FutureFive New Zealand - Consumer technology news & reviews from the future
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New devices mean you’ll never lose Spot again
Tue, 12th Jul 2016
FYI, this story is more than a year old

There is never a shortage of flyers hanging at local supermarkets and community halls of missing dogs. Fortunately, these heart-wrenching stories of misplaced Spots, Harrys and Dicks could soon be coming to an end.

Garmin New Zealand recently announced all-new capabilities to its GPS dog-tracking system. The all new Astro 430 GPS and GLONASS dog-tracking handheld can track up to 20 dogs at range of up to 11 kilometres – your dog would have to be a marathon runner to get out of range!

Designed primarily for hunters, the devices update their location every 2.5 seconds, and can be used in conjunction with the new DriveTrack 70 LMT, a seven-inch touchscreen dashboard navigator that enables the tracking of dogs from inside a vehicle, allowing you to navigate to them. In addition, owners can now see their dogs' whereabouts on any fēnix 3 watch.

“This groundbreaking, industry-standard Garmin dog tracking device is a first for the Australasian market,” says Adam Howarth, general manager Garmin Australasia. “And the new DriveTrack 70 LMT demonstrates that Garmin has heard hunters loud and clear, answering their desire to track wide-ranging dogs from their ute on a large, easy-to-read display. And the ability to check a dog's status at a glance of the wrist is as handy as it is cool.

In addition to increased dog capacity and faster update rate, the Astro 430 comes pre-loaded with TOP Lite Australia and New Zealand as well as a free one-year subscription to BirdsEye Satellite Imagery.

The Astro 430 and DriveTrack 70 LMT will be available in July 2016. The Astro 430 handheld will have a Recommended Retail Price of NZ$839 and NZ$1149 for Astro 430 / T5 bundle. The DriveTrack 70 LMT will have a RRP of NZ$699.

These devices are part of Garmin's expanding outdoor segment, which focuses on developing technologies and innovations to enhance users' outdoor experiences. Whether hiking, hunting, geocaching, golfing, or dog training, Garmin outdoor devices are greatl tools for outdoor enthusiasts of all levels.