Garmin ASTRO 900/T9 Owner's Manual

ASTRO® 900/T9

Owner’s Manual

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Garmin®, the Garmin logo, ANT+®, Astro®, BlueChart®, City Navigator®, and TracBack® are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries, registered in the USA and other countries. BaseCamp

™

and chirp™ are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. These trademarks may not be used without the express permission of Garmin.

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and the microSD logo are trademarks of SD-3C, LLC.

Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.

Introduction

WARNING

See the Important Safety and Product Information guide in the product box for product warnings and other important information.

Setting Up the System

You must set up the handheld device and the dog collar device before you can use the devices.

Install batteries in the handheld device (Installing Batteries,

page 1).

Charge the dog collar device (Charging the Dog Collar

Device, page 1).

Turn on the devices (Turning On the Device, page 2).

If necessary, add the dog collar device to the handheld device (Adding a Dog to the Astro 900 Handheld, page 4).

Acquire satellite signals (Acquiring Satellite Signals,

page 2).

Device Overviews

Astro 900 Handheld Device

NOTICE

Avoid using a high-powered radio (greater than 5 W) in close proximity to the handheld device. It may cause irreversible damage to the handheld device.

GPS antenna

Communication antenna

Power key

Display

Keypad

USB port (under weather cap)

microSD® card slot (under battery door)

Mounting spine

Battery cover D-ring

Keypad

IN Select to zoom in on the map.

OUT Select to zoom out on the map.

MAP Select to view the map.

MENU Select to open the menu for the active page.

Select twice to open the main menu.

ENTER Select to select options and acknowledge messages.

BACK Select to cancel data entry or return to the previous menu or

page.

MARK Select to mark your current location.

DOG Select to view the dog tracking page.

Select to view or scroll through options and to move the map pointer.

Locking the Keypad

Select .

Select OUT.

Dog Collar Device

Communication antenna

GPS antenna

Power key

Status LED and flashing beacon LEDs

Installing Batteries

The handheld device operates on two AA batteries (not included). Use NiMH or lithium batteries for best results.

Turn the D-ring counter-clockwise, and pull up to remove the cover.

Insert two AA batteries, observing polarity.

Replace the battery cover, and turn the D-ring clockwise.

Hold .

Select Setup > System > Battery Type.

Select Alkaline, Lithium, or Rechargeable NiMH.

Charging the Dog Collar Device

NOTICE

To prevent corrosion, thoroughly dry the contacts on the collar and the surrounding area before connecting the charging clip.

NOTE: Your dog collar device may look different than the device pictured.

Introduction 1

You should fully charge the battery before you use the device for the first time. Charging a fully depleted battery takes about five hours.

Snap the charging clip À onto the device Á.

Plug the small end of the power cable into the mini-USB port on the charging clip cable.

Plug the power cable into a power source. The status LED is solid red when the collar is charging.

After the status LED turns solid green, remove the charging clip from the collar.

Turning On the Device

• On the handheld device, hold the power key until the LCD display turns on.

• On the dog collar device, hold the power key until the status LED flashes and the collar beeps.

Turning Off the Device

• On the handheld device, hold the power key until the LCD screen turns off.

• On the dog collar device, hold the power key until the status LED turns red.

Acquiring Satellite Signals

Both the collar and handheld device must acquire satellite signals before you put the collar on your dog. Acquiring satellites can take a few minutes.

Go outdoors to an open area.

Turn on both devices (Turning On the Device, page 2).

Select the power key on the handheld device.

shows the GPS signal strength.

When the collar has acquired satellite signals, the status LED flashes a double-blink or triple-blink in green.

Adjusting the Backlight Brightness

NOTE: The backlight brightness may be limited when the

battery strength is low. Extensive use of screen backlighting can significantly reduce

battery life.

Select .

Select an option:

• To change between the preset brightness levels, select .

• To adjust the brightness levels manually, select or .

Select ENTER.

Fitting the Collar on Your Dog

CAUTION

Do not spray the device or collar with harsh chemicals including but not limited to flea or tick spray. Always ensure that any flea or tick spray that is applied to the dog is completely dry before placing the collar on the dog. Small amounts of harsh chemicals can damage the plastic components and collar laminate.

Before you can put the collar on the dog, you must pair the handheld device and collar (Adding a Dog to the Astro 900

Handheld, page 4), and acquire satellite signals (Acquiring Satellite Signals, page 2).

