Garmin Alpha vs CORE Search

Connect to the hunt with the Alpha® LTE dog tracker, using cellular technology (subscription required). Use your smartphone to track your dog’s movements with the Alpha® app. Connect your Alpha LTE tracking system to a compatible Garmin VHF dog tracking system (sold separately) to leverage either LTE or VHF tracking signals. Use the Alpha app to navigate and mark waypoints with integrated mapping.

CORE Search brings modern search-and-rescue coordination to every phone on the search. Built for SAR teams, sheriff's volunteer units, CERT, K9 handlers, and community search groups — no dispatch center required. Everything syncs in real time with the CORE Search website command post. FIND-THEM-FASTER TOOLS • Search areas drawn on the map, color-coded by status and assigned to teams • Record your foot-search track with the screen locked; the end-of-search debrief computes Probability of Detection for the area you covered • Live team GPS — share your position at High, Balanced, or Battery Saver rates; every searcher's avatar pin moves on everyone's map • Live weather radar, flood zones, terrain and topo base maps TRACKS FROM ANY DEVICE • Every search gets a short intake code (like KT-471). Anyone — K9 handlers, drone pilots, family volunteers — can email a GPS file to tracks@badgeapps.com with the code in the subject and it lands on the search map in seconds. No account needed. • GPX, KML, KMZ, GeoJSON, and CSV — Garmin, onX, Gaia, and CalTopo exports • Color-code every track so overlapping teams stay distinguishable SAFETY FIRST • Hold-to-activate NEED ASSISTANCE alert: everyone sees your position instantly, and the app routes you back to the command post • SUBJECT FOUND alert — the banner everyone is hoping for • Check-in reminders on your team's interval; streaming GPS counts as contact • Comms Plan card: radio channels, call signs, and the lost-comms procedure WORKS WHERE THERE'S NO SIGNAL • Download offline maps for the search area before heading out • Photos, notes, and check-ins collected offline upload automatically when coverage returns COORDINATION • Team chat with channels, @mentions, photos, and pinned messages • Tasks with one-tap completion, comments, and assignment filters • The Event Log: a timestamped record of the whole search • Push notifications when the app is closed; in-app previews while you work • Invite outside teams and family liaisons to one search with view or edit access — they see that search and nothing else Free for search teams — create an account for your organization right in the app, or try the built-in demo search first.