Registered: Feb 2019
Location:
Posts: 66

Which one has a better and more reliable shock system?
And which one can track better? Really thinking about trying the dogtra but don’t know anyone that has really used one. Thanks

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Registered: May 2004
Location: northeast
Posts: 1278

go read reviews . on e bay or amazon. lot of disappointed folks on there.

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Registered: Dec 2009
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 158

Not sure what there is to be disappointed about with the Dogtra. I really like mine, works just as good as the Alpha here where I live & hunt, big hills, deep hollers. A lot more user friendly in my opinion. Make someone a good deal on an Alpha with 3 collars, don’t need need it anymore!

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Registered: Dec 2017
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 105

I see so many people on here giving the dogtra bad reviews??
Have you noticed how common it is to see people making post because they're having an issue with their garmin? You hardly ever see people making those same post about the dogtra...
I have a few friends that use the garmin. It is not uncommon at all for them to have their garmin drop out while hunting.
I have the dogtra. I have never owned the garmin, but have used my friends.
I have had no issues with the dogtra. The maps are awesome and make the garmin maps look really bad. Maybe there are better maps you can buy for the garmin...?
As for the shocking on the dogtra, it works great. I have used it out to 700yds.
My only beef with the dogtra is I wish they would make a version you could run from a watch like the garmin.

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Registered: Jan 2019
Location: Memphis, TN
Posts: 139

Returned it after a month and switched to the Garmin alpha. I definitely like being able to push an actual button to tone or shock the dog. Touching a small button on a phone screen with the dogtra can be finicky at best with gloves on.
Also, the alpha is waterproof. Don’t have to worry about it in the rain or if it was in your pocket and you fell into some water. And the better maps people talk about are only available if you are using cell phone data. If you are not using cell phone data, your maps look just like the most basic Garmin maps. The compass and my dog’s direction also gave me weird readings when I was on the four wheeler, sometimes, not all the time. The final straw was one night I was trying to mark the location of my truck with the dogtra, and it would not mark the spot correctly for some reason. It kept marking my location 200 yard south of where I actually was.

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Registered: May 2016
Location: Palatka, FL
Posts: 5106

God as Blessed me with being able to discuss the difference in the systems with a lot of people all across the US. From the people in the field using the different systems. To the engineers that designed them and the marketing folks from the companies that sell them. I also have used both systems and I am here to tell you both systems worked great me and I don't do anything special with my systems other than have a combination of antennas that fit my hunting needs and carrying style. I don't plug them into the computer everyday trying to upgrade them or download maps or other things I read about on the internet. I rinse them off generally after every hunt to keep them somewhat clean.

Most of the problems and the vast majority of negativity you read. Is from people that don't understand what they are doing. With either system you pick.

If you want to keep things simple and hunt just one or two dogs. Dogtra will work fine for you as long as you understand its limitations. The main one is your phone and the battery life of your phone. Since with the Dogtra the phone replaces the Garmin's GPS handheld.
I purchased a $75 phone off amazon and used that only with my Dogtra. That phone had no connection with any phone company and did nothing but operate as a GPS device to interface with my Dogtra Connector and Collars and have the mapping on it I needed which was acquired through Google Mapping. That simple. I only found one person in the US that I could not figure out why he didn't get range out of his unit and that was a Man in MN. That also bird hunted out in Kansas. He came to me for help and after several new units he got from Dogtra. None worked for him. I can't explain it, especially in two different locations. I can only say he was the common denominator and I would have loved to have visited him to figure our what it was, causing his system not to work.

Anyway, I have sold a lot of Dogtra systems and way to many have been returned after those guys got around people with the Garmin ALPHAS.

Yesterday I was deer hunting with some folks that all had ALPHAS and we had a big block of woods surrounded. I was over a mile from where the dogs were turned loose and sat there in my buggy with my Granddaughter and watched 10 dogs cover some ground on my DriveTrack71. Like being home watching TV.

