The Garmin Alpha 100 with TT15 collar enhances the original Alpha tracking and training system with some new features:
Top mounted high sensitivity GPS / GLONASS Receiver for increased signal reception
The TT 15 collars now have the ability to pick up both GPS and GLONASS satellites. GLONASS is the Russian version of USA’s GPS satellites. What this means is that there are now more satellites that your system can pick up. This will get you better and faster reception. The DC 50 collars have had this feature for the last year and it works great.
Non-stimulating Vibration
Add a new Non Stim communication to your training. The TT15 collars now have vibration along with tone. You can use Vibration to teach a silent recall or most any other command that you choose, or use it as a warning prior to stimulation.
Track Alpha TT15 and TT10 collars PLUS the new Astro T5 Collars
The new Astro T5 and Alpha TT 15 collars have the ability to be tracked by either the Astro 430 handheld or the Alpha 100 handheld.
This now lets Alpha users who need a system they can use in competitions legally run T5 tracking collars. Alpha users that do not need ALL of their collars to be training collars can add T5 collars to their Alpha system and use them to only track dogs.
VIRB Control on the TT15 Collar lets you start or stop VIRB video recording with the Alpha handheld (VIRB camera not included)
Folks that want to film their dogs in action can add Garmin VIRB cameras and use the Alpha handheld to control some of the camera features.
1 Year FREE Subscription to BirdsEye Satellite Imagery
Get a chance to try out the Birds Eye satellite imagery for free in your new Alpha handheld. This software gives you the ability to see your dog both on the standard topo map and also using satellite images. It adds a whole new dimension to seeing your dog.
EMERGENCY ALERT lets you send your location and an emergency alert message to other Alpha users in the area
When Garmin bought Tri-tronics, we knew an all-in-one GPS / Ecollar system was coming, and the result was the Garmin ALPHA: A GPS tracking collar by Garmin with an E-Collar from Tri-Tronics.
Track and train from a single screen. One handheld. One collar.
The Garmin ALPHA improves upon the GPS features of the best-selling Garmin Astro and combines them with the functionality of the best Tri-tronics dog training collars.
GPS Improvements include faster update rates, touch screen, longer battery life, rescue mode, "buddy" tracking, tracking up to 20 dogs, and my personal favorite - the direction option in the Compass screen.
E-collar improvements give you the full functionality of a $500 remote trainer for only $250 more than the price of the Astro alone. You can either recreate your favorite Tri-tronics e-collar or build a custom set-up with the perfect stimulation types and settings for each one of your dogs.
And there's a new user interface with the touch screen. Instead of using toggle switches to change dogs, and intensity dials to select stimulation levels, the touchscreen interface lets you customize your ALPHA collar as much or as little as you want.
All-in-one, combination products tend to be the worst of both worlds. Seldom does combining two products into one lead to a piece of gear that's as good as either of the originals.
Fortunately, the Garmin ALPHA is more than just a GPS and an e-collar stuck together.
A lot of work went into designing the ALPHA resulting in an elegant system with very intuitive controls. The folks at Garmin were very responsive to our feedback in what we wanted in a COMBO system.
The end result? Not only will consolidating GPS + dog training collars into a single system save time, space, and money -- the ALPHA will make hunting and running your dogs a lot more fun.
I hope you enjoy this review. Please drop me a line with any questions or comments. -- Steve
This is the Garmin Alpha. The Garmin Alpha is a GPS e-collar combo system. Garmin took all the Tri-Tronics technology and incorporated it into their dog tracking systems. So now we have one system that can allow you to track your dog and use it as your remote trainer.
Pretty sophisticated compared to anything we've seen before. From a GPS standpoint it is everything that the Astro is plus a little bit more. It comes with a 100K topo map built into it. It comes with a faster update rate. The Astro is a neat system, but it doesn't quite stand up to the changes that they've made with the Alpha.
A big difference in the Alpha is that it is a touchscreen. So, very few remote controls. You have an on/off switch and then you have stim buttons for your e-collar. But the rest of the thing is touchscreen. So you just go through and pick the screens that you want. You can jump back between your map and your compass really fast.
What's nice about the touchscreen on Garmin units is that they are glove friendly. Pretty much any set of gloves that I've been using we've been able to use the touchscreen without a problem.
Same basic concept as far as operation. You have your collar. Picks up the signal from the satellites. And then it sends that signal back to the handheld. Now, the difference with the Alpha is because it is an e-collar you are also going to be sending signals from the handheld to the collar. So that allows some long-range communication between the two that we have not had before. You can make changes to the setup of the system while the dog is wearing the collar at a distance. That can come in real handy if you have to change identity codes. You can also change update rates.
The e-collar on the Garmin Alpha is ad as advanced as anything Tri-Tronics has ever made. It's got up to 18 stim levels. It has continuous and momentary, plus it has tone. You can allow it to train up to 20 dogs from one handheld. It's got the light feature similar to the tracer lights. You can control it from the handheld and turn your lights on and off. You can make the flash or make them glow solid. It has short and long contact points.
The e-collar on the Garmin Alpha is very sophisticated in that you can set different levels for different dogs. You can have different stimulation types for different dogs. You can have some dogs on momentary, some dogs on continuous. You can also change it on the fly. So if you need all sorts of types of stimulation for your dog, you can raise and lower the level, you can change it at the transmitter as needed.
Three buttons across the top are what control the stimulation. You can either have it where it's one button per dog, so you can have three different buttons on the handheld and then you can scroll over to your next three if you are running six, nine, 12 dogs. You can move back and forth. If you are only running one dog then you can take each button and customize it for that particularly dog. You want to have a low level on one button, and then a medium level on the middle button, and then a higher level on your right button? Real simple to do. You can set it up to fit however you train your dog.
This is the Alpha TT-10. It is a combination of several concepts that Garmin has developed over the years with the DC-20, DC-30, and DC-40 collars. Anyone that's had a DC-30 will notice that they've gone back to a top-mounted GPS receiver. We found that that works really well.
The collar strap is not part of the unit in that it's more along the lines of a traditional Tri-Tronics design. It threads through the loops on the collar. And then we have a piece here that connects the GPS antenna. Collar slides through that. We've got 10 different colors so that you can identify collars differently. We change them out for you. It's really simple to move from collar to collar.
You've got removable contact points. It comes with the regulars installed. We also have the long contact points.
These are your light features across the front here. So when you are using your tracer light that's where the light comes off of.
Very tough design. My favorite thing that they changed is the antenna. They went to a cable style antenna and these things are incredibly tough. We're a good six or eight months in now. I have yet to have one break. They are just really tough. A little bit longer, too, than what we've had before. We're getting some more range out of it.
With the Garmin Alpha you have several different update rate choices. The update rate is the time in between radio signals that are sent from the collar to your handheld. A faster update rate will give you more information as to where your dog is and what he's doing, but it will also burn your battery up a little bit faster.
I run my Alpha on a 2 1/2 second update rate, and typically I see about 24 hours of runtime. You also have the option of a five second, a 10 second, a 30 second, and a two minute update. What those updates they will do is they will lengthen the battery life of the collar but they will give you less information.
I find most people prefer to have more information and charge their collar on a more regular basis. Every time I run my collar, the night I am through I charge it up to get a full charge for the next day.
Track and train your dog on the same screen from a single handheld unit.
One handheld + one collar = less clutter and things to charge.
Track your friends' handhelds.
Know when your dog is out of gun range.
Know when your dog is running too big BEFORE your dog gets too far out.
Know BEFORE your dog leaves the property OR gets too close to a highway.
Know when your dog is on point (Pointing Alerts)
Know when your dog has treed. (Treeing Alerts)
E-Collars: What's in the Garmin ALPHA?
You get a '$500 ecollar' for only $250 more than the Astro
Reinforce known commands. Stop problem behaviors / break trash.
Train ANY dog from the most stubborn to the most sensitive.
Rechargeable batteries that have a long run time and charge quickly
3-buttons instantly selectable at the transmitter
18 levels of continuous/momentary STIM
Audio Tone
: Non-stimulating Vibration
Expandable to 20 dogs.
A touch screen replaces multi-dog toggle switches and intensity dials --
Customizable -- set multiple specific stim types and levels for each dog
Access custom settings immediately, easier and faster than manual controls
GPS: Garmin 5th generation collars pack in even MORE features:
See where your dog is, what he's doing, what direction he's moving in...
