SAM'S GARMIN ASTRO 101

HISTORY OF THE GARMIN ASTRO Dog GPS

2007 -- Garmin Astro 220 handheld (gray) + DC20  collar (harness)

2008 -- DC30 collar.  

2010 -- DC40 collar.

2011 -- Astro 320 handheld  (orange)

Astros are backwards compatible : The Astro 320 can track DC20/30/40 collars.

HOW DOG GPS WORKS

Both the handheld and collar are GPS units (Global Positioning System).

Both receive GPS signals from multiple GPS satellites to triangulate location.  

The collar then radios the handheld every so often.

The handheld displays where you are, where dog is, direction dog is moving, and what he's doing.

UPDATE RATE

HOW OFTEN collar radios the handheld is called the UPDATE  RATE.

Update rate is adjustable on Astro 320 / DC 40.

Collar radios updates to the handheld every 5, 10, 30 or 120 seconds

Default update rate is set to ___ seconds.

UPDATE RATE VS. BATTERY LIFE

  1. Faster update rate (5, 10 sec) gives you more info, but uses more battery.
  2. Slower update rate (30 or 120 sec) gives you more battery life so more time to find a lost dog, but you only know where your dog WAS a minute or so ago.
  3. Steve runs his dogs at _____

RANGE

"Advertised" operating range of  ??? 9 miles (line of site).

Real-world operating range is more like 1-3 miles.

Range REDUCED by radio signal interference caused by cover  (obstructions)/ changes in elevation .

Range INCREASED with bigger antennas  (on both collar and hand-held)

HANDHELD SCREENS

MAP SCREEN shows your location, dog’s location, and tracks of where you've been.

COMPASS SCREEN shows a compass arrow pointing your dog's direction

 -- Multiple dogs are also listed below with distance.

RUNNING MULTIPLE DOGS

Track up to 10 DOGS  wearing DC collars on an  Astro 320.

Each dog has a unique CODE . 50 different unique CODES.

Problematic when multiple people are running multiple dogs in same location.

ANTENNAS

320 handheld has the standard antenna and 13” Long range antenna (range boost?)

DC40 has ?????? and be upgraded with the ______

The hand-held can also use a huge truck antenna.

320 HANDHELD BATTERIES

Handheld uses USER REPLACEABLE AA-batteries

    Average battery run-time: 10-20 HOURS

> Alkaline,  Lithium, or Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeable

Recommend more economical rechargeable AA NiMH  batteries

ALWAYS carry spare batteries.  

DC40 COLLAR BATTERIES

Collar uses USER RECHARGEABLE batteries

  Lithium Ion (LI)

DC40 Collars come with an AC charger.

   Charge time is 3-4 hours

20 Hour run-time (w/ 5 SEC Update Rate)

Car charger is sold separately.

ASTRO MAPS

320 comes with the most basic ????- Base MAP

  shows major US highways, bodies of water, but that's it.

Users can add additional maps via

  1. Micro SD cards/chips <<< easiest
  2. Data DVDs (via PC) <<< better value
  3. 3rd party maps downloaded to your PC
  4. Custom maps you make

TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPS WE SELL

100K TOPO Maps -- Low topographical detail. Whole US48 on one map.

24K TOPO Maps -- More topographical detail.

   USA split up into 12 different regions on micro SD (6 different regions on DVD)

BASECAMP

F ree software from Garmin (mac/pc)

Manage data and transfer info from 320 handheld to PC

    Save hunts, waypoints, tracks, coveys, ???

Required for Birdseye Imagery

BIRDSEYE SUBSCRIPTION -- SATELLITE IMAGERY MAPS

  User MUST have very high technical ability w/ a PC

  Smaller screen + lower resolution -- cool but it's not"Google Earth"

  All the info is stored in the 320. Not dependent on WWW access

GARMIN ASTRO ACCESSORIES

Batteries, antennas, holsters, vehicle mounts, chargers, cables, straps and maps.  

GARMIN SOFTWARE UPDATES

Free WEB UPDATER software for PC/MAC … Plug USB cable into 320 >>> see info on GDS web site.

