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What kind of range are you guys getting with your Alpha's and Astros?
What I am finding is that mine loses connection anywhere from 1km to 3km. This is on roads testing it.
What good is it if it only tracks a km or two??? Is there something I'm missing here?
I get about the same as you are - but this is in very rough terrain. I don't have a problem with it since if I go to the last reported location, I'll pick up the dog again. But I'm running a small beagle on deer. I have a 14" (or so) whip antennae on mine.
That happens once in awhile not all the time.try using the longer antenna you should be able to track up to 8 miles
There is also a car mount mount i think that should greatly increase signal if using a vehicle to track a big running dog like a hound. For my proposes running a bird dog the range is fine with my Astro 320.
I am using the longer antenna, it's over 12 inches.
They advertise 9 miles, they should be advertising 2 miles.........
I want this more to find a lost dog in the big unfamiliar woods, if the dog is lost and has run off 5km.....All a 2km range does is get me lost too....?
It won't do it all the time mine didn't few times. Went out too thick bush today never lost signal. It goes back to normal after a bit. Try changing the tracking settings to 10 seconds or go lower try it out. You got the best of the best don't worry it'll work fine.
I guess there is a learning curve, I don't do well with learning curves...lol
I did another test just now, I left the handheld on my front steps, drove away with collar holding it out of the sun roof. I got right around 3km's worth of tracking.
I can't imagine getting over 5km unless the dog and you were on a wide open frozen lake.
I also learned not to test it with the handheld in the house or under a covered porch, and I figure if the collar is inside the car it will lose signal quicker as well. That's why I stuck it out of the sun roof.
I noticed that if it completely loses signal and I bring the collar back to the handheld start point, the track with just show a straight line fake track from the signal lose point to the return/start point.
Learning curve
This is the email response I just received from a major Dog Supply company in the U.S. after inquiring about the Alpha and its use in Canada. Names have been changed to protect the innocent. ;)
Chris,
Thanks for contacting &%#$ %^& Supply.
The Garmin Alpha is approved for use in the US only. Collar tohandheld communication may be disabled in prohibited areas.
Thanks,
Has anyone ever cut down a collar antenna to make it a little bit shorter?
This Alpha came with 2 antennas, both of them are so long that my beagle nearly trips on them.
Most of my Beagles are the 13" variety , one in particular is quite small, but is also one of my favorite gun dogs. I modified the garmin collar to fit her small neck size. I remove the D ring so there is only a buckle, then I added foam weather stripping to the inside of the collar reinforced with electrical tape. I have also replaced the collar antenna with aircraft cable for less than a dollar.
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