# Dogtra pathfinder GPS Vs Garmin Alpha



## Tonybob

Went with the alpha because I have better familiarity with the garmin GPS than I due my cell phone. I currently own a hand held Garmin that I have used for the past few years and works good. I have concerns with my phones battery life out in the field, and don’t want to have to recharge it every 3 or 4 hours. Not sure if my phone would be searching for a network while I’m in a bad service area and drain the battery faster or not. Don’t want to have to buy a newer phone as well as dog collar. 
Technology frustrations, I can’t even cut and past the post from Michiganmaniacs post on the iron in the soil messing up his navigation with compass. Hey michiganmaniac, which device got you back home? The compass, GPS, or just good sencse of woodsmanship.


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## DirtySteve

9mm Hi-Power said:


> This is getting more involved than I had originally wanted it to. I don't have a GPS on my phone or my vehicle and I don't have a Dogtra Pathfinder. The only GPSs' I own are what's on my two Alphas and they both have a "map" card on them - one with a graphic representation and the other with remotely sensed imagery. Given the small size of the screen on hand held units like the Alpha a graphic representation is much more useful, informative and more easily "read" than remotely sensed images - satellite imagery.
> 
> I mistakenly thought from casually reading some of the posts here that the GPS function on the Dogtra Pathfinder would only work _via _cell phone and a cell phone signal. Thanks for your info.
> 
> 9mm Hi-Power


Cell phones sold in the US have been required to have GPS since 2014 I believe. It is a federal requirement for 911 I thiught.


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## michiganmaniac

Tonybob said:


> Technology frustrations, I can’t even cut and past the post from Michiganmaniacs post on the iron in the soil messing up his navigation with compass. Hey michiganmaniac, which device got you back home? The compass, GPS, or just good sencse of woodsmanship.


I wish i could say it was just good woodsmanship but no, i waa pretty dang turned around. My garmin alpha is was what got me back. I followed it until i got back into cover i recognized then was able to get out pretty easily. I have never had a problem with my alpha in the woods. 

The alpha has a calibrate function and its good habit to recalibrate the handheld unit anytime you go to a new area. 

If you ever have any problems or troubleshooting issues with your new gps, honestly just ask the question here. As stated garmin tech support can sometimes be great but sometimes not, but there are a lot of guys on here who own the alpha and would be happy to help.


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## Bondhu

Garmin has a rebate right now on purchases.I went with the Astro 430 and just sent in for a $100 dollar rebate 
The alpha is $200 I think. But it ends Sept. the 10th


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## NbyNW

Bondhu said:


> Garmin has a rebate right now on purchases.I went with the Astro 430 and just sent in for a $100 dollar rebate
> The alpha is $200 I think. But it ends Sept. the 10th


I posted this earlier, but to clarify, the alpha is $100 rebate with bundle.

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/107225


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## Bondhu

Sorry, missed this in the thread. Gundog Supply sent me an email about rebate Friday.


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## NbyNW

Bondhu said:


> Sorry, missed this in the thread. Gundog Supply sent me an email about rebate Friday.


No worries.


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## mcfish

I went with the Alpha because I hunt in the snow a lot. I’ve found that my iPhone and moisture don’t go well together.


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## Lucky Dog

Tonybob said:


> Compass is main navigation always! GPS is emergency back up. I recomend that to everyone who enters the woods. My cousin always and i mean always forgets to turn his GPS off and batteries go dead. Its a running joke every year.


You need to get into the current century and embrace technology.


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## anticipation

Bondhu said:


> Garmin has a rebate right now on purchases.I went with the Astro 430 and just sent in for a $100 dollar rebate
> The alpha is $200 I think. But it ends Sept. the 10th


This will be my 3rd or fourth season with my Astro 430 and love it , no issues whatsoever


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## 9mm Hi-Power

Tonybob said:


> Compass is main navigation always! GPS is emergency back up. I recomend that to everyone who enters the woods. My cousin always and i mean always forgets to turn his GPS off and batteries go dead. Its a running joke every year.






Lucky Dog said:


> You need to get into the current century and embrace technology.


 No - you need to get back to the basics of land navigation - compass, map reading etc. - and then move on to more supposedly "sophisticated" electronic methods. Learn to read a compass, learn to read a map and you actually learn something other than than pushing a button here and there and by guess and by golly hope there's a signal or a charged battery.

