GPSFileDepot.com
 

News:

Welcome to GPSFileDepot!

Main Menu

astro 320 bugs

Started by margo, October 01, 2011, 06:12:19 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

margo

I guess it's bugs. Ive been testing mine in the yard and around the neighborhood by placing the collars on a stationary device. I've read some reviews online that were good but mine doesn't really track the collars well. Plus for some reason I cannot make the dog tracks not display.

THey are supposed to be based on the 62 but the software and buttons are differant. I wanted to do a master reset but cannot figure out how.

I did the reset that is on the unit and all it did was revert all the settings back to default. The system is still the latest, thw tracks ans waypoints are there, even the dogs are there. I don't think much was reset.


I have tried having it connect to the collar units several times. I even made it do a software update on one of the units. It connects just fine and displays the dog names. It doesn't point to the collars though.

I got it from amazon, over 800 bucks for the unit and 2 collars and I'm afraid I will lose my doggies on it. I couldn't even use it to find one of the collars I had placed. I had to try and remember where I put it. Luckily I was in my yard and would have found it eventually.

It jumps a lot and sometimes it will say the collars are behind me or to the side. I expect a little drifting but I also expect the direction to be sort of right. I never get a message that I am approaching a dog, because it never knows where the dog is I guess. I didn't even know I was supposed to get a message like that but the new update was supposed to fix this feature.


Garmin is closed right now. I am making a list of copious problems (I am not mentioning some of them in the name of brevity). I got everything from amazon and could send it back but I would rather call garmin and try to resolve the issue.

Most issues are really user error. There have been several things on my oregon I had trouble with but it was just me. I also have a vista and venture. I've had others in the past. I'm very familier with the garmin software, I just don't think it's me this time.

I am afraid of spending too much time trying to resolve these issues I won't be able to return teh stuff. I thought of returning it and getting the astro 220 that has a lot more reviews but the new model has a longer antenna and range that I would like.

Can anyone offer any tips and suggestions? If I knew how to do a super duper master reset I would try that but I can't find it.

Bummer.  :(

walker

I have had an astro 220 for a couple years, and now I have a 320 for about a week (so limited testing so far).

In my experience with the 220, the dog compass will not reliably point to the collars if they are within a 30-50 ft., I assume this is because if the hand held unit margin of error is 15-20 ft. when locked onto satellites, and if the collar has the same level of accuracy, the compass pointer can be off by the combined error  and point in the wrong direction when the dogs are close.  I never had this problem when the dogs are 50yards or more away from me.  You will not be able to close pinpoint a collar within the margin (or circle) of error.  Both GPS units would have to give less than 1 ft. margin of error to do this.

I will soon be testing both my 220 and 320 side by side, using both DC30 and DC40 collars.  I will post what I find in a few weeks.

My hunting partner was having problems with his DC40 collar about 6 months ago, and Garmin had an unspoken recall of many of them to fix an internal problem.  He just got his fixed DC40 back, so while he has not had any problems with it, we also have not put it through extensive testing yet.  We shall see what turns up.

If you do decide to go with an Astro 220 unit, you can purchase longer antennas specifically tuned for this unit from a couple different hunting dog supply sites.

Regards,

Walker


margo

Welp, I've tried out the collars some more, I also called garmin. They seem to work great when the dogs are about 100 ft away. I don't get the "near" message when I am near a collar.

We did a super duper reset and I did get near when setting up the first collar again but that was the only time.

I've tried it on my doggies a few times and it has worked will in use so far. As long as they are almost 100 feet away.

I've had it spontaneously shut off 2x but it has not happend since.

I have an oregon 450 and wireless transfer was hit or miss. I found that both units need to be on the same profile, it works fine then.

I use the oregon side by side with the astro and am kind of surprized that the astro compass sometimes jumps a little while the oregon one is stable.

All in all , I really like it. I'm thinking there are still a few minor bugs to work out. The ability to keep track of my dogs is awesome! I have a big yard so it's not like they are all cooped up. I take them hiking in parks but on a leash of course.

I'm a member of a hunt club that drives dogs on weekends. I have beagles but they are pet suburb beagles. I can finally let them act like the beagles that they are! One of them is 13, the look on her little face was priceless! She gouged her shoulder and was limping so she was sidelined the second day. She can't wait to go back!

The pup is only 6 months old, she acts more like a hunting dog. I have 2 collars and at first put them on my older dogs, the pup didn't go to far from them. After abbie was in the camper recuperating, I zip tied her collar to lucys harness, her neck is so skinny. She was a lot braver on consequtive walks, I got to hear her hollar! She has a little squeely mouth!


I have a couple weeks vacation coming up so I will be able to test the collars extensivly. What problem did your hunting partner have with the collar?

margo

UPDATE: I've been using the astro320 for awhile now and have learned to love it. I even got another one. I still have a few quirks now and then but nothing too serious.

It's awesome to know where my beagles are! I love watching how they track, and how they backtrack their same trail.

Boyd