Garmin Alpha 200i Dog Tracking Handheld, Utilizes inReach Technology, Sunlight-readable 3.6 Touchscreen (010-02230-50), Black

Bought this unit to be able to track, train, and use InReach. It does all those well. I do have to lock the touch screen to keep from changing things when I put it in the carrying case but locking the screen is a viable option to keep that from happening. When received, I had to go to Garmins site and update the software, but that is not unusual for Garmin products. Sometimes they come with out of date software or versions that were put in at the factory that may be off from the ones on Garmins website. Just be aware that you always need to check the software version upon arrival. Aside from that, this is a great multipurpose unit.

If you are part of a K9 SAR team do not buy this product. I upgraded from an Alpha 100 and had to go back to it. The unit will not display a heading or bearing in decimal degrees. Thats correct, you can not ever get a compass bearing from this unit. It only provides letters for your heading (N,S,E, etc.) Amazed that the top of the line unit cant even provide this basic information.

My dislike is l needed this for a trip. To find out the battery will not charge. The package was not secured, everything thrown in a bag like it was returned. For me to go on a trip l had to go buy a more expensive one. Learned my lesson not to buy electronics from Amazon.

I hunt on a wildlife management area with still hunt and dog hunt areas and no problem stopping dogs be for they reach the boundaries !

This is good for hunting in the field. But it is a little cumbersome. I have the Sport Pro as well for training. They are both great, but you need to know what you want to use them for. I only use the sport pro while training. Then switch to the Alpha when hunting.

Works very well to keep track of our dog when he decides to chase animals in heavy woods, or wonders to the neighbors. geofence works great, accuracy is with 16’ radius most of the time. satellite images make it easy to see where dog is rather than just a dot on a map. Easy touch screen controls and user friendly. WiFi works great for downloading maps and satellite images. Bluetooth worked on iPhone for garmin app.

The manual is not very informative You have to go online to get enough information to operate. This is a very annoying practice by this company Why would you want a third party to explain your product

Best in class for working dogs; but nowhere close to the experience you can expect from a modern smart device

I upgraded recently to the 200i from the previous handheld. My old one lasted 8 plus years of daily use, but the startup had gotten very slow and it would just turn off on occasion.

The dog tracking compass is not always accurate which defeats the purpose of the unit. Under a clear sky with perfect conditions the dog needle will point to a totally different direction. Additionally, the locking tray for the microSD card is very flimsy. Mine is almost broken and I have been very gentle with it. This unit is supposed to be rugged, right? Also, this unit is not compatible with the OnX Hunt chip. As of this review only the 100 receiver is.