HANDS-ON TASKS FOR 101

Unboxing Garmin Astro Experience

      (since it's 1-dog combo, the collar w/ pre-synched w/ handheld)

Cover what you get in the box

Cover anatomy of ASTRO 320 Handheld / DC40 collars

Put batteries in handheld

Turn both units on

Acquire GPS signal. Triple Flash = optimum.

        (see Taiwan / select language/type of dog)

HOW TO TRACK DC-40 ON YOUR HANDHELD

how to do these tasks...

  1. See DC-40 on the unit
  2. Identify Self / Dog
  3. Identify tracks
  4. Toggle MAP SCREEN / COMPASS SCREEN
  5. Start NEW HUNT
  6. Mark TRUCK location
  7. Find DOG INFO page see communication and battery readings
  8. Adjust BACKLIGHT / see battery (press side button)
  9. Change Big Numbers / Small Numbers --
  10. Calibrate Compass
  11. Add SECOND collar

??? anything else ???

----------- end of 101 handout ------------


ADVANCED MODULES

What's new/different Astro 320 | DC-40 and previous models

What We Sell / Who buys what

CSR: Overview of Accessories  

101: Anatomy of the Handheld | Collar

101: Set-up out of the BOX

Batteries | Charging | Runtime

HANDHELD -- Changing things on the handheld.

Multiple Dogs

Garmin Astro and the PC

-- Updating firmware on handheld | collars

-- Using ?basecamp from a laptop

-- Loading maps from a PC

How the Astro compares to TEK

Typical Problems / Troubleshooting


MAPS on the GARMIN

The "free" map that comes with it is NOT my favorite. It has roads on it. That's about it.

MAPS THAT COMES WITH IT  is DEM basemap

think of a road atlas -- that first page? with the whole map of USA? that's it.

YOU NEED A 24K TOPO MAP because they are AWESOME.

COMPARE SCREENSHOTS

 (comes with this)  -- DEM basemap>>>  show you HWY 45

 24K topo >>> road to thing, some detail, elevation, catfish ponds

 Birdseye Satellite -- actual satellite photography, saved on your 320

 24K + Satellite together

 Birdseye Satellite  -- DO NOT USE GOOGLE EARTH IN SAME SENTENCE AS BIRDSEYE. Quality of Birdseye. Size of screen is smaller AND satellite imagery is not as good as Google Maps / Google Earth.  

MAP STORAGE is on the unit itself, so

noxubee example

what comes with

99% of people, SHOULD buy pre-loaded maps on micro SD card

comes on a chip

easiest thing to put in ASTRO

shows roads, water, elevations

24K topo -- 4x more detail, newer map

  regional map, 2-3 states

100K topo -- less detail, older map

 national map

--------------------

BIRDSEYE is a LOT more complicated


How the GPS DOG TRACKING SYSTEM Works

  1. The Garmin Astro system consists of two components: a Handheld GPS unit (Garmin Astro 320) which looks like a walkie-talkie and a Dog GPS unit (Astro-DC-40).These two GPS units communicate via radio signals.
  2. The Dog GPS computes its location from the GPS satellites, detects whether your dog is moving or on point, and sends that info to your Handheld GPS every 5 seconds.
  3. The Handheld GPS then plots the exact location of your dog on a map screen, shows distance, and whether your dog is moving or on point.
  4. On your Handheld GPS, the MAP SCREEN  shows your location, your dog's location, and the path that your dog has hunted. Alternately, view your dog(s) on the COMPASS SCREEN  which shows your location, your dog's distance and direction. The COMPASS SCREEN is perfect for running multiple dogs. Add up to 10 dogs to one Handheld GPS system. All you need are extra DC 40 DOG GPS collars .


Sam's Scavenger Astro Questions

list of things of folks don't need to know, but need to know where to find

Feature:  You can now change the update rate which affects battery life / run time.

Benefit: Customer controls

Why this is important: When you have a lost dog, the clock is ticking.

CSRs: What questions customers will ask you.

