- If the battery must be installed in the handheld to charge.
- Charging the handheld may take around 3-4 hours and should be performed at room temperature (never frozen or hot).
Select your product to confirm this information applies to you
How Do I Get Started with My Garmin Alpha 200?
Before heading out with the Alpha® 200 system, it is recommend that it is set it up and ready to use. The following simple guide has several suggestions to get started.
Charge the Handheld and Collars
First, make sure that both the handheld and the collar(s) are properly charged. Products containing Lithium-Ion batteries are purposely shipped with less than a full charge.
Pair Any Additional Collars You Have Purchased
After the handheld and additional dog collars are fully charged, you can and add/pair them together.
- Collars will need to be Added/Paired to the handheld.
TIP: Enter the dogs in the order in which you would like to most see them.
- Make sure the collar(s) are unplugged and powered OFF.
- On the handheld:
- Touch Dog List.
- Touch + Add Dog.
- Touch Pair Collar.
- .Press and hold the collar Power button until it beeps twice (or about 4 -5 seconds, then let go)
- The LED on the collar should be flashing rapidly in green. It is now ready to be paired to the handheld.
- Keep the collar near the handheld until the handheld gives you the keyboard screen to enter the dog’s name.
- After you have entered the dog’s name, touch the
to indicate okay.
If you plan to share collars from another hunter's Dog List, use a track, train, or control code from the other hunter's dog's information page. See this FAQ for steps - What are Track, Train, and Control Codes and Why Would I Use Them?
- On the handheld:
- Touch Dog List.
- Touch + Add Dog.
- Touch Enter Track or Control Code.
- Enter a track, train or control code.
- Touch .
Download BirdsEye Direct Satellite Imagery
BirdsEye Direct download is a preloaded service with no annual service fee for BirdsEye Satellite Imagery only. In order to use this feature, a Wi-Fi connection on the device or a Mobile Data connection via the Garmin Explore™ app will be needed. To use Birdseye Direct, see - Download, View, or Delete BirdsEye Direct Satellite Imagery on an Alpha 200 Series.
NOTE: The Alpha 200 handheld can continue to be used while the imagery is downloading. It is important to remember to stay within range of the Wi-Fi network while downloading the imagery. If viewing the BirdsEye images in BaseCamp™ software, see - BirdsEye Direct Download Images Not Showing in BaseCamp™.
Installing Software Updates to the Alpha 200 Handheld
Software for your Garmin Alpha 200 handheld should be kept up to date to take advantage of improvements and bug fixes. Updates are free and easy to install. There are three ways you can keep the software update. Two are automatic and the third is manual and can be done at any time.
The two methods that occur automatically are through Wi-Fi and the Garmin Explore app.
Other Helpful Articles and Manual links for Customizing the Device and General Usage
- Setting Up My DriveTrack to Track My Dogs
- Adding HuntView Plus and Other Outdoor Maps on the Alpha 200
- TopoActive Maps Preloaded on the Alpha 200
- Alpha 200 Training Page Lock/Pushpin
- Alpha 200 Touch Screen Lock and Training Key Lock
- Changing the Dog List Order on the Alpha 200
- Geofence Feature on Astro 430, Astro 900 & Alpha 100
- What are Track, Train, and Control Codes and Why Would I Use Them?