Garmin upgrades its doggone Astro tracking system with DC 40 collar GPS tracker

Tim Stevens — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 09:16:00 EST

Chances are the closest you've come to hunting with a pooch is swearing at that giggle-happy mutt who shames your every miss in Duck Hunt. In the real world, dogs are sent out to flush game and track down new things to shoot at, often way out of sight. Garmin's Astro receiver, combined with the DC 30 collar tracker ~~(pictured above)~~, made it easy to keep the all seeing eye on your very own mutt even when miles away, and now the DC 40 makes it even easier. The DC 40 sports a redesign that should make it a more reliable companion, including a new charging connector that won't get clogged with mud. Also new is the ability to create a PIN so that other Astro users can't spy (and possibly even steal) your pooches. The Astro receiver can track up to 10 hounds at once at seven miles of range, and will even let hunters mark where their companions scurried up some prey for future reconnaissance. The price? Garmin isn't saying just yet, but the current DC 30 and Astro receiver package goes for $599, and we'd expect this to cost about the same, though the DC 40 collar unit itself is also said to be available separately if you just want to make sure your hound has the latest couture.

Update: Garmin was kind enough to send us a picture of the new DC 40, above.

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Garmin upgrades its doggone Astro tracking system with DC 40 collar GPS tracker originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Jun 2010 09:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Three new ones from Garmin: the c580, nuvi 680 and dog-tracking Astro

Paul Miller — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 22:54:00 EST

Garmin seems to have missed out on the holidays, but that doesn't mean they can't provide a few snappy little presents to the lost ones among us. Most interesting is Garmin's new Astro dog tracking system (pictured). The gadget is designed for hunters looking to keep track of, you guessed it, hunting dogs, and seems to provide quite a bit of innovation in a market we hardly knew existed. The system includes the DC 20 transmitter, which is strapped to the dog, and the Astro 220 receiver, which receives location data from the dog up to five miles away, and can double as a regular ol' handheld GPS unit when hunting season's over. The software allows you to mark coveys, measure acreage, track where the dog has been, and even lets you know if the dog is sitting or running or just generally slacking off. Up to ten dogs can be tracked simultaneously, and the system should be available in June for $650. Back to the beaten path, Garmin's new c580 has the traditional looks of a vehicle mounted GPS device, with a 3.5-inch touchscreen, while the nuvi 680 does it on the slim, with a 4.3-inch touchscreen to play with. Both players feature FM, and it appears at least the 680 has Bluetooth for handsfree interoperability with your phone, but most interesting is the MSN Direct functionality that Garmin has stuffed into these things, bringing movie showtimes, weather and other fun info to the portables. Unfortunately, all this fancy stuff doesn't come cheap: with the c580 hitting the streets in February for $800, while the nuvi 680 should hit in "early" '07 for a whoppin' $1000. Check out these two navigators after the break.

[Via Uber-Review, GPS Tracklog]

Read - 680 and c580
Read - Astro

Continue reading Three new ones from Garmin: the c580, nuvi 680 and dog-tracking Astro

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Three new ones from Garmin: the c580, nuvi 680 and dog-tracking Astro originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Jan 2007 22:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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