Satellite communicators/beacons - who has one?
- Thread starter PrivatePilot
- Start date
Doesn't look like Radioworld does PLB/PLC rentals anymore.
Thanks for the real world insight @Lightcycle. Question if you know: Can multiple people pair to the InReach (specifically the Mini2) and send messages to different people if they have the app on their phone, or does it seem like it's really locked to one individual phone? The whole purpose behind this is that given we will be travelling in plus camping overnight in multiple very off-grid/far flung spots during this trip if it goes as planned, all 4 of us would like to be able to check in and perhaps have a bit of conversation back and forth (advantage of unlimited messaging options) on our own phones. If it's just a matter of each person downloading the app ahead of time and connecting to the device, that's cool. But if the device is really locked down to a single device then we can make it work (we'll just pass a single phone around to everyone), but everyone using their own would be ideal.
How is the ability for others to send YOU messages vs just replying? Is it all SMS based for the people on the other end or do they need an app as well or something? I found these very convoluted directions for how to message an Inreach online and it looks like a PITA.
Sending a Message to an inReach Device | Garmin Customer Support
Garmin Support Center is where you will find answers to frequently asked questions and resources to help with all of your Garmin products.support.garmin.com
Do you have an unlimited plan by chance? If so, interested in renting me your unit for 7-8 days? lol
The protocol between your phone and the Inreach is proprietary over Bluetooth, so you can't use your normal texting app, you have to use the Garmin App to send texts.
The InReach sends the message to the cloud via the Iridium network, then the Garmin server in the cloud forwards it to your recipient via the SMS protocol. Your recipient doesn't need to have any app, they just use their normal SMS to receive the message and they can reply to the message (or if they know your InReach SMS number, they can send the text directly to that).
The complicated part here is that to receive messages from your InReach, you have to manually poll the Garmin Server in the cloud to see if there are any SMS messages waiting for you. You do that through a menu option on the InReach - it's called "Checking Mail". Messages are then downloaded to your InReach and then you can either read the message on your InReach or read it via the Garmin App on your phone. It's not a real-time messaging system and I don't believe you can set it to automatically poll the Garmin server because that will unnecessarily eat up bandwidth on the Iridium network.
As you can see, multiple people can't really use the same InReach because there's only one SMS number. If you want to share the number and you're okay with everyone seeing each other's messages (just via the InReach number) then I suppose you can unpair and repair everyone's phone with the Mini. But that's a very manual and tiresome process. It would be easier to have one person be the InReach owner and then pass your phone to whoever wants to text their loved one to let them know they're okay. You don't use your normal SMS messaging app anyway, it's all done via the Garmin App, so the owner's personal texts aren't displayed on the Garmin app.
I mainly use the unit as an SOS beacon, so I don't have an unlimited plan, but I pay monthly for the 2nd tier service (for unlimited breadcrumbs) and suspend the service for the months that we're not traveling. You can upgrade to the unlimited plan for a single month.
I have no problem lending you the InReach. But we travel quite often. When do you need it?
The SOS feature is cloud-based, so we'd have to set it up beforehand on my account. Not even sure if evac services will honour a rescue if it's not the original contract-owner sending the SOS...? If you're not using the SOS feature, then perhaps it could work. As someone above mentioned the JBR is well-traveled so you'd probably only be using the InReach as a communication device.
Also, I'm in BC, so there would be a shipping delay back and forth. Let me know and we can try to make it work.
Edit: I just checked the subscription plans, and it would be ~$100 CDN for the one month of unlimited service ("Consumer: Expedition"), plus whatever shipping costs from BC to ON and then back again.
inReach® Consumer Subscription Plans | Garmin
www.garmin.com
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I have an old Delorme Inreach device that’s currently not activated (I deactivated it once I realized I was pissing money away if I wasn’t out in the boonies all the time). If you ride out Kingston way you can pick it up, activate it and get your plan then mail it back or drop it off.
It’s the same as the larger Garmin Inreach device. Has the same two-way capability etc.
