New GPS tracking system on the market

[horshur]

I think some people get stressed when the Garmin is honest(lost communication) never have I lost the beep of the telemetry but it does me little good even though I can hear it. Line of sight to the echo does not tell me where the dog is unless it can be imagined what and where it is bouncing from.
I know last winter if I had a Garmin rather than telemetry I'd of found my dog......and maybe soon enough as well.
What I did do was follow a wild goose chase of echo beeps and almost stepping on the dog I could not retrieve him cause the telemetry is just not that precise.

[Ike]

Well I'm glad to hear some good said about this unit and maybe I'll hang onto it and see what I think about the product. I've been going to buy a GPS unit with maps for years and just haven't until now, and figured Id combine them and this Garmin may well serve two needs in one.....we'll see.

ike

[BuckNAze]

I dont own the Garmin but have used it and some guys love them! Now most wouldnt want to pack around 2 tracking systems thats why some are waiting for the Marshall but if for some reason I decide to get the Garmin over the Marshall then I will run both Telemetery and the Garmin just in case. Had a buddy loose his dogs recently, inchtowntracking and my other partner for about a week in -teen degree temps. They both made it out but that just goes to show you that you should be running more then just the Garmin, dont know when you're going to lose a dog. Its an awesome system though, lets you know where the race is going, where the dogs are going and lets you know which direction you need to head to stay up with the dogs. Definetly a time saver thats for sure!

[Steve White]

I dont own the Garmin but have used it and some guys love them! Now most wouldnt want to pack around 2 tracking systems thats why some are waiting for the Marshall but if for some reason I decide to get the Garmin over the Marshall then I will run both Telemetery and the Garmin just in case. Had a buddy loose his dogs recently, inchtowntracking and my other partner for about a week in -teen degree temps. They both made it out but that just goes to show you that you should be running more then just the Garmin, dont know when you're going to lose a dog. Its an awesome system though, lets you know where the race is going, where the dogs are going and lets you know which direction you need to head to stay up with the dogs. Definetly a time saver thats for sure!

This is what I do not understand for the most part. You know where the race is going. Where the dogs are are. lets you know which direction you need to stay up with the dogs.

Then why the heck do you need anything else?? Now before you western guys jump down my throat. I did say for the most part. I do understand that in some parts of the country it may take hours to go around a mountain!!! yet can you here what I am saying, and what is being said. A lot of this sounds like politician talk to me. Both sides of the mouth going at once. What is real funny. Is all of this was said once upon a time. When the beep beep stuff all came out. Even still I know guys that first started using the beep beep stuff less than 5 years ago. Heck I know guys that still don't know how to use beep beep stuff. Watched one guy this year using his volume control on his wildlife box to determine range. Gain was all the way up. Dogs were 2.6 miles away, and he insisted they were right next to us.

Really, its to each their own. There are many out there that cannot turn a computer on yet. If they can still cannot set the time on the vcr, and believe Yahoo is a web browser. What can you do?? Grasp it, learn how to use it, or bad mouth it. In the end the times are changing, so either you grasp on to the future, or hold on to the old.

Either way I will still be there to help all. I don't have much hair left to pull out so it does not matter. Might as well have some fun with it.

Ohhhh, and just for the record. I can type maybe 80wpm. Yet I cannot text 10 without looking!!

PS- Do you know what Yahoo is???

[Mr.pacojack]

Steve it is too bad Garmin is not as concerned with their system as you are. They Just don't give a shit. I have had one unit into them 6 times and have always asked what was wrong with the unit and even tried to talk with a tech but they wont talk and don't want to know our problems with the system.
You are wrong about one thing, someone will come out with a better system and leave gamin in the dust, and they will spend alot of money but it will be worth it because they will have a system that works and works properly.
If garmin was concerned about fixing their problems they would ask questions and want feedback, but THEY DONT.

Steve come out and go for a hunt with me. I will put you up and pay all expences while you are here and I will show you what I am talking about.

[Steve White]

Devin- Thanks for the generous offer!!! Yet I understand exactly what you western guys are talking about. I understand the mountains can be a real pain. Especially in the winter when roads get snowed shut. What took 2 hours in the fall to go around now takes 6.

The biggest change that needs to be made right away with the Garmins is longer battery life!! The second one that would help a little is a signal booster of some kind. After that there really is not much more that could be done. A longer antenna on the collars won't help all that much as it still won't change the line of sight much. Especially if the antenna's get folded around the dogs neck. Power cannot be increased due to FCC rules. Even then it would not change the actual distance. Just the ability to hear the signal better at the edge of the circle. A signal booster would correct this. Then the larger battery for extended usage would drain faster with the increased power. So it would be a catch 22.

I know it does not seem as though Garmin is listening to anyone. Some of the consumer techs are not very cordial at all. The dealer techs do seem to be a bit more intrested in what is said. Yet they are not the ones who make changes. All they can do is take the concern and forward it on to the powers that be. I would guess most of them do not even bother with that. It still does not stop me from telling them every week what needs to be done. Some of the techs I talk to. Have heard from me many times. They seem to be generally concerned, and say that the info has been passed along. Yet, they may be just telling me what I want to hear so I will shut up.

In the end all we can do for now. Is work together so everyone knows how to get the most out of them. At least some peace of mind can come from that!!

[Steve White]

There are things out there, and new ones coming. It just has to be brought to consumers in a way that it can be readily used, and affordable.

Here is a link to some stuff already out there. Nothing that we as houndsmen can use just yet. Price is way up there, and data collection times are very far apart. Cost even keeps most state agencies from using them now.

http://www.lotek.com/gps.htm

[horshur]

You can't do this with the telemetry

[Doogie]

Andy I can barely drive this bus down the road let alone make sence of that lol you tree something? lets see those pics

[Mr.pacojack]

You can't do this with the telemetry

You can't do that with a garmin either unless you can stay within 800 yards of them. If I can stay within 800 yards of them I don't need a gps or a beep beep box, I can hear the freakin dogs.

[Ike]

So is that a google map off a tinyloc unit?

[Steve White]

Devin- I can do that from at least 2 miles without the Portable long range antenna, and I don't need to use a laptop in the field either. Nor, do I need to go home and download it on to the computer to see it later on. Only relying on a arrow or beep, beep in the field. If you really wanted too show your computer savy, at least could have used a color map.

[Mr.pacojack]

Devin- I can do that from at least 2 miles without the Portable long range antenna, and I don't need to use a laptop in the field either. Nor, do I need to go home and download it on to the computer to see it later on. Only relying on a arrow or beep, beep in the field. If you really wanted too show your computer savy, at least could have used a color map.

You will get 800 yards at the best, OUT HERE. I have had 6 units from garmin they have sent me and NONE of them have ever, I repeat NEVER EVER got more than that, even with the long range ant. I have never got more than a mile. In Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, wyoming.
That is why I said come on out here because I call BULLSHIT.

[BlacktailStalker]

Will be interesting to see what Topo program Marshall uses, thats what will make or break the decision to switch from Garmin to Marshall for me. Swiching to 10 second update for 20 hrs of battery is manageable, range could be better yes, especially in our country as its steep, deep and thick as shit which brings the question, how much reach can you honestly expect to get out of these things? (With reasonable cost)
Put a microwave tower on 'em for range, battery packs in dog scabbards for extended battery life and the hounds will have cauliflower bunches growing on their heads

[Mr.pacojack]

Honestly I would be very happy if I could get a mile out of mine. But I can't, without that long range ant and that too is a peice of crap.