Inreach Mini

[Tango Eight]

Has anyone found anything not to like about the Inreach Mini?

T8

[[email protected]]

Hi Everyone,

How do you use the mini? Does battery life allow for tracking during flight or is it a single text upon landing kind of thing?

[Dan Marotta]

Paying a subscription for something I wouldn't use except in an
emergency is high on my list.

None of my other emergency gear requires me to pay for the privilege of
having it sit in a bag.Â* I can be tracked via my transponder, ADS-B, my
phone if I have location services turned on, and probably my Flarm to a
lesser degree and I don't need to send text messages via satellite while
in flight.Â* Oh yeah...Â* I've got an old flip phone that will dial 911 if
there's a cell tower within range.Â* No charge!

And before starting off on how glider pilots are cheap, I like to think
that some glider pilots simply choose to spend their money on other goodies.

On 2/6/2019 5:31 AM, Tango Eight wrote:
> Has anyone found anything not to like about the Inreach Mini?
>
> T8

--
Dan, 5J

[Tango Eight]

Inreach is useful in non-emergency situations when working phones are scarce. I used to arrange one retrieve last Summer, worked great. Service is < $20 a month, $2 a month when suspended, in case this clears up any misconceptions about that.

Anyhow, I didn't mean this to be a thread about inreach service or inreach vs anything else. I am specifically interested in glider pilot experience with the Inreach Mini Device, which was new about last May or June.

best,
Evan / T8

On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 10:41:03 AM UTC-5, Dan Marotta wrote:
> Paying a subscription for something I wouldn't use except in an
> emergency is high on my list.
>
> None of my other emergency gear requires me to pay for the privilege of
> having it sit in a bag.Â* I can be tracked via my transponder, ADS-B, my
> phone if I have location services turned on, and probably my Flarm to a
> lesser degree and I don't need to send text messages via satellite while
> in flight.Â* Oh yeah...Â* I've got an old flip phone that will dial 911 if
> there's a cell tower within range.Â* No charge!
>
> And before starting off on how glider pilots are cheap, I like to think
> that some glider pilots simply choose to spend their money on other goodies.
>
> On 2/6/2019 5:31 AM, Tango Eight wrote:
> > Has anyone found anything not to like about the Inreach Mini?
> >
> > T8
>
> --
> Dan, 5J

[kinsell]

On 2/6/19 5:39 AM, wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
>
> How do you use the mini? Does battery life allow for tracking during flight or is it a single text upon landing kind of thing?
>

They claim up to 50 hrs battery life at 10 minute tracking intervals.

[Dan Marotta]

I used on older inreach a couple of years ago when flying in a friend's
ASH-30mi.Â* At the time it was rather clumsy and error prone to use.Â*
Hopefully that has been cleared up.

The service charges you mentioned do, indeed, sound more reasonable than
I had imagined (my bad) and my wife does want to look into one before we
head out on our flying trip to Alaska.Â* Thanks for the info!

On 2/6/2019 9:08 AM, Tango Eight wrote:
> Inreach is useful in non-emergency situations when working phones are scarce. I used to arrange one retrieve last Summer, worked great. Service is < $20 a month, $2 a month when suspended, in case this clears up any misconceptions about that.
>
> Anyhow, I didn't mean this to be a thread about inreach service or inreach vs anything else. I am specifically interested in glider pilot experience with the Inreach Mini Device, which was new about last May or June.
>
> best,
> Evan / T8
>
> On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 10:41:03 AM UTC-5, Dan Marotta wrote:
>> Paying a subscription for something I wouldn't use except in an
>> emergency is high on my list.
>>
>> None of my other emergency gear requires me to pay for the privilege of
>> having it sit in a bag.Â* I can be tracked via my transponder, ADS-B, my
>> phone if I have location services turned on, and probably my Flarm to a
>> lesser degree and I don't need to send text messages via satellite while
>> in flight.Â* Oh yeah...Â* I've got an old flip phone that will dial 911 if
>> there's a cell tower within range.Â* No charge!
>>
>> And before starting off on how glider pilots are cheap, I like to think
>> that some glider pilots simply choose to spend their money on other goodies.
>>
>> On 2/6/2019 5:31 AM, Tango Eight wrote:
>>> Has anyone found anything not to like about the Inreach Mini?
>>>
>>> T8
>> --
>> Dan, 5J

