Big Dogs, Big Country, Big Screen: Garmin Alpha XL Review

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You can have the best collars and a rock-solid handheld, but if you’re squinting at a tiny 3-inch screen while navigating rutted mountain roads, you’re still flying blind. That’s where the Garmin Alpha XL comes in. It’s Garmin’s answer for houndsmen who spend half the season behind the wheel and need to keep tabs on the chase without fumbling with a handheld. For those of us who actually use our gear in the field, that’s a game-changer.

Garmin has long been the gold standard in hound tracking, and the Alpha lineup has become a staple for serious dog handlers.

We tested the Alpha XL alongside the Alpha 300i handheld and a fleet of TT15X and TT25 collars across Montana’s lion and bear seasons, running six hounds in everything from post-hole snow to greasy spring gumbo. Honestly, I was skeptical at first—I wasn’t sure how it would fit into our hunts. Now, I can’t imagine running without it.

In short, the Garmin Alpha XL is a powerhouse add-on to the Alpha ecosystem. It delivers real-time big-screen tracking and training tools from your vehicle, making it an awesome upgrade for hunters covering big country—especially those who split up and run.

Garmin Alpha XL

9.1

How we rate products ⓘ

Specifications

• Display:
  10-inch high-resolution touchscreen (1280 x 800)
• Dog tracking:
  Pairs with Alpha 300i to track up to 20 dogs
• Range:
  Up to 9 miles (collar-dependent)
• Power source:
  12V vehicle power (quick-mount magnetic base or direct wire)
• Battery life (portable mode):
  Up to 2 hours undocked
• Navigation:
  Preloaded TopoActive, satellite imagery, HD elevation
• Training features:
  Stimulation, tone, vibration (via compatible collars)
• Compatibility:
  Works with TT25, TT15X, T5, T5X, T20
• Price:
  $1,200

Pros

• Large, easy-to-read 10″ touchscreen
• Seamless pairing with Alpha 300i and TT25 collars
• Real-time dog tracking and training from the vehicle
• Excellent mapping and navigation tools

Cons

• Expensive at $1,200
• Windshield mount may blocks driver’s view
• Not usable as a standalone handheld

Rachelle Schrute

Garmin Alpha XL Review

The Basics

At its core, the Alpha XL is a 10-inch touchscreen for your dash that shows exactly where your dogs are—no squinting at a tiny handheld or scrolling through clunky menus. It pairs seamlessly with your Alpha 300i and TT25 collars, giving you real-time tracking, direction, and distance for up to 20 dogs.

You can even train straight from the screen using tone, vibrate, or stim without digging through multiple menus. The device comes loaded with topo maps, satellite imagery, and elevation data so you can actually see what kind of terrain your dogs are working in.

What’s in the Box?

Out of the box, the Alpha XL comes with everything you need to get rolling. You get a suction-cup windshield mount, a magnetic mount with power contacts, a vehicle power cable, a USB-C cable, and both stubby and long-range VHF antennas.

There are also adhesive and screw-down mounting options if you want to hardwire it or skip the suction mount entirely. (The TT25 collars, $350 each, and the Alpha 300i handheld, $850, are sold separately.)

Installation is clean and simple. It powers straight from your truck and stays locked in place—even when you hit a rut hard enough to spill your coffee.

Field Testing: Montana Hounds, Snowbanks, and Spring Mud

We put the Alpha XL through its paces the way it was meant to be used. We chased mountain lions through snow-choked coulees and turned dogs loose on bears along muddy ridgelines. The Alpha 300i stayed clipped to our packs, while the Alpha XL remained mounted in the truck.

With six hounds running TT25 collars and the 300i handling the heavy lifting on foot, the XL let the driver stay completely connected without constantly grabbing a handheld. It added a new layer of safety while operating a vehicle and keeping tabs on the dogs.

It really shined when hunting with multiple handlers. Even with just one handheld device, we could split up—one hunter in the truck, one on foot—and stay fully connected with our pups across backroads and ridgelines at the same time.

I don’t often have road access to where our dogs run, but when I do—or when they suddenly sprint 14 miles and I need to catch up—the Alpha XL is a game-changer. More than once, we sent a hunter back to the truck to intercept the dogs on the other side, saving time and cutting serious miles off their run.

The 10-inch screen gives situational awareness like nothing I’ve experienced before. It pulls power straight from the truck’s 12V outlet, and the magnetic mount makes docking and undocking a breeze. Even in direct sun or bouncing over washboard roads, the screen stayed bright, visible, and responsive.

Just a heads-up: it does take up a fair bit of windshield space if that’s where you mount it, so keep that in mind—you might be flirting with the law a little.

Setting Up the Alpha XL for Real-World Use

Mounting: The included mount works fine, but it can block a good portion of your view. I’ve thought about swapping it for a lower mount, like a RAM or other vehicle tablet mount, for better visibility.

