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Alpha or Dogtra system?

What is everyone’s opinions?

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KnockoutKennels

Not s bad choice either way. I prefer Dogtra. 1. Much more user friendly and easy to use. 2. Better maps, free mapping service, no cards, chips or subscription required. 3. Bigger screen, easier to see. 4. Sharing info with a fellow Dogtra user pretty slick and simple. 5. Substantially less expensive.

Warning: as the Dogtra uses your phone... Much of a users experience will be based on the quality of phone you have. If you have a budget Android with crappy processers and cheap battery... You may not enjoy Dogtra.

Dogtra

Starting back after being out of the game several years and my last tracker being a beep beep I went with a guy who the dogtra and I knew I had to have one. I have a friend that has an older version of the garmin which works great but I find him more often reaching for my phone when where together pleasure hunting.
Have had no battery issues as of yet but I did have one night I tried to sync it up with no signal and it absolutely wouldn't do it, which is weird because apparently you can use it without phone service at all.

Does the dogtra work with Motorola smart phones, I think I read it only works with Android and iPhone but I have a moterola now and was wanting to maybe get the dogtra

Motorola is an Android phone... Android is the operating system.

All of my hunting buddies and I use the Alpha and love it. There are times when it drops a signal on a dog but usually recovers fairly quickly. I will admit that I have never used a Dogtra or even seen one in operation.
Ask Bruce, he would be the one to answer this question.
Adios,
Gary

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Hound sound gave some good advice and pretty much hit the nail on the head. The Dogtra System will rely on the phone you are using. If the phone and battery life is good. You will be happy.

The type of game you are running and number of dogs you are using the training mode on. Will also make a difference. If your hunting pack hounds two things come into play. First you will be hunting with a friend most of the time. He will probably have an alpha. That means you should probably have one. The training mode on the ALPHA does (in my opinion) a better job one a pack of dogs getting them stopped fast. For one or two dogs, hunting mostly by yourself. With the right phone. The Dogtra should work great for you.

I purchased a $70 phone with no service off Amazon that worked great for a while. Then the batter life started getting shorter and shorter. But worked fine more my 2 to 4 hour hunts.

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www.ConkeysOutdoors.com
"Boss Lights"

Thanks Bruce, I knew that you could help us out. I will stick with my Alpha and 8 TT15 collars. I have too much invested to change now.
I also have a Drive Track 70 that I use all the time. It is so handy to keep up with the dogs on the bigger screen and while driving. We road hunt these dogs down here and in the Indian Reservations.
Adios,
gary

Have never used the Dogtra so can't compare but with the way Garmin replaces collars (approx $100) and handhelds (I think around $140) once you have them it's hard to want to change. My handheld has held up real well and I think I have replaced 2 collars but the price was really good. I have no idea how dogtra handles this.

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Tom Wood

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Gary if you get a chance. You should check out the Drive Trac 71. It has slightly larger screen and slightly better resolution.

Got a question for you Gary. How much do you guys when working the hounds. Go out in the morning and search for tracks. Either just before daylight or just after daylight. Dow here the Deer Hunters with dogs do this a lot.

Reason, I asked is. Garmin has come out with a Back Up Camera called the BC 40. About $150 and It is a stand alone camers that has wireless connection to the Drive Track. I am playing with it and putting it on the front bumper with some lights so on the cold mornings. The roads can be tracked just by watching the drive track screen. You don't have to have your head out the window freezing.

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www.ConkeysOutdoors.com
"Boss Lights"

Re: .

quote:

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[i] I am playing with it and putting it on the front bumper with some lights so on the cold mornings. The roads can be tracked just by watching the drive track screen. You don't have to have your head out the window freezing. [/B]

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Justin Coffel

The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win. Everyone wants to win but not everyone wants to prepare to win." - Bobby Knight

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Maybe 45.

