New Features for the Alpha 200i

• Built in Inreach (Requires Subscription)
  • Send Text messaging anywhere using Satellite with no cell phone coverage)
  • Check Weather anywhere without any cell or internet service
  • SOS button, Alert emergency services your location with a Press of a button.
• Added Buttons for functionality.These functions can greatly help when touch screen is difficult, (i.e. gloves or rain on screen)
• Ability to program training buttons for other features and functions.
  • Zoom in/out
  • Next Dog on map (One of our favorite features!)
  • Lock/unlock screen.
  • Many more!
• Keep 100 Tracking Items Dogs can be held in the system using Activate/Deactivate, (NOTE: Only 20 items can be tracked at the same time while other devices can be stored in “inactive” groups)
• Create Groups of contacts and Dogs
• More map functions -- Pinch to Zoom.
• New Menu layout for Adding dogs, Contacts, and Groups.
• New Pro Compass view
• New Quick menus for better navigation
• Menu’s and Setups screens were redeveloped and organized to help with ease of use while changing settings. (Example customizing Training Buttons, or changing the settings on your dogs
• A lot of ways to connect wirelessly: BlueTooth, WIFI, and ANT+ Capabilities.
  • BlueTooth To a SmartPhone to use with the Explore App
  • WIFI to your home network, for software updates and Mapping downloads
  • With ANT+ the Alpha 200 can connect to Drivetracks, Fenix watches and other Compatible Garmin products.
• Wireless Software updating when connected to a Wi-Fi network
• Birdseye Direct: Directly download Birdseye mapping to your device without a computer. Just connect the Alpha 200 to a WIFI network and you can download mapping.
• Compatible with the Garmin Explore App
  • With the App you can display your dogs and view tracks, maps and other info using your smart phone or Tablet with a Blue-Tooth connection
  • Send/Receive Messages through the Alpha using 100% satellite to send and received.
  • Check weather while out of Cell service using the Inreach
  • SOS functions can also be activated using the Explore app when connected to the Alpha 200i.

Key Features of the Garmin Alpha 200 Bundles

NEW Feature! (Enable/Disable)

While the 200 can track 20 dogs at a time, the system allows the user to add more than 20 dogs/contact into the system using Enable/Disable features.

In previous version of the Alpha, you were only allowed to have 20 dogs in the system. In the past with the Alpha 100 when adding additional dogs that had a ID Conflict, you were forced to remove the dog or contact from the system before adding another dog. With the Alpha 200 you have the ability to simple “Disable” any conflicting dog/contact so you can add the new collar or contact into the Garmin Alpha 200 without the need to delete any existing devices. While you are still limited to only tracking up to 20 dogs simultaneously, you can have 100 dogs, And or contacts in the system (disabled) This feature is a huge benefit for those that hunt in groups or parties. The Alpha 200 will let you choose which dogs you want to enable/disable. You can also easily Enable or Disable Entire Groups of Dogs/Contacts. When you are done hunting with your partner, in one simple step simply “disable” their Group of dogs and “enable” the previous dogs rather than the need to go through the process of deleting and re-pair the collars as things change. Many of us have dealt with this frustration of Deleting dogs, and trying to sort through the Conflicting ID numbers, this is a huge benefit over the Alpha 100!

NEW Feature! Groups

With the 200, further control to manage all your collars/handheld devices is given with a “Group” function.

Dogs and devices can be split into individual groups. With the Alpha 200 you have the ability to enable/disable either an entire group or an individual device. For example, Buddy can create a “Group” of his personal dog collars. He can also create a “Group” for his hunting friends Don and James. Because Don and James do not hunt together, often they have conflicting Dog ID’s. With the Alpha 100 we all know the pain of Getting our devices setup up each time we change hunting partners. This Group Feature has a huge advantage by eliminating the need to delete/re-pair dogs before each hunt with new partners. It should be noted that you can still Enable/Disable individual dogs in groups as well as “all the dogs in the group”. Because of this new feature in the Alpha 200, Buddy is now able to Enable/Disable the “Group” dedicated to Don or James, which will enable/disable the entire group depending on who he is hunting with for the day.

NEW Feature!

Built in Inreach Features. (Monthly subscription is required to use the Inreach features).

The Alpha 200i has built in Inreach® satellite communication features. We should first note that you do not need to use the Inreach features if you decide not to, all other features of the Alpha 200 do not require a monthly service. HOWEVER, if you want to use the Alpha 200 features of the built in Inreach, this requires a monthly subscription for these features to work. The ability to send messages to cell phones, emails, and other Inreach® devices, including other Alpha 200i is entirely through the satellite system. The Alpha 200i also has a built in SOS button you can press for emergencies. (NOTE: A subscription is required for the SOS button to work). If you are not familiar with the Inreach® platform, functions, or would like additional information about the device and required monthly costs activating the Inreach capabilities in your Alpha 200i, please contact Double U.

