Hunters who use gundogs when they are out in the bush will be delighted by the latest tracking devices put on the market by Garmin Australia. The firm has unveiled the Astro 430, its new GPS hand-held dog tracking system that can trace up to 20 dogs at a range of 7km and is able to reassess their location every 2.5 seconds.
The component can be used in tandem with the also new DriveTrack 70 LMT, a 7″ touchscreen navigator that tracks dogs from the dashboard inside a car and gauges which direction they are heading. As a bonus, hunters are now able to ascertain their dogs’ positions on any of the options of fenix 3 watches. All this means that hunters can keep tabs on their gundogs either by hand-held means, from their vehicle or via their wrist.
Adam Howarth, general manager Garmin Australasia, was fulsome in his praise for the new capabilities that these innovative gadgets brought. “The ground-breaking, industry-standard Garmin dog tracking device is a first for the Australian market,” he said. “The new DriveTrack 70 LMT demonstrates that Garmin has heard hunters loud and clear, answering their desire to track wide-ranging dogs from their ute on a large, easy-to-read display. And the ability to check a dog’s status at a glance of the wrist is as handy as it is cool.”
The new hand-held innovation includes improved Hunt Metrics dog performance statistics such as distance travelled and time afield. There are also vibration alerts to show how many times a dog has chased a potential hunted animal up a tree in the process known as ‘treeing’. It also has the capacity to disclose how often a dog has ‘pointed’ game.
The Astro 430 and DriveTrack 70 LMT were released during July. The Astro 430 has a recommended retail price of $699. Or it is available in a package with a T5 dog device, which is a top-mounted, high-sensitivity GPS receiver that uses LED beacon lights activated from its compatible hand-held device. The lights work in murky conditions and at night, and are visible up to 100 yards away. The cost price for this set-up is $1049. Meanwhile, the DriveTrack 70 LMT sells for $599.
Garmin has been spent decades at the forefront of breaking new barriers with GPS navigation and wireless instruments that are designed for people who lead an active lifestyle in outdoor settings. Adam has high hopes for the latest items being introduced. “Buyers are always enthusiastic about Garmin’s latest offering. Our sales of previous dog products have been very strong in this market and we expect the new Astro 430 and DriveTrack 70 LMT to be very well received,” he said.