Garmin Inreach vs Delorme Inreach

[JPG]

Anyone have experience with the new Garmin Inreach?

Im looking at the model with a GPS

I use Gaia on my phone as a GPS but I need a communication device and it sure would be great if it had a GPS in case as a backup.

Are the new Garmin models much better?

Appreciate any intel!

[Scance]

Yes.. I bought the new Garmin Explorer last year to replace my spot and gps.. works great, have had no issues and map are good... am hoping in the future they make it like the Rhino and have the walkie talkie feature in it as well, that would be great.

[Wentrot]

I grabbed one of the Garmin explorers when it came out and love it. No issues at all, worth the money.

[kootenaihunter]

The one thing I struggled with the Garmin Explorer was the internal battery and recharging. If you run out of juice on a trip, you're out a GPS and ELB and cannot pop in couple of AA's to get it going again. I guess you could pack a portable battery pack or a solar panel. Something like a Spot you can leave powered down and activate it only when needed.

The nice thing with Delorme is that you can stop and start your plan, and two way communication. Spot is one shot for the year. I'm holding out before upgrading, I think cell phones will be going satellite soon, sat phones are pretty cheap now, then you can talk and text anywhere.

Keep in mind, the Garmin Explorer does not have the mapping capabilities as say the Garmin 64st.

[Blockcaver]

The yellow Garmin InReach that I use (not set up as a GPS) uses way less power daily than my iPhone that I use to pair with it to text and as my GPS...probably about 20% as much. I am sure I could make a 10 day hunt and have battery to spare without charging it. I shut it off between checks for messages. It does charge up very quickly on my 6700 mah battery when I do charge it. Note...I keep the iPhone turned off as well except when using it to text via InReach, take photos or use GAIA for navigation, all the while in airplane mode when the phone is on. In February on a 10 day remote trip, I came back with a fully charged InReach and iPhone 7 and 1/4 of the 6700 mah battery pack remaining.

[twoSevenO]

The yellow Garmin InReach that I use (no GPS) uses way less power daily than my iPhone that I use to pair with it to text and as my GPS...probably about 20% as much. I am sure I could make a 10 day hunt and have battery to spare without charging it. I shut it off between checks for messages. It does charge up very quickly on my 6700 mah battery when I do charge it. Note...I keep the iPhone turned off as well except when using it to text via InReach, take photos or use GAIA for navigation, all the while in airplane mode when the phone is on. In February on a 10 day remote trip, I came back with a fully charged InReach and iPhone 7 and 1/4 of the 6700 mah battery pack remaining.

I thought the yellow one had GPS as well, just didn't come with maps on it. :/

[twoSevenO]

The bigger question is .... are there any good deals on plans?!?

one time purchase is no big deal ..... it's the recurring monthly charge for the plans that are killer.

[todbartell]

the yellow model is just for communication, orange model (Explorer) has a basic GPS unit. No ability to add maps

$35 a month for 100 messages. Suspend your plan for $2.95 per month. Reactivate it via your online account at any time. I only activate mine for hunting season

[Busterpayton54]

The plans are pretty good. I love being about to suspend at any time and wake it up at anytime without additional fees. Though I used mine all the time so I never do.
I have the orange model with colour maps. I never use the gps features though as the Gaia app on my iPhone is infinitely better.

The built in battery doesnt bother me at all. I find it more convininet actually. I carry an auxillary battery that charges all my devices from phone, inreach, headlamp, flashlight, even my portable music player.

[twoSevenO]

the yellow model is just for communication, orange model (Explorer) has a basic GPS unit. No ability to add maps

$35 a month for 100 messages. Suspend your plan for $2.95 per month. Reactivate it via your online account at any time. I only activate mine for hunting season

oh, that's not too bad if you can suspend and re-activate. that's great.

[JPG]

So even the maps/gps is lousy on the new Garmin model?
no ability to download better?

[Bag1]

Best to wait for a few months if you can, Garmin is coming out with a new model that will have a card slot and will accept a BRMB card
as of now you can only use the garmin maps,
I am waiting now for it and will upgrade my delorme unit

[Wentrot]

Best to wait for a few months if you can, Garmin is coming out with a new model that will have a card slot and will accept a BRMB card
as of now you can only use the garmin maps,
I am waiting now for it and will upgrade my delorme unit

The person I spoke to from Garmin says otherwise, at least for the foreseeable future. Be cool if you are right though.

[Bag1]

I spoke with the Garmin Reps at the boat show and was told they are building one now and hoping to have it in production later this year,
it will replace the explorer+ and still remain on the Iridium network, sounded like they had a few test models already in play

[todbartell]

I'll wait until the new inReach has a similar performance to an entry level Garmin GPS, like the Etrex20, with Micro SD card to load the BC Backroad chip. Maybe add a 8mp camera and it would be great

[twoSevenO]

Where does it show the cost of suspending a plan? I'm not able to find this info on their site.

I got a good gps for xmas so I think I'll just carry the communicator as a separate device for emergencies.

