Using hunting dogs to flush quarry used to be difficult, especially if the dog(s) took off after a scent and ended up miles ahead of you. Well thanks to Garmin International Inc, a tracking device that will allow the hunter to keep an accurate “eye” on each dog on the trail has finally been developed.
Astro 430 is new-and-improved over the old model. It can now track up to 20 dogs at one time (rather than 9) and will update their location every 2.5 seconds. In addition, the Astro 430 can be used in tandem with the DriveTrack 70 LMT.
This seven-inch touchscreen fits onto the dashboard, tracking the dogs from inside a vehicle. Perfect for those long waits or in bad weather. Another nugget of usefulness with the Astro 430 is it is compatible with the fenix 3 GPS watch. This handy device will feed you information like the dog's distance, his direction and even his vibration information.
Astro 430 is being called the “powerhouse” of dog-tracking performance.
In addition, the Astro 430 already comes pre-loaded with the TOPO U.S 100K mapping and a free 1-year BirdsEye Satellite Imagery subscription. Its 2.6-inch color display, not only gives you a crisp image, but it provides you with those important details such as the dog's current location and a trail of where he's been.
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If you want more intel you can also switch the handheld device over to the Dog Track page, which provides a view of the compass pointing to your dog’s location. Have multiple dogs that need tracking? Not a problem, just use the auto zoom on the map page. From here you can spot all dogs on the display at any time.
If some dogs are just too far away to fit onto the map's current scale, those dogs will be notated in the margin in the direction of their locations. This marvel-of-technology is also capable of cutting down on the clutter and confusion on the screen by providing the option of a “show all, show some and show none” feature. This allows the user to select how long each dog's track will be viewable on the display.
You can even share a dog’s track code with another person. Once they have that code, they can track your dog and configure and control your dog's on-collar device.
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If you want to upgrade your Astro 430, there are additional features available like the TOPO U.S. 24K. It features the highest level of topographic detail (1:24,000 scale) and will even provide terrain contours, searchable points of interest and turn-by-turn directions on roads and trails.
Another add-on sold separately is the HuntView maps. This handy data gives you state-by-state information like routes to take, trial data, food stops and so much more. You can even opt for City Navigator NT map data. This provides you with accurate turn-by-turn directions on the road.
