Garmin’s name has been synonymous with GPS devices since they began in 1989. But they don’t design them just for vehicles and people. Let’s review two wearables they created especially for tracking sportingand hunting dogs.
Garmin Alpha 100 TT 15 Dog GPS Bundle
The Garmin Alpha 100 TT15 Bundle includes both a handheld GPS device as well as a dog collar with tracker. The Alpha 100 uses high sensitivity GPS and GLONASS so you’ll have a signal even if you don’t have cell service. This is perfect when you’re with your dogs out in the wilderness.
The handheld device, the Alpha 100, comes pre-loaded with TOPO US 100k maps. The screen is readable in bright sunlight and waterproof so you can use it in the rain. You can also select on-screen options even if you’re wearing gloves.
The Alpha 100 can track up to 20 different dogs as well as other Alpha handheld devices up to 9 miles away. That’s double the amount of animals you can track with the Astro. This means you won’t lose track of either your 4-legged or 2-legged buddies when you’re out in the field.
The TT 15 dog collar is made by Tri Tronics. It’s embedded with both Garmin’s GPS tracker and Tri Tronics’ electronic dog training technology. This means it can help you train your dog and guide it away from dangerous areas even when you’re not close by.
The combination of these two tools keep track of your dog’s (or dogs’, plural, because you can track 20) speed and direction. You can set a perimeter on the map and get alerts if he’s heading out of the area. Use a vibration or tone to correct the dog if there’s a problem.
When your dog has gone on point or treed prey, you’ll also get a notification. Although the device has between 20 to 40 hours of battery life, you can set it to Rescue Mode to extend the charge even longer. This will automatically happen if the battery drops to 25%.
If you’re working at night and having trouble locating your dog, turn on the LED beacon lights located in the TT 15 collar.
The Alpha 100 and TT 15 have already helped owners across the USA enjoy more effective hunting with their dogs. They have also been very useful to owners traveling with their animals in making sure their dogs aren’t lost.
More features of the Alpha 100 TT 15 Bundle:
- Covered by a 1-year limited warranty
- Compatible with Base Camp so you can use your computer to coordinate your tracking
Garmin Astro 320 T5 Dog GPS Bundle
While the Astro also has high-sensitivity GPS and GLONASS for pinpoint tracking up to 9 miles’ distance without cell service, it can’t track as many dogs nor can it track other human users with handheld devices like the Alpha can.
The Astro 320 and the T5 collar communicate as often as every 5 seconds. The battery life at this level lasts anywhere from 16 to 40 hours, but you can put it in Rescue Mode to make it communicate less and last longer. Even better, you can use Collar Lock to place a 4-digit PIN to keep other users from seeing where your dog is located.
Another great feature of the Astro 320 is its micro SD card slot that allows you to upload TOPO US 24K or City Navigator NT maps. That way you’ll have access to land elevation contours as well as turn by turn directions on roads. If you subscribe to BirdsEye Satellite, you can receive overhead satellite images, too. Mark waypoints on your map to save them for later reference.
Like the TT 15 collar described above, the T5 has LED beacon lights for night-time retrieval. There’s no built-in stimulation or correction to help train your buddy, but it’s waterproof to 10 meters, and rugged enough to accompany your dog wherever she goes.
More features of the Astro 320 T5 Bundle:
- Covered by a 1-year limited warranty
- Comes with rechargeable Li-ion battery, AC adapter and vehicle power cable, USB cable, and two antennas for the T5 collar (5” standard and 13” extended range)
Recommendation
If you want a GPS tracking device that can also track other similar handhelds, you’ll want the Alpha 100. It can track up to 20 dogs at the same time.
If you want to train your dogs using Tri Tronics stimulation features (vibration and tones), get the TT15 collar in the Alpha 100 bundle.
If you have no need for training features and don’t have more than 10 dogs to track, consider getting the Astro 320 bundle with the T5 collar.
If you want contour and road maps with the option to get a satellite view and mark waypoints, get the Astro 320.
Click here to purchase Garmin Alpha 100 on Amazon.com!
Click here to purchase Garmin Astro 320 on Amazon.com!