InReach??? Can I get some user feed back on these

[chris_paquin]

Hey guys I am looking for some thoughts on these things from guys that have used them. Also what your thoughts are on if a guy should pay the extra for the explorer or just go with the SE? Let me know what yOu have and what you like or dislike about them

 

[norona]

Hey guys I am looking for some thoughts on these things from guys that have used them. Also what your thoughts are on if a guy should pay the extra for the explorer or just go with the SE? Let me know what yOu have and what you like or dislike about them

I am an athlete for inReach, I have also had several spots previously, the main difference over the spot is that inreach uses the iridium sat network which has over double the satellites. The main issue I had with spot is that it took 20-30 minutes for a message to be sent and sometimes not at all, do a google search as it is common. The inReach messages go in 1-2 minutes sometimes faster, this is important for emergency, you can also text or email back and forth and that is the best part about it. The in reach is more money up front and monthly packages are about the same for both. I have both the explorer and the se and i did not think I needed the explore, but the compass and running time on it is pretty awesome, that being said if you have a gps(which the explorer is not) then the se is fine as well as if you don't need a lot of bells and whistles then go with the se, make sure you get the piggy back cover as it will protect it well. here are a few vids of me using it. cheers dave

 

[norona]

here is one of the messages being sent from the middle of nowhere at 7-8 thousand feet

 

[norona]

Here is a bit on the explorer....

 

[calltrex]

I have the se. Works awesome. Was out of cell service out riding for 4 days. Was able to use it to contact others to meet us at our camp. Was great being able to contact anyone in the world

 

[arff]

I have the se. Works awesome. Was out of cell service out riding for 4 days. Was able to use it to contact others to meet us at our camp. Was great being able to contact anyone in the world

I currently have a spot..


Last week cell service was not great and then the cell died.

Our group was late returning in the dark. No way to contact people at camp.

So you can text a person's cell phone with the InReach saying we are ok running late etc??

If that is the case I will buy one.

Thanks

 

[neilsleder]

I currently have a spot..


Last week cell service was not great and then the cell died.

Our group was late returning in the dark. No way to contact people at camp.

So you can text a person's cell phone with the InReach saying we are ok running late etc??

If that is the case I will buy one.

Thanks

Yah you can!

 

[arff]

Yah you can!

Thanks. Since we had no cell service by that creek Sunday night. A quick message back to camp would be nice.

 

[sweld]

I currently have a spot..


Last week cell service was not great and then the cell died.

Our group was late returning in the dark. No way to contact people at camp.

So you can text a person's cell phone with the InReach saying we are ok running late etc??

If that is the case I will buy one.

Thanks

It will also text a link they can click on that will show them where you sent the text from.


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[neilsleder]

Thanks. Since we had no cell service by that creek Sunday night. A quick message back to camp would be nice.

Would of been nice. I have been wanting to get one for a long time!


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[puddle]

I used to have SPOT. I now use the in reach SE. A little slow because you have to do the slow "one letter at a time" text, and you have to wait a bit for reply messages. Bulletproof for 2 way communication anywhere. Great for sending locations.

 

[ferniesnow]

I have had the SPOT's and now have the SE. The biggest thing I have learned is that you have to know your equipment and how it works! Not just the buttons, but the process. I have a staging area that I use, some days it works fine and other days not so fine. It dropped off the back of my deck one day and it laid in the snow for 14 hours (it was on a vehicle track so it wasn't covered) and it was still trying to send the signal. That staging area is pretty wide open but obviously not wide open enough. It will send messages further down the trail. So, one has to know what to expect. It is understandable, the higher the better as there is less interference with the satellites.

Pre-programmed email and phone messages (text) with a GPS link (I have left the staging area and I am back at my truck now) can be sent as well as whatever message you want to send. "when we got through the clouds it was blue bird and only -5" sent to my wife to rub in the fact that she thought it was too cold to ride as it was -20 in town.

The only concern I have had (other than not being able to contact the satellites on occasions) is viewing the screen. Sometimes it is a pita due to reflections.

 

[calltrex]

The spot is garbage. You don't really know if anyone got your emergency message because there's no 2 way communication. You could be waiting for someone to come who is never coming

 

[teeroy]

I currently have a spot..


Last week cell service was not great and then the cell died.

Our group was late returning in the dark. No way to contact people at camp.

So you can text a person's cell phone with the InReach saying we are ok running late etc??

If that is the case I will buy one.

Thanks

Yah you can!

the SE needs a charged and functioning cell phone to send any messages other than the pre programmed messages like the spot, as it must be paired to send custom messages to any number other than the pre selected messages. if you're cell is dead, you are not able to send custom messages. I leave my cell phone either shut off or in airplane mode to not deplete the cell battery when not in use.

 

[sweld]

the SE needs a charged and functioning cell phone to send any messages other than the pre programmed messages like the spot, as it must be paired to send custom messages to any number other than the pre selected messages. if you're cell is dead, you are not able to send custom messages. I leave my cell phone either shut off or in airplane mode to not deplete the cell battery when not in use.

Not sure if they changed since you bought one but mine does not need to be paired with a cell to send custom messages. Mine is 3 weeks old.


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[teeroy]

Not sure if they changed since you bought one but mine does not need to be paired with a cell to send custom messages. Mine is 3 weeks old.


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I'm not sure how the one with the screen works, but I know my first gen will only send three different pre programmed messages to a list of numbers you enter when you set it up if not paired to a cell phone. I think I made an error regarding the model, as the SE may be one with a screen? mine has no screen

 

[chris_paquin]

Thanks guys!

 

[LID]

That was the original one, before the SE. I don't know if they even sell the old one (non screen one) that was basically a spot that you could pair with your phone.

New one you can type the old slow garmin way on the screen with the touch pad. Much faster when you pair your phone to type, and all of your contacts are right there.

Customer service is great. My SE died on me at tailgate Alaska. InReach had a display tent and the guys replaced my unit with a brand new one on the spot.

It makes a nice loud sound when your message actually sends or when you receive, that way you can do other stuff and not have to stare at the screen or look for a blinking light to change colour

 

[TDR]

I wouldn't travel to the back country without mine. Works really well and is inexpensive considering what we spend on out sleds.

 

[teeroy]

That was the original one, before the SE. I don't know if they even sell the old one (non screen one) that was basically a spot that you could pair with your phone.

looked it up on the DeLorme site, they still sell the "original" as they refer to it. it uses the iridium network as opposed to the globalstar system used by spot. "SE" means screen edition I guess, explorer model has the GPS capability