GPS systems are really great, I use my Garmin Alphas much more than I use my compass. They are handy and very informative ( when they work which is mostly always) but you don't really learn anything from using them. Kinda' like a grade school kid who can't add/subtract/multiply or divide with a pencil and paper but only on a calculator - because they don't understand the fundamentals of what they're trying to accomplish. 

IMO anyone who traverses any body of ground much larger than their backyard and solely depends on an electronic device to get one back to hearth and home can be in for a very hard upcoming. Hope this helps.

9mm Hi-Power


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## birdhntr

I purchased the Astro back in late December and love it.I only wanted it to aide in finding the dog on point.I haven't learned all the functions yet.I just enjoy the compass and dog on point alert and go to them.


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## Tonybob

Embrace technology? Why do you think I go hunting. My preference for technology while hunting is listening to the bell quicken its pace and the bell suddenly stops. Now finding the dog in heavy cover is another matter. Technology is a funny thing, I’m in the process of redeeming my rebate for my new alpha and I seem to have to MAIL In the proof of purchase. Snail mail. 

Reminds me of my CPA daughter who when we were out to dinner offered to get the tip. Next I new she was on her phone looking at the tip app.

Ok alpha owners. How do you carry the darn gps unit. I’m nervous to just clip it on my jacket since there is no lanyard provided?.


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## birdhntr

I did this and hang it around my neck.A,1/2 inch wide flat lanyard which is easier on the neck


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## 9mm Hi-Power

Tonybob said:


> Ok alpha owners. How do you carry the darn gps unit. I’m nervous to just clip it on my jacket since there is no lanyard provided?.


It's been my experience that there is no truly convenient way to carry an Alpha. I agree that clipping it to a jacket or fitting one in and out of a generic GPS "pocket" on a game vest is awkward and prone to loss.

This method works best for me :









The lanyard of course goes around one's neck and the unit is carried , albeit, upside down in a waist high pocket in one's jacket or game bag. For what it's worth the lanyard is mountaineering grade rope and the knot is a double sheet bend secured with a cable tie and the ring spring steel. This setup is not going to wear or come undone at an awkward time.

Dogtra makes life easier with a molded ring - at the top - and as an integral part of the case:










Hope this helps.

9mm Hi-Power


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## Lucky Dog

9mm Hi-Power said:


> No - you need to get back to the basics of land navigation - compass, map reading etc. - and then move on to more supposedly "sophisticated" electronic methods. Learn to read a compass, learn to read a map and you actually learn something other than than pushing a button here and there and by guess and by golly hope there's a signal or a charged battery.
> 
> GPS systems are really great, I use my Garmin Alphas much more than I use my compass. They are handy and very informative ( when they work which is mostly always) but you don't really learn anything from using them. Kinda' like a grade school kid who can't add/subtract/multiply or divide with a pencil and paper but only on a calculator - because they don't understand the fundamentals of what they're trying to accomplish.
> 
> IMO anyone who traverses any body of ground much larger than their backyard and solely depends on an electronic device to get one back to hearth and home can be in for a very hard upcoming. Hope this helps.
> 
> 9mm Hi-Power


LOL...

You need to move into the current century as well. Do you still take your horse and buggy to the market?


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## 9mm Hi-Power

Lucky Dog said:


> LOL...
> 
> You need to move into the current century as well. Do you still take your horse and buggy to the market?



Being pragmatic - sometimes to a fault - I embrace the best parts of technology be it from this or past centuries. I have two Dogtras and two Alphas as the U.P. is not a good place for electronics to suddenly go bad. I *ALWAYS *(I learned that lesson the hard way) carry a compass and I know how to use it and I most certainly know how to read a map. The value here - make the best of everything that's available to you and don't dismiss that which can help you because it's supposedly been displanted. Hope this helps. 

9mm Hi-Power


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## 9mm Hi-Power

Garmin -The Sequel -

For starters I don't have a Garmin Alpha but rather two Garmin Astros, my mis-communication. Secondly in a previous post I was rather ambiguous about Garmin tech. support/customer service. Here's today's update. One of my collars didn't seem to be taking a full charge. I called Garmin and they are sending me a rebuilt collar unit with a new battery free of charge and I of course will get the "faulty" unit off to them tomorrow. My only cost for this is shipping the unit to them. Great service.

9mm Hi-Power


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## skidoojc

Any screen protectors or case recommendations? Mainly for an Alpha.


