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Astro 220 DC-40 Combo comes with a topographical
map Card when you buy the Combo Unit.
Garmin the global leader in satellite navigation,
announced today the DC™ 40
tracking collar, improving upon the very popular
Astro GPS Dog Tracking
System.
The new DC 40 is mounted on a
durable one-inch orange polyurethane coated collar
strap, and the small black GPS puck that used to
ride on the top of the collar is now integrated into
the unit’s main housing. As a result, owners can
combine the DC 40 with most standard e-collar
receivers – eliminating the need to put two separate
collars on a dog. The charging connection has been
completely redesigned as well, with the charger
clamping around a housing that has no recessed areas
for mud to accumulate. Even the LED charging light
on the collar has been reconfigured to flash while
charging, and glow solid when fully charged.
 "The refinements that are found in the new DC 40 are the
result of feedback from hunters and trainers," said
Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide
sales. "The new collar is more convenient and more
durable than ever. Whether purchasing an Astro for
the first time or upgrading from an older model,
sporting dog owners will love the refinements that
are packed into the new DC 40."
Another new feature of the DC 40 is
Collar Lock – an option that lets users create a
four-digit PIN number that helps prevent others from
seeing their dog’s whereabouts. That’s a feature
that field trial judges will find useful to ensure
that an Astro is used only as a recovery tool when a
dog in competition becomes lost.
Used in conjunction with the Astro
220 receiver, the system pinpoints exactly where
your dog is and what he’s doing – running, pointing,
or treeing – even in dense cover, up to seven miles
away, depending on terrain.
T he Astro GPS Dog Tracking System
requires very little configuration straight out of
the box, and is extremely simple to use. Once the
transmitter and receiver acquire a GPS signal, the
receiver automatically lets users know the location
of their dog. There are no subscriptions or setup
fees required to use the device.
Astro can track up to ten dogs per
receiver at once, and the collar gives location
updates every five, 10, 30 or 120 seconds (user
selectable). Battery life is 17-48 hours (based on
update rate) on the rechargeable DC 40 collar and 24
hours on the Astro 220 receiver, which is powered by
two AA batteries. Both the DC 40 collar and the
Astro 220 receiver are waterproof.
The Astro also has a map page to
illustrate where a dog is and where it has been – in
relation to the hunter – and allows hunters to
determine if they have covered nearby ground.
Garmin’s unique Covey Counter™ lets hunters mark the
precise location, time of day, and elevation where
they encountered their quarry – and users can easily
note the number of birds flushed and how many were
taken.
The Astro has a microSD card slot
that allows users to insert optional pre-programmed
topo maps or road maps, which can be invaluable in
an unfamiliar area. Highly-detailed 24K topo maps
give hunters an idea of the most productive areas to
hunt, while road maps feature the same basic
functions as an automotive GPS navigation unit –
even in rural areas. The optional road map data can
also give turn-by-turn directions to motels, gas
stations, restaurants, and even veterinarians.
The new DC 40 collar is included as
part of the Astro GPS Dog Tracking system. For those
wishing to upgrade from a previous generation of
collar, the DC 40 can be purchased separately.
*The DC-40s will all come with
orange straps, but since the unit is all
self-contained (no longer has multiple parts
connected by wires like the DC-30), it should be
easier to mount to a standard day-glo collar strap
(so customers could use different colored straps).
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