Technology allows us to have comfort. Then I think we should have it. LOL

Funny thing about tracking. Anyone with some Country Boy experience can be traveling down a dirt road 40 miles an hour and identify neighbors trucks, all types of animal or human tracks. That is unless your specifically looking for a track to put your dogs out on. Then you need your special LED lights, You need to go about 5 miles an hour. And yes you need to have your head out the window. Freezing at 45. LOL

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www.ConkeysOutdoors.com
"Boss Lights"

I have them both.

I run the Alpha when I bear hunt because all my other buddies that bear hunt have Garmins and I can see all their dogs and mine too.

I run the Dogtra when coon hunting because I like the maps better and I don't have to worry about adding other dogs. I carry my phone with me all the time anyway so that's one less thing I have to carry. Now if they could figure out some way to get rid of the little communicator on the lanyard they would be even better.

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Let's go huntin

I will never own another Alpha. Thank goodness Dogtra came along and gave us another option.

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YouTube.com/@canestreammedia
www.joydogfood.com
Fueled by Joy Podcast

Josh Michaels I would be interested in what problems you had with the Garmin.

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Tom Wood

quote:

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Originally posted by Preacher Tom
Josh Michaels I would be interested in what problems you had with the Garmin.

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YouTube.com/@canestreammedia
www.joydogfood.com
Fueled by Joy Podcast

Bruce, I have not tried the Drive Track 71 but will need to look into one. Around here, I never worry about looking for tracks but if we catch a snow when lion hunting, we do. I am not a fan of hunting snow as everyone has a lion hound after a fresh snow and we see a lot of folks driving and looking for sign. Hunting snow is tough on an old flatlander as I would rather have all the roads open so that I can get where I want. My dogs had dry ground very well as that is all they get here in West Texas.
What is the price on the 71?
Thanks and Adios,
Gary

Bruce, just visited with your Grandson and purchased a West Texas SD card. I have Birdseye downloaded on my handheld units but think that the SD card will help when I am showing ranches as we sell a few to help pay for all the dog food and hunting equipment. Your Grandson said that the new SD cards showed boundaries and ownership.
I have not had all the problems that some have had with the Garmin products and sure glad that I have them.
Adios,
Gary

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Thanks, Gary. If you have any operational questions after you get it. Please just call the Store. John or Corey can answer your questions if I am not there.

If you get a drive track the card will work in it also and in my opinion looks great installed in the drive track.

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www.ConkeysOutdoors.com
"Boss Lights"

I have the Drive Track 70 so it should work in it. Thinking about the 71....
Adios,
Gary

quote:

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Originally posted by Josh Michaelis
Poor customer service first of all. Too many hoops to jump through.

The fact that the alpha didnt have a button that simply turned the screen off and on like every other touch screen device we have ever had on this planet just absolutely drove me crazy. Hated it.

The birdseye was either miserable to download, or you had to pay for an overpriced card full of maps with no resolution.

Three of the 4 alphas I owned randomly shut down about once an hour or more.....all night long.

There are 150 features of the Alpha that a coon hunter will never use and do nothing but take up space.

Clearing your tracks is a two hour process unless you do it every night.

The alpha is an over engineered poorly thought out pile of crap that we had to use for years because there was nothing else.

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601-916-2876

quote:

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Originally posted by Josh Michaelis
Poor customer service first of all. Too many hoops to jump through.

The fact that the alpha didnt have a button that simply turned the screen off and on like every other touch screen device we have ever had on this planet just absolutely drove me crazy. Hated it.

The birdseye was either miserable to download, or you had to pay for an overpriced card full of maps with no resolution.

Three of the 4 alphas I owned randomly shut down about once an hour or more.....all night long.

There are 150 features of the Alpha that a coon hunter will never use and do nothing but take up space.

Clearing your tracks is a two hour process unless you do it every night.

The alpha is an over engineered poorly thought out pile of crap that we had to use for years because there was nothing else.

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Tom Wood