--
Dan, 5J

[Dan Daly[_2_]]

On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 11:08:46 AM UTC-5, Tango Eight wrote:
> Inreach is useful in non-emergency situations when working phones are scarce. I used to arrange one retrieve last Summer, worked great. Service is < $20 a month, $2 a month when suspended, in case this clears up any misconceptions about that.
***some deleted***
> > On 2/6/2019 5:31 AM, Tango Eight wrote:
> > > Has anyone found anything not to like about the Inreach Mini?

@T8 - perhaps in the U.S.; here in Canada it's $44.95 plus 13% tax/month for the plan that can be suspended ($34.95/mo annual with no suspension). We have great OGN coverage that will give the Rescue Coordination Centre a good starting point. To me, not worth it here - but at half the price, maybe.
Cheers

[Tango Eight]

On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 1:29:49 PM UTC-5, Dan Daly wrote:
> On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 11:08:46 AM UTC-5, Tango Eight wrote:
> > Inreach is useful in non-emergency situations when working phones are scarce. I used to arrange one retrieve last Summer, worked great. Service is < $20 a month, $2 a month when suspended, in case this clears up any misconceptions about that.
> ***some deleted***
> > > On 2/6/2019 5:31 AM, Tango Eight wrote:
> > > > Has anyone found anything not to like about the Inreach Mini?
>
> @T8 - perhaps in the U.S.; here in Canada it's $44.95 plus 13% tax/month for the plan that can be suspended ($34.95/mo annual with no suspension). We have great OGN coverage that will give the Rescue Coordination Centre a good starting point. To me, not worth it here - but at half the price, maybe..
> Cheers

Check out the "safety" plan.

-T8

[Dan Marotta]

I was actually looking at inReach until I found the following in the
small print:

Minimum cost is $49.90 on the inReachâ„¢ Safety Plan, $64.90 on the
inReachâ„¢ Recreation Plan, $89.90 on the inReachâ„¢ Expedition Plan and
$119.90 on the inReachâ„¢ Adventurer Plan.

Ii appears that if you just leave the thing in a bag for emergency use,
you'll pay $29.95 to activate the unit, $0.30/track point if you use it
for tracking, $0.85/message if you send (or I would guess) receive a
text, and, if you don't use it enough to get up to $49.90/month, that's
what you'll pay as a minimum.Â* Then there's the acquisition cost...

That rivals DirecTV in cost and I dumped them.

On 2/6/2019 11:56 AM, Tango Eight wrote:
> On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 1:29:49 PM UTC-5, Dan Daly wrote:
>> On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 11:08:46 AM UTC-5, Tango Eight wrote:
>>> Inreach is useful in non-emergency situations when working phones are scarce. I used to arrange one retrieve last Summer, worked great. Service is < $20 a month, $2 a month when suspended, in case this clears up any misconceptions about that.
>> ***some deleted***
>>>> On 2/6/2019 5:31 AM, Tango Eight wrote:
>>>>> Has anyone found anything not to like about the Inreach Mini?
>> @T8 - perhaps in the U.S.; here in Canada it's $44.95 plus 13% tax/month for the plan that can be suspended ($34.95/mo annual with no suspension). We have great OGN coverage that will give the Rescue Coordination Centre a good starting point. To me, not worth it here - but at half the price, maybe.
>> Cheers
> Check out the "safety" plan.
>
> -T8

--
Dan, 5J

[JS[_5_]]

On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 4:31:05 AM UTC-8, Tango Eight wrote:
> Has anyone found anything not to like about the Inreach Mini?
>
> T8

If it connects to a phone like the other InReach devices the mini should be fine. Personally don't find the InReach SE cumbersome, or expensive for that matter.
Suggest downloading the Garmin Earthmate app and the Text To Speak engine for the phone you'll connect, so you can use speech to text in the middle of nowhere. Test it at home in airplane mode.

