Beeper collar vs GPS

I ran beeper collars for many years and they worked quite well. I only ran the collars in "Point Only" mode. I think there are some that think a beeper collar beeps all the time but that's not true. I agree that having the collar beeping all the time is annoying. The downside of the beeper collars is that on windy days or when the dog gets out a long ways it can be difficult to hear the beep. In my case, and I'm sure others, as I aged and my hearing got worse I really had a difficult time hearing it. That's when I went to a GPS collar. I bought the Garmin Alpha 100 with the TT15 Mini collar. I love knowing where my dog is and virtually eliminate the risk of my dog getting lost. However, the Alpha 100 has many more functions than I will ever use. Had the 550 Plus been out when I bought my Alpha I might have gone that route. But now I see the Alpha 10 and for my needs that would really fill the bill. Simpler than the 100 and small in size. So my advice for the OP on this thread would be to get a GPS collar and forget the beeper. Especially if you have a big running dog. I know the initial outlay is more but well worth is in the long run plus peace of mind that you will not lose your dog.
 
Guys, bear in mind that the OP was inquiring about collars for Pointing Dogs. I'm assuming some of you are using the beeper on flushers. And I know some use the beeper to recall the dog but I don't think that is really the intended use of a beeper collar. Although it can function that way if that's what you want.
 
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Let's distinguish between a "tone" function that is part of the training features of the collar and a "beeper" function that is about know the dog's location, signaling a point, etc.

My dogs recall on the tone, and I love that tool. The volume is low enough that I struggle to hear it if the dog is more than 15-20 yards away. It is instantaneous and it's just one brief tone. Since training them to recall on the tone, I don't even carry a whistle anymore.

I can't imagine training a dog to recall on the beeper function. That noise is truly awful to hear and I can't imagine what it's like for the dog. I had a collar with that function once and got rid of it in favor of GPS.
 
I have to share a funny story about beeper collars with all this talk.

I was pheasant hunting one time and out in the middle of the field hearing a hawk screech sound. I thought it was a real hawk at first but kept hearing it so knew it had to be a beeper collar. Eventually I saw the guys dog at least 500 yards away but I could still hear that damn screech from the collar. I finished my hunt and ended up back at the truck where I encountered the dog and the dog owner.

This guy, hunting alone, had to be like 80 something years old (good for him still getting out there). I felt so bad for the dog, he had that beeper collar turned up so loud that dog was probably going to go deaf. I made a joking comment to him that his dog is probably deaf now listening to that by his ear, he said he could barely hear it when the dog is more than 40 yards away, yet I could hear it about 500 yards away.
 
matto said:
Let's distinguish between a "tone" function that is part of the training features of the collar and a "beeper" function that is about know the dog's location, signaling a point, etc.

My dogs recall on the tone, and I love that tool. The volume is low enough that I struggle to hear it if the dog is more than 15-20 yards away. It is instantaneous and it's just one brief tone. Since training them to recall on the tone, I don't even carry a whistle anymore.

I can't imagine training a dog to recall on the beeper function. That noise is truly awful to hear and I can't imagine what it's like for the dog. I had a collar with that function once and got rid of it in favor of GPS.
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I agree with what you posted. Guess we need to get back to the original question and not get caught up in tone vs. beep. :)
 
I've used an Astro since 2016 or so and upgraded to the Alpha last year. Don't know how I ever went without. Without a doubt the best bird hunting investment I've made. Well, except for the dogs.
 
Quailnerd said:
GPS all day long...
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Wow-you guys are great. I can't believe the number of responses so quickly. So some clarifications. Both my labs will point but not that often do the wild pheasants, especially roosters, cooperate. They normally will quarter pretty close but I sometimes have to "steer"
the older dog Parker more with the tone feature of my G3. At 11 he unfortunately will not be hunting much any more, maybe some short hunts in small fields. We'll see. I trained the two to whistle commands than morphed to the tone feature. This was my first and only E-collar system. I've never had or used a pointing beeper or locater beeper.

I talked to another buddy today and he bought the Alpha 100 2 years ago after he lost his 30lb Brittany during a hunt we were on in SoDak in, guess what, a standing corn field. The place he bought it suggested that he use a regular E-collar for training/toning/stimulation and a basic tracking GPS. He did not think he could fit all that on his small Brittany's neck so he went with the Alpha 100.

I was just watching part of a great video on Gun Dog Supply about the various features of the different Garmin systems. I think the Alpha 10 might be the ticket. I will definitely buy a system but need to do some more reading and talking about the different models and the pros/cons of each.

And thinking back, there have been other times like in a 4ft switchgrass field where I've had to yell to my flankers if anyone has seen Parker or Brady. With a tracker--no more noise. The other buddy who recommended the 550 says he can link the system he is using to his Garmin watch.

Thanks again for the comments so far and I'll check back after doing doing some more reading.
Tom
 
These are great reply’s, to be clear he’s running the T and B dual, it is beeping when the dog points and he also uses it fo turn him, it’s a lot of beeping in what I would consider so much that it is possibly white noise to the dog. I’m sure it doesn’t spook all of them but my theory was that if he went silent, he may get more birds to hold.
 
matto said:
Let's distinguish between a "tone" function that is part of the training features of the collar and a "beeper" function that is about know the dog's location, signaling a point, etc.

My dogs recall on the tone, and I love that tool. The volume is low enough that I struggle to hear it if the dog is more than 15-20 yards away. It is instantaneous and it's just one brief tone. Since training them to recall on the tone, I don't even carry a whistle anymore.

I can't imagine training a dog to recall on the beeper function. That noise is truly awful to hear and I can't imagine what it's like for the dog. I had a collar with that function once and got rid of it in favor of GPS.
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Exactly.

I use the tone not as a recall, but I expect my dogs to turn back toward me at tone. Recall is dog name, "Here" or whistle. I can't hear the tone if I'm 10 feet away so it makes little sound. If they don't turn to where I can see them, I assume a point first and go toward the last place I saw them. I also have the beeper on their collar and only use it if I can't locate my dog quickly. If I use the beeper and don't see the dog pretty quickly, I'm headed their way.

My beeper has about 8 sounds available, some loud and some not so loud, but loud enough to hear in just about any situation. Don't use the run or point feature, just for locating.

So far, knock on wood, its worked.

I do understand the GPS advantages, but this works for me and you know what they say about teaching old dogs new tricks...

Funny story.
A buddy and I were hunting a slough that ended at a cut corn field. We shot a rooster as we got near the corn and watched it bounce just in the edge of the corn field. We both thought it was DOA and continued hunting toward the corn.
When we got there, feathers but no bird.
Dogs started hunting dead and we were stomping around in the fence row growth and I turned around and couldn't locate one dog so hit the locate button.
He had gone down a badger hole after the rooster and his back end was probably a foot deep in the hole.
I started to panic thinking he might not be able to get out, but he backed out rooster in tow. Wish I'd been quick enough minded to get a picture.
Three weeks until I get back to SD this year.
 
That's a great story about your dog chasing a rooster into a badger hole. I'm glad the badger wasn't there.
 
When I originally bought my astro, I had a separate e collar I used. I have one that is a little stubborn. The GPS in deep grass is the best. I have one shorthair that is pretty small and the collar fits her just fine. I wanted to eliminate the second collar so the alpha was my choice. I couldn't justify the newest version of the alpha for what I do so I got the 100 and am very happy with it.

I have no problem seeing the screen with sunglasses on. I had read some reviews of the newest version having some visibility problems with sunglasses but I'm sure others on here can chime in on that as well. For the money the Alpha 100 with the TT15 collar is hard to beat.
 
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