In Fl when you hunt private land. You and the landowners are responsible for keeping your dogs off surrounding private land. Just like it is everywhere else. Someone is buying 5 acres of ground and dictating what everyone else on the surrounding 15,000 do. Well with the ALPHA and some practice. You can shock 20 dogs and get them stopped from going where they are not allowed. It keeps dog hunting surviving for a little while longer.

FL just passed a law this year that all deer dogs need to have a tracking system on when hunting. Next year the law with include the collars to have control ability. Which means Stimulation, Tone or Vibrate. There will be hundreds of thousands hounds in FL hunted with collars on and well over 98% of them will have the Garmin Tracking Collars on them. Not sure if that answers your question but that are the facts from FL. Now again. I have no problem with controlling one or two dogs with my Dogtra. But not a whole pack like I can with my Garmin. But I would also add. Either one takes some knowledge, practice and wanting to learn what you are doing.

After dealing with customers in person and on the phone. The people that post all the negative reviews really don't want to solve their problem or have the mental capability to do so. Why would you pay several hundreds of dollars for something and then have a problem and not call the person that sold it to you. If you get either one from me. You are schooled on using it if necessary. Money returned if that is what you want. What is the purpose of a bad review. What did that ever do for anyone? Both these systems work if you know what button to push. But the truth is, both these systems are electronic devices and sometimes electronic devices and the swamps don't get along. Most of the time electronics and hard headed people don't get along either.

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Last edited by Bruce m. Conkey on 11-24-2019 at 12:44 PM

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Registered: Sep 2004
Location: Brookville, PA
Posts: 2460

I had a Dogtra and sent it back and got the Alpha.

Dogtra does have better maps. But only if you have good cell signal or can download them beforehand. I didn't have it long enough or use enough to have issues other than the mapping. In my area there is little to no cell signal. If I had a separate phone that was only for Dogtra like Bruce suggested, perhaps I could load enough maps to make it useful. But my phone doesn't have the storage capability to store all the maps I would need. I really didn't like idea of going to a hunt (where you have no idea where you'll be hunting and if there is cell signal) to find out you don't have maps. Again, with a better phone, I could probably download half the state.

Another reason I switched to Alpha. That's what all my hunting buddies use. We can trade collars, chargers, antennae, whatever in a pinch.

Some guys love the Dogtra, like I said the maps are far better and with a newer model phone with more storage it might be great. But overall, I'll stick with Alpha for now.

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Lone Pine North

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Registered: May 2016
Location: Palatka, FL
Posts: 5106

Lone Pine the mapping is not an issue. Just a miss understanding most people have. The Dogtra has the area where you download off line maps. That is very confusing to some as you don't even have to do that. All you have to do is take any cheap phone and not even connect to any cell service because you don't need it. I say cheap phone. What you want out of your phone is a good BATTERY. That is your limitation the phone brings to the table.

At your house or somewhere you have WIFI download the Doodle Maps app. Not Google Earth but Google Maps. Then open the map for your area and expand the map with your fingers to include your whole start or several states. Then that map is kept in your phone to interface with your Dogtra. Don't use the Dogtra system that says upload off line maps. Thais is not needed and a pain in the neck.

Lone Pine said one main thing. Most will find their buddies have the ALPHA and that is a deal breaker for the Dogtra. Now if you hunt alone then that is not an issue.

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Registered: Sep 2004
Location: Brookville, PA
Posts: 2460

I also have a habit of shutting all apps at once then lose the google maps. Like I said, it didn't work for me, but others may love it. Just not for me

Maybe if I had an Iphone where I have to actually close each app but with the Android I have, I'm just hitting the close all apps button 10 times a day so it's a habit and closes the maps.

Hey some guys drive Fords, some guys drive Chevys, Dodges, Toyota, etc. And each will have reasons why it's the best.

For me, I'll go with the Alpha. There are some downfalls but it works well enough for me.

Every once in a while I remember back to the days of beep beep, I had a Marshall. And before that, it was nothing but listening and driving around to listen for dogs when they got out of pocket. Either system is light years ahead of that. And it's good and bad in that even.

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Lone Pine North

Last edited by Lone Pine JB on 11-28-2019 at 12:18 PM

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location: North MO
Posts: 2347

Anybody that makes a concerted effort to understand both systems will usually pick the Dogtra. It is simply a better system for the average coon hunter.