Position the collar with the communication antenna pointing up, the GPS antenna facing up, and the LEDs facing forward.

Place the collar around the middle of the dog's neck.

Tighten the strap so it is snug around the dog's neck. NOTE: The collar should fit tightly and should not be able to

rotate or slide on the dog's neck. The dog must be able to swallow food and water normally. You should observe your dog's behavior to verify the collar is not too tight.

If the strap is too long, cut off the excess, leaving at least

7.62 cm (3 in.) to spare.

Using the On-Screen Keyboard

A keyboard appears when you enter text.

• Select , , , and to select a character, and select

ENTER.

• Select to backspace.

• Select to shift.

• Select IN or OUT to change the character mode of the

keyboard.

• Select Done to save the text and close the keyboard.

Dog Tracking

The handheld device allows you to track your dog or multiple dogs, using the tracking compass or map. The map displays your location and your dog's location and tracks. The compass pointer indicates the direction of the dog's current location.

Tracking Your Dog on the Map

Before you can track a dog on the map, you must add them to the handheld device (Adding a Dog to the Astro 900 Handheld,

page 4).

You can view the dog's location on the map.

Select MAP.

Select IN and OUT to zoom in and out of the map.

Navigating to Your Dog

Select Dog List.

Select the dog.

Select Show Info > Go. The map opens.

Follow the magenta line to the dog.

Viewing Dog Status

You can view your dog's status, such as the direction and distance to the dog from the handheld device.

2 Dog Tracking

From the main menu, select DOG to view the dog tracking page.

If you have additional dogs, scroll through the list to find the dog.

The handheld device can track up to 20 dogs.

Select ENTER.

Dog Status Icons

Sitting

Running

On point

Treed

Unknown*

*The unknown status icon indicates that the collar has not acquired a satellite signal and that the handheld device cannot determine the location of the dog.

Location Alerts

Location alerts notify you when your dogs enter or exit a particular location. You can create a custom geofence or use a radius around your current location.

A geofence is an invisible boundary around an area and is created using points on the map. The virtual boundaries of a geofence are accurate up to approximately 3 m (10 ft.). Geofences perform best when sized to cover an area encompassing an average sized backyard (approximately ¼ acre).

Setting a Geofence Alert

Select Setup > Location Alerts > Add Alert > Geofence.

On the map, select a point for the first corner of the geofence, and select ENTER.

Select additional points to define the geofence boundary. You must select at least 3 points, and you can select up to 10

points.

Select BACK.

Setting a Radius Alert

You can receive an alert when a dog or contact moves within or beyond a specified distance from you.

Select Setup > Location Alerts > Add Alert > Radius.

Select the unit of measurement.

Enter the radius distance, and select Done.

Editing Location Alerts

Select Setup > Location Alerts.

Select an alert.

Select an option:

• Select Disable to turn off notifications for this alert.

• Select Set Alert Type to set the way the device notifies

you for this alert.

• Select Set Alert Mode to set the notification to sound on

exit, entrance, or both.

• Select Delete to remove the alert.

Dog Information

The handheld device assigns a default name, "Dog," to the dog collar device if it was packaged with the handheld device.

Hunt Metrics

Hunt metrics provides a collection of data that helps you understand the hunting patterns and behaviors of your dog. The

hunt metrics reset automatically at the beginning of each new hunt.

Data Fields

Distance: The total distance the dog traveled. Dog Score: A combination of metrics that indicates how well a

dog performed on a hunt.

On Point: The number of times and the locations where the dog

pointed during the hunt.

Time: The amount of time the dog was afield. Treed: The number of times and locations where the dog treed

during the hunt.

Resetting a Dog's Statistics and Track

You might want to clear the dog statistics and track before a new hunt.

Select Dog List.

Select a dog.

Select Show Info > Reset > Yes.

Changing the Length of the Dog's Track

You can adjust the length of time the dog track appears on the map. Reducing the duration of the track can reduce the clutter on the map. Changing the map does not affect the tracks stored in the handheld device.

Select Setup > Dogs > Dog Track Length on Map.

Select an option.

Select Map.

Changing a Dog Name

Select DOG > ENTER. The dog information appears.

Select the name field. The on-screen keyboard appears (Using the On-Screen

Keyboard, page 2).

Enter the name of the dog.

Changing the Color of the Dog's Track

You can change the track color of the dog. It is helpful to have the track color match the color of the collar strap, if possible.

