Astro/Alpha Long Range Antenna

[PABeagler]

Does any know how effective this antenna is? It is 12" when compressed and 42" when extended?

Thanks.

[plottwalker]

they work alright, i broke mine a few years ago and went with the long rubber ducky antenna and a roof mount. the roof mount works far better, and i don't notice much difference with the new hand held antenna. dusuppy has all the info on which antenna works best. they did some real r&d on antena products

[PABeagler]

From my experience, the two antennas that come with the unit will not work past 1/2 mile in a wooded area. That is why I am looking into the handheld antenna.

[Smoke'n Mack]

From my experience, the two antennas that come with the unit will not work past 1/2 mile in a wooded area. That is why I am looking into the handheld antenna.

Sounds like you have collar or software problems then. I only use the regular short antenna and the "hare antenna" (the long one) on my 320. I regularly can track the dogs to about a a mile to a mile and a quarter before dropping. That's in Maine and PA. Half a mile shouldn't be a problem in my experience.

[plottwalker]

yeah there might be something wrong with your set up, i run in the thickest woods on the coast and get over 1/2 mile normally. loose dogs around 1.5 miles with most collars/alpha set up. i can get 4 miles with roof mount.

[PABeagler]

1 1/4 miles is less than what I expected. When I purchased the system I expected a range of 2 1/2 to three miles in a wooded area. Now I see why people can't find there dogs after an off game chase. The range of these systems is not adequate.

[johns03272008]

The range on the garmin is no where near what the say they are. Matter of fact they are about 20% of what they say they are but I still wouldn't leave home without them!!! During the summer when corns up I'm lucky to get 900 yards without being interrupted. With the magnetic rooftop antenna I can get almost 2 miles but that's max.

[Smoke'n Mack]

1 1/4 miles is less than what I expected. When I purchased the system I expected a range of 2 1/2 to three miles in a wooded area. Now I see why people can't find there dogs after an off game chase. The range of these systems is not adequate.

It's the nature of the beast. If you bought it expecting 3 miles then I think you needed to do some homework first. Have you ever tested your tri-tronics? I have a Trashbreaker, guaranteed it isn't even close to touching 2 miles. They test these things where they get max communication so they can advertise as such. I would think that most of the time, if you drop signal at a mile and a half, you can get to where it last had communication to pick it back up, prior to the dog going another mile and a half, or at least be moving in that general direction.

[plottwalker]

they test them line of site to get the numbers they claim they get. i loose signal all the time around 700-800 yards, get up high and pick them back up or switch to a roof mount. i trust mine enough that this last year i sold all my telemetry collars and bear hunted with garmin solo. i lost signal a lot, but could always get around and pick it up here and there to stay in front of the dogs for the most part. running hare is a hell of a lot easier then bear to keep up with!

[WillyC]

I keep a handheld Long Range Antennae in my truck......It's great insurance if the dogs get too far or during training season if I retreat to the truck-stand in bad weather for a snooze

I did use it to locate another groups dogs one time.....the 4 dogs were pounding a hare 2.95 miles away in heavy cover way off the roads.....They had been searching all day and I located them in minutes