| Garmin Astro 2008 GPS Dog Tracking Collars Review - By Steve Snell
 | |  | | |  STEVE SAYS: I have now been running the Garmin Astro for a little over 14 months. We spent a good bit of time working out issues and problems with the original design, and in the end we came up with a pretty good unit for the field. We got so much feedback from customers on what they liked and hated about the product it was a little hard to keep up. We also spent a good bit of time working with Garmin on ways to improve the collar design to avoid these issues. To Garmin's credit, they listened to us and their customers and we now have a much better product.
The DC-30 GPS collar is designed to take a much higher level of abuse than the original DC 20. It is built more like a traditional tracking collar and requires no vest or counter weight to keep it in place on your dog.
What if I have the Original Garmin Astro?
Gamin has made the DC-30 collar so it works with the original handheld. If you bought a system with the DC20 and want to add the DC30 collar you can do so without purchasing a completely new system.
Can I get a DC30 collar and run it with my old collars? -- You sure can. The Garmin Astro Handheld will track up to 10 dogs. If you want to run your system with an original DC 20 on one dog and add a DC 30 for the second dog you can. The handheld does not "know" the difference between them and will add the DC30 one just like the old one.
2008 Garmin Astro DC 30 -- What's New
Stand-alone rugged collar design
40% increased range over original unit
Long-range Handheld Antenna - add on option
 Stand Alone Rugged Collar Design -- It's been a little over a year since we first tried out the Garmin Astro. Garmin is now introducing their newest version of the GPS based dog tracking system. The DC30 collar transmitter is a drastic improvement in functionality and design. Unlike the original system, the new Astro collar is a stand alone unit. The DC 30 design allows you the option of running the Astro collar on the dog without any vest, additional counterweight, or ecollar to keep the unit on the dog's neck.
The DC 30 has a top mounted GPS antenna and a side mounted "whip" antenna for the radio signal that sends the location information to the Astro handheld unit. This design improves the durability of the system by moving most of the electronics to the bottom of the collar, placing them in front of the dog's chest. This keeps the collar in position and protects the collar by lowering the chances of impact.
The original DC 20 (transmitter) dog unit had all of the electronics and the GPS antenna on the top of the dog's neck. The reason for this was to keep the GPS antenna in the best possible position to receive the satellite signal. The problem with it was that the profile of the Astro DC 20 was well above the dog's head and neck. The Astro DC 30 has a separate GPS antenna that is on the top of the collar strap. The low profile and sleek design of the antenna will keep it below the dog's head and avoid any direct hits in the field.
Whip Style Antenna -- The biggest complaint with the Original Garmin Astro DC 20 was the transmitter antenna. The DC 20 antenna was too rigid and was not tough enough to handle the constant pressure that your average hunting dog dished out. Garmin addressed this issue with a tougher antenna, but we still had the occasional problem.
The DC 30 Astro collar has a Whip Style antenna that will take all the abuse a hunting dog can give it. This part of the design is more like a traditional telemetry tracking system. Unlike the original antenna, a whip antenna is completely flexible and will move back and forth as it gets hit. In the 10 plus years that I have run tracking collars, I have never had a whip antenna get damaged in the field.
The other thing about the design of this antenna that will protect it is the way it is attached to the collar strap. The whip antenna has a nylon cover that is designed to keep it pointing up, improving the transmission range to the Garmin Astro Handheld. While keeping the antenna pointed up is important, the real beauty of this feature is that it takes the pressure off of the antenna connection, moving it to the middle of the antenna. This will lower the chances of any damage to the antenna or the electronics.
Metal Attachment Plates -- The DC 30 GPS collar has metal attachment plates for both the electronics transmitter and the GPS antenna. One of the issues that we saw with the original Garmin Astro was the occasional broken collar attachment plate. The original plastic was not designed to take as powerful an impact as needed. Garmin addressed this issue early on and we stopped having trouble with it, but with the metal attachment plates, the DC-30 collars will not have this problem. The low profile design of the GPS antenna and the location of the electronics on the bottom of the dog's neck should keep this from being as much of an issue as it was with the high profile design of the original Astro DC 20, but it was still a smart move by Garmin to prevent it from happening.
