Registered: Apr 2009
Location: Hurricane, WV
Posts: 408

I'm wanting to buy a Garmin tracker, what's the goods and bads? I've heard the collars only stay charged for a short period of time. Who owns one or has heard something about them? Thanks

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Registered: Jun 2008
Location: SC
Posts: 1012

Love mine so far. I do want to invest in one of the long range antennas, but so far reception has been decent except in some deep hills. Biggest complaint I have about the system is that batteries run out in the receiver often....I always carry spares when I hunt. Collars seem to have a pretty long battery life, but one of mine always gives me problems when I hook it up to the charger...you always have to jiggle it around and scrape the contacts to get it to work.

All in all it gives me a lot of peace of mind, and tells me a lot about how my dogs are hunting. Still don't trust it enough to run them without the Quicktrack system on too though.

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Registered: Feb 2006
Location: Western Pa
Posts: 2106

I purchased one about 3 weeks ago. I can't tell you how much distance I can get, but, I will tell you two of the longest turnouts to date for me were 786 yards and 946 yds. Where it saved our bacon was in a cast on a timeout. The dogs were through a square. Three fourths of the square had been timbered bad. Two cast members had fallen several times in the covered over ruts from the skidders. When we got to the tree and scored it time out was called. Conversation was about how rough it was going to be getting back through the mess we had just came through. I turned on the Garmin and it showed a road directly behind us. It turned out to be approx. 60 yds from the tree. We walked the road back. If my Garmin had a backside I would have kissed it right there in front of the cast. As far as the charging port I keep a piece of bicycle innertube pulled over the port area while hunting to keep the contacts clean. The 786 yd track was in very heavy canopy. The area had been select cut 10 years ago. I suffered no loss of signal. The only time it is a little inconvenience is when you move from one drop to another in a cast. I held the cast up for a couple of minutes while I reset the Garmin then shut it off and stowed it on my belt. So far, I love it.

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Registered: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsville,Virginia
Posts: 2193

Don't get me wrong,Garmin needs to improve on a few things ,but overall,I wouldn't do without one.As far as the length of time they stay charged---one night recently I took my Gr.Nt.Ch. and his young son huntin' on a farm that's surrounded by marsh.They struck a track,and the coon headed straight for the marsh.Well,I knew in order for me to get to 'em,I would have to swim.They were treed.About 10:30 I told my buddy the best thing for us to do was to go home and I'd come back in the a.m. I went back at 5 a.m. and they were still treed at the same spot.I called and called for about 30 mins. and they finally started to move.I went to the store got me a cup of coffee,came back and tracked them to a road about a mile from where I cut 'em loose.Picked them both up around 6:30 a.m. and collars were still sending out signals.
ROB GREGORY

PUNGO FERRY ENGLISH KENNELS
VIRGINIA BEACH,VIRGINIA

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Registered: Sep 2007
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 2713

I've had mine since April 2008 and love it. The DC-20 collars werent that good but the DC-30's are a huge improvement. I get around 1000-1200 yards consistenly with the handheld and that is farther than you think before you start hunting with them. They will teach you all kinds of stuff you didnt know about your dog and how they hunt. I would strongly recommend getting one of the long range antennas, they will increase your range from less than a mile to 4 or 5 miles. If you get one and learn to use it you will love it. After getting used to hunting with one going back to an old beep beep tracker is like not having a tracker at all.

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Registered: Mar 2008
Location: Waseca, MN
Posts: 184

There is another post on here all about it, I think its called garmin tips and tricks....

One additional note, I purchased mine at Cabela's when they had their credit card special going. If you spend so much you get so much off. I think I ended up getting $50 off. Basically the sales tax...

Cabelas currently has another special going where if you spend so much you get so much off on your next purchase. So you might be able to get an extra collar later for nothing.

It's price is comparable to other trackers, but the abilities far outweigh anything else!

Andy

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Registered: Jan 2007
Location:
Posts: 369

get one you will love it. it really will help you to keep your dogs safe. we live in the hills and have had no problems with it.

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Registered: Feb 2009
Location: columbiaville, michigan
Posts: 30

Don't buy from the big retail stores. You'll get better customer service and support from small dealers.

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Registered: Jan 2007
Location: West Ky
Posts: 744

I've had mine since early spring and I love it. I kept my Maxima just in case but have since sold it. I took one of the collars & left in on to see how long it would take to run it down and after 18 hours it was still working. I don't think I could go back to the old trackers again.

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