As far as shocking reliability and range it is exactly the same as the Alpha in my experience.

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Registered: Dec 2003
Location: Sheridan, WY
Posts: 1148

Pathfinder has been the way to go for me. Used both and much prefer the pathfinder. I often hear people say they don't like having their phone with them..... I seriously doubt anyone is leaving their phone behind at any time in this day and age... So regardless of what system I'm using I probably have my phone with me.

I also hear people complain about it draining the phone's battery. Using all bells and whistles my phone will easily last a good five hours using the pathfinder (probably longer if I'm only checking it occasionally- 5 hrs. estiamte based on keeping it on and looking at it constantly).... I'm not often coon hunting longer than that. I also keep a $15 cell phone battery charger in my pack that will charge my phone up to about 85% - 95% in about 15 minutes if for some reason I'm out for so long that my phone is about to die and I can't even get to my truck to charge it.

Maps are better and free.. period. As Bruce said... people that complain about the quality when out of cell phone range don't understand the system.

You can add up to 21 dogs. So user friendly... very intuitive... and at about 1/2 the price.

Only really good reasons to use Alpha are that you or your hunting buddies are invested in Alpha already with a bunch of equipment. Or... you are prone to dropping and losing your hand held (again user error, not Pathfinder's fault)

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Registered: Sep 2019
Location: Miami, Oklahoma
Posts: 12

I really like my Dogtra Pathfinder. Been using it a year with no problems.

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Registered: Sep 2019
Location: Miami, Oklahoma
Posts: 12

I really like my Dogtra Pathfinder. Been using it a year with no problems.

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Registered: Feb 2010
Location: Iowa
Posts: 36

Its the Pathfinder for me. I have an Alpha, but haven't used it for two years, once I bought the Pathfinder. I charged up the Alpha and collar the other day, just to remember how it operates, and was astonished how bad my eyes have become. I would definitely need to use reader glasses, to see the text on the Garmin. I also like the lighted collars that my Garmin has, and now I think Dogtra has that too on a certain collar.
If I'm using the Pathfinder on a puppy and constantly watching his/her location, and to see what doing, I will use a lot of screentime, and drain my battery. In times like this, I will use my Anker PowerCore Power bank to keep my phone charged. I keep it in an inner breast pocket, and I have a little power cable protruding from that pocket, to the phone that is either in my hand, or in another pocket of the jacket.
I'm capable of using either system pretty flawlessly, and my preference is the Pathfinder by Dogtra.

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Registered: Jun 2011
Location: nc
Posts: 5

I would rather have my dogtra than my alpha any day. dogtra will out track it, the maps are way better and the shocker works just fine

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Registered: Nov 2014
Location:
Posts: 168

How are these other systems more user friendly than the Alpha? I turn collars and system on and they usually have connection within a minute. If I want to use tone or shock I touch screen and scroll to dog I want to correct and push the button. It literally couldn’t be simpler!

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Last edited by Ghost14 on 11-28-2019 at 03:02 AM

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Morrison TN
Posts: 4927

I have both. I like the Dogtra better but use my Alpha a ton. Why?

Because all the guys I bear hunt with have Alphas and I have their numbers so it makes it easy for me to keep up with everyones dog.

If I am hunting by myself with a couple of dogs I use the Dogtra, better maps.

It tracks the same distance, shocks the same distance.

The thing I have had trouble with the Dogtra on having more than one device track the dogs, when I put my dogs on my buddys system it kicked them off mine so we were not both able to track the same dogs at the same time. Now I bet I could figure that out but since I use my Alpha bear hunting and my Dogtra coon hunting alone it doesn't really matter to me.

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Registered: Dec 2003
Location: Sheridan, WY
Posts: 1148

quote:

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Originally posted by Ghost14
How are these other systems more user friendly than the Alpha? I turn collars and system on and they usually have connection within a minute. If I want to use tone or shock I touch screen and scroll to dog I want to correct and push the button. It literally couldn’t be simpler!

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