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

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.

Had the Alpha 100 for a few months and was only running 1 dog on it. When I upgraded to running 2 dogs on the Alpha 100 it was a chore/hassle to be able to train them effectively. I upgraded to running all 4 dogs on the TT15 collars and decided I had to upgrade to the Alpha 200i.

Dog Group/Management, programmable training keys, Bluetooth transfer of tracks, WiFi downloads of satellite imagery, satellite messaging all great upgrades from alpha 100. Well worth the price despite a few lingering Garmin user interface idiosyncrasies.

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.

No problems

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.

Didn’t work in Australia! I sent it back still waiting for my refund

Very pleased with product.

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.