# SportDog Tek 2.0LT vs Garmin Alpha 100



## Mdcaldwell74 (Jun 19, 2018)

Trying to decide between the Garmin and SportDog track and train devices. Looking for opinions/experiences with each

I will be using it on an English Pointer

Thanks


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## Mike da Carpenter (Nov 26, 2017)

I was in your situation earlier this year. Lots of online research and talking to anyone I could. My final decision came down to brand reputation, customer service, actual user reviews. I decided to bite the bullet and spend the money on the Alpha (buy once cry once is my motto). We were vacationing in Grayling and decided to drive over to Traverse City to visit Collar Clinic and buy the Alpha. On the way, I received an email from Lion Country Supply, and they were offing the Alpha for $150 off. It was a no brainer decision...save the drive, order online to save $150 and be delivered the day we were supposed to be back home. 

The Alpha has worked well for us.

If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a PM.


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## fordman1 (Dec 12, 2015)

Alpha hands down, sportdog products and service is Poor.


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## Mdcaldwell74 (Jun 19, 2018)

Did you buy a refurbished garmin??




Mike da Carpenter said:


> I was in your situation earlier this year. Lots of online research and talking to anyone I could. My final decision came down to brand reputation, customer service, actual user reviews. I decided to bite the bullet and spend the money on the Alpha (buy once cry once is my motto). We were vacationing in Grayling and decided to drive over to Traverse City to visit Collar Clinic and buy the Alpha. On the way, I received an email from Lion Country Supply, and they were offing the Alpha for $150 off. It was a no brainer decision...save the drive, order online to save $150 and be delivered the day we were supposed to be back home.
> 
> The Alpha has worked well for us.
> 
> If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a PM.


i


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## Mike da Carpenter (Nov 26, 2017)

Yep, and a few weeks later they had the same deal on new units. I have zero complaints and would do it the same way again.


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

fordman1 said:


> Alpha hands down, sportdog products and service is Poor.


I havent had a service problem with sportdog. I bought a basic model e collar from them. 4 yrs into It the battery died on collar I made a phone call and they sent me a new one no questions asked. I was sent a prepaid shipping box to return the old one. 2 yrs later the hand held battery quit they sent me a new battery along with a new battery cover because they switched to a larger battery. 

This unit was knocked off a dock one day and sat on the bottom of a lake for 12 -15 hrs before we realized where it was. I was able to locate it and retrieve it was still on and functioning. Still using it.

I have a beeper collar from as well that I have been using 7 yrs. 

I did have to send in a copy of original receipt. 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## NbyNW (Jun 30, 2012)

I can speak to the alpha 100 as that is what I have used for the past few seasons as my primary GPS and dog tracking unit.

It has Garmin's reliability with their GPS tracking abilities. If you read much about GPS units, you know Garmin is the quality brand. 

In terms of tracking of the dog, the furthest I have had my dog away from me is roughly a mile. He got on a deer and took off before I realized what had happened he was a 1/4 mile away in hilly country and my Dogtra training collar was out of transmitting range with the hills. The unit was worth every penny in that instance alone. I had no clue where he was headed without the unit, but was able to track him for a good two miles until he slowed down and turned. I can only imagine where I would had been without the GPS unit.
The battery life is solid. In a day of hunting I will go through roughly 25% the GPS units battery. The tracking collar, I will leave on almost the whole hunting day, and charge it after every trip, just in case the dog runs and we need the extra battery power. I have not had any issues with it not running properly in three full seasons.
The touch screen is nice, if you are used to a touch screen phone, it will be a simple transition. Some people who are familiar with button type GPS units aren't as happy with the unit, but I have not had any of these issues.
The actual GPS unit has so many different functions that I don't really use but a small percentage of them. For example, it has a feature where you can set proximity alarms, if your dog gets further than your set distance away from you, the unit will beep to alert you. I like this function because I have a wide ranging dog and need to keep him in range some days.
The ability to add additional GPS collar units, share with other hunters-if you have multiple dogs with these units, and other hunters with the same units.
They do occasionally offer a rebate/discount so if you have time, patience might help you save some money.
If you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to ask.


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