Top mounted high sensitivity GPS / GLONASS receiver for increased signal reception
VIRB CONTROL on the TT15 collar lets you start or stop VIRB video recording with the Alpha handheld (VIRB camera not included)
COMPASS Screen shows you dogs, direction, distance, speed
MAP Screen shows your dogs with a trail on the TOPO MAP
Track up to 20 dogs/other ALPHA Handhelds
Track Alpha TT15 and TT10 collars PLUS the new Astro T5 Collars (T5 collars must be set to Alpha mode and do not offer e-collar functions)
Free, pre-loaded TOPO Map. Not just major roads and waterways, but smaller roads, creeks, and streams, too. ($100 value)
1 year FREE subscription to BirdsEye satellite imagery
RESCUE MODE and Longer Battery Life means No More Lost Dogs
EMERGENCY ALERT lets you send your dog's last known location and an emergency alert message to other Alpha users in the area
2.5 Second Update Rate means: you'll know twice as fast when your dog is in birds or treed.
Not available to Canadian addresses. This product is approved for use in the US only. Collar to handheld radio communication may be disabled in Europe and other prohibited areas.
Download Owner's Manual for Garmin ALPHA + TT15 Combo
Contains top-notch features such as a high-sensitivity GPS receiver, long battery life, a bright sunlight readable color display and a rugged IPX7 waterproof exterior.
Touch-screen that's easy to use and works while wearing gloves
Bright orange tough handheld. Feels good in your hand.
Fully rubberized outer coating with an over molding
Improved lanyard attachment
Battery cap w/ Garmin "backbone" design
Includes additional 13" Long Range Flex Antenna - Double the range of the standard antenna
ALPHA Handheld GPS Features
The Garmin ALPHA now has 4 Gigabytes internal memory (3.5GB are used by TOPO maps) as well as a micro SD card slot (max. 32 GB class 10 or less) so you can add additional pre-programmed data cards with detailed maps, or add more memory by installing a blank MicroSD Card.
3-axis compass
New Dog Set Up Menu / Universal dog settings including Update Rates and Dog types
Dog Alerts: Tone-only, Vibration-only or Tone and Vibration
GeoFence & Radius Alerts
Dog Trails: Choose from three views: Complete History, Partial History, or no Trail History
Map Screen option: Show / Hide Dog Status, Distance, Names, and Offscreen Dogs
Zoom to MAP DOGS - automatically have all dogs appear on our map screen -- no matter how far they are from you
Power Button control screen - including button lock feature
Wireless sharing of Dog info to other ALPHA handheld units
Bird's Eye View Satellite Imagery (1 year subscription included) - import satellite imagery or your own custom maps
Using a DC-50 tracking collar with the Alpha 100 handheld is possible, but can be a little tricky to configure.
First, you must pair each DC-50 you want to track with an Astro 430 handheld in order to view the "track code" for each DC-50 collar (see screenshots below). Once you have each code, it can be shared or entered into your Alpha 100, allowing you to now track that DC-50 collar. Each DC-50 collar will have its own unique track code.
Additional GPS Features
High Speed USB mini-B connector for data updates with a PC or Apple Macintosh
Rugged IPX7 waterproof standards
Quad helix GPS antenna
Removeable VHF antenna
Micro SD card slot (max. 32 GB class 10 or less) available for preprogrammed MapSource mapping detail such as US TOPO, Inland Lakes, BlueChart and City Navigator, or add more memory by installing a blank MicroSD Card.
Stores 1000 waypoints, 50 routes and 10,000 track points
Area calculation feature
ALPHA Handheld Dimensions
Weight 8.8 oz.
Height 9.5 in. (standard antenna)
Height:18 in. (long-range antenna)
Width: 2.4 in.
Depth: 1.4 in.
Remote Training Collar Features
E-collar Improvements -- give you the full functionality of a $500 remote trainer for only $250 more than the price of an Astro alone.
You can recreate your favorite Tri-tronics e-collar or build a custom set-up with the perfect stimulation types and settings for each one of your dogs.