OGN is great, but the N part needs to be much larger to be functional. Opening the OGN app and panning around N America, found only three stations in New Mexico and one between Montreal and Ottawa. Is that the extent of the N. American network?

I also use amateur radio APRS tracking. That network is huge compared to OGN, but still has blanks.
Jim

[Tango Eight]

Dan,

Inreach prices have dropped a lot.

https://explore.garmin.com/en-US/inreach/

They could do a better job of explaining their plans... but guys paying > $150 a year for Spot 1, 2 or 3 might want to take a look. I use the safety plan and suspend for the off season.

-Evan




On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 4:45:06 PM UTC-5, Dan Marotta wrote:
> I was actually looking at inReach until I found the following in the
> small print:
>
>
>
> Minimum cost is $49.90 on the inReachâ„¢
> Safety Plan, $64.90 on the inReachâ„¢ Recreation Plan, $89.90 on the
> inReachâ„¢ Expedition Plan and $119.90 on the inReachâ„¢ Adventurer
> Plan.
>
>
>
>
> Ii appears that if you just leave the
> thing in a bag for emergency use, you'll pay $29.95 to activate
> the unit, $0.30/track point if you use it for tracking,
> $0.85/message if you send (or I would guess) receive a text, and,
> if you don't use it enough to get up to $49.90/month, that's what
> you'll pay as a minimum.Â* Then there's the acquisition cost...
>
>
>
> That rivals DirecTV in cost and I dumped them.
>
>
>
> On 2/6/2019 11:56 AM, Tango Eight wrote:
>
>
>
> On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 1:29:49 PM UTC-5, Dan Daly wrote:
>
>
> On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 11:08:46 AM UTC-5, Tango Eight wrote:
>
>
> Inreach is useful in non-emergency situations when working phones are scarce. I used to arrange one retrieve last Summer, worked great. Service is < $20 a month, $2 a month when suspended, in case this clears up any misconceptions about that.
>
>
> ***some deleted***
>
>
>
> On 2/6/2019 5:31 AM, Tango Eight wrote:
>
>
> Has anyone found anything not to like about the Inreach Mini?
>
>
>
>
> @T8 - perhaps in the U.S.; here in Canada it's $44.95 plus 13% tax/month for the plan that can be suspended ($34.95/mo annual with no suspension). We have great OGN coverage that will give the Rescue Coordination Centre a good starting point. To me, not worth it here - but at half the price, maybe.
> Cheers
>
>
> Check out the "safety" plan.
>
> -T8
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Dan, 5J

[Andrzej Kobus]

On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 7:31:05 AM UTC-5, Tango Eight wrote:
> Has anyone found anything not to like about the Inreach Mini?
>
> T8

Evan, it is a very new device so I am not sure if you are going to find anyone with enough experience to give you good insight. Before I bought mine I watched some youtube reviews. They gave me a good idea about cons and pros.. I am planning to connect it next month so I will be able to comment in a couple of months.

[Tango Eight]

On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 5:44:40 PM UTC-5, JS wrote:

> If it connects to a phone like the other InReach devices the mini should be fine. Personally don't find the InReach SE cumbersome, or expensive for that matter.
> Suggest downloading the Garmin Earthmate app and the Text To Speak engine for the phone you'll connect, so you can use speech to text in the middle of nowhere. Test it at home in airplane mode.
>
> OGN is great, but the N part needs to be much larger to be functional. Opening the OGN app and panning around N America, found only three stations in New Mexico and one between Montreal and Ottawa. Is that the extent of the N. American network?
>
> I also use amateur radio APRS tracking. That network is huge compared to OGN, but still has blanks.
> Jim

I have the Delorme Inreach Explorer. It works great. The cell phone pairing and Earthmate app are excellent. Reason for my specific question: I have friends looking at buying an inreach device. I recommended the Mini, but have no hands on experience with it, so I thought I'd throw out the question. Multi-day back country types bitch about the battery life (Amazon reviews), but for soaring it seems like the Mini would be ideal.

-Evan

[Dan Daly[_2_]]

On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 5:44:40 PM UTC-5, JS wrote:
> On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 4:31:05 AM UTC-8, Tango Eight wrote:
> > Has anyone found anything not to like about the Inreach Mini?
> >
> > T8
>
> If it connects to a phone like the other InReach devices the mini should be fine. Personally don't find the InReach SE cumbersome, or expensive for that matter.
> Suggest downloading the Garmin Earthmate app and the Text To Speak engine for the phone you'll connect, so you can use speech to text in the middle of nowhere. Test it at home in airplane mode.
>
> OGN is great, but the N part needs to be much larger to be functional. Opening the OGN app and panning around N America, found only three stations in New Mexico and one between Montreal and Ottawa. Is that the extent of the N. American network?
>
> I also use amateur radio APRS tracking. That network is huge compared to OGN, but still has blanks.
> Jim

@JS: In the summer, there are two stations east of Ottawa (between Ottawa and Montreal), three west of Ottawa (and three stations testing at home in Ottawa), and two east of Montreal. We don't keep them up for the winter. We start flying around April 15th (fingers crossed). I will send a map showing the coverage. We're looking for a station up in the hills north of the Ottawa River...

[Dan Daly[_2_]]

On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 7:08:50 PM UTC-5, Dan Daly wrote:
> On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 5:44:40 PM UTC-5, JS wrote:
> > On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 4:31:05 AM UTC-8, Tango Eight wrote:
> > > Has anyone found anything not to like about the Inreach Mini?
> > >
> > > T8
> >
> > If it connects to a phone like the other InReach devices the mini should be fine. Personally don't find the InReach SE cumbersome, or expensive for that matter.
> > Suggest downloading the Garmin Earthmate app and the Text To Speak engine for the phone you'll connect, so you can use speech to text in the middle of nowhere. Test it at home in airplane mode.
> >
> > OGN is great, but the N part needs to be much larger to be functional. Opening the OGN app and panning around N America, found only three stations in New Mexico and one between Montreal and Ottawa. Is that the extent of the N. American network?
> >
> > I also use amateur radio APRS tracking. That network is huge compared to OGN, but still has blanks.
> > Jim
>
> @JS: In the summer, there are two stations east of Ottawa (between Ottawa and Montreal), three west of Ottawa (and three stations testing at home in Ottawa), and two east of Montreal. We don't keep them up for the winter. We start flying around April 15th (fingers crossed). I will send a map showing the coverage. We're looking for a station up in the hills north of the Ottawa River...

There are also a growing number of stations west of Toronto - preparing for the Pan American Gliding Championship - which will track the active cross-country flown there.

And, we have beer...

[Dan Marotta]