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## NbyNW

For alpha I use the orange gizzmo. Durable and solid. 

https://www.outdoordogsupply.com/product/garmin-alpha-100-gizzmo-case/

I like to keep mine in my right side water bottle slot so it is easily accessible, I prefer to wrap the rope around the vest straps to keep things tied together.


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## Parkerman

Has anyone used the Garmin 550 plus, which is a training collar plus a simple GPS that shows the direction you dog is and how far away he is. For a non tech guy like me that sounds like the answer for a guy like me as I just want to know where my dog is and if it's on point. So has anyone used one?


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## Higap48

NbyNW said:


> I use the alpha and love it. There is a $100 rebate right now too. I like having a separate gps unit from my cell phone, and the alpha unit has been great for the 3 to 4 years I've had it.
> 
> I wont go into too much detail as it appears you are more interested in getting the Pathfinder, but if you would like info on the alpha, let me know and I will do a more detailed write up.
> 
> It is good you are looking at a gps tracker, they are invaluable and well worth the investment. I personally run an alpha tracker and dogtra beeper, I prefer two modes. All dogs run off, so don't beat yourself up about training, it is only a matter of time until a dog chases a turkey or deer and is 600 yards away. The big difference is without a tracker you don't know if your dog is 300 yards away or half a county away.
> Lots of older hunters tell me stories in the times of only bells and whistles of leaving their coat in the woods so their dog can find the scent, and coming back the next day to get the dog. The conversations with their wives and kids when they show up without the family dog is worth the price of a tracker. We are fortunate to have the technology we do nowadays.


I am grateful to have come across your message here. I am really wanting to get the 200i, however I am also looking at the price tag. I have 7 danes and they have been trained with the old school dogtra 1-127 and vibrate only and need to transition to a more effective tracking and training system. I use them to hunt deer and would love to get some feedback or any recommendations. 

Mahalo,

Peter


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## Buck#906

Tonybob said:


> Any one use the Dogtra pathfinder GPS. After loosing track of my setter for about 4 hours last year in the U.P. I’ve decided to get a GPS collar. (Yes I should have trained him better) horrible having to look for your dog instead of birds! I know the Garmin alpha has been a good product and I have seen it in use. Just trying to avoid spending $800. The Dogtra pathfinder is half the cost and intriguing with using your phones blue tooth capabilities. Im really just looking for a system to find my dog if the situation arises again, and don’t particularly want to be watching a video screen when my dog goes on point. I will be hunting grouse and woodcock primarily. Any thoughts or suggestion are appreciated.


4 hours is long enough to be Alpo for a mamma bear! Its gunna hurt, but less your young enough to stay with them and can use a simple e-colar then yep.....7-9 for good GPS


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## Buck#906

Higap48 said:


> I am grateful to have come across your message here. I am really wanting to get the 200i, however I am also looking at the price tag. I have 7 danes and they have been trained with the old school dogtra 1-127 and vibrate only and need to transition to a more effective tracking and training system. I use them to hunt deer and would love to get some feedback or any recommendations.
> 
> Mahalo,
> 
> Peter


do you deer hunt with dogs here (Mi) or do you go the Carolinas? Trust me, we want to know. And if so, what district of Michigan do you hunt in.


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## NbyNW

Higap48 said:


> I am grateful to have come across your message here. I am really wanting to get the 200i, however I am also looking at the price tag. I have 7 danes and they have been trained with the old school dogtra 1-127 and vibrate only and need to transition to a more effective tracking and training system. I use them to hunt deer and would love to get some feedback or any recommendations.
> 
> Mahalo,
> 
> Peter


Lots of questions-

How many dogs do you run at once? 

Are you looking to run your current dogtra 1-127 with a gps, or change the dogtra as well?

Are you looking for all in one, or two systems in unison?

What type of range do your dogs cover?

The price tag is steep, but it has been well worth it imo. I run my dog a good bit in and out of season and the insurance of the gps is invaluable.


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## Higap48

Buck#906 said:


> do you deer hunt with dogs here (Mi) or do you go the Carolinas? Trust me, we want to know. And if so, what district of Michigan do you hunt in.


Aloha,

No I hunt with them on Maui, HI. Why would there be interest there in MI? 

I am not familiar with methods other than with dogs, as it is how I was raised hunting. 

Always look forward to learning something new. Hunting deer with danes is almost unfair. A lot of fun tho and it helps us do our part to try and eradicate them here in Hawaii. 