Increased Range -- Garmin has increased the range of the DC 30 with the new design. The line of sight of the DC 30 transmitter is 7 miles. This means that in completely flat terrain with nothing between you or your dog, you should be able to get a range of 7 miles. The original DC 20's range was only 5 miles, so this is a 40% improvement. The antenna design is the major factor in this range increase.
Long Range Handheld Antenna -- With the original Astro handheld we had limited range in certain situations. While this has not changed with the DC30 system, Garmin has added an option for folks that need longer range from the Astro. This Long Range Antenna is perfect for folks that need longer range for the big running bird dogs and hounds. (Last year during our testing of the original product, we rigged up a handheld version of the Car Top Magnetic Mount Antenna. While it worked pretty well, Garmin's design does a much better job.)
The Long Range Antenna features a 3 foot cord attached to a collapsible antenna with an attachment for you to carry it on your hunting vest or jacket. The beauty of this antenna is that when it is closed it still gets better range than the standard Astro antenna. When you need more range, all you do is expand the antenna out to a maximum of 3 feet and you will get better range in those heavy cover and rolling terrain situations. This is a feature that the hound market should really be happy with. Much like the old style telemetry tracking systems, this antenna will give you more options in the field.
In my tests of this antenna, I found that it drastically increased the range of the system, much like the Car Top Antenna. We even found many situations where the Long Range Antenna out performed the Car Top Antenna. While both the Car Top Antenna and the Long Range Antenna are great additions for folks with big running dogs, if you only get one, go with the Long Range Antenna. The versatility of it allows you more options. (The only down side is that you can't easily use it while driving like you can with the Car Top Antenna.) Folks that pick their dogs up from a vehicle really can benefit from both antennas (I'll be using both this fall)
PLEASE NOTE -- The Long Range Antenna is an OPTION. It is NOT included with the Garmin ASTRO Combo and must be ordered separately.
What Folks May Not Like about the DC 30 GPS Collar
Well, not much, but there are a few things that folks might not be too sure about:
Garmin used a nylon collar strap -- This was debated pretty hard and in the end I think it was the only real option. Most folks are used to the coated nylon straps that every tracking collar and remote dog training collar company has used for the last 20 or 30 years. Garmin wanted to go this way, but the number of wires running between the GPS antenna and the unit's electronics plus the whip style antenna made using any other material a problem.
Overall, I feel great about the particular nylon that they used. Garmin got the best, stiffest treated nylon on the market. I have used dog collars made from the same material for years and never had one wear out.
The DC 30 is a Stand Alone Collar and It Does Not Have Room for Other Electronics -- This one will fall into the "you can't please all the folks all the time" category. It took us a while to get a set up that we liked with the original DC 20 but after we found one, we really liked it. The disadvantage of the DC 30 is that it means you will have more than one strap on your dog if you run the Astro along with an e-collar. Some folks will not like this but I do not think it's going to be a big deal. I'll take the improved range and durability any day of the week. I also expect that if you want to get a DC 20, you'll be able to pick them up for a steal from folks that want to upgrade.
"I just bought a system last season and now there is another one?" -- Many folks might feel a little slighted since they spent good money on the original Astro. The one thing to keep in mind here is that I expect to see new versions and new tracking products coming out at a rapid rate for the next several years. Now that Garmin has the collar issues resolved, don't you think they will start to fix other things (like battery life) as quickly as possible? Much like other electronic gear, we will see rapid changes as the technology improves. The future of dog tracking looks brighter every day. That is great for us and our dogs.
Using the Garmin Astro
Using the Garmin Astro with Bird Dogs -- The first Garmin Astro was designed for bird dogs. This new version improves on it and it is perfect for bird dogs. The increased range will benefit folks with bigger running dogs.
Using the Garmin Astro with Beagles -- The Garmin Astro works fine for folks running beagles as a tracking system. Much like birddogs, beagles tend to range close enough that the Garmin Astro will fit a rabbit hunter's needs just like it does for a bird dog. The collar design really helps with smaller beagles over the original DC 20. Beagles also tend to be really hard on gear, so the rugged collar design is a must.
Using the Garmin Astro for Squirrel Dogs -- The Garmin Astro will also work fine for squirrel dogs as a tracking system.
