Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Morrison TN
Posts: 4927

So Garmin just up and sent me a DC 40. My power button broke on my old unit, it was two months out of warrenty but they sent me another one free of charge. It was a rebuilt unit and wasn't up to snuff so I sent it back and danged if they didn't just send me a brand new unit, in the box, complete with DC 40 collar.

In testing it for range only it had more range than a DC 30.

But it loses GPS signal more than the DC 30.

I ran them side by side tonight on different dogs. They both did the job, but the 40 lost signal just for a second a couple of times. Maybe 3-5 times in the 2-3 hour hunt. It was just for a second and was back before I could even push the OK button.

The 30 never lost signal.

Also the dogs swam the river too, it seemed to do OK.

So far I like it OK. I love the charging mech. Much better, but with all the stories on here of them I am a little leery of the 40.

It was one night, but it did OK tonight. I'm not out anything if it is junk, but so far it's been OK with the benifit of some increased range as far as the radio signal goes.

I don't like that it loses GPS signal like that, but like I said it was back so quick it was back before I could hit the enter button to say OK.

I am going tomorrow night too. I will update this thread with the results.

I hunt mountains and thick woods, not swamps.

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Registered: Feb 2009
Location: central , al
Posts: 1312

keep us posted on it. i keep hearing so many bad things i havent upgraded and wont until i see a need too!

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Registered: Sep 2010
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Rip, does your collar have the 3.43 update? That is suppose to improve collar to satelite signal which sounds like the reason for your intermitten losses of reception.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Morrison TN
Posts: 4927

quote:

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Originally posted by JiM
Rip, does your collar have the 3.43 update? That is suppose to improve collar to satelite signal which sounds like the reason for your intermitten losses of reception.

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Registered: Aug 2010
Location: around
Posts: 117

My 40 doesn't loose signal. A mile and a half is what i get out of it as far as range.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: North GA
Posts: 14388

Keep us informed Rip. Id say your woods are bout like mine. I have a old 20 I wonder if I sent it in if they would send me a new 40

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Los Angeles, MN
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I still use my 20 when I hunt 2 dogs. The 20 looses signal noticably more often than the 30...I attributed this to the fact that it is amost impossible to keep it on the top of the dogs neck.

I have read about the 40 loosing signal more than the 30, I cant help but think the 40 is more of a repackaged 20 than an improved 30?

If that makes any sense.

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Registered: Jun 2010
Location: howell,michigan
Posts: 769

garmins suck we have a dog lost from last night because the stupid thing says he close to us , dog still missing today , i dont think ill ever own one . cant trust them

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Registered: Jun 2008
Location: Troy, MO
Posts: 806

I have found the same as Rip. My 40 loses the sattelite more often but usually gets it back pretty fast.

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Registered: Feb 2009
Location: central , al
Posts: 1312

i'm scared to update mine because its never given me one mins trouble. i know if i upgrade it there will be headaches to come.....lol. it if aint broke i aint gone fix it

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Morrison TN
Posts: 4927

Barry, updating your software will actually help you.

I know it made the on/off function of the DC 30 better etc.

If it needs an upgrade it will help you to do it.

I always kept mine updated and never had any trouble either. Only trouble I ever had was a power button that broke.

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Registered: Feb 2009
Location: central , al
Posts: 1312

ok i have 4 collars, i updated 2 of them to see what happens. first time i've ever updated since i bought 2 yrs ago. hope it dont bite me in the azz.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Morrison TN
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Ok no trouble tonight. The 40 worked just as good as the 30. Couldn't tell any difference at all but they never got more than a half mile away either.

They were in mountains and thick brush.

I'll keep runnin them side by side and see what happens.

Pretty happy so far, but I realize that you won't find the glitches right off all the time and it might take several times for conditions to be right to make it act up like others have had the 40 do.

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Location: WESTERN MARYLAND
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quote:

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Originally posted by barryg35
ok i have 4 collars, i updated 2 of them to see what happens. first time i've ever updated since i bought 2 yrs ago. hope it dont bite me in the azz.

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Registered: Jul 2007
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BTT

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Morrison TN
Posts: 4927

quote:

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Originally posted by rmcmillan
BARRY, HOW DID THE UPGRADE GO. I HAVE USED MY UNIT FOR OVER A YEAR. I LIKE IT AND HAVE NEVER UP GRADED IT. HAVE ALWAYS WONDERED IF I SHOULD. HOPE YOURS WORKED FOR YOU. DID YOU ALSO UPDATE THE ASTRO 220.

MY FEMALE WAS OUT LAST NIGHT OVER 1000 YDS. PICKED HER UP GOOD AND WE WERE IN THE PA MOUNTAINS.

RIP, THANKS FOR UPDATES ON DC 40. KEEP US POSTED. WITH ALL THE NEAGATIVITY ON THEM I WAS SKEPTICAL. BUT IT IS GOOD TO KNOW SOMEONE LIKES IT. YOU KNOW PEOPLE NEVER LIKE CHANGE. ALSO GOOD TO KNOW GARMIN TOOK CARE OF YOU.


ROB

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: North GA
Posts: 14388

Rip have you tested it with your long range ant to see how far it picks up?

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Morrison TN
Posts: 4927

No, only with my short range and I get over a mile with it, which is an improvement over the 30 doing the exact same test.

With the 30 on my drive around putting the collar in the exact same place I was getting .9 to 1 mile.

With the 40 I was getting 1.2 or so and it seemed to pick back up in places the 30 didn't and if I remember right some places I got nearly 2 miles when I topped out over a hill which I never did with the 30 but it could have just been weather conditions. I drove the same route and hung the collars in the same place on my fence.

But don't forget that range is a two headed monster. One is the radio frequency, the other is the sattelite reception.

I just can't see how the receiver under the dogs neck can get as good a sattelite reception as the one on the back of their neck so I am still leery.

However it does seem to have a stronger radio signal.

I do wonder how far I can get with the long range antenna. I do know I was picking up the 40 with the hand held in places I could only get it with the long range on my drive around with the 30.

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Registered: Nov 2009
Location: New London, NC
Posts: 1562

quote:

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Originally posted by rmcmillan
BARRY, HOW DID THE UPGRADE GO. I HAVE USED MY UNIT FOR OVER A YEAR. I LIKE IT AND HAVE NEVER UP GRADED IT. HAVE ALWAYS WONDERED IF I SHOULD. HOPE YOURS WORKED FOR YOU. DID YOU ALSO UPDATE THE ASTRO 220.

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Registered: Jan 2010
Location: Monroe,N.C.
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quote:

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Originally posted by josh
I still use my 20 when I hunt 2 dogs. The 20 looses signal noticably more often than the 30...I attributed this to the fact that it is amost impossible to keep it on the top of the dogs neck.

I have read about the 40 loosing signal more than the 30, I cant help but think the 40 is more of a repackaged 20 than an improved 30?

If that makes any sense.

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quote:

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Originally posted by barryg35
i'm scared to update mine because its never given me one mins trouble. i know if i upgrade it there will be headaches to come.....lol. it if aint broke i aint gone fix it

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Registered: Jan 2008
Location: WEST VIRGINIA
Posts: 396

I just got a new garmin with the dc 40 about a month ago, so far it has been fair, it does however loose signal quite abit here in the mountains, how do you run the update on them?

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Registered: Feb 2009
Location: central , al
Posts: 1312

quote:

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Originally posted by Huntinwalkers
I just got a new garmin with the dc 40 about a month ago, so far it has been fair, it does however loose signal quite abit here in the mountains, how do you run the update on them?

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Registered: Jan 2008
Location: alabama
Posts: 351

got mine last christmas and never have did anything with it but just use it. I updated mine and went last nite. I have never got over 900 yds out of mine. Last night, same woods and i got over a mile and a half. I would advise averyone to do the update. I love my garmin!!!!!!!!!!!Roger

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Registered: Feb 2009
Location: central , al
Posts: 1312

i havent hunted since updating 2 of mine but gonna try to go tonight.

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