The Garmin ALPHA system works really well as BOTH a training collar AND a hunting collar.
Train and track from one screen
Train up to 20 dogs per handheld
3 physical buttons
Touchscreen controls
STIM levels, STIM type, Dog Selector
Adjust STIM from any screen
Audio Tone
Non-stimulating Vibration
18 levels of Continuous STIM
18 levels of Momentary STIM
Stimulation Levels, Vibration and Tone
ALPHA has the consistent stimulation levels that Tri-Tronics has used for years.
Garmin has given us two different ways to select/label stimulation levels.
TRADITIONAL STIM -- The first is called "Traditional" and matches the 6 levels Tri-Tronics now uses with each level having a low, medium and high for a total of 18 levels. This will allow folks to exactly match the stimulation setups of any of the Tri-Tronics collars.
LINEAR STIM -- If you prefer a slightly faster way to raise and lower levels with the ALPHA, then I recommend the "Linear" stimulation setup. It gives you 18 levels that exactly matches the low, medium and high levels that TT uses in its Pro series collars.
AUDIO TONE -- We also have the exact same tone so if you dog has been trained with it, there shouldn't be any issues. We are also pleased that the ALPHA tone is a good bit louder than we have seen from TT collars lately.
VIBRATION -- Garmin has added Vibration as an additional non-stimulation option on the TT15 collar.
Garmin ALPHA + TT15 Combo Collar
Waterproof (to 1 ATM -- 10 meters) TT-15 Collar is an improved designed based on the popular TT-10 collar.
User replaceable collar strap. Different colors for different dogs.
Fits neck sizes between 13" and 22"
K-9 metal collar buckle with metal keeper
ALPHA TT15 Collar Dimensions
Weight: 10 oz. with collar strap and antenna
Height: 1.75 in.
Width: 3.5 in.
Depth: 1.85 in.
1" wide collar strap
Garmin ALPHA + TT15 Combo Comes With
Alpha 100 Handheld
User-replaceable Li-Ion rechargeable batteries in collar and handheld
Belt clip
USB cable
5" standard and 13" long range handheld antennas
TT 15 GPS dog device
BRAIDED STEEL VHF 18 1/2" Standard Collar Antenna
BRAIDED STEEL VHF 22 1/2" Long Range Collar Antenna
AC adapter
Vehicle charger
Charging clip
Split adapter cable
Short and long contact point sets with wrench
Non-stim plug
Field bag
Owner's manual
1 year BirdsEye Satellite Imagery subscription
1 year Garmin warranty
Features of the Garmin ALPHA + TT15 Combo
Download detailed GPS dog trail info
See the ground that you and your dog actually cover in a day's hunt on a map. Use the Waypoints and Tracks and the Dog Tracks feature from the ALPHA Handheld you can download your days hunt into your PC using either MapSource or Motionbased.com to see your hunt on a topo map or Google Earth.
Use the Covey Counter to keep up with birds
Mark the exact location of your coveys using a special waypoint feature. Place your coveys on a map and mark the time of day, elevation, number of birds in the covey and number of birds taken.
Hunter-friendly Icons so you never get lost
Mark and identify your truck, hunting lodge, food plots, cover, ATVs and other outdoor-related features with waypoint icons designed for hunting,
Additional Uses
While the Garmin ALPHA is designed for the hunting dog, many of our customers that don't hunt but enjoy spending time outdoors with their dogs and allowing them to run off leash will find the ALPHA incredibly useful.
The Garmin ALPHA is perfect when your dog is not by your side. Hiking, camping, horseback riding or bike riding, the Garmin ALPHA will allow your dogs more freedom but allow you to keep a close eye on them and help you locate them if they get lost. Since the Garmin ALPHA serves as a full-featured handheld GPS unit, it will keep you from getting lost, too.
Garmin ALPHA + TT15 Combo Batteries
Collar Battery
Rechargeable and user replaceable Li-ion Battery
24 to 48 hour run time depending on update rate
Collar Battery Runtime:
~24 hours with 2.5 second update rate
~34 hours with 5 second update rate
~38.5 hours with 10 second update rate
~42.5 hours with 30 second update rate
~48 hours with 120 second update rate
Charging Clip
Comes with a snap-on charging clip w/ dual lead charger
Charge a collar and handheld at the same time.
