Garmin Astro Dog Tracking System

Reviewed by: Randy Carlson - LCS General Manager

The Garmin Astro has certainly been one of the more exciting new products LCS has introduced over the last year. I write this review from the perspective of having played with the unit quite a bit and talked with many of our customers who have used the Astro.

Our experience with the Astro has been very positive and it certainly lives up to everything Garmin promises. Three to five-mile range, depending on the terrain is reliable and battery life for the handheld receiver is 24 hours and 12-15 hours on the rechargeable transmitter.

There are two primary screens on the Astro that most dog handlers use. The first is the dog locator screen that is essentially an electronic compass. This provides three essential pieces of information - an arrow indicating the direction to your dog, an accurate measurement of how far the dog is from you, and an indicator if the dog is stationary or moving. The map screen provides an electronic map that gives you the opportunity to mark the location of your vehicle, show your location, and gives you a visual location of your dog, which is updated every 5 seconds. The great part about this screen is it not only shows where your dog is, but it also shows the track that your dog has been running. For hounds-men, this is essential as it provides a quick visual indication of the direction the dog is heading, providing the opportunity to get ahead of the chase - something that no other tracking system does.

The Astro not only serves as a dog tracking system, but also works as a handheld personal GPS unit as well. Finding a deer stand in the dark, or your back to your truck after a hunt.

Acceptance of the Astro by our customers has been strong and our experiences with the unit have been very positive as well. I highly recommend the Garmin Astro, and feel that if you need a dog tracking system you too should give the Garmin Astro serious consideration.