RESOURCES: Where you can find answers.

 SAM'S QUESTIONS

*What does 3-Axis compass mean?  Hand held does not have to be held level to be accurate

 

When is it recommended to calibrate the compass on the hand held?  After moving long distances, experiencing temperature changes or changing the batteries.

 

How much internal memory does the 320 have? 1.7 Gigs

 

What are three things a customer can do to improve the performance of their 320 system?  Replace antennas, replace batteries and update software.   These three things are what you can suggest to a customer if they call and complain of problems before they contact Garmin for service.

 

What is most critical in getting the best performance from your Astro/DC40?  Waiting for the triple flash on the collar before putting it on the dog.

 

*What does the triple flash on the DC 40  indicate?  Collar is tracking 7 or more satellites (optimum performance).

 

Is it alright to leave the DC40 on charge once the blue light turns solid?  According to Garmin it doesn’t hurt to leave the collar on charge once it has reached full charge.

 

What does it mean when the DC40 indicator flashes Red then blue when the collar is charging?  The collar is on while it is charging

 

Is the DC 40 compatible with the 220?  Yes.  A software update on the 220 is recommended for optimum communication.  This goes for all backwackwards compatible combinations for older and newer components.

Will the 320 allow you to track on a larger screen?  Yes, the Base Camp Base Station option allows you to connect the handheld to a PC or laptop and track in real time.  Older 320 systems may not have this option but you can update the software to add it.

Along with the Base Station upgrade, what other feature does the latest version of the software offer for the 320? adding dog color option to to Dog Info page

Will the DC40 fit a small dog?  The DC40 strap will cinch down to 11 inches.

What is MURS? Multi Use Radio Service 151-154 MHz radio frequency.  This is the radio frequency that the DC40 uses to communicates to the handheld.

Can the 320 be set for what type of batteries are used in it?  Yes

What purpose does this serve?   Alkaline batteries and lithium batteries will have different voltages over time.  Since the  units estimate remaining life using the voltage, you will get the most accurate estimate if you have the correct battery type selected.

 

Depending on the battery type, selecting the correct battery can also improve battery life.  Selecting “alkaline” changes the behavior of the unit when the battery starts to run low by dimming the backlight and disabling tones and vibration indication.  This will improve battery life by several hours on alkalines.  Setting the battery mode to “lithium” or “Ni-MH” will not disable these functions.

High Powered Radios?  Got a good bit of information on this but some conflicts, need some help from Steve to finilize something

Level of detail on the TOPO Map.  Advanced map setup, Detail



TONS OF QUESTIONS FROM SEO KEYWORDS

ROOT WORDS in descending order by frequency

maps/map

card

update

install

difference

sd

topo

download

range

antenna

add

birdseye

view

micro

show

software

birds

battery

charge

google

load

roads

connect

memory

far

upgrade

batteries

chip

imagery

rate

run

signal

turn

cards

dc30

delete

earth

frequency multiple version

from https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AuFBpsanraN5dFRRN3VYbmlwc1Fwa2s2dy04OWhpclE#gid=1

KEYWORD                BUCKET

how to download                   download

what do i need to download to my to see the land                  download

how do you install a beltholder in a                 belt clip

how to install chip in                   install

how far does the long antenna go                 antenna

how long is the magnetic antenna                 antenna

                 

how to attach external antenna to                  antenna

how to change antenna on dc 40                 antenna

how to change dc 40 antenna                 antenna

how to change vhf antenna for dc 40                 antenna

how to fix antenna                 antenna

how to replace dc 20 antenna                 antenna

how to tune a gramin antenna                 antenna

how well does the extended antenna work on                  antenna

what are the antenna specs for a                  antenna

what is the best antenna for a                  antenna

what type of antenna is on an                  antenna

how big card                 card

how to add gps card to                  card

what kind of card goes in a                  card

                 

where is card slot on ?                 card

how detailed is a micro sd card?                 micro sd card

how do you put in a microchip                 micro sd card

how do you update a micro sd card for                  micro sd card

how large of micro sd card can be used in an                  micro sd card

how to access micro sd card on                  micro sd card

                 

instructions how to insert micro sd card into                  micro sd card

micro sd card how big?                 micro sd card

what do i need for micro sd card                 micro sd card

what micro sd card do i need for my                  micro sd card

what size gb micro sd card does a take                 micro sd card

whats the largest micro sd card supported by the                  micro sd card

how to install micro chip in                  micro sd card install

how big of a sd card for                  sd card

how do i get my to read my sd card                 sd card

how to access sd card                 sd card

how to put a sd card in an gps                 sd card

how do i install sd card in a                  sd card install

dog not showing on                 problem

how to get to show 2 dogs at once                 show

my wont show all dog id numbers                 show

navigate show direction on compass                  show

road names not showing on                  show

show offscreen dogs                 show

showing multi dogs on compass                  show

shows dogs as triangles                 show

shows the wrong direction                 show

will show dog on point                 show

how do i update my                  update

how do you update dc30 dog collar with                  update

how do you update the and                  update

how do you update your on                  update

how to change update rate 330 manual                 update

how to change update rate on dc40                 update

how to tell if my is updated                 update

how to update ?                 update

                 

                 

how to update dc 30 collars                 update

how to update  dc 40 collars                 update

how to update dc 30                 update

how to update dc 40 collars with                  update

what does the update for the do                 update

what is the most current update for                  update

when should i update my garman                  update

when you first purchase the do you have to update it                 update

how to install updates to                  update install

how to get a gps on a big screen                ? is this seeing on your laptop

how to 12 volt power cord                12v accessory

what buttons do you hit to ACTIVATE ALL DOGS                activate all dogs

how do i add a collar to gps unit                add a collar

how do i add an e collar to                 add a collar

                 

how to add dog to                 add a dog

                 

how to set up portable long range antenna                antenna:truck

how to use truck antenna                antenna:truck

how to change arrow icon to dog icon on                 arrow  

how to change dog to arrow                 arrow  

                 

how can i make my show the arrow                arrow show

where do plug in a car adapter into the                 auto adapter

where to plug in 12 volt power cord for a                 auto adapter

what band does the receiver on                band

how to track dogs with on basecamp                basecamp

dc voltage                battery

what powers a dc 30 collar                battery

gps how to change battery                battery  

gps tracker what drains battery                battery life

how do i optimize my battery life in the                 battery life

how long does the battery last                battery life

how many battery does a take                battery  

how to change battery on                 battery  

how to change out battery on dc30 tracking collar                battery  

how to open battery door on                 battery  

how to put batteries in                 battery  

what are the best batteries to use in                 battery  

what does battery saver mean on a                 battery  

what type of batteries                battery  

what type of lithium batteries for                 battery  

battery showing question mark                battery show

how to attach belt clip                belt clip

how to get to receive better                better reception

how do i get birdseye satellite imagery to work on an                 birdseye  

how much memory do you need for birds eye view on                 birdseye  

how to access birds eye view on                 birdseye  

how to draw a map on a birds eye view                birdseye  

how to switch screen to birdseye view                birdseye  

how to download birds eye view to myt                 birdseye  download

how to install birds eye on a                 birdseye  install

how to download birdseye to micro sd for                 birdseye micro sd card download

how to download birdseye satellite imagery to sd card on                 birdseye sd card download

how to adjust button lights on a                 button lights

how to get buttons to light up on                 buttons to light up?

when/how often to calibrate                 calibrate

why is the not available in canada                canada

how do you get a to run on 12v power source                car charger?

quick start manual how to hook up gps to vehicle                car charger?

how to change menu language on                 change language

how long do the collars take to charge                charge  

how often to charge                 charge  

how to charge                 charge  

when fully charged                charge  

how to charge nimh batteries in                 charge battery  

car charger show positive and negative leads                charge show

how to remove chip from s                 chip

whats the clip for in the bundle                clip

collar lock?                collar lock

what is the difference between an 20 and 30 collar                compare

difference between 320 and 220                compare to older unit

difference dc 30 and 40                compare to older unit

how connect                 connect  

how connect collar                connect  

how to connect the to the dc 40                connect  

how to connect to pc                connect  

how to connect to the computer                connect  

why is my dc 40 collar not connecting to my                 connect  

how does a magnetic antenna connect to my                 connect antenna

how does the magnetic mount antenna connect to hand held                connect antenna

what connector does the use on antenna                connect antenna

how to reset dc 40 collar that is red and not hooked to                 dc40:reset

do the dc40 lights for flash at all when dead                dead battery

how well does the work on deer dogs                deer dogs

how do i change dog color an                 dog color

how to change the dogs colors on the                 dog colors

what are id numbers                dog id

change dog info                dog info

step by step on how to view dog tracks on                 dog tracks

how durable?                durability

how to update firmware on                 firmware

frequency how change                frequency

how to download goggle earth to                 google earth

how do you use google earth maps with the                 google earth map  

how to get google maps on                 google earth map  

how to load google maps on a dc 40                google earth map  

how to put google maps on to a                 google earth map  

how to transfer google map info to a                 google earth map  

how to transfer maps from google earth to                 google earth map  

data how to download google earth                google earth map  download

how to download google earth on a                 google earth map  download

how to download on google maps                google earth map  download

how to install google maps for                 google earth map  install

how to get gps coordinates from                 gps:coordinates

how to change things on handheld                handheld:customize

how to delete high low points on dc                high/low points

how do you carry your                 holsters

how does the system work ?                how does the system work ?

how many dogs can you store in                 how many dogs info can you store

how many dogs does a run on it                how many dogs info can you store

how to setup                 how to setup

how to use                how to use

how do i erase my last hunt history                hunt

start new hunt                hunt

how do you change icons on                 icons

how to add a collar to with id code                id code

how to set ids                ids

how to locate a lost dog collar                lost dog collar

if you lose your dogs how to make the collar last longer                lost dogs

how to find a lost hand held                 lost handheld?

where made?                made in

custom maps how to                map  

how do i load my state map on the                 map  

how do you load lake maps on your                 map  

how do you load maps to a                 map  

how many dogs on map page                map  

how many maps can you upload to the ?                map  

how to activate maps on                 map  

how to add map                 map  

how to add maps on                 map  

how to add maps to your                 map  

how to change map settings on                 map  

how to clear map on                 map  

how to clear old truck marked from map                map  

                 

how to do custom maps for                 map  

how to find maps on                 map  

how to get a more detailed map on                 map  

how to get different maps on the                 map  

                 

how to get uk maps for                 map  

how to import map to                 map  

how to load maps on tracking unit                map  

how to make map for                 map  

how to map                map  

                 map  

                 map  

how to put maps on your gps                map  

                 map  

how to setup maps                map  

                 map  

how to unlock maps on                 map  

how to use map                map  

how to use mapsource maps                map  

how to use my new and maps                map  

what does basemap look like on                 map  

what is the best map to have for a is it 24k or 100k                map  

what is the scale of base map for                 map  

what kind of map to purchase for                 map  

what map comes on                 map  

what map comes with                 map  

what map do i need for hunting with my in florida                map  

what map do i need for my                 map  

what maps are on the                 map  

what maps do i need for                 map  

what maps do i need for my                 map  

what maps does a need                map  

what s the best map for canada                map  

whats the best map for the                 map  

when using the dc40, do you prefer to use the map or the compass                map  

where can i get maps for my a                 map  

where do i find maps for my                 map  

where to get maps for                 map  

how download maps to                 map  download

how to download a map on a                 map  download

how to download free maps                 map  download

how to download map for gps                map  download

how to remove downloaded maps from                 map  download

where can i download free maps for                 map  download

how can i install maps on a gps                map  install

how do i install base map for                 map  install

how to install maps to                 map  install

how you install a map in                 map  install

what is the pre installed base map                map  install

what maps to install on                 map  install

how to copy map card for                 map card

how to load map card to                 map card

how to make you own map card for                 map card

how to program map card to                 map card

what s on a map card for the                 map card

where can i find map cards                map card

how do i install map card in my                 map card install

how to install a map card in the                 map card install

how to install map cards                map card install

how do you put the maps from a microsd card on a                 map micro sd card

