons for the level of shock. or
2. You can set each button to a different dog and then set the shock level via the touchscreen and push one or all three buttons at the same time. Then if you have more dogs, you switch to the next three dogs for each button (just like the chromed color switch on the G3 transmitters).

I could be wrong, but I thought you could set it up however you prefer. If not, that would be a pain to switch to each dog separately.

[BCBeagles]

You can program it, but it is easy to switch from dog to dog.

At times more accurate because you can see dog in question on screen away from others leading you to not shock them and shock dog that truly needs shocked.
say a pack of three take a deer, two quit and start back to you immediately, do they need shocked, not in my book. One that keeps hammering gets number 6!!

Better in my opinion.

I think it is a benefit, especially with young hounds.

[Smoke'n Mack]

I don't like the way you have to shock dogs. I messed around with one a few time, I don't like how the shocker works. If you gotta shock 3 or 4 dogs, or even one dog, you shock, then change dogs by touching the screen, then shock, then change. With my TT, i can get all 3 dogs basically at the same time, and I don't have to look down to know which dog i got because I can feel which button i'm on.

Not that I have to shock my dogs, can't remember the last time I nicked a couple of them, but I just don't like it.

I do not have the Alpha, but I am fairly confident that you can program the handheld to operate similar to the classic G3 or Trashbreaker. The way it was explained to me was that you could set it up one of two ways:
1. Just like you explained, select the dog and then push one of three buttons for the level of shock. or
2. You can set each button to a different dog and then set the shock level via the touchscreen and push one or all three buttons at the same time. Then if you have more dogs, you switch to the next three dogs for each button (just like the chromed color switch on the G3 transmitters).

I could be wrong, but I thought you could set it up however you prefer. If not, that would be a pain to switch to each dog separately.

I was not aware this could be done. If so, then that is much more attractive. I don't like having to switch dogs by pressing a particular part of the screen, requires to much attention to get the right dog. I run both the G3 and the 320, so I can see which dog is the one still running and which ones aren't in one hand, and then shock with the other.