[todbartell]

https://inreach.roadpost.ca/contract-free-inreach-roadpost-plans/


(https://inreach.roadpost.ca/contract-free-inreach-roadpost-plans/)

[twoSevenO]

Thanks! You'd think that would be on the garmin site too but I couldn't find it there.

That's a pretty attractive option with 2.95 monthly out of season. I think I just picked out my 2018 bday gift :)

[bighornbob]

Thanks! You'd think that would be on the garmin site too but I couldn't find it there.

That's a pretty attractive option with 2.95 monthly out of season. I think I just picked out my 2018 bday gift :)

If you have time to purchase wait for a sale at Atmosphere. Thats where I got my original delourme. I checked prices everywhere and they were all pretty much the same ($5-10 difference). Atmosphere as a couple 25% off sales a year. I picked up the orange model for the price of a yellow one.

BHB

[bighornbob]

Another thing is to look for a promo code or event through Garmin/delourme. When i bought mine, some back packing group had a promo code for 15% of your monthly plans for the life of the unit. That beat any $75 promo Delourme was offering if you bought a unit. Google is your friend.

BHB

[Busterpayton54]

These units are not without some level of dissatisfaction.

You ou don't get a personal number to give out to others so you can be contacted in an emergency.
Every person you send a message to receives it from a different number, and that numbers can not be sent to from anyone else.

What im saying is you text your wife and she gets it from 657 8756, your son gets 273 5478, and your brother gets 367 5819 and on and on.
If they shared that number with someone else, that person sent you a message, it will not go through.

You can however share a web link to your personal map share page that can be set for anyone to see or various levels of password security for various tiers of access.. to see where you are at the moment, your track history, send messages and even see where you plan on going if you have imputed a planned route or waypoints.

[Bag1]

These units are not without some level of dissatisfaction.

You ou don't get a personal number to give out to others so you can be contacted in an emergency.
Every person you send a message to receives it from a different number, and that numbers can not be sent to from anyone else.

What im saying is you text your wife and she gets it from 657 8756, your son gets 273 5478, and your brother gets 367 5819 and on and on.
If they shared that number with someone else, that person sent you a message, it will not go through.

You can however share a web link to your personal map share page that can be set for anyone to see or various levels of password security for various tiers of access.. to see where you are at the moment, your track history, send messages and even see where you plan on going if you have imputed a planned route or waypoints.
this is true however whoever you text can simply just reply to the number as if it was your own, I only use the text function to communicate with home when I'm away for more than just a day hunt and out of cell range.
but keep in mind its not bulletproof either, last fall a major snow storm rolled in on us and I was unable to get messages out untill it cleared up a little the next morning

[JPG]

So it sounds like I should pick up a cheaper older Inreach SE in the meantime until Garmin gets it figured out and releases a better model with more abilities.

[twoSevenO]

So it sounds like I should pick up a cheaper older Inreach SE in the meantime until Garmin gets it figured out and releases a better model with more abilities.

I thought about this too but I heard that some of the older delrome devices dont even work nowadays and that the inreach units are VERY close to being obsolete.

I'd hate to buy one and have it not work in a year before the NEW garmin comes out. Besides, the new garmin will probably have a built in camera and other features besides gps and they'll want like $700 for it

[Blockcaver]

I saw lots of the older Delorme InReach units being (as well as the latest Garmin InReachs) used last fall by pilots and guides in the Canadian north. BS that they aren't working. Heck they are still selling leftover stock of the Delorme branded units. Really doubt they'll leave everyone that has a unit built prior to some future model release high and dry. That said, electronics are constantly evolving...and I hope to have the InReach capabilities in my iPhone someday without having to carry the second unit.

[Busterpayton54]

Yea as said above, whomever you text will be able to use that number to contact you as if it was your own.

And this is not not an issue with the unit model, this is how their system is designed. For security purposes apparently and believably so. Each message you send out gives your current coordinates (if you have that setting on) so you could imagine if the wrong people got ahold of your number and could verify where you are by illicit information a response or flooding you with messages to use up your allotment.

[JPG]

This is a kick starter that competes with Inreach but lighter in weight

https://gearjunkie.com/somewear-smallest-two-way-satellite-communications-device-global-hotpsot

Thoughts?

[Travalanche]

I use the InReach SE with the EarthMate app on my iphone for navigation and coms through the InReach and find it works great. Never had any problems with the InReach SE. Great battery life and has never failed to send or receive a message.

[jlirot]

This is a kick starter that competes with Inreach but lighter in weight

https://gearjunkie.com/somewear-smallest-two-way-satellite-communications-device-global-hotpsot

Thoughts?

This looks awesome. Would love to support some competition for Garmin etc. I'll be keeping an eye on these guys. I've been thinking I would wait for the rumored new Garmin with the ability to use the Back Road Maps chip. If that doesn't come out before I decide I need one - this looks like the ticket. I'm going to subscribe to their newsletter.