RED light = collar is charging.
GREEN light = when fully charged.
Handheld Battery
Rechargeable 3.7v Li-ion
Runtime: between 16-20 hours
Garmin ALPHA + TT15 Combo Range
The Garmin ALPHA transmitter and receiver have a "line of sight" range of up to 9 miles using the included long-range antenna.
The ALPHA communicates using a VHF radio signal between the Dog GPS collar and the Handheld GPS unit, so to get the full range out of a system there should be nothing between the transmitter and the receiver.
Realistically, this isn't going to happen in most of the places that we spend time with our dogs, so the actual usable range will be MUCH less than 9 miles depending on hunting conditions, including weather, terrain, and the presence of cover.
Garmin ALPHA GPS Maps
Includes free 100K TOPO map and 1 year subscription to BirdsEye Satellite Imagery
Supports optional map data -- TOPO U.S. 24K, autorouting with City Navigator, and Garmin Custom Maps
Right out of the box it is very easy to use! Nice surprise to see a handy well made bag was included! Good directions! When UPS could not locate my shipment the staff at Gun Dog Supply was real nice and helpful!
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 22285 Reviewed: Featured Review
This device has so many useful features it is hard to give a short review. Tracking worked well in very dense woods up north, stimulation settings have a very wide range of settings/levels. I found the mapping to be very good. It is a very handy tool to have for hunting and training. Definitely recommend this item.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 24367 Reviewed: Featured Review
This product meets my expectations. It is an advanced piece of equipment, but for the most part it is easy to use out of the box. I have used it for training, tracking, and AKC competition with ease and great satisfaction.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 27716 Reviewed:
We've had it for about a month now - biggest regret is not getting it sooner. Our dog took to the training very well and we can now have her walk the trails with us without worrying about her running off. This has been absolutely wonderful!
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 27812 Reviewed:
My dad had purchased the GPS as well as 3 collars and four other guys that hunt in our group did the same thing. After two days of hunts using them, we knew we had to get more. I purchased a GPS unit as well as one of the collars and not only the products been amazing, but the customer service was above my expectations. When ordering online it was quick as well as simple. I was able to call and speak to Steve and was transferred right away with no wait, he answered all my questions I had before ordering and was very polite. I went ahead with the order and because they have all their supplies on hand, I received them 2 business days later...in time to get them set up the night before a big hunt benefit. We use them religiously now and the 1 problem we had was we needed to switch collar tracking code for other reasons, I called Gun Dog Supply, while hunting mind you, and they transfered me to Lance who was able to help me and walk me through everything mid hunt. I highly recommend the product as well as going through this company. One recommendation I would give to anyone looking for tracking collars would we to get the alpha tt15, the toning features as well as shocking options are key while hunting and training...when getting the unit, definitely get the birds eye view, 100% accurate and what a difference it makes. It is exact, or at least where we hunt you are able to see building roads everything to make it easy to know where your dogs are at all times as well as other hunters. I can't wait to night hunt with these especially since they have the night light feature. I will definitely be a returning customer and be purchasing more of these collars!!
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 27975 Reviewed:
My dog was a runner and the last product didn't work and he outsmarted the range. With this I can control him from a distance and track him and his routes which makes it easier to follow his tracks and routes.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 27059 Reviewed:
"This product has provided me with the opportunity to continue bird hunting."