Select Dog List.

Select a dog.

Select Show Info.

Select the colored square next to the dog’s name.

Select a color.

Changing the Dog Type

Before you can change the dog type, you must turn on the dog collar device and bring it within 3 m (10 ft.) of the handheld device.

You can assign a dog type so the appropriate dog status symbols appear.

Select DOG > ENTER > MENU.

Select Change Dog Type.

Select a type.

Setting Dog Alerts

You can adjust how the handheld device alerts you to certain actions of the dog.

Select Setup > Dogs > Dog Alerts.

Select an action.

Select the method the device uses to alert you for this action.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 as needed.

Dog Tracking 3

Removing a Dog

Select Dog List.

Select a dog.

Select Remove.

Adding a Dog to the Astro 900 Handheld

The handheld device can track up to 20 dogs with dog collar devices. If you purchase additional dog collar devices, you can add them to the handheld device.

NOTE: You can only add a dog collar device of the same communication protocol to your handheld device. Go to

support.garmin.com/collars for compatibility information.

Bring your dog collar device within range of the handheld device.

NOTE: The devices should be close enough to touch.

Select DOG.

Select Add Dog.

Follow the on-screen instructions. NOTE: An error message could appear if there is a conflict

with the ID number of another dog.

After pairing is complete, you can add the dog collar device to additional handheld devices using the dog collar device track code or control code.

Adding a Dog Using the Track and Control Codes

NOTE: This feature varies based on dog collar device type and

feature availability in your area. Before you can add a dog using the track and control codes, the

dog owner must find the track and control codes (Finding the

Dog ID and Track and Control Codes, page 4) and tell them

to you. You can use track and control codes to authorize a handheld

device to interact with your dog collar device. If you are not near the dog you want to add or you cannot put the collar into pairing mode, you can add the dog using the track and control codes.

Select DOG > Add Dog.

When asked if you are near the collar, select No.

When asked if you know the track and control codes, select

Yes.

Enter the track or control code for the collar, and select Done.

The dog’s track code allows you to track the dog. The dog’s control code allows you to both track the dog and access the collar settings.

Enter the name of the dog, and select Done > OK.

Finding the Dog ID and Track and Control Codes

You can share a dog’s track code so another person can track your dog. Also, you can share a dog's control code so another person can track your dog and access the collar settings.

Select Dog List.

Select a dog.

Select Show Info.

Assigning a Dog ID Manually

Before you can assign a dog ID manually, you must turn on the dog collar device and bring it within 3 m (10 ft.) of the handheld device. You must assign a new ID number to the dog.

Select DOG.

Select a dog.

Select Show Info > MENU > Change ID.

Select an unassigned and nonconflicting ID.

Changing the Update Rate

You can select a longer duration for the update rate to conserve battery power. The 30-second and 2-minute rates reduce battery drain, but they record less-detailed dog tracks and statistics.

Bring the handheld device within a few feet of the dog collar device.

Select DOG.

Select a dog.

Select Show Info > MENU > Change Update Rate.

Select an update rate.

Communication with the Collar

You should keep an unobstructed line of sight between your handheld device and the dog collar device to produce the best communication signal. To achieve the best line-of-sight conditions, you should move to the highest elevation point in your area (for example, on the top of a hill).

Best

Good

Poor

Tracking with BaseCamp™ BaseStation

Before you can track your dogs using BaseCamp, you must download BaseCamp to your computer (www.garmin.com

/basecamp).

The BaseStation feature of BaseCamp allows you to track your dogs in real-time on a computer. For more information on using BaseCamp, see the help file in the application.

Select Setup > System > BaseCamp Basestation > Prompted.

Open BaseCamp.

Follow the on-screen instructions.

Waypoints, Routes, and Tracks

Waypoints

Waypoints are locations you record and store in the device. Waypoints can mark where you are, where you are going, or where you have been. You can add details about the location, such as name, elevation, and depth.

Marking Your Vehicle Location

You can mark the location of your vehicle so you can navigate back to your vehicle after a hunt.

Select MARK.

Follow the on-screen instructions.

Marking Your Current Location

Select MARK.

Select an option:

• Select New.

• Select a default location name, such as Truck or Camp.

Edit the location information (optional).

Select Done.

4 Waypoints, Routes, and Tracks

+ 12 hidden pages

Garmin ASTRO 900/T9 Owner's Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual