Garmin InReach

jfheilman

jfheilman

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Joined
Sep 15, 2006
Messages
439
Location
South Carolina
Bike
2007 ST1300A
I have a Spot tracking device. I purchased it for a trip around the northern part of Lake Superior last year. It worked find and the tracks were easy to view with the link I had. Today I found that the link no longer worked, the website had changed and customer service is only available Tuesday through Friday.

So, not that I want to, but I am considering dumping the Spot and getting an alternative tracking and SOS type device.

I am looking for feedback on the Garmin InReach. Basically;

Is the website easy to use to see where you are and where you have been?

Is the data stored for a long period or just a short time (in other words could I go back to a trip I took last September, today and see where I was?)

I just took my spot out on a short ride, had it in my jacket pocket and it failed to track except for the last 30 minutes (I was only goin for an hour).

Is the device easy to use? That is turn on, set tracking and go.

Thanks.
 
I have used the Delorme version of this. Garmin bought them out soon after and put their name on it. It is simple to use once you read the manual. I can send an email from it sharing a link for my friends to follow me. One of my friends uses a spot and was very impressed by the detail of the maps and tracking. The ability to text via satellite was a big win for me. I bought it just before we did a solo UP ride. Cell phone coverage is very limited in the UP (Upper Peninsula of Michigan).

I just logged in and my routes from 2 years ago are still there. The software and website has a slight learning curve, but it's not too bad.

I always have the unit on the outside of my jacket and have not had any issues with tracking. My plan has 10 minute tracking intervals which works for my purpose.

I've never used a Spot device, so I can't make a direct comparison.
 
You can store the "tracks" indefinitely on Spotwalla.com. Just configure the unit (Spot, InReach, etc) to send data there as well. From Spotwalla it is very easy to created different trips, share with whomever, etc.
As for Spot or InReach.......I had Spot for a while but gave up on it when it would miss several pings. Not much use having a locator if you can be many miles from where it last pinged. Incidentally, I was not the only one with Spot issues. Many others have had problems as well.

I find the InReach much more reliable for locations and the 2 way messaging is the best feature. No more wondering "did the message get sent? Is help really coming?, etc.

When I was using Spot, the tracks were only preserved for 1 year (I believe). Not sure about InReach but it is a few years for sure. I don't really bother with looking at the tracks on the Garmin site. I go straight to Spotwalla if I want to do that.
 
Phil, I use the Freedom Recreation Plan at $35 per month. I think there's some other fees on top of that. They have three different levels of personal plans and those are priced at either a cheaper annual cost, or a monthly cost. A nice part of the inReach billing, is you can shut your subscription off for the months you don't need it. So I shut mine off last October and haven't turned it on yet. Here's a link to their subscription plans. https://explore.garmin.com/en-US/inreach/

I don't bother with the text messaging with the inReach. Since I usually stay in a motel at night or at ToddC's place, I can call or text from the motel to my wife each night. What I have it for, is the tracking. With the exception of I-90 that goes over Snoqualmie Pass, none of the other highways in Washington state have cell coverage all the way over to the border. Even some of the side roads here in the state that are local in the Seattle area, don't have cell coverage. So I turn my inReach on when I leave in the morning on a trip and turn it off when I get to where I'm staying for the night. Battery life like that is about 3+ days. It gives my wife peace of mind, and the cost is well worth it for that.

Another benefit I find that I've only used occasionally is the free Earthmate app subscription. I can download detailed topographical maps to my smartphone and use the app in conjunction with the inReach to see where I'm at and where a trail goes, like for hiking or fishing. It'd work too if you were doing off-road riding.

Garmin offers several models of the inReach. I got the DeLorme inReach SE several years ago. I would not opt for the Explorer version unless the cost was minimal. Everything you want to do for mapping, route planning, etc. can be done on the smartphone. The Explorer screen is too small to be useful except for making some menu selections. Otherwise, the Explorer is no different than the SE. Garmin also has a "mini" version. If it comes with the Earthmate app, that would be an interesting alternative.

Some people make a big deal out of carrying it on their body while riding so that if they crash and can't get to the bike, they can call for help with the unit on themselves. I'm not too worried about that and simply hook it on my tank bag. If I crash and my wife wants to find my body, she can just look at the map and see where I was last at. But the choice is yours for where to put it.

Regarding SPOT vs inReach...I looked at the SPOT several years ago. It was the only one I'd heard of at the time. When I started digging into user reviews on the SPOT, there were quite a few of them that had some negative comments. Things may have changed, but there were three major factors that swung me towards the inReach.
  1. Two-way communication. The SPOT was only one-way. The inReach was two-way. In other words, you would send a text to your Sweetie...or an SOS...and not have any feedback that it actually was transmitted.
  2. Failure to send. The SPOT owners said (if I remember right) there was about a 35% or greater chance the message you sent, was never actually sent. That's inconvenient if you're texting your Sweetie...and disastrous if you're sending an SOS.
  3. Billing. The SPOT plans at the time were annual only. While the monthly cost was less, the annual cost came out more than if you used the inReach and suspended your plan when you didn't need it.
I've owned mine since 2016, I think and have no issues with it at all. If it died...I'd buy another. Highly recommend it.

Chris
 
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Still reading the responses. My issue with the Spot, besides the terrible website is the coverage. It worked fine last September but the last two days I tired it the coverage was spot. Regarding plans, at least InReach does have a monthly plan... So, if yo only use it three months out of the year the cost is about $120.
 
I have used both and now use the InReach Explorer. It has better coverage overall than the SPOT. I like the app for the InReach and connecting via bluetooth to my phone makes sending satellite texts easy. SPOT now has a similar device as the InReach but their satellite network is not as big as the InReach.
 
InReach uses the Iridium satellite system (same as sat phones). Better coverage in higher latitudes than the system Spot uses (name of it escapes me at the moment).
 
This was the last straw for me with Spot. It missed over 20 pings. Not the first time it happened.

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I had the Spot for years but I got tired of their 'iffy' coverage and the games they played at renewal time. They would jack the price up but if you complained they would drop it back down. It didn't start out that way but I think the company may have been purchased somewhere along the line.
I did not want to participate in that sort of shady business model. My challenge is that I ride year round so I would be looking at an 'always on' plan.
 
Spot3 is an improvement over reception of the previous models..... however, it seems initial cost of devices and plans of all types aren't cheap. Hard to pick one, really.... I have my Spot but have not renewed...... have not established direction going forward (no pun intended).
 
Drrod, that was what happened to me in my last to attempts to check out my Spot before using it again this year. I got maybe four pings when set for 10 minutes intervals in a two plus hour period.
 
A little different approach is to use SWconnect (iOS) or Bubbler (Android) and connect to Spotwalla, all at no charge. The drawback is that you need a data connection. Great for recording your route, which why I use it. Not great for emergencies if you don't have service, which is getting rarer and rarer. You also have to remember to turn it on at the beginning of the trip.
 
paulcb;

I looked at SWconnect app and it has good reviews. The down side is the power consumption (battery life). It would seem you would have to ensure your phone is always on charge when using the app. Other than that it looks interesting.

I don't usually put my phone on a power source when I ride. It can be done. Just not something I normally do.
 
jfheilman said:
paulcb;

I looked at SWconnect app and it has good reviews. The down side is the power consumption (battery life). It would seem you would have to ensure your phone is always on charge when using the app. Other than that it looks interesting.

I don't usually put my phone on a power source when I ride. It can be done. Just not something I normally do.
Click to expand...
Agreed, I usually don't put my phone on power either, unless I'm travelling, which is the only time I use SWconnect. Give it a try, it's free!

FYI, click the link for my Spot under my avatar to see my tracks in Spotwalla.
 
I have used a SPOT for over 10 years. Started out with the Gen 1 and now have a Gen 3. Never used their website, but have relied on Spotwalla.

Yes, the SPOT occasionally loses tracking pings, particularly when you are riding in a forest. Not surprising when you realize that tiny device is trying to transmit to a satellite system 900 miles above!

I believe the Globalstar network has an advantage in coverage as their satellites are at just under 900 miles altitude, while the Iridium network used by InReach is much lower at 450 miles. The best coverage is the Inmarsat network which is at 22,000 miles. InReach's lower altitude may be an advantage in reception from our small devices which might mean fewer lost tracking pings.

I have looked at InReach but determined that their Recreation annual plan is more expensive than the SPOT plan I have. I have no interest in the text messaging as I know I would use more than 40 if I had that service.

MySpot.jpg
 
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