Great product. With poor hearing and one working eye, this product has provided me with the opportunity to continue bird hunting. I always know where my pup is and what she is doing.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 27211 Reviewed:
A person I went hunting with has this system, and it helped for him to show me a few features. It was easy to input and track his dogs for the woodcock hunt. So far it works great with training my 6 month old GSP. Radius feature is also nice, so I know when she ventures too far out.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 26600 Reviewed:
Outstanding so far. I have only used the Alpha unit for a couple weeks. Garmin says it will work to -4 degrees. It worked great for me at 5 degrees above 0. It is going to be a great unit I believe.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 25799 Reviewed:
The Garmin Alpha 100 with TT15 COLLAR Combo is great. It has more features than I probably will ever use, but they're available if needed. It is very customizable. I love the map screen to show me exactly where my dog is if he searches big.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 25619 Reviewed:
I have been using it only to aid me in keeping my one young dog on 100 acres of flat land with no obstructions. It works well for that, but has not been without challenges in connecting it to my computer and setting up the geofence on the handheld. Now that I have learned how to use it, I feel it was a good investment to keep my dog safe.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 25291 Reviewed:
This works exactly as I hoped it would. We recently adopted a year-old mixed-breed dog and want to take him mountain biking along with our old pro dog. The conventional wisdom is that it's impossible to trust a dog to stay with you unless you've raised him from young puppyhood, but with the Garmin, training for this is proving not just possible, but fun and rewarding. I can get my dog's attention to give commands, changing the stim level to suit the situation. If he happens to run off anyway (deer are still a big temptation), I can track him and know when he stops running and heads back toward me. Just 10 days in and already we consider the Garmin well worth the money. By next spring we'll be ready to tackle some big rides. Even when the new guy is fully trained, the handheld unit will be very useful for making sure the humans don't get lost.
I'd highly recommend also purchasing Robin McFarlane's Basic Obedience Ecollar Training DVD. Robin's instruction is sensible and straightforward, and cleared up a couple misconceptions we had about how to use an e-collar.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 25119 Reviewed:
The very first day, this collar gave us peace of mind. Our Border Collie has been caught in a leg trap twice, and it scares us to think of her trapped and not finding her quickly enough. We like the feature that beeps if she runs out of the preset range. We also know when she's heading back to us after we call her. I see this relieving us of a lot of panic during our woods walks. Money well spent.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 24768 Reviewed:
I have had this system for about three months. Have used it in the field for training while trying to learn the various features before hunting season. I like the tracking feature using the compass. It has many bells and whistles that I doubt I will ever use, like finding nearby restaurants. I plan on downloading better maps before going to KS. It takes a bit of getting used to, especially changing the level of correction. The only negative I have experienced is the amount of time it takes to get the collar and handheld communicating with each other. I live around a lot of trees and it doesn't seem to work too well in the trees. But my hunting will be on the plains so expect it will do fine. I would recommend it for the tracking.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 34159 Reviewed:
Instant notification when my dog is out of site. I know immediately what the dog is up to. It eliminates the need to call the dog back because you don't know where or what is going on. My biggest fear is to lose my dog while hunting. This unit eliminates that fear. There are features in this collar I will probably never need to use. The screen is very easy to view even in bad light. I like the vibrate mode on the collar as my dog responds very well to it when activated. I have not and to not intend to use the stimulation mode and have removed the prongs and placed the plastic cover in their place. Very pleased with the collar and the fine people at Gun Dog Supply.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 33721 Reviewed:
I live in mountainous terrain, and keeping line-of-sight is not possible; however the Garmin TT15 maintained contact with my dog. I was able to track my dog over hills, and deep into ravines. I was quite surprised at how well this GPS performed.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 32399 Reviewed:
The Garmin Alpha 100 is exactly as advertised. It sure beats wondering where my Beagles are, especially with the wolf overpopulation out there. You can't let those dogs get too far from you these days.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 31251 Reviewed:
Ordered for my husband. It was a great price and I received it two days after ordering. The device was pre-registered, which saved time in downloading maps. We are very satisfied with device. We have ordered other products from this seller, and will continue to. I recommend this device and company to others.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 31319 Reviewed:
I love this unit but didn't realize that there are different size collars. The full size was too big for my dog so I'm trading in for the mini. Gun Dog Supply has been very accommodating in letting me do this.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 29895 Reviewed:
I used this collar for training my walker coondog. I no longer have to guess where he is at. I know where he is at all times. I can't believe I waited so long to purchase. It is a great product.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 13337 Reviewed:
"Couldn't be happier with my order and Gun Dog Supply!"
Couldn't be happier with my order and Gun Dog Supply! The Garmin track and trainer is everything I was hoping for, and I will certainly be ordering all my training equipment and dog supplies from Gun Dog Supply. Great company to deal with! Thank you!
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 13292 Reviewed:
Works great. The only issue is the Alpha 100 seems to have some glitches. Sometimes it will just freeze and shut down. But it always boots right back up where it left off. I assume the next update will fix this. Otherwise completely satisfied.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 13036 Reviewed:
"The collar and the GPS are working as advertised. Plus Gun Dog Supply is a great company to do business with."
Bought this for 2 reasons. I have a very hard headed male that pulls out of his shock collar, and I loose them. No chance of that happening now. Plus I'll use the GPS alone for elk hunting in the Rockies. The collar and the GPS are working as advertised. Plus Gun Dog Supply is a great company to do business with. Fast and courteous.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 12961 Reviewed:
Top notch unit. Lot of details to learn, but when using it in the field it all comes together well. Well designed, and a great tool for the hunter, even with only one dog.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 15115 Reviewed:
We have a very large back yard, but our fence has several places where our previous dogs were able to get through. Instead of spending over $4000 to repair the fence and make it dog proof, we bought the collar. Our retriever can go outside and hang out as long as he wants, and I set up a geofence, so anytime he is near the geofence the garmin alerts me, and I can send a time for him to move away from the fence. This collar has definitely been worth the money, and once our retriever is trained to duck hunt. We will definitely use the collar and gps to train and track him.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 16835 Reviewed:
"The owner's manual for the more advanced options could be better."
I have two hounds and had to start with a single dog unit. I will add an additional TT15 when the funds are available. I was worried that the collar wouldn't be very user friendly but, it was exactly the opposite. I found for most of the basic options it is pretty much plug and play. The owner's manual for the more advanced options could be better.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 17867 Reviewed:
Upgraded from the Astro to the Alpha for the proximity sensor and integrated training collar, and it hasn't disappointed.... Works perfectly, and is highly customizable -- you can add/change stim/tone/vibrate on the three buttons which is great. Mild complaints on the screen brightness, and the touch sensitivity, which is a bit too sensitive (switches modes with the slightest brush).
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 18434 Reviewed:
It is great, but I don't know how to use it except for basics. It is smarter than I am, so that's a problem. Some more detailed tutorials would be helpful. Those on the Garmin site are not helpful. They are aimed at selling, not demonstrating how to use the Alpha.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 20274 Reviewed:
This GPS/tracking/training works really great, specially during the initial training of my one year old Vizsla. Now I have a peace of mind when it goes as far as 500 feet into the bushes. Gun Dog Supply delivered my Garmin in about three days great service. I recommend it to everyone!
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 20876 Reviewed:
"So far the system has lived up to it's reputation."
My hound is only 10 weeks old and too young yet to use the Garmin. I am thinking of trying it out on my other dog, a mix breed house pet, to see how it works. So far with all the features it looks like it will fit my needs well when I start training her seriously to hunt and track.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 24545 Reviewed:
I was a little hesitant at first. This is an expensive purchase. But the unit seems to be working great, rugged and waterproof. Nice to have the peace of mind to know I can let my turkey dog range and know where she is and what she is doing at all times. Very simple to figure out. I was a little apprehensive since I'm not a technology buff; if I can figure this unit out, anyone can. Will try and figure out some of the more complicated features as I go along, but was using it an hour after I received it.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 24428 Reviewed:
Easy setup and intuitive use. Took it out of the package, charged it up, and by following instruction was hunting with it first time out. Marked the truck location, tracked the dog, and the handheld buzzed when she went on point. I still need time to get used to it and test it out on a wide-open range chukar hunt in Nevada, but I think it will be just what I need, so I won't loose my dog, will know what she's up to, and can find my way home. So far, so good!
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 24514 Reviewed:
Works great in the woods. Lets me know when my dog is on point and where she is. Made my hunts more productive. I keep the alert for treed and point on so that when my dog is out of sight but really working a small area it beeps saying treed, which lets me know she is birdy, and that I should head in her direction. Only negative is that with gloves on I have a hard time touching the correct area on the screen. The tip of my glove typically hits the wrong spot. If the back arrow wasn't in the corner of the screen I probably wouldn't have this issue. Even with that issue it gets 5 stars and is worth every penny.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 24354 Reviewed:
Our dog has a 14 inch neck (30 lb dog), and the large unit is a lot for him. I installed the shorter antenna, and since he is a young dog am hoping his neck fills in an inch. It works fine. A great ranging aid in that you can vibrate check him when he's near the range you desire. I can see the need for a forearm strap, so that the unit can be monitored while keeping the shotgun ready. Primary use will be partridge and woodcock hunting. Birds eye download is a must and works well.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 23488 Reviewed:
Love this system! Works just as advertised. I always know exactly where my dog is at. Wish I would have bought this tracking system sooner. Very pleased with this purchase!
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 21512 Reviewed:
Best thing they ever came out with. Finally you can find a dog more than 5 miles away. My scottie takes off after rabbits, and I now know where he is, and when I tone him he comes back.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 21717 Reviewed:
Only had the unit a few weeks. Seems to work as expected. Easier than the 320. We like not having to carry the extra shocking unit. Still learning the extra features.
Product Rating: 5 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 21807 Reviewed:
I have only had it out in the field twice, but I think it is a good product. It has a lot of bells and whistles, maybe more than I need, but maybe I will use them all as I get more familiar with the system. The training e-collar side of the collar seems to be hard to pinpoint a setting for my dog with the linear mode. One day a 4 will be enough. The next day I have to crank it up to 8 to get a response. I will probably try the traditional setting later this week. Overall a good product.
Product Rating: 4 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 15184 Reviewed:
Keeps dog on 25 acre property with Geo fence. I always know where he is just by looking at handheld or prompted by the alerts. Wish it had walkie talkie ability, so I could prompt the dog by talking directly to his collar. Otherwise, great product.
Product Rating: 4 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 20950 Reviewed:
I don't care for the long antennae. It seems like to takes a very long time to charge the transmitter. It came with a black collar instead of the orange collar I had to buy extra.
Product Rating: 4 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 33660 Reviewed:
I really like it. I've only had it two weeks. The only concern I have is the owner's manual is a little difficult to understand, but I'm figuring it out. I took it on a three day hunt for quail, and it worked real well.
Product Rating: 4 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 18238 Reviewed:
The unit works great and is a lot of fun to use. It is really nice to see how far my dog has traveled and to see what her path is in relation to mine for field coverage. In heavy cover it is great to have the On Point notification. I ran into an issue with it twice where the unit somehow had corrupted data that required a forced update through the BaseCamp software. The unit would not power on until the software on the Alpha 100 was updated even though it had the latest version loaded. This happened two times and unfortunately the second time was in the middle of a pheasant hunting trip in North Dakota this past week. It's a good thing I had a backup TriTronics Pro 100! The other unfortunate thing is that someone stole all of my hunting gear out of my buddy's truck along with the Alpha 100 and TT15, so now I will need to purchase another one after the insurance goes through. Maybe the next one won't have the same issues. Garmin technical service was very helpful in solving the issue and entering the units as stolen each time I called, so I am very pleased with the service.
Product Rating: 4 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 25334 Reviewed:
Nice product so far, in appearance. But way over the top. This is a product for a trainer or hound runner, not a hunter, or at least the average hunter. It has at least 2x to 3x more feature options than is necessary for a recreational hunter. All I wanted was a collar that would tell me where my dog was, how far away, if he was moving, provide a variable correction stimulus range with or without correction tone, and a terrain map as a cake filler, but not necessary. This system does all that, and everything else under the sun including bark and electric fence options. Sheesh, I want to hunt, not watch a touch screen. Probably worth the money for the professionals, but not for me. I can see that a certain market segment might like this system; but not the average guy afield.
After a bit more than a week, I am still trying to figure it out. The manual provided is marginal to useless, but you can download an encyclopedia volume if you also have a satellite WiFi and computer in the field. Heck, why not just move your office to the field too?
Have not decided if I will return it, or try to work with it. I do computers, technology, and complex financial analysis every day; and have 3 post graduate degrees, and still trying to comprehend the darn thing. Maybe I will quit my day job to learn to use it. Nice product, but I am rating it for my application. I think Garmin oversold this thing, which might affect my future thinking on their products.
Product Rating: 2 out of 5-stars. Review ID: 26253 Reviewed:
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Top mounted high sensitivity GPS / GLONASS Receiver for increased signal reception
