EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

Took the new 50 out for a test run... Haven't adjusted my settings yet but was mainly wanting to try out the Bark Mode...

Finally struck a runner and got to se how it works... Once the Bark Mode is selected, an icon shows on the dog list and the map beside the dog it is selected on.. You are able to choose how many barks per minute ( 20-80 ) the dog barks before it shows the message just like when the dog is treed or losses communication...

The dog doesn't have to bark a minute before it lets you know, if it's set to 20 barks per minute and they bark say 10 times in 6 seconds it will alert..

The icon works like a battery meter/cell phone service bar... The more the dog barks, the higher the meter shows...

As far as the range, it was picking up better than a brand new 40 but not quite as good as I expected... But like I said, still need to play with the settings/communication...

I had the longer astro antenna and longer 50 antennas on..
Collar would loose communication at a mile or so and we would have to drive closer to pick them back up.. ( they were steadily moving away from us )

Once I have more time to play with it, I'll post more about it to this thread...

Thanks for the review trenton, I am going to pick up a couple of these in the near future but decided to wait until I saw a couple reviews on em. Keep us updated!

Road Test...

Slapped the 50 and new 40 on my dog just laying in the yard... Lost both collars at around 1.5 miles...
The 40 actually picked up alittle further than the 50...

Drive out to alittle over 2 miles... Never could pick up either collar... Drove back to 1 mile and picked up the 40 but never picked up the 50.. Go figure

Got home and the dog had moved from the yard to under my trailer... Guess I'll tinker with it some more as try again...  The unit and 50 both still had the longer antennas...

Hang both collars somewhere at the same level with the antennas facing up and try it again... Danged ole dawgs will go lay down and mess the whole deal up.

Did you do the update to your 320?

Travis, I did that with the same outcome...


Mike, I bought a new unit with the collar... It already had the update...


The 50 communication number was 48 an the 40 was 14...
Not sure how much that makes a difference... I thought I remember a higher number is better...

I think the lower number the better?

I cant back it up with any facts but ive heard the same thing more than once in the past....each of mine all cut out equally as much as the other  rolleyes

I'll try it again with lower numbers and let y'all know if it makes a difference... Maybe that's why the 40 picked up alittle better...

I sure hope this comparison is disproved. In my experience, which was short, the DC40 sucked compared to the DC30. If my new DC50 is worse than the DC40, I am going to be really disappointed. I should be able to provide my own test results sometime next week, and real time woods experience the week after. Here is to hoping...

You and me both!!!! Hopefully it's just me and I'm just not smart enough to figure it out yet!!!!   ;D

It is the lower channel the better. I did a bunch of research on those radio nerd forums. They said the murs frequency uses 2 watts and it takes more power to push a higher frequency. The low frequency pushed at 2 watts will give you more range. I did a little test here at the house yesterday and got 1.98 miles with the alpha. The best i have got out of my dc40 with a home made antenna and a tuned cb antenna was 3.4 miles. I have started tinkering again and have ordered some stuff to give it a shot one more time. But from all the stuff i have read it all points to the receiver antenna hight. The higher you can get the hand helds antenna the better range. The radios work as line of sight devices.

Tried the 50 out last night.. Not impressed at all. Lost communication at .72 and didn't pick it back up until he was back at .60.. Meanwhile the Dc40 that was out there with him was dropping and picking up on and off out to .8

What is there to "tweak" to get better signal?

Nothing... I have tried everything i can think of... Tweek the receiver antenna hight is about all you can do. I am thinking of making a base station on one of my places with an antenna mounted up a tree as far as i can get a young pup to climb. Lol

The cb type antenna mounted on top of my ranger picks up longer range than any thing i have seen in my woods and 2.5 miles is about the limit on it

Do you not have to up date the handheld when you get the 50's so as to grab the exrta satalites?

If you don't have a long range mag mount antenna or an extendable antenna , try this. Cut you a limb about 10 foot long and hang your 320 on it and stick it up in the air.. The long range antennas are nice but it's like peachcreek said, it's all about height..

Yes, make sure and do the updates, doesn't matter if it's brand new or not.

I was cussing my Alpha the first time I used it, Travis updated everything for me and it's worked fine since.

Updated my 320 before we left yesterday.. I would say the bark indicator is cool but if its dropping off before the 40 then whats the point.. Just glad I didn't sell all my 40's.

Mike, what kind of range are you gettin with your alpha?

I would have thought that since the new 320s were updated to be able to use the 50s the satellite update would have been done also... I'll try updating it anyways...

If your 320 is showing the bark indicator i would believe it is updated.

You didnt ask me but my alpha usually picks up 1.5 pretty easy and i have seen it just over two miles a few times. Terrain plays the biggest part in range. My 320 and dc30's would do the same range from time to time it just seems the alpha does it more consistently.

So sorry I left you out!!!  ;D but thanks for the reply anyways...
Do the alphas pick up the extra satellites too??

I'd be good with 2 miles... The only reason I let them get over a mile on the hunt was because once they struck I laid back and dozed off...  rolleyes

Not sure how far they were when I wasn't picking them up but I had to be within a mile to get communication...

I dont think the alphas use the extra sats. But it is not gps that is the problem with garmin. It is the radio that is the problem.

I'm glad that I kept a couple of DC30s too! With standard DC30 antennas, and a 60" tuned whip on my 220 hand held, mounted on top of my buggy, 2.5mi is easy. I have seen 4mi out of it consistently in rugged terrain and hunting conditions. I could even pick up a collar at the house intermittently, from my work parking lot at 17mi... Sounds impossible, but really.

Go figure that I just got comfortable enough with GPS to sell the last of my radio collars...

 

Road tested my dc 50 and dc 40 today I set them both up next to each other.I was able to get 1.9 out of my 40 and 2.43 before the 50 lost it. That is at least what I was able to get around my area (hill country). I did not have long range antennas on. I did all the up grades on my system this morning. Hope this helps y'all

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I am really glad to hear that.

Brad S,

A friend of mine was a HAM operator and radio tower owner who enjoyed running dogs with me. I really don't know what he did, but after a couple of hunts loosing dogs at less than .75mi and having to switch to the quick track, he made an antenna and gave it to me as a gift.

I know this isn't relevant but I use a 220 and dc30 I pick up to 900 regularly without it cutting out. Well the other mornin it cut out at 300 and next time it picked up he was 800+ why is this?

Have you updated it lately? I had the same thing happen with my alpha and updated it had issues since

I d also check the antenna. Mine broke during a hunt and it would come in and come out until I realized it broke right where it connects to the collar

It didn't cut out after that makes me think the antenna is fine but I probably do need to update

Try the update and if it doesn't work I d start takin it apart

I remove my map card and do a full reset on my 220 before every hunt, then readd maps and collars. Works pretty good to a mile, maybe mile and a half, I just chill and listen after that or will eventually head their direction.

How high you want it lol. I'm sure I could CrossFit up that tree pretty quick :)

All the way to the top of a pine tree.