Garmin Introduces New Collars for Astro and Alpha Dog Tracking and Training Systems
OutdoorHub 06.13.14
Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced two new GPS-enabled collars, the TT 15 and T 5, for its industry-leading Astro and Alpha dog tracking and training systems.
“These new collars give sporting dog owners what they’ve been asking for – things like better satellite reception and optional vibration in a rugged design,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “These new devices demonstrate the commitment by Garmin and Tri-Tronics to continue innovating in the sporting dog market.”
The new TT 15 dog device allows you to track and train sporting dogs up to nine miles away. New in this unit is the addition of GLONASS satellite technology. When using GPS and GLONASS satellites together, sporting dog owners will spend less time waiting for the collar to acquire satellites before the hunt, and the collar will better maintain its location even in heavy cover and deep canyons during the hunt.
The TT 15 also adds a vibration stimulation option, to match individual dogs’ temperament. Incorporating vibration into a training plan is also an ideal way to silently issue a command to a dog. Like previous models, the TT 15 has 18 levels of continuous or momentary stimulation, as well as tone. Battery life varies from 24 to 48 hours, depending on the user-specified update rate.
For hunters who want a dog’s perspective of the hunt (third-party mounting harness sold separately), they can pair the Garmin VIRB high-definition action camera with the TT 15 and control it remotely.
The T 5 is a tracking-only version of the TT 15. The T 5 has the same GLONASS compatibility, without any stimulation capability. Both the TT 15 and the T5 are compatible with the Alpha 100 or the Astro 320 handhelds. Tracking, but no stimulation, is possible when pairing the Astro 320 with the TT 15.
These collars are sold in two new bundles. The Astro bundle contains an Astro 320 and T 5, while the Alpha bundle contains an Alpha 100 and a TT 15. New to the Alpha bundle is an included one-year subscription to high-resolution BirdsEye Satellite Imagery, which depicts aerial views of trees and man-made structures. The new collars are also sold separately as an upgrade to existing Astro and Alpha systems, but users must download a free software update to their handheld before pairing the new collar by visiting www.garmin.com/webupdater. The new devices are expected to be available in July 2014.
The TT 15 and T 5 are the latest innovations in Garmin’s growing outdoor segment, which focuses on developing technologies to enhance users’ outdoor experiences and their relationships with their canine companions. Whether it’s hiking, hunting, golfing, geocaching, dog training, or capturing it all on video, Garmin devices are essential tools for outdoor enthusiasts of all levels. For more information about Garmin’s other outdoor products and services, go to www.garmin.com/dogs, www.garmin.blogs.com and http://twitter.com/garmin.