Mahalo,

Peter


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## Higap48

NbyNW said:


> Lots of questions-
> 
> How many dogs do you run at once?
> 
> Are you looking to run your current dogtra 1-127 with a gps, or change the dogtra as well?
> 
> Are you looking for all in one, or two systems in unison?
> 
> What type of range do your dogs cover?
> 
> The price tag is steep, but it has been well worth it imo. I run my dog a good bit in and out of season and the insurance of the gps is invaluable.


The most I have run at once and by myself is 7. The dogtra I have does not have a gps, and I am kinda salivating over the possibility of what the alpha 200i can do and how it will help with mapping, accuracy, and so many other ancillary benefits. 

I am hoping to soon have some guided tours here on Maui for people from out of state to come here and hunt. Bow only, but the idea would be horseback and using my danes. I have roughly 4,200 acres here to hunt on, and if you or anyone else is interested, please let me know. 

Mahalo,

Peter


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## Higap48

NbyNW said:


> Lots of questions-
> 
> How many dogs do you run at once?
> 
> Are you looking to run your current dogtra 1-127 with a gps, or change the dogtra as well?
> 
> Are you looking for all in one, or two systems in unison?
> 
> What type of range do your dogs cover?
> 
> The price tag is steep, but it has been well worth it imo. I run my dog a good bit in and out of season and the insurance of the gps is invaluable.





Higap48 said:


> The most I have run at once and by myself is 7. The dogtra I have does not have a gps, and I am kinda salivating over the possibility of what the alpha 200i can do and how it will help with mapping, accuracy, and so many other ancillary benefits.
> 
> I am hoping to soon have some guided tours here on Maui for people from out of state to come here and hunt. Bow only, but the idea would be horseback and using my danes. I have roughly 4,200 acres here to hunt on, and if you or anyone else is interested, please let me know.
> 
> Mahalo,
> 
> Peter


Also, I usually stop around 10 miles. We have gone past that before, but I try to limit the amount they are out. Strangely enough, if I take them out too much they get in better shape and have the need or desire to stay out longer and longer and I don't have enough time for that in my day. It's maybe a good example of when theres too much of a good thing. And, yes 100% regarding the gps location service in no doubt worth it. These dogs are min $5,000 a piece and that's probably the lowest of my top 10 priorities. I am attached to them and I don't want anything bad to happen and if it does, I want to know where they are so I can get to them and render aid. 

Thanks for responding! I truly look forward to learning all I can about the collars and much more. 

Thanks,

Peter


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## Buck#906

Higap48 said:


> Aloha,
> 
> No I hunt with them on Maui, HI. Why would there be interest there in MI?
> 
> I am not familiar with methods other than with dogs, as it is how I was raised hunting.
> 
> Always look forward to learning something new. Hunting deer with danes is almost unfair. A lot of fun tho and it helps us do our part to try and eradicate them here in Hawaii.
> 
> Mahalo,
> 
> Peter


Dont care if you hunt them with dogs in Hi....If we see you hunting with them here, we will invite you to stay for awhile..click-click


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## michiganmaniac

Buck#906 said:


> Dont care if you hunt them with dogs in Hi....If we see you hunting with them here, we will invite you to stay for awhile..click-click


 What, are you afraid he is going to ship 7 dogs and a horse by air to michigan to come experience our crappy deer hunting? Lol come on man. He made it pretty clear he was from Hawaii, and it's pretty easy to infer that he just stumbled across this site seeing as how he has been a member for 1 day and has 4 messages.


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## Howitzer

DirtySteve said:


> Cell phones sold in the US have been required to have GPS since 2014 I believe. It is a federal requirement for 911 I thiught.


True, E911 was implemented in 1998 every phone call has GPS by federal law. 

Turning off your location only turns off apps like google and Facebook from recording your data. Another consideration for the Garmin is some of the Alpha's support GLONASS which is the Russian equivalent to GPS which should get faster and better fixes undercover, my avatar is 10th Mountain because I was a communication sergeant in 10th Mountain for 7 years and commo and location tracking is my second language. From a civilian perspective, Garmin has the best tracking equipment people can argue about features and durability but from a hardware and firmware perspective Garmin is superior.


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## augustus0603

michiganmaniac said:


> What, are you afraid he is going to ship 7 dogs and a horse by air to michigan to come experience our crappy deer hunting? Lol come on man. He made it pretty clear he was from Hawaii, and it's pretty easy to infer that he just stumbled across this site seeing as how he has been a member for 1 day and has 4 messages.