NEW Feature!

Pair the device to your Cell phone/tablet. With the Alpha 200 you can pair the device via Bluetooth to utilize apps from Garmin. These apps allow you to stay connected and manage waypoints, etc. Because the App development is always evolving, more features will be available. as Garmin’s Apps are developed. We expect sending/receiving messages through the Garmin App, sharing waypoints between devices, and other features will continue to evolve with the Garmin products. Having your Alpha 200 Bluetooth pair with your phone opens up the doors to utilize cool and new features developed with Garmin’s Apps. At the time of this writing, Garmin has Connect, Explore, and Earthmate apps. As mentioned, it should be noted that software is always changing. Not all features may be available, and the device may not work with every App that Garmin has out. It is very likely that new features will be added as the App software and phone connections evolve. If you are relying on these features, we urge you to make sure and do your homework to find out if the features you need are available at the time.

NEW Feature!

Added Buttons on the Alpha 200i, as well as increased button functionality.

The Garmin Alpha 200i has 6 functional buttons compared to only 3 buttons with the Alpha 100. Three additional thumb buttons were added on the side to mostly help navigate and select training features. The top and middle buttons will allow you to cycle the training features for different dogs, While the bottom button acts as a “Select” button to change training. Depending on what training screen is up, the buttons may function differently. For example, when the Dog training is selected for an individual dog with the “Continuous” feature selected, the Up/Down would adjust the Stim level rather than selecting different dogs. Garmin has put a lot of effort into increasing the ease of use for training with the Alpha 200i. Not only do these buttons help speed up training commands, they are also extremely helpful to avoid requiring touch screen options to navigate training of different dogs, especially while wearing gloves, or in rainy weather where the touch screen function can be compromised.

In addition, the top three “Training” buttons, are now fully programable to make other commands besides only Training/Stim commands. A few examples are to program the buttons so that on certain pages, those buttons can do other features. A favorite option we have found is to utilize, a Zoom in, Zoom Out, and Next dog on Map. By programming these buttons this way, you have the ability to easily zoom in and out of the map, and also cycle through showing exactly where each different dog is on the map. In the past the only way to do this would be through using the touch screen. With the Alpha 200, it can be configured so that almost all tracking and training activities can be done without using any of the touch screen. Of course, the touch screen options are all still there. We really appreciate these features while using gloves or when the screen is wet from rain. It’s at these times that using the touch screen can be frustrating. However, the button functions have proven to be a “game changer” for these conditions. “It is another one my favorite features with the Alpha 200” -Buddyw.

New Feature!

Pro Compass view

With the Pro Compass View, it changes the compass view to show multiple Dogs on the sc

reen with Direction arrows, instead of the Large round Compass view.

For hunters that do not use the compass, this is a nice way to quickly check where your dogs are.

Wireless Software updates:

When you connect the Alpha 200 to your home internet connection,it opens up many features and functions. The Alpha 200 can automatically install new software updates ensuring that your device has the latest software. Software updates will fix bugs and problems that other hunters and Garmin have fixed. Rather than needing to find a computer and manually updating the software this makes it much quicker and easier to keep the 200i up to date.

Birdseye Direct: Download Birdseye images directly to the Alpha 200i without a computer. Just connect the Alpha 200i to a WIFI network and you can dowload mapping.

Track & Train Codes

Newer Track and Train Codes are more secure and less likely to pick up wrong dogs. (Still has the ability to use “legacy” track and train codes to share with Alpha 100 devices.

Garmin continues the ability to provide your hunting partners with a track and train codes that allows them to fully track and control your dog or can just give them a track code without a train code that will only allow them to track your dog without the ability to shock your dog.

NEW Garmin Explore App compatibility:

When paired to your phone via Bluetooth the Alpha 200i can share information from the device to your phone.

1. Track dogs on your phone
2. Easily type, send and receive messages through the Satellite Inreach with your phone.
3. Save hunts and tracks on your phone to show or share with your buddies.
4. Check the weather via Satellite Inreach system.
5. Allow family members or others to track you through the Satellite system.
6. And lastly the SOS Feature can be activated through your phone as well if you require Emergency assistance

If anyone has used the Inreach functions of Garmin devices you can appreciate how much easier it is to send/receive Messages using your cell phone. Although it Is possible to type messages and use the Inreach without a phone connected, using a phone makes the task much quicker and easier to type. We highly recommend using the APP for the Inreach functions.

Double U Fun Fact

Back in 2014, as an April Fool's joke, Double U did a spoof about an Alpha 200/TT20 combo. If you have not yet seen this and need a laugh check out these videos: