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Garmin TT15 (mini) range?

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2017 6:35 pm
by SeattlePete
Hi,

I've been using a Garmin Alpha with a TT15mini collar this season - mainly chukar hunting.

I've been having issues where I lose reception with the TT15mini collar at quite short ranges - sometimes as short as 150 yards when the dog is happily hunting in the draw one over from me with maybe a ~75ft up and down between us. That is probably the worst example, but numerous times I've lost reception at ~250 yards (without any big hills between, but not perfect line of sight, it is chukar hunting after all), the best I've got is 600 yards. The dog happily checks in and ranges about 200 yards in this terrain, so I haven't worried too much up to now but I would rather a better safety net.

I spoke to the really helpful guys at GunDogSupply, who seemed surprised, but said they would see me right with perhaps a full size collar. They suggested I chatted to Garmin, who seemed to think ~150 yards was reasonable with a smallish bump between the dog and I.

What typical ranges are folk getting (ideally in hilly terrain; mini v. standard TT15 collar)? Does this seem normal? Worth upgrading to the full size collar?

Otherwise fantastic first season with my young Brittany - loved every minute of it and dreaming of road trips next season!

Thanks,
Pete

Garmin TT15 (mini) range?

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2017 9:46 pm
by Shellottome
Have you updated?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Re: Garmin TT15 (mini) range?

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2017 10:12 pm
by greg jacobs
Had the alpha and tt10. Added a tt15. When I got the tt15 I had to update the handheld before it would hookup right. Neither is a mini. Both are good out at 1000 yds and out of sight. If I get to big of a hill between us I can loose communication. I use the long antenna

Re: Garmin TT15 (mini) range?

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2017 10:22 am
by randomnut
My experience yesterday with my TT10. Flat ground with a few trees. Lost communication at 1 mile, intermittently picked up reception between 1-1.5 miles.

I was expecting hopefully 2 miles. I'd be upset too at 150 yards.

Re: Garmin TT15 (mini) range?

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2017 8:51 pm
by SeattlePete
Thanks for the information.

Sounds like I have a bit of a lemon. Or the mini really isn't up to the task, but reviews such as Steve Snell's seem to like it. I've managed to borrow another mini, so I'm going to do a direct comparison when I have a chance and see whether my unit isn't working properly.

Re: Garmin TT15 (mini) range?

Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2017 5:05 pm
by DeLo727
I haven't noticed any difference between my mini and the reg. Granted, I don't ever have a dog several hundred yards out but I don't seem to be affected by terrain and differently than I was with the standard unit.

Re: Garmin TT15 (mini) range?

Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2017 11:56 am
by greg jacobs
I believe the Garmin information shows less distance and less battery life.

Re: Garmin TT15 (mini) range?

Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 7:26 pm
by SeattlePete
I just wanted to update this thread in case anyone else has a similar problem.

I finally got to do a side by side comparison with a second complete Alpha handheld and TT15 mini collar. I had both handheld units tracking both collars.

My original collar lost signal to both handhelds at only 400 yards, despite line of sight (so similar to what I observed during the hunting season). However, the new collar continued to be picked up by both handhelds. I got as far as 3 miles, it wasn't line of sight - think collar in a large floodplain with me 3 miles away on the back side of large flat hill, so not line of sight but not canyons either. This was using the smaller antenna on the handhelds. At 3 miles I had continuous communication with the collar, but perhaps interestingly the level of communication was fluctuating. Out of a possible max signal strength of 5, it was fluctuating between 1 and 4 on both handhelds as I walked around a parking lot, but never dropped signal completely.

So there was definitely a problem with my original collar, but the other mini collar was performing great and probably would be able to achieve the manufacturer's stated range of 4 miles with line of sight.

Anyway problem solved. I'm a little annoyed at how Garmin dismissed my concerns and said my unit was operating as expected - that's partly why I am writing this, in case anyone else has this problem. Moving forward I'm very happy with the unit especially in combination with a Fenix 3 watch.

Thanks,
Pete

Re: Garmin TT15 (mini) range?

Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 8:19 pm
by SeattlePete
Sorry for that long post, about something which in reality is a bit boring, so have a picture of a puppy...

Re: Garmin TT15 (mini) range?

Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 11:03 am
by reba
You really should update both the collar and hand set. Very easy to do on line.

I update every year.

Re: Garmin TT15 (mini) range?

Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 11:21 am
by SeattlePete
Everything was running the latest firmware.

Re: Garmin TT15 (mini) range?

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 9:42 am
by reba
Pete,

Do another update just for fun.