He's been trolling every thread he can trying to get a rise the last couple days. 

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk


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## Higap48

Buck#906 said:


> Dont care if you hunt them with dogs in Hi....If we see you hunting with them here, we will invite you to stay for awhile..click-click


Interesting how places are different. They are viewed as pests here and people are doing what they can to eradicate them. I would understand how that could be looked down on there, but here people are thankful that I can go out and provide this service. We try to feed people who need some help and it works well for all involved. Thanks for the heads up tho. Not that I would be shipping my dogs there anytime soon.


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## Higap48

michiganmaniac said:


> What, are you afraid he is going to ship 7 dogs and a horse by air to michigan to come experience our crappy deer hunting? Lol come on man. He made it pretty clear he was from Hawaii, and it's pretty easy to infer that he just stumbled across this site seeing as how he has been a member for 1 day and has 4 messages.


You nailed it. I even said in the beginning that I was glad I stumbled across this site. So much anger with some people... Everything you just said is right on point! Nice work, and thanks for having a strangers back!! Respect.


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## augustus0603

Parkerman said:


> Has anyone used the Garmin 550 plus, which is a training collar plus a simple GPS that shows the direction you dog is and how far away he is. For a non tech guy like me that sounds like the answer for a guy like me as I just want to know where my dog is and if it's on point. So has anyone used one?


My cousin has one. He likes it a lot. Much less expensive than the Alpha. I wish Garmin would develop a second pointer or arrow that points to the truck.


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## DirtySteve

augustus0603 said:


> My cousin has one. He likes it a lot. Much less expensive than the Alpha. I wish Garmin would develop a second pointer or arrow that points to the truck.


The new alpha 10 is a better option. It does everything the 550 does. It is the price of astro. It gives you added features that allow it to sync to an app on your phone and get all the astro features on your cell. This is a new model released in early sept.


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## birdhntr

DirtySteve said:


> The new alpha 10 is a better option. It does everything the 550 does. It is the price of astro. It gives you added features that allow it to sync to an app on your phone and get all the astro features on your cell. This is a new model released in early sept.


Touch screen?


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## DirtySteve

birdhntr said:


> Touch screen?


No it has a small joystick feature to manipulate thru panels. The screen is slightly larger than the 550 and just has arrow to the dog and info like distance and on point etc. The unit is smaller than the 550 but it does have training features with buttons on the side. If you want to have all the features of the astro you sync it to your phone and use the app. The phone app is touchscreen.


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## Lucky Dog

DirtySteve said:


> The new alpha 10 is a better option. It does everything the 550 does. It is the price of astro. It gives you added features that allow it to sync to an app on your phone and get all the astro features on your cell. This is a new model released in early sept.


it also does not have the 3 dog limitation, it will track 20 i think.


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## DirtySteve

Lucky Dog said:


> it also does not have the 3 dog limitation, it will track 20 i think.


Correct.


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## birdhntr

augustus0603 said:


> My cousin has one. He likes it a lot. Much less expensive than the Alpha. I wish Garmin would develop a second pointer or arrow that points to the truck.


I use the map feature which points to my truck


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## birdhntr

DirtySteve said:


> No it has a small joystick feature to manipulate thru panels. The screen is slightly larger than the 550 and just has arrow to the dog and info like distance and on point etc. The unit is smaller than the 550 but it does have training features with buttons on the side. If you want to have all the features of the astro you sync it to your phone and use the app. The phone app is touchscreen.


I really like my 430 and do not care much for the 550 especially the touch screen abilities


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## birdhntr

Lucky Dog said:


> it also does not have the 3 dog limitation, it will track 20 i think.


The astro tracks up to twenty.The 550 does not?


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## DirtySteve

Here is the alpha10 handheld. Small compact unit. Syncs to a phone or the garmin vehicle tracking screen. 

The garmin 550 pro is a big tall skinny reciever with a tiny screen on the bottom.


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## DirtySteve

birdhntr said:


> I really like my 430 and do not care much for the 550 especially the touch screen abilities


I have the 430 and like it alot as well. I dont use an ecollar in the field so it works fine for me. My son wanted to use the unit as a trainer as well. He bought the alpha 10. It does everthing the 550 and the 430 will. The only downside is you have to use your app on the phone like the pathfinder if you want to see the track and get alot of the info you see on the astro screen. Also about $500 less than the alpha 200 when you pair with a collar.


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