New to Me Garmin 200i and TT15 mini/ Can it replace my 66i for big game hunting too?

[rbljack]

I got lucky tonight and found a200i/TT15 mini bundle on the facebook marketplace for $550! Very excited to put this to use on my young lab. I wasn't too concerned until he started chasing rabbits and a deer at Mach 3 "eating" the shocks" on the e collar and putting yardage between us in thick cover. Maybe i'm just overly worried, but if he gets out of sight, this provides an additional level of "situational awareness" and insurance for me. I now understand why dog guys spend the money on these collars. I've got enough in training this dog (time and money, and frustration...LOL), that I don't want to loose him out in the field.

For those that are familiar with the unit, do yall think I could do away with my Garmin 66i at this point and use this 200i for both Dog training/dog hunting, and big game hunting as well? That way I would only have one inreach membership fee.

I need to research this more about the feature set of both units, but wondering if someone with a lot of experience with both units could chime in .

From what I know so far.....there are no "profiles" like Hike, Hunt, Bike, Drive etc to change thru on the 200i but the 66i has those. But with that said, not sure I need all those either. I like using OnX with my phone, so the 66i was backup navigation and Inreach capability primarily. Not only that, if I'm reading this right, I can pair the 200i with my Fenix 3 watch (also backup nav) too, so that sounds like a bonus.

I realize the TT15 mini is designed for smaller dogs in general, but it should still work, just not the same range Im assuming. Even if I need to buy the TT15 full size, i think I still come out good at this price.

 

[rbljack]

So now im going thru the set up pages and menus. I managed to get the unit updated with newest software, and paired it to my Fenix 3 watch so far.

Any tips or tricks appreciated. Do yall carry an extra battery or charge cord with you in the field? Looks like the handheld unit goes thru a charge fairly quickly.

 

[tops911]

I carry an extra battery; however, I have never needed it. I get a full day's use out of a battery with my 200i, I think with my 100 I have had the battery die while out hunting. I carry and use extra charging cables (hand held and collars) in my truck. My only bitch is that the 200i is not OnX compatible like the 100 is. So I still have to carry my phone and endue I remember to download off line maps. Of course it does not matter since OnX stopped supporting chips, but still I'd like to have the ability of not having to carry 2 devices.

 

[rbljack]

I carry an extra battery; however, I have never needed it. I get a full day's use out of a battery with my 200i, I think with my 100 I have had the battery die while out hunting. I carry and use extra charging cables (hand held and collars) in my truck. My only bitch is that the 200i is not OnX compatible like the 100 is. So I still have to carry my phone and endue I remember to download off line maps. Of course it does not matter since OnX stopped supporting chips, but still I'd like to have the ability of not having to carry 2 devices.

Thanks.. I ran the collar to full charge and then did a test to see how long it would last, seems to be somewhere around 18 to 20 hrs without using it for shocks/vibrates, etc. So it appears that the handheld will run out faster than the Collar in real world use.

 

[tops911]

I think the collars run out juice faster than the 200i, but I have never ran either out on my hunts if I start the day with a full charge. With the Alpha 100 I have had it run out of juice before the collars did.

 

[rocknry09]

I was thinking about doing something similar because I was in need of an inreach for a Western Elk hunt and also in the market for a dog collar GPS for grouse hunting in the midwest. After crunching some numbers it was actually cheaper for me to buy a Garmin Inreach mini 2 and a Garmin Pro 550.

One major benefit to the Inreach Mini 2 for backcountry hunts is the battery life. I am really glad I didn't have to keep charging it up like my buddy who had a Garmin Explorer.

Another reason I am going with the Pro 550 is because it is more geared towards training that the Garmin Alpha 300i. The Garmin Pro 550 has a dial to adjust stimulation levels for shock and can also be connected to the watches.