Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the
global leader in satellite navigation, announced today the Astro 320, a
new handheld dog tracking receiver. The new Astro 320 has features that
hunters have been asking for – like increased range, a simplified user
interface, and must-have mapping capability.
"Garmin is clearly the expert when it comes to reliable GPS technology,
and we’re the pioneer in satellite dog tracking,” said Dan Bartel,
Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. "Since the original Astro
was delivered, we’ve listened closely to feedback from houndsmen and
bird dog owners. The Astro 320 is the result of that feedback.”
Thanks to an included redesigned antenna, the maximum range between the
Astro 320 and a Garmin tracking collar has been increased by nearly 30
percent – up to nine miles in flat, unobstructed terrain. Like its
predecessor, the Astro 320 can track up to 10 dogs per receiver at once,
and the unit is fully compatible with Garmin’s DC 20, DC 30, and DC 40
dog tracking collars and accessories.
Robust mapping capability has always been a hallmark of the Astro line,
and the new Astro 320 delivers even more highly detailed, full color,
sunlight readable mapping capabilities. In addition to the pre-installed
basemap, the Astro can be loaded with 100k or 24k Topo maps or
photorealistic BirdsEye™
Satellite Imagery ($29.99 annual subscription required). The Astro
320 has 1.7 gigabytes of on-board memory available for loading maps, and
a microSD slot for pre-loaded cards.
Mapping depicts important nearby geographical features – and lets
hunters know, for example, if their dog has crossed a creek or is
nearing a dangerous road. With BirdsEye Satellite Imagery, hunters can
pinpoint buildings, powerlines, and even individual trees – directly on
their Astro 320. State wildlife departments are also offering more and
more downloadable third-party maps of public hunting boundaries, which
help ensure dogs and their owners are on legal ground. Hunters and
trainers can also download, view and save their dog’s tracks to a
computer for viewing in Garmin’s BaseCamp
utility – a great tool for evaluating performance.
All these features are integrated into a refined user interface for
easier and more useful operation. Not only does the Astro 320 indicate a
dog’s distance and status, (running, pointing, or treeing) but it can be
toggled to indicate the direction the dog is moving on the unit’s map
page. Each dog’s precise distance can also be presented on the map page,
and users can choose an option that auto zooms the map so all dogs can
be seen on the display at any time. Alternately, dogs that are too far
away to fit on the map’s current zoom scale can be notated on the
display’s margin in the direction of the dog’s location. The user can
also choose the duration that each dog’s tracklog is viewed on the
display – or toggle it off completely for a cleaner display. Taken
together, these refinements give dog handlers more data that is more
easily understood – making their hunt or training session safer, more
productive, and more enjoyable.
A new three-axis electronic compass lets hunters accurately view their
dog’s position when holding the Astro 320 at any angle. In addition to
audible alerts, Garmin has also incorporated a new vibration feature on
the Astro 320, and the new handheld also features a handy keypad lock so
buttons aren’t accidentally pushed while being carried in a pocket or
through thick brush. Dog handlers can wirelessly transfer waypoints,
tracks, and even their dog’s tracking settings to other Astro 320 users.
The new Astro 320 is fully waterproof and runs on two AA batteries for
up to 20 hours.
For current Astro users looking to upgrade, the Astro 320 handheld unit
has an MSRP of $499.99. A complete system, which includes an Astro 320
and one DC 40 tracking collar and accessories, will be available for
$649.99 (MSRP). The Astro 320 is expected to be available in July 2011.
For more information, please visit http://sites.garmin.com/astro.
Garmin has spent more than 20 years developing technologies and
innovations to enhance users’ lives, making the company a household name
in the automotive, aviation, marine, wireless, outdoor and fitness
industries. For more information about Garmin’s entire line of products
and services, go to www.garmin.com,
www.garmin.blogs.com
and http://twitter.com/garmin.
About Garmin International Inc.
The global leader in satellite navigation, Garmin Ltd. and its
subsidiaries have designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation,
communication and information devices and applications since 1989 – most
of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin’s products serve
automotive, mobile, wireless, outdoor recreation, marine, aviation, and
OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its
principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the
United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin's virtual pressroom
at www.garmin.com/newsroom
or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin and
Astro are registered trademarks and BirdsEye is a trademark of Garmin
Ltd. or its subsidiaries.
Notice on Forward-Looking Statements:
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd.
and its business. Such statements are based on management’s current
expectations. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in
this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as
a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting
Garmin, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed in the
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 25, 2010, filed
by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file
number 0-31983). A copy of such Form 10-K is available at www.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/finReports.html.
No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking
statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin
undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events, or otherwise.
