BigGameHoundsmen.com

I am looking at getting a tracking system and want to get a garmin, I have been reading reviews and see alot of older post. I was wondering have the DC40 gotten all their glitches lined out?Are they going to discontinue the DC30 and if so would I be better to look at a 40? If some one knows what is going on and let me know that would be great.

PRW,

I can ask the guy that has the one I told you about yesterday what model his is. Like I said I think they are worth getting. I have never seen anything like it and in our country it seemed to be much better than the old systems that just give you a general direction and bounce too much if you are in the canyons. I am definitely going ot get a GPS one when I have the money.

We have decided to get a system instead of an older dog. I am just wondering what to go with as far as a 30 or 40. Also the best place to buy a kennel is MTR they were cheaper then casper or sheriden and they are the same kennels as the ones I took down.

PRW,

I am going up to Sheridan today and will check them out. Thanks again for the dog house and stuff. Going to miss you as a neighbor only if it was for a week. Let me know when you get settled in and we will go run a lion. i will find out what kind my buddy has and let you know.

I would still go with the DC30. Most people are doing the same. I sell 15-20 DC30's to every DC40.

Just the other day I guy commented on my Blog about My review and pretty much said the same thing.

http://garminastrodog.com/actual-hunt-t ... dc40-fail/

Basically what it comes down to If you've never Had a DC30, You'll be Happy with the DC40 and won't know any difference. It's not Black and white but at the end of the day, My DC40 was always the worst collar to log miles.

I would hunt, and After the Hunt I would look at how many Miles the Dog collars would Log. Every Single time The DC40 was on the bottom of the List even with the New 3.5 Update (which Made it Much Much Better than when I did the Above review) It's still not as good at Tracking the GPS signal than the DC30.

In my opinion. The DC30 is the better collar, Although the Last Update has made a made the race much closer.

Buddy

I too, would still get the 30's while you can. Buddy's numbers are a bit higher than mine. I may be selling 1 40 to every 100 30's right now. No final date on the 30's yet. Last I checked maybe Feb.

With the most recent update(3.6). It seems most of the glitches have been worked out. A lot of the problems that came from 3.5 are gone. Not enough people using it yet to say for 100%. I do know that it has helped with some of the 30 collars.

I have the 220 and 4 DC30 collars. I recently updated my collars and i believe it made a noticeable difference.

My question is to Steve or Buddy, was the latest collar update (3.6) for the DC40 as well?

I am looking to add another collar and was wondering how the DC40 problems are coming along.

Yes, the update is the same for all of the collars! Also yes, the problems with the DC40 are going away. It has been mostly software issues. SO the updates are curing most of the problems. No fix for losing signal when dogs go in the water. Since the antenna hangs below the water line.

Steve,
Thanks for answering my question. And still no fix for under water, in caves, under ledges and i am sure other areas that a signal is not sent from. Hell nothing is perfect and it is hunting. I love the GPS tracking compared to the old stuff. It is just like any other electronic device, that is why they have updates to fix problems and make it better. I am sure garmin is working as fast as they can. Based on what you have told me i think i will try a DC40.

Thanks

I own a garmin astro 220 and have dc 30 and dc 40 collars. The only real difference is that the dc40 is all in one it comes with a nicer collar and the batteries last a lot longer if you only update every 120 sec. They say it will reach farther but I have not really tested that yet.

The DC 40 collars look better in every way. Hopefully they have worked the issues out, and it sounds like they have.

Thanks

how do you get the 3.6 update,I was only offered the 3.5
Tim 541-912-6464

You need to use the web udater first. If you are only seeing the 3.5 then you are just updating the unit not the collars.

First plug the unit into the computer. Turn the collar on. Then go to the collar info screen. Hit enter. select upgrade dog unit. the unit will then do a few things then say ready to communicate with the pc. Now open the web updater program. Once it runs a bit. Which it will first look for an update to the web updater. Then it will find your collar. You will see it in the device list. Then follow the instructions. Pretty much just hitting next and finish.

You must use the upgrade dog unit feature in order to update the collar. At least that is the easiest way. Once done to check the installation. Again from the dog info screen hit enter. Then hit enter on the identify dog unit. when it does a screen will come up and tell you the software version. For the unit itself go to the system menu. Then hit enter. Select software version. Unit is 3.5 and collars are 3.6.

So Here is the latest DC40 update: Last week I was forced to hunt with only a DC40 collar and wildlife collars.

Last week, On a wim, me and the Mrs. decided to make a run and get away from the Fireworks and gun shots that always come around New years. We hooked up the trailer and Pulled it down south for our 201 Bobcat education/Humiliation Class.

Well when we woke up in the morning and grabbed the collar bag to collar up the dogs we quickly realiazed that the DC30's were in the office still on the charger. Me and the wife Blamed each other for a few minutes trying to argue who was at fault for this problem. I Contimplated a 5 hour on way drive to pick up collars is not fun. And also contimplated pulling up my Panties and hunting like the old days with out any Collars (I'll admit, I didnt contimplate this idea for very long).. Anyways, I can always find something shoved under the back seat in a pinch, And this day was no exception and I found that Bastard DC40 that I don't use anymore tucked under the the crap back there along with two wildlife collars that haven't been used for a couple years. I got it the DC40 on the charger, Checked the wildlife collars (found a Battery to replace one fo them) and decided to hunt "Old school" with the beepers, and I'd throw a DC40 on a dog to give it it's opportunity to change my Mind about DC40's. especailly since this would be a Desparate review!

So there I was DC40 Don't let me down.

I can tell you it does work better than the Beep Collars, but 3 minutes into the Race I knew it wasn't going to be any where Near what I expect out of the DC30's. I don't think I've payed as close of attension to the Dogs Barking and their direction in a year and half as I did on these hunts. It wasn't enjoying the music it was trying to figure out what direction they are running, and I was hunting somewhat new country to me, most of the Race was out of Signal, But it would come on long enough to the Show me the progress the dogs were making and when they were standing on their heads.

never did Catch the cat, I don't know if they didn't locate it or if they just couldn't move it any more in the melting snow. But One thing was for Sure I was pretty anxious that whole race when I was seeing the ? more than the little dog. on the garmin DC40. I do have to give it props, in a Pinch it was still better than the Beep collars, but no Comparision against teh DC30 collars

I suppose if there were NO way of getting a DC30 collar, I would still piggy back the DC40 and use it because it was helpful, But after 2 days of hunting with it before I had my DC30's overnighted to m, I can tell you it was just a matter of time before I would have been wiping the Dust off the Blue box and waving that directional around like a mad man with a look of confusion I all too often have while working on my PHD in cathunting on the mountain

Buddyw wrote:So Here is the latest DC40 update: Last week I was forced to hunt with only a DC40 collar and wildlife collars.

I can tell you it does work better than the Beep Collars, but 3 minutes into the Race I knew it wasn't going to be any where Near what I expect out of the DC30's.

most of the Race was out of Signal, But it would come on long enough to the Show me the progress the dogs were making and when they were standing on their heads.

But One thing was for Sure I was pretty anxious that whole race when I was seeing the ? more than the little dog. on the garmin DC40. I do have to give it props, in a Pinch it was still better than the Beep collars, but no Comparision against teh DC30 collars

Just a couple questions for you.

1. What update intervol were you using?

2. What software are you using in the DC40?

3. What signal was dropping out, the GPS or Comm?

4. How did you know within 3 minutes?

Scott