It’s the same as the larger Garmin Inreach device. Has the same two-way capability etc.
Is there a need to "check in" daily? We always go with "no news is good news". As to breadcrumbs the Squeeze just checks online banking to see where I last bought gas.
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Being able to have our spouses message *us* if something goes wrong back home is just as important (to me at least) as me messaging back home to let them know that our day went fine.
And being able to ask my wife to copy/paste weather updates back to us at any point we're somewhere where I can't get them via regular methods would be useful as well.
Although I love to travel and go "wherever the wind takes me", I will admit I like to know what the wind might bring the next day. That requires a basic level of connectivity.
Glad you don’t have a problem with it. Phew.
You misunderstood me. I didn't say I didn't have a problem I said there was no problem. Big difference. You'll have to pay closer attention, there will be a quiz later.
Your humour indeed belongs to this collection of masterpieces: r/GermanHumor
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Relax
Well-known member
The Garmin devices are currently on sale for about $70 off, which is supposedly a recurring sale price. MEC says the sale ends June 18. Also at other retailers such as Amazon:
www.mec.ca
$324.99 (Reg $399.99)
www.mec.ca
$469.99 (Reg $539.99)
Garmin inReach Messenger | MEC
Garmin inReach Messenger: Never underestimate the power of an “I made it” text. The inReach Messenger refines the core features of the inReach line, into an easy to use off-grid communicator.
www.mec.ca
Garmin inReach Mini 2 | MEC
Garmin inReach Mini 2: Packed with all the life saving and messaging capabilities of its predecessor, the inReach Mini 2 adds improved GPS reception and a longer battery life.
www.mec.ca
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Relax
Well-known member
In case anyone didn't notice:
"Check-in messages have replaced preset messages as of September 27th, 2022. inReach accounts set up prior to this date will still have preset messages available, but any new accounts created after this date will use check-in messages."
The 3 unlimited check-in messages are:
- I'm checking in, everything is okay.
- I'm starting my trip.
- I'm ending my trip.
Personally, I find the last two useless. I would have kept the first one for actual check-ins, and made one of them something to the effect "Everything is okay, but running late."
support.garmin.com
"Check-in messages have replaced preset messages as of September 27th, 2022. inReach accounts set up prior to this date will still have preset messages available, but any new accounts created after this date will use check-in messages."
The 3 unlimited check-in messages are:
- I'm checking in, everything is okay.
- I'm starting my trip.
- I'm ending my trip.
Personally, I find the last two useless. I would have kept the first one for actual check-ins, and made one of them something to the effect "Everything is okay, but running late."
Differences Between Preset, Check-in, and Quick Text Messages | Support Center
Garmin Support Center for Canada is where you will find answers to frequently asked questions and resources to help with all of your Garmin products.
support.garmin.com
In case anyone didn't notice:
"Check-in messages have replaced preset messages as of September 27th, 2022. inReach accounts set up prior to this date will still have preset messages available, but any new accounts created after this date will use check-in messages."
The 3 unlimited check-in messages are:
- I'm checking in, everything is okay.
- I'm starting my trip.
- I'm ending my trip.
Personally, I find the last two useless. I would have kept the first one for actual check-ins, and made one of them something to the effect "Everything is okay, but running late."
Differences Between Preset, Check-in, and Quick Text Messages | Support Center
Garmin Support Center for Canada is where you will find answers to frequently asked questions and resources to help with all of your Garmin products.
I'm grandfathered in, so I can edit my preset messages. But for those who aren't, this is kind of a kludge: if you tell your predefined contacts that "I'm starting my trip" actually means "Everything is okay, but I'm running late", that might be a workaround.
Can't think of many instances when I'd want to tell someone, "I'm starting my trip". They can just look at the map and see my position moving.
Also, realistically, at the base plan, you get 10 txt messages a month. Just make sure you don't run late more than 10 times a month!
The more useful plan that most people get is the unlimited tracking one, and that nets you 40 txt messages a month.
