Registered: Jun 2012
Location:
Posts: 312

you guys that run bear in the rough mountains of va/nc/tn....what do u think of the garmin astro 320?i got one and loved it but the more i used it it seems like past 1.5 miles it didnt track hardly at all.always had to get ol blue wildlife out to find em when they got deep.jmo but i think if u have to use telemetry as a back up the gps is just a toy

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Registered: Jan 2010
Location: Crossville, Tn
Posts: 38

If you can get up high enough you can normally keep up with them pretty good. But I wouldn't run the Garmin by itself

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Registered: Jun 2012
Location:
Posts: 312

yea it seemed to work ok then but there were alot of times i didnt have that option.i ended up selling my 4 dog system and using just telemetry now.he gps is good when it works but when its not picking up it just seems useless.

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Registered: Jun 2012
Location:
Posts: 583

I seem to like the 320 more than the 220. I bought the 220 as soon as it hit the shelf, but never went anywhere with out the 1000 and Johnsnon collars, it was a toy to me then.

After learning it a little better and getting the 320 it became more of tool and the less I used the 1000. I jsut recently sold all my Johnson collars and this will be the first yr I hunt without it.

I am going to get some Falcon transimitters to to put on my main dogs GPS collar just in case. It became more of a job to collar up with 2 collars, 12 total and then throw in a shocking collar or 3 and dang you got some baggage.

The 320 is a nice unit, still loose connection like you say, but heck where I hunt I do the same with the wildlife and johnson collars. Collar interfearence is a bigger grip then loosing connection. Can tell you this get on some flat land on those southern bear and the GPS can not be beaten. I couldn't beleive the difference as opposed to these mts.

I am going to put on some long range antennas on the GPS. I am going to go with the same set up as Steve Marrow. Not sure if you seen it or not but he is in VA, and with the antenna he has made you can get consistant 2 mile range and ip to 4 miles or better in some situations.

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Rocklynn Phillips
Kardinal Kennels


Pups and started dogs available from time to time.

Last edited by kardinalkennels on 06-26-2012 at 01:47 AM

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Registered: Jan 2010
Location: Crossville, Tn
Posts: 38

I only brake out the blue box if I absolutly have to. With the truck antanna I rarely need it

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Registered: Jun 2012
Location:
Posts: 583

2nd that 2 Five O, have mine on a 3/4inch hole dilled mount in the center of roof, so I got a good ground plane, but seldom use it unless have to. I really love the long rubber duck that comes with the 320

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Rocklynn Phillips
Kardinal Kennels


Pups and started dogs available from time to time.

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Registered: Jan 2010
Location: Crossville, Tn
Posts: 38

I put tuf skin antannas on all my collars and use the 16" rubber duck on my 220. I got all of it from Bruce Conkey on here and it really makes a difference.

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Registered: Dec 2009
Location: Highland County, VA
Posts: 92

Hey Jay i read you were goin to get some of the falcon transmitters to mount to youre GPS. West coast telemetry makes a beep beep collar that mounts on the GPS or i believe they will mount to shocking collars as well they look just like the johnson collars you might want to take a look at them not sure what the falcon transmitters cost

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Registered: Dec 2008
Location: Va
Posts: 219

used a johnson or blue box goin on a year, just use my garmin an collars nothing else, gotta move with the dogs cant just keep sittin still just like blue box gotta move keep up with best beep

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Cameron Burns

LightNing~StrIke~KenNels

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Registered: Apr 2010
Location: Friendsville,TN
Posts: 22

I also use the astro 220,Ihunt here in the rough mtns. of east Tennessee.I will never turn loose without wildlife collars on because battery life on the dc 30 collars are not yet up to the standards I need.I have all the accessories for my 220,this helps out tremendously.This summer Ihavent had to pull the blue box out,Iguess I have learned how to use the astro 220,the map feature allows me to know exactly where my dogs are which in return allows me to react accordingly. I love the garmin astro it has become the most important piece of equipment that I own for hunting,except my dogs.

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Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Roosevelt, Utah
Posts: 586

Well said Jimmy, and the part about knowing where they are headed helps the most. Too many places where I hunt is limited by access, places where a guy has to climb a thousand feet elevation to pick up those hounds again and that's why I always run my Quick Track collars as well........

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Living the Dream, making it happen and taking photos to share with others along the way!

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Registered: May 2011
Location: hardy county wv
Posts: 68

i have the 220 and the 320 i think the 320 works better and reaches out farer i got some of them longer antens for the callors but dont c any diff but i got a truck mount anten and it works great i have had my dog up to 9 miles i still run my johnson callers but ant had to use the but onces in 2 years if u can read the map u can keep up with them pretty good even in the the mountains i love my garim as much as my wife lol

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Heath Halterman

Haltermans big game black and tans
1 304 897 7893 call and we can talk hounds that's what its all about

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