how to get roads on it                map roads  

does base map show roads                map roads show

how do you show back roads on                 map roads show

map not showing county roads                 map roads show

not showing roads                map roads show

show roads                map roads show

show roads                map roads show

show roads on my                 map roads show

how do you load sd maps into                 map sd card

how to add sd card map                 map sd card

how to put map on sd card                map sd card

how do i install a sd map card in my                 map sd card install

how to show map shading on                 map show

not showing dog moving on map                map show

installed map not showing up on                 map show install

have two how do i get the topo maps from one to the other                map topo  

how do i get my mapsource topo 100k loaded on my                 map topo  

how do i load topo maps to my                 map topo  

how do you use topo map on a                 map topo  

how much is the topo 24k chip for                 map topo  

how to activate topo map to garmim                 map topo  

how to add topo maps to the                 map topo  

how to get more roads on topo                map topo  

how to get the topo map on                 map topo  

how to get topo map for a                 map topo  

how to load topo maps on                 map topo  

how to program topo maps on                 map topo  

how to use your topo map chip with your                 map topo  

on what is topo map?                map topo  

what the topo map looks like on the                 map topo  

what topo map for hunting                 map topo  

what topo maps for                 map topo  

how do i download topographic maps to my                 map topo  download

how to download a topo map on a                 map topo  download

how to download topo maps on my                 map topo  download

how can i install topo maps on my                 map topo  install

how do i install topo maps on my                 map topo  install

how to install topographic map on tracking system                map topo  install

how to tell between topo cards                map topo card

how to use topo mapcard                 map topo card

how to copy topo map sd card for                 map topo sd card

what does topo maps show                map topo show

how much does map update cost for garmen dog tracking system                map update

how to update maps on                 map update

how to install satalite images on my                 maps:satellite imagery

put satelite images                maps:satellite imagery

how big a memory chip for a                 memory  

how much memory does the gramin have                memory  

how much memory will a see                memory  

how to clear memory on                 memory  

how big of memory card for my                 memory card

new memory card to what to do                memory card

pointing mode                mode:pointing

how many collars can be run on                 multi dog

how to add multiple dogs to compass                 multiple  

how to display multiple dogs at once?                multiple  

                 

                 

how to show multiple dogs on screen of                 multiple show

find parts?                parts

how do you delete past hunts on a                 past hunts

how do i get my computer to recognize my                 PC

how to up grade on pc                PC

how to pick up another collar on the garmen                 pick up another collar

how to enter pin on garmon                 pin

powers off automatically when not using                powers off

collar won't show up on handheld                problem

why will my not charge                problem

what happens if you leave your trackers in the sun?                problems

why arent i getting gps on my                 problems

why wont my turn on                problems

why do some collars interefere with each other?                problems: collars

dc30 range?                range

how far will the tracking collare track                range

how long can the reach signal                range

how much true range do you get out of a dc 30?                RANGE  

how to get longer range from my                 RANGE  

how to maximize the range of your                 RANGE  

range how far                 RANGE  

what is the range                RANGE  

what is the range                 RANGE  

what is the range of an                 RANGE  

what is the range of the                 RANGE  

what is the range of the dc 20                RANGE  

what is the range on                 RANGE  

what is the range on a                 RANGE  

what is the range on a                 RANGE  

what range on                 RANGE  

whats the true range in heavy cover with dc 40                RANGE  

why does the dog tracking have a limited range?                 RANGE  

how do i connect a long range antenna to my ?                RANGE antenna

how much does the truck mount antenna increase the range of the                 RANGE antenna

how to make reach farther                range increase

change the refresh rate                refresh rate

how do you send back a broken gps collar in mail                repairs

how to reset                 reset

restart function?                restart

how to get road info on                 road info

run time                run time

instructions on how to set up my dog collar                set up

does dog save track information when you dont have a signal                signal  

how to increase signal on                 signal  

how to know when picks signal back up                signal  

what would cause a to lose signal with the collar                signal  

why does the loss signal                signal  

does the know when dog is sitting                sitting indicator

how can you tell what software update on dc 30                software update

how do i find software version                software update

how do you update the software for the dc 20, dc 30 and dc 40 with my ?                software update

how do you update the software in the collar                software update

how long does it take to update device software on                 software update

how to delete software from                 software update

how to update software                 software update

what is the latest / most recent software version of handheld                software update

how many times do i need to push start new hunt on                 start new hunt

how do i stop tracks on my                 stop tracks

how does work in the mountains                terrain

how to clear your tracks on                 tracks

how to make tracks different colour on                 tracks: change color

how the tree switch works                tree switch

how do you change your settings treed dog,on point, on a 20                treed | on point

how do i erase truck                truck

how can i do turn by turn navigation / directions with my ?                turn by turn

updating? what benefit                update

how do you know if your needs updating                update needed?

how do change how fast updates                update rate

how to change the tracking seconds on                 update rate

how to change to update rate on                 update rate

how to set up tracking time for dc collar to a gps                update rate

how do i upgrade my system                upgrade  

how to upgrade dc-30 collar                upgrade  

how to upgrade your astro 220?                upgrade  

how to use usb port                usb port

identify version                version

which version                version

warranty                warranty

how many waypoints can you mark on                 waypoints

how to delete a waypoint on                 waypoints

how to mark waypoint on                 waypoints: mark

astro or alpha?                which UNIT

better than sportdog tek?                which UNIT

Sam's original text

When was the Astro introduced? 2007 the 220 was introduced with the DC20.  About a year later the DC30 was introduced.  The DC 40 came out in 2010 and the 320 was released in late late 2011.

  How does the system work?  The handheld and collar are receiving GPS signal.  The collar relays the GPS coordinates on a timed interval to the handheld by a radio signal to track your dog.  

Is the signal interval adjustable? Yes

What are the four update intervals available on the Astro 320/DC40? 5, 10, 30 and 120 seconds.

   What are two factors affecting range on the Astro system?  Cover(obstructions) and changes in elevation.  These can interfere with the radio signal between the collar and handheld and reduce range.

  What is the average range of the Astro system?  It will vary with terrain and cover but 1-3 miles is typical.  Garmin advertises 9 miles line of sight but that is unrealistic in most situations.

  What does the Map Screen show?  Your location, the dog’s location and the track that you both have taken to get to that point.

  What does the Compass Screen show? Picture of a compass with an arrow pointing to the direction of the dog.  Below will be a list of dogs with the distance.

  How many dogs can you track with the Astro? 10

  How many dog codes are on the 320? 50

  *What antennas are included for the 320 hand held? Standard and 13” Long range

What are the three types of batteries you can use in the 320 hand held?  AA Alkaline,  Lithium and Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeable.  We recommend the rechargeable NiMH (more economical)

*What is the average life for AA batteries in the 320?  10-20 hrs

What is the run time on the DC40 with a 5 second update rate? 20 Hours

What type of battery is in the DC40?  Lithium Ion, user replaceable

What is the charge time on the DC40? 3-4 Hrs

Can you use the 320 for other types of activities such as hiking?  Yes, the 320 is a full function GPS based on the 60 series handhelds.

Are additional maps available for the Astro 320?  Yes.  It is compatible with the TOPO 100K, 24K and Birdseye satellite imagery software.

What is Basecamp?  Free software program from Garmin that allows you to manage data and transfer information from your handheld to your computer and vice versa.  Required for Birdseye Imagery

101 Page 2

What Accessories do we sell for the Astro system?  Batteries, antennas, holsters, vehicle mounts, chargers, cables, straps and maps.  

HANDS ON TASKS FOR 101

Open new system from box

Start New Hunt

Find Dog Info Page-see communication and battery readings

Adjust Backlight

Small/Big Numbers

Calibrate compass

Track DC40