Using the Garmin Astro with Hounds -- In my original review, I did not recommend that hound owners use the Garmin Astro. We sold a bunch of systems to folks running hounds and overall I think most were pleased with the results. I am comfortable now that these design changes make it a good choice for some hound owners as long as you keep certain things in mind: The Astro is tough enough for use by the hound market and the increase in range along with the addition of the Long Range Antenna have made it a product that will fit the majority of hound owners. You do need to keep in mind that the improved range is still not as long as some of the telemetry systems on the market and the DC 30 battery life (17 hours) is nowhere near as long as any tracking collar. The advantages of the Astro are great, but hound owners need to understand that this GPS tracking system has some limitations compared to telemetry. If you want to run both and use the telemetry as a back up for the range and the battery life, go ahead and run them together. I did this last season and it never failed me.
The Garmin Astro GPS Dog Tracking System -- Is it Just for Hunters?
Hikers, Campers and Horseback Riders
While the Astro is designed for hunters and many of the features of it are very hunting dog specific, the Astro has uses for all dog owners that run their dogs off leash. General outdoor folks including hikers, horseback riders, and folks that enjoy camping with their dogs can use the Astro to keep up with their dogs. The double duty features of dog location and a full blown GPS system with waypoints and compass make it a great system for anyone that enjoys spending time in the great outdoors with their dogs.
Here is the rest of my Original Astro Review with changes and updates for the DC-30 version:
The Garmin Astro gives you an exact location, distance from you, direction traveling (if moving) and status or what the dog is doing: running, pointing, treeing or sitting.
I have been running tracking collars on my dogs since 1998. I wouldn't run a dog without a tracking collar now, but GPS is the future.
The Garmin Astro is very impressive. It does everything I want plus a whole lot more. The beauty of this dog tracking system is that you can use as many of these extra features as you want, but they will not interfere with the basic idea of knowing where your dog is, what he is doing, and being able to locate him if he gets lost.
The idea behind the Garmin Astro is that both you and your dog(s) have a GPS system. The one that the dog wears picks up a signal from the satellites and "knows" its location. The Dog GPS then sends a radio signal to your handheld GPS with its location. Your GPS "knows" where you are and where the dog is so it plots the dogs location on your screen in relation to where you are. This way you can look at the screen and see yourself and your dog.
Running Multiple Dogs
The Astro can handle up to 10 dogs at one time. The Astro can be purchased as a one dog system or as a multi dog system. You can add dogs at anytime. You can also track multiple dogs from multiple handhelds. This means you can track your dogs and the dogs of other folks that you are hunting with. You can add and remove dogs at anytime. It's quick and easy. Last season when I hunted with others folks that were also running the Astro, I would add their dogs so I could help keep up with them in the field.
GPS Screens
You have two choices of screens to look at the dog's location and you can move back and forth. The MAP SCREEN (first screen) shows your location, any "way points" (think truck, food plots, hunting lodge, blinds) and your dog's location, plus it shows your dogs "route." NOTE: If he likes to run in circles, you'll know it.
This MAP SCREEN can get crowded pretty fast, and if you have multiple dogs on the ground, you might prefer the COMPASS SCREEN. Since you already know where you are (at least let's hope you do) it's more important that you know the direction of your dog(s) and the distance, as well as what he is doing. The COMPASS SCREEN is the best way to keep up with a larger number of dogs because it shows your direction as well as a different color line for each dog showing direction, distance and status (running or on point).
You have two options on the Compass screen as to how you view the dogs. You can either see multiple dogs at one time (up to three) or you can tab back and forth to see them individually on the compass.
Range of the Astro with the DC 30
The Garmin Astro Dog GPS sends a radio signal to your Handheld GPS unit with the exact location of your dog. The Handheld GPS unit plots that information on your MAP SCREEN so you can see your location, your dog's location, direction, and whether or not your dog is moving.
The DC 30 has a "Line of Sight" range of 7 miles. This means in completely flat terrain with nothing between you or your dog you should be able to get a range of 7 miles. (There are not many places that we hunt or spend time with our dogs that have this type of terrain.) The original DC 20 had a line of sight listing of 5 miles. This is a pretty strong increase (40%) over the DC 20.
