NaviGadget

Astro GPS Dog Tracking System

Jan 4, 2007 garmin, gps navigation, tracking

Garmin today introduced a new dog tracking system – specially designed for hunters. In addition to being able to track multiple dogs, the system also lets you pinpoint the location where you found your lest prey.

After you’ve captured your quarry, mark the exact spot with Astro’s Covey Counter, a special waypoint that tells you the exact location, time of day and elevation where you found your prey, as well as the number of birds you flushed and took from that location. … Astro also offers special waypoint icons to represent food plots, tree stands and other hunting-related points.

The Astro system is made up of two components: the big and bulky dog’s transmitter (called the DC 20) and the user’s handheld receiver (named the Astro 220). The system is designed to work straight out of the box. Once the transmitter and receiver acquire a GPS signal, the receiver automatically lets users know the location of their dog. Unlike existing radio telemetry collars, the Astro features a dog page that shows the precise direction and distance to a dog — even indicating if it is
running, sitting, on point, or treeing quarry.

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. For even more detail, hunters can download their waypoints and tracks — as well as their dogs’ tracks — to MapSource or Motionbased.com for analysis on topo maps or Google Earth after the hunt.

Some other features:

• track up to ten dogs per receiver at once
• location updates as often as every five seconds
• effective range of up to five miles
• card slot that allows users to insert optional pre-programmed topo maps or road maps
• ability to calculate area
• location-specific sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset tables
• hunting and fishing calendar
• 17 hours of battery life on rechargeable collar
• 20 hours of battery life receiver (powered by two AA batteries)

The Astro is actually based on the handheld GPS GPSMAP(R) 60CSx which features a sunlight-readable color display and a highly sensitive GPS receiver that works even under a thick tree canopy or in deep canyons.

The Astro is expected to be available in June 2007 for a suggested retail price of $642.