Powering the unit: The magnetic mount draws power from a 12V plug, but a hardwired install looks cleaner. If you plan to use it regularly and don’t want wires dangling, hardwiring is the way to go.

Pairing: Sync your Alpha 300i to the XL via Bluetooth before hitting the field. This ensures tracking and training data stay synced across both devices.

Field tip: Hand the 300i to your foot crew (if you have one) and let the driver run the XL in the truck. This setup keeps everyone fully connected without passing a single handheld back and forth.

What It Does Best

Big-Screen Dog Tracking While Driving

The Alpha XL provides a massive upgrade in visibility. The map is easy to read at a glance, and the touchscreen makes it fast to zoom, pan, and switch between map layers. You can see your dogs’ tracks, current direction, and distance without taking your eyes off the road for more than a second.

Perfect Companion to the 300i

The Alpha XL isn’t meant to replace your handheld—it’s designed to work alongside it. While the 300i handles the finer in-field controls and quick decisions, the XL turns your vehicle into a full-on command center.

We found ourselves splitting duties between driver and foot crew, and this setup made that division of labor completely seamless.

Training at Your Fingertips

You can issue stim, tone, or vibrate commands straight from the Alpha XL’s interface. Every dog icon is actionable, and the training functions are easy to access without digging through menus. It might not be quite as fast as the 300i in a split-second field situation, but for truck-based control, it works perfectly.

Rugged, Reliable, and Ready for Abuse

We ran the Alpha XL in everything from single-digit temperatures to mid-60s spring thaws. Sure, it stays in the truck, but the truck isn’t always the most comfortable environment. Even so, the XL never shut down, froze up, or lost track of a single dog.

Occasionally we noticed a little signal lag, but it was always temporary. The connection stayed solid across varied terrain and dense timber, which is exactly what you want when running multiple dogs in big country.

Where It Could Improve

Mounting Location Needs Creativity

The included windshield mount can put the screen in a bit of a legal gray area and might block a good portion of your view. If you plan to keep the Alpha XL in your truck long-term, a dash mount is probably a better option.

Battery Life Is Minimal Off-Dock

The Alpha XL can technically run off the dock for about two hours, but that’s not enough to make it practical outside the truck. This isn’t a handheld replacement—it’s a tool for your vehicle. Plan accordingly.

It Isn’t Cheap

At $1,200, the Alpha XL isn’t cheap. It really only makes sense if you’re already running a full Alpha system. But if you do a lot of vehicle-based dog management, the XL quickly proves its worth.

Who the Garmin Alpa XL Is For

The Alpha XL was built for serious houndsmen who spend as much time behind the wheel as they do on foot with their dogs. If you routinely run multiple dogs, cover big terrain, and need instant access to tracking and training features, this device pays for itself fast.

It’s especially valuable for hunters who split up during a chase to cover more ground, keeping everyone connected and in control.

The Alpha XL is perfect for:

• Hunters running five or more dogs
• Crews that split duties between vehicle and on-foot tracking
• Existing Alpha 300i users looking to upgrade their setup
• Anyone who’s ever squinted at a tiny handheld screen while dodging boulders and hunting for a signal

I’m also thinking about rigging one on my snowmobile for mountain lion season. If I can make it work, it would be—no exaggeration—game-changing.

If you’re just a weekend upland hunter chasing pheasants with a single setter, you can skip this one. But if your hunting days start at 4 a.m. and don’t end until the last dog is loaded, the Alpha XL is an incredible addition to your setup.

Alpha XL vs. Garmin DriveTrack

If you’re weighing the Garmin DriveTrack against the Alpha XL, there are some key differences to consider. The biggest one? The price—there’s a noticeable gap between the two.

Let’s break it down chart-style:

Bottom line: The DriveTrack is more affordable and works fine for basic tracking, but it can’t match the Alpha XL’s large screen or its ability to control dogs from the truck.

If you’re running hounds in serious country, the Alpha XL is the clear winner. But if you need to track dogs and don’t want to drop a small fortune, the DriveTrack will still get the job done.

Final Thoughts

I love my hounds, and anything that helps me keep track of them and keep them safe is a win in my book. The Garmin Alpha XL fills a gap I honestly didn’t know existed. Once you use it, you wonder how you ever hunted without it.

It works best as part of a complete system—not as a standalone device—but it makes dog management easier, safer, and far more efficient for your team.

The Alpha XL doesn’t replace your handheld; it enhances it. For those of us chasing dogs through Montana’s toughest conditions, being able to split up, drive, and still keep track of every dog makes all the difference.

If you’re a casual hound runner, this might not be for you. But if you live and breathe it like I do, and you’re already running handhelds and collars, the Alpha XL is a seriously valuable upgrade to your setup.

Sure, the price tag stings—but so does tromping all over the mountain after your pups.

FAQ’s