Registered: Mar 2008
Location: LaPorte IN
Posts: 1620

Just how far will it reach have any of you ever hung your collar in a tree or on a fence post and drove down the road to see how far you can pick it up??

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Registered: Jul 2012
Location: Odessa, Mo
Posts: 2066

About 1.5 miles. Haven't had my DC50 out past 1200 yards but I'd say it's about the same. I live in flat to gently rolling farm ground. Everything has long range ant.

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Registered: Feb 2005
Location:
Posts: 1745

Alpha bout 2 miles . SW MICH.

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Registered: Sep 2013
Location: KY
Posts: 644

I have had a Astro 220 and now have the Astro 320. I have a dc 30, dc 40, and 2 dc 50 collars. I live in the steep mountains of eastern KY. All of my collars and handheld have long range antennas. from what I have seen in a little over 2 years of use. The Astro 320 is the better unit it picks up faster than the 220, it has a little better range, larger screen, more detailing on the map screen, the compass is more accurate, picks up more satellites, and picks up the dc 50's. As far as range with long range antennas in a hunting setting. I can get around 1000 yards with the dc 40, I can get around 1.3 miles out of the dc 30 and the dc 50 I have had at over 1.5 miles several times. With the truck mount antenna I have found that the dc 40 goes in and out at around 1.5 miles, the dc 30 is in and out at around 2-2.3 miles and I have had the dc 50 at right around 2.5 miles a few times but never had to try it any farther than that. In my opinion the 320 is the better unit and the dc 50 is the best collar Garmin has ever put out. The dc 30 is a very close second and the dc 40 by far the worst of them all.

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Registered: Sep 2010
Location: New Paris, Indiana
Posts: 7076

For some reason, I have always gotten much better distance when I test by hanging a collar on the fence and driving down the road. 3-5 miles with my Alpha. But then you drop signal momentarily, on the dog, in the woods at 800 yards. I will say this though, I cannot remember the last time my Alpha lost signal for more than a 30 seconds. I also cannot remember the last time my dog went more than 1.5 miles.

Now back when I had Janice Joplin up here, that was a whole nother matter. You better have a good 3 mile tracker and a fast truck to keep with that bitch.

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Registered: Mar 2008
Location: LaPorte IN
Posts: 1620

i have a GPS back tracker and at times it takes it for ever to hook up to a sattlight, i know the few nights i hunted with Jim his hooked up pretty fast. i would want more then 1 1/2 miles does cold wheather seem to bother them, we hunt nights when it is 0 degrees or colder a lot of nights when it is 16 degrees or less .

what do you think is the best ones out there that get the most range?
.

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Registered: Sep 2013
Location: KY
Posts: 644

I hunt year round in the summer heat, rain, and snow nothing has effected mine that much. Heavy cloud cover will drop range some but not much. They all get better range in the winter due to less cover and no leaves on the trees. I wouldn't turn a dog loose without a gramin on it. But that's me to each their own. I know my experience with them is that they take all the guess work out of hunting and the most important no more wondering where your dog is at. I couldn't tell you how much walking the garmin has saved me in the last 2 years going to a treed dog. Also it has kept my dog from being stolen twice the guy had know clue it had a gps tracker on it. He took my dog off the tree twice. The 1st time he let him go when he heard my truck coming. The 2nd time I caught him red handed with my dog. I'm 6'4" 250 and one of us packed a A$$ whooping I'll let you figure out which one it was. As far as my experience with hunting it is the best money I ever spent.

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Registered: Mar 2012
Location: Wi
Posts: 72

Just as a note, its been my experience when testing tracking distance of a 220 or 320 with DC 30 & 40 collars, its more accurate to have someone move with the collars and keep the handheld in one place. Similar to a actual hunting situation. The other way of hanging a collar and driving with the handheld always indicated it tracked farther than what it was capable of doing. Don't know why, but that's the way it worked for me.

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Registered: Not Yet
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You would be surprised how much more range you get the higher you hang them. I lay them on a bush about the same height as if they were on a dogs neck.

On DC 30's with tuff skin antennas 1.5 miles norm
On DC 40's some will go 2-3 miles but generally don't perform close to that in the woods.
DC 50 with Truck Antenna 6 miles is the best I have seen.
3-5 is the norm with truck antenna.

My ALPHA in the past two weeks of hunting has not lost a signal on either dog I have been tracking while hunting. I have treed a few coon at 800 yards and one deer race out to 1.5 miles. It has been working better than the dogs. Yes the business of the ALPHA collar broke up the deer race.

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Registered: Jan 2011
Location: MICHIGAN
Posts: 1309

I'd get the 320{since Alpa's are not allowed in hunts}
I put long range antennas on both the 320 hand held and my dc30 collars.I have never lost signal.Dog{s} have got deep a few times and had to drive around.Never lost signal driving away from them.
I know heavy cloud cover,hills,mountains and heavy tree foillage will hinder reception.Where I'm at and your at,you won't have any problems.
Kinda the same problems people have with satellite tv.Anything that can block or slow down signal,it will.
The 50 collars use alot more sattlelites than 30 and 40's.
Never seen a 50 used yet.But I bet there nice too.

Your gonna love it.I gave a 'ole timer coon hunter friend of mine a 320 and 30 collar and put birdseye{google earth} on it.He absolutely loves it.Will NOT hunt w/o it.He's been hunting since the '60s.

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Registered: Jun 2008
Location: Sylacauga, Alabama
Posts: 441

I was on the top of a pretty good size hill a coupla years ago and picked Smoke up at 3.2 miles down the valley. Treed! With the grease!! LOL

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Registered: Jul 2009
Location: carrollton,Ohio
Posts: 716

Get ya a 320 skip. I live in some pretty big hills here in this part of ohio and I don't lose my signal very often. Up to a mile anyway in these hills. I also use the long range antennas on a few of my collars. . but usually don't need long range on the handheld. If you did lose a signal you can go where you last got a signal and will pick them up again. I use the 320 with DC 40 collars.

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Registered: Mar 2008
Location: LaPorte IN
Posts: 1620

thanks for the repleys guys i;m thinking about getting one before fall, just undecided what to get, Pat and Jim you guys live close to me so maybe we can hook up and i can see how they work i know Jim showed me the few nights i hunted with him.

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Registered: Feb 2012
Location: airville,pa
Posts: 2078

anyone u get is like haveing a nice young dog. you'll love it!

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Registered: Feb 2007
Location:
Posts: 5863

IVE SAID THIS MANY TIMES MY SON AND ALL HIS COYOTE HUNTIN BUDDYS SENT THERE GARMINS TO BRUCE CONKEY AND KEVIN RAINWATER DID SOME THINGS TO THE HAND HELDS AND THE COLLARS,,SINCE THEN WE ALWAYS GET 5 TO 7 MILES ON FLAT GROUND AND DROPS DISTANCE TO ABOUT 2 TO 3 MILES IN HILLY ROUGH GROUND. DEPENDS ON HOW CLOUDY BUT MOST ALL THE TIME 3 TO 4 MILES ALL THE TIME WITH THE COLLARS NOT DROPING SIGNAL VERY RARELY HAVE A BLESSED ONE ,,,RON

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Registered: Dec 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2027

I have a 320, with dc 40s with tuff skin antennas, even though it has saved my dogs life more then once, I have pretty much found it to be a piece of junk. More often then not if the dogs are out of hearing I am also out of range.

I usually start losing signal around 600 to 800 yds.

I mainly find it effective in keeping an eye on them while there hunting and not actually on track. Or if they are on track and start heading towards a road, I can verify how far they are from the road. Where with it out I wouldn't know how close to the road they are. But, I find I have to stay with in a 1000 yds for my garmin to be effective.

I wouldn't hunt with out one, but to say I am a satisfied customer would be a stretch. I will have to invest in some dc 50s, and see if that improves my luck.

I will say this, I had a dc 40, break on me early on, while still under warranty, they were wonderful on the phone, and replaced it no questions asked.

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Registered: Sep 2013
Location: KY
Posts: 644

quote:

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Originally posted by Fisher13
I have a 320, with dc 40s with tuff skin antennas, even though it has saved my dogs life more then once, I have pretty much found it to be a piece of junk. More often then not if the dogs are out of hearing I am also out of range.

I usually start losing signal around 600 to 800 yds.

I mainly find it effective in keeping an eye on them while there hunting and not actually on track. Or if they are on track and start heading towards a road, I can verify how far they are from the road. Where with it out I wouldn't know how close to the road they are. But, I find I have to stay with in a 1000 yds for my garmin to be effective.

I wouldn't hunt with out one, but to say I am a satisfied customer would be a stretch. I will have to invest in some dc 50s, and see if that improves my luck.

I will say this, I had a dc 40, break on me early on, while still under warranty, they were wonderful on the phone, and replaced it no questions asked.

---

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