Garmin DriveTrack 70 – In-Depth Pro Guide Review
I have been using the Garmin dog tracking and training systems since they were first introduced nearly ten years ago. First it was the Astro series, which was a complete game changer in the hunting dog world, but I’ve since moved on to the Alpha 100 for its added training capabilities. As an avid houndsman who trains year-round, I push my Garmin units to the limit on a daily basis and I’ve always been pleased with their performance, dependability and ease of use.
I sure was excited when heard about the new DriveTrack 70LMT in-vehicle dog tracker and GPS navigator from Garmin. The DriveTrack is very user friendly and its big 7.0-inch touchscreen makes navigating and keeping track of your dogs a piece of cake. Simply touch the screen anywhere and the dog page pops right up and tells you their distance and status. Just sit back and watch the dogs work!
This unit was everything I hoped it would be. I liked it so much, I ordered another one for my second vehicle. I have enough cords in my truck, so I really like the fact that it communicates wirelessly with my Alpha 100 units. All that is required is the power cord. To get started, all I had to do was update my Alpha through Garmin Express to add DriveTrack compatibility and I was ready to roll.
One other thing I added to my DriveTrack was the Garmin HuntView mapping with BirdsEye Satellite Imagery. The pinch-to-zoom screen and exceptional quality of the TOPO 24K HuntView maps makes figuring out the exact location of your dogs and the best route to get to them a breeze.
The DriveTrack 70 is also a standalone GPS navigator for driving on the highways and in cities, so that’s just an added bonus. Simply tell it to find a pizza place and it will direct you right to one. The Bluetooth compatibility for your cell phone is great for hands-free calling and receiving smart notifications. There are all kinds of options and features to customize it just the way you like it. It comes with a sturdy suction cup mount that amazingly holds the DriveTrack without any vibration, and has a built-in ball joint so you can easily move the screen around so others in the vehicle can also watch the dogs work. The unit also has its own battery that will last up to an hour on its own, which is nice if you want to turn the vehicle off and just listen to the sounds of the hounds.
I have been very impressed and pleased with Garmin’s latest additions to their dog tracking line. If you haven’t added DriveTrack to your arsenal yet, order one. You won’t be disappointed!
-Cody Hensen
About the author: Cody Hensen owns and operates Royal Tine Outfitters and Royal Tine Guide and Packer School, along with his wife LeRee. When they aren’t guiding clients on a trophy Montana elk hunt or training the next generation of elite Western big game guides, you’ll find them chasing their well-trained pack of 13 Black and Tan Coonhounds around the beautiful Montana wilderness.
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