In our tests, we could not find a situation where the DC 30 did not out perform the original DC 20. What I do want to point out is that folks should not expect to get two additional miles from the new collar compared to the old collar. For example -- If you had a situation with the original DC 20 where you could get a range of 1 mile with the handheld, you could expect to get 1.4 miles (a 40% increase) with the handheld and the DC 30 collar.
"What's the real range? 7 miles sounds fine, but what is it going to get in grouse woods? I hunt some big open country, but I like to hunt ravines and hill country too." -- In thick rolling country we could get between 1 and 1.3 miles with the handheld. Adding the car top antenna more than doubled that range out to 2.8 miles. In flat thick, cover (no changes in elevation) I got 2.5 miles with just the handheld and over 3.5 miles with the additional long range antenna.
Some situations will create more range and some will create less. The thickness of the cover does not seem to ever be a problem. We found the greatest range drop off in rolling terrain. Just like any radio signal (this applies to tracking collars also), the more dirt that you have between you and the dog, the less of a signal you will get. Radio signals do not go through dirt or rocks. They bounce off them and go up. This means that the best way to track in rolling, hilly or mountain terrains is from the highest possible location.
How the Dogs Wear the Unit
FROM MY ORIGINAL REVIEW - "I also have some concerns about how the dog is going to wear the unit. The Garmin Astro comes with a neoprene vest that goes around the dogs chest and is also attached to the dogs regular id collar. The vest idea is ok (I was real pleased with the quality and the construction) but I hunt in a lot of really hot weather. The last thing my dog needs is a neoprene vest on him when it's 70 degrees. No problem here, it can also be worn on the collar."
The biggest change in the Astro is in the dog collar. The DC 30 is a stand alone system. Unlike the original DC 20, the DC 30 does not need a vest or a counterweight (ecollar, dummy collar, or any other rigged contraption) to keep it in place. This one change fixes the majority of the problems that we saw over the first season of running the Astro.
The beauty of the self contained collar is that folks that don't want to run any other system (tracking or ecollar) do not have to. The Astro can be worn by itself.
This change has also fixed a couple of other issues. It was hard to keep the astro in place while running small dogs. There were certain size limitations with the original set up that we don't have with the DC 30 up to a point.
The advantage of the collar design is that since it is no longer part of the ecollar strap, it does not have to be worn tight. While you don't want it on so loose that it can slip over the dog's head, and there is no advantage to it banging around, the design does not require that it be snug or super tight like an ecollar. The DC 30 collar strap goes as small as 12.5 inches and will fit a dog as large as 20 inches. This sizing is going to work for the majority of the dogs that it is directed towards but there will be a few issues. You can get away with wearing it on a dog with a slightly smaller neck than 12.5 inches, but I would not go much smaller. I would not recommend using it on a dog under 15 pounds from a weight standpoint.
We will see more folks looking to wear it on dogs with necks larger than 20 inches. To fix this all you need to do is purchase an extra ecollar strap and buckle them together.
Direction and Distance
The Garmin Astro Dog GPS system shows you exactly where your dog is. The Astro has the same range limitations that tracking collars have because radio signals will only go so far. As long as you can pick up the signal, you know the exact distance between you and your dog and what he is doing (pointing or running).
When Your Dog Runs Out of Range, What Then? -- The biggest difference with an Astro is that we will be able to see the exact point that the signal drops off. We will also have the advantage of knowing the last spot that we were able to get a signal. This allows you to immediately go to the last known location and pick up a current location.
You Know Your Dog's Exact Location -- The Garmin Astro gives you an exact location, distance from you, direction traveling (if moving) and status or what the dog is doing: running, pointing, sitting, or treed. This is more information than we have ever had before from a dog location system.
Garmin Astro Offers Silent Running -- The Astro is silent. Unlike beeper collars, the Astro does not make a sound. This is better for you and your dog. The Astro totally eliminates the disadvantages of running a beeper collar. The beauty of the Astro is that it will also not bother the birds. While many upland birds are not bothered by the sound of a beeper collar, some birds (especially pheasants) learn very quickly that a beeper means hunters and dogs and they high-tail it out of the country.
Point Alarm Tells You Running or On Point -- The Garmin Astro Dog GPS has a "Point Alarm" that will tell you when your dog goes on point. This way you don't have to constantly check. The system tells you when you need to go find your dog.
QUESTION: If we do lose a dog, how easy will we be able to locate him once we get back in range? -- ANSWER: Easy! The Astro tells you once it has lost a signal. It marks the last known location of your dog and then searches for a new signal without you having to do anything. The times that I lost a signal all I had to do was move in the last known direction of the dog and the Astro would pick up the new signal long before I got close to the dog. This feature worked better than I ever expected.
Originally I felt that I would use the Compass screen exclusively when I was hunting with my dogs. I did not think the mapping screen would be of much use to me. Over time I found that I preferred the Map screen for certain dogs, especially my bigger runners. I found that I could determine at what point my dogs were no longer hunting in the range or direction that I wanted them going and I could turn them as needed.
While there is a slight delay with the Astro as it updates every 5 seconds, I could use the Astro Map screen to "see" the dog turn. If I only used the compass screen I could tell the distance, but I could not tell the direction that the dog was moving. The Map screen gives a better idea of what is going on. This allowed my bigger running dogs more freedom to cover the ground and I spent less time wondering what was going on.
Topo Maps and Turn by Turn Navigation
The Garmin Astro comes with a "base" map. If you want more detailed mapping information you can add any of the regional Topo Maps, the entire USA Topo or the entire USA Car package which gives you turn by turn navigation. The regional topo maps and the car package are easy to use. You just plug the micro SD card into the slot under the batteries in the astro handheld. If you want the entire USA on Topo or you pick the car package in the DVD format, you will need a Micro SD card to download the information from your computer. It really is not that hard but it does take a little more work. I have run my Astro with both kinds of Maps and it does a really nice job.
The Topo Maps are best from a hunting standpoint. The biggest advantage is knowing where your dog is in relation to either roads or waterways. It really helps when you can tell that your dog is on the other side of a creek or river.
The car Navigation package worked pretty well, but compared to any of the Garmin Nuvi units, it is not as user friendly. I would recommend that you look at some of the newer car units before you invest in the car option for the Garmin Astro. Neither of the mapping options is required to run the Astro but it does give you more information if you want it.
Using a Garmin Astro Dog GPS System in Field Trials or Pointing Dog Hunt Tests
Right now many of the Telemetry Dog Tracking collars are allowed to be used in sanctioned Field Trials and Pointing Dog Hunt Tests. You can not use them during the event, but the judge will hold your receiver and you are allowed to use them once the timed event is over or if your dog gets lost during the event and you choose to remove your dog from competition and want to start locating him.
This allows you the security of being able to locate your dog in case he gets lost but it does not allow you an unfair advantage in the competition.
The only collars that are approved are very small and light. The reasoning behind this is that the judges will not allow a collar that the dog might confuse with a remote training collar. Most dogs will perform differently if they "think" that they have a training collar on. The Astro DC 30 collar design should fit the requirements based on the weight restrictions on the AKC website, but as of right now, GPS collars are not allowed in AKC events.
See www.akc.org/events/field_trials/pointing_breeds/tracking_collars.cfm for more info.
So if you compete in trials, I can't recommend that you go with the Astro right now. I expect that over time it could become legal for events, but I clearly remember how long it took the Field Trial and Hunt Test organizations to come around to making tracking collars legal for use during an event, and I don't expect it will go any faster with the Astro.
Special thanks go out to Jimmy, Ted, Bryan and Mike at Garmin for putting up with another year of all my calls and questions. A very special thank you to Bob West of Purina for hooking me up with Garmin.
It is a rare, rare occasion that I get a product in to test that amazes me. Normally I have a list a mile long with changes, improvements, unnecessary features, features that just don't work, and features that are good ideas but miss the mark of fitting the needs of my customers.
I want every product that we sell to be the best it can be and go above my customers needs. It makes selling easier and more fun.
My expectations for the original Garmin Astro were really high. I wanted it to be amazing but I expected it to fall short. Boy, was I wrong.
These new improvements have taken a great product and solved the majority of the issues that we experienced. I could not be more happy with these changes.
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Before you decide which collar to buy, read our Dog Training Collars guide for dog product comparisons, features, reviews, & more information. Trouble with a barking dog? Steve loves his Tri-Tronics no bark collar. Check it out!
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