Evan,
PM sent.
Dan

On 2/6/2019 4:22 PM, Tango Eight wrote:
> Dan,
>
> Inreach prices have dropped a lot.
>
> https://explore.garmin.com/en-US/inreach/
>
> They could do a better job of explaining their plans... but guys paying > $150 a year for Spot 1, 2 or 3 might want to take a look. I use the safety plan and suspend for the off season.
>
> -Evan
>
>
>
>
> On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 4:45:06 PM UTC-5, Dan Marotta wrote:
>> I was actually looking at inReach until I found the following in the
>> small print:
>>
>>
>>
>> Minimum cost is $49.90 on the inReachâ„¢
>> Safety Plan, $64.90 on the inReachâ„¢ Recreation Plan, $89.90 on the
>> inReachâ„¢ Expedition Plan and $119.90 on the inReachâ„¢ Adventurer
>> Plan.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Ii appears that if you just leave the
>> thing in a bag for emergency use, you'll pay $29.95 to activate
>> the unit, $0.30/track point if you use it for tracking,
>> $0.85/message if you send (or I would guess) receive a text, and,
>> if you don't use it enough to get up to $49.90/month, that's what
>> you'll pay as a minimum.Â* Then there's the acquisition cost...
>>
>>
>>
>> That rivals DirecTV in cost and I dumped them.
>>
>>
>>
>> On 2/6/2019 11:56 AM, Tango Eight wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 1:29:49 PM UTC-5, Dan Daly wrote:
>>
>>
>> On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 11:08:46 AM UTC-5, Tango Eight wrote:
>>
>>
>> Inreach is useful in non-emergency situations when working phones are scarce. I used to arrange one retrieve last Summer, worked great. Service is < $20 a month, $2 a month when suspended, in case this clears up any misconceptions about that.
>>
>>
>> ***some deleted***
>>
>>
>>
>> On 2/6/2019 5:31 AM, Tango Eight wrote:
>>
>>
>> Has anyone found anything not to like about the Inreach Mini?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> @T8 - perhaps in the U.S.; here in Canada it's $44.95 plus 13% tax/month for the plan that can be suspended ($34.95/mo annual with no suspension). We have great OGN coverage that will give the Rescue Coordination Centre a good starting point. To me, not worth it here - but at half the price, maybe.
>> Cheers
>>
>>
>> Check out the "safety" plan.
>>
>> -T8
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> Dan, 5J

--
Dan, 5J

[joesimmers[_2_]]

I have the safety plan for $12 a month.

I can upgrade during flying months to the recreation
plan for $25 a month with unlimited tracking.

If you land out without cell service, it sure is nice
to be able to send a text.

I had the Inreach SE before this, the Mini battery does
not last as long but seems like it still works for 50 hours.

[[email protected]]

On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 4:31:05 AM UTC-8, Tango Eight wrote:
> Has anyone found anything not to like about the Inreach Mini?
>
> T8

I have an InReach Mini. So far, I love it. It's very compact and the battery lasts a long time. I can get several 4+ hour flights out of it before the battery is halfway drained, at which point I recharge it. I haven't used it to send messages yet, and that is likely its weak point since entering text into it is cumbersome. However, you can put in pre-programmed messages that you can send instantly and in most cases, will save you from typing much of anything. I clip it to a strap on my parachute, and it's small enough that I never feel like it's in the way.

[Dave Nadler]

On Thursday, February 7, 2019 at 5:04:59 PM UTC-5, wrote:
> I have an InReach Mini... I clip it to a strap on my parachute...

Where it will not be when you need it.
Please use a proper sewn/strapped pouch.
No clips and no velcro.
Be safe out there,
Best Regards, Dave

[[email protected]]

On Thursday, February 7, 2019 at 2:28:26 PM UTC-8, Dave Nadler wrote:
> On Thursday, February 7, 2019 at 5:04:59 PM UTC-5, wrote:
> > I have an InReach Mini... I clip it to a strap on my parachute...
>
> Where it will not be when you need it.
> Please use a proper sewn/strapped pouch.
> No clips and no velcro.
> Be safe out there,
> Best Regards, Dave

By clip, I meant an aluminum carabiner that was supplied with the unit. It's not going anywhere, even in a bailout.

[[email protected]]

>
> By clip, I meant an aluminum carabiner that was supplied with the unit. It's not going anywhere, even in a bailout.

I disagree. Anything "dangling" has less chance of surviving. Go with a proper pouch as YO suggests.

[[email protected]]

For some years I flew with my PLB and InReach SE in their pouches on my chute chest strap but after reading about Mr Nadler's experience of losing his from its pouch I now have strong wrist straps on them which I lead out of their pouches so that my chest strap can be lead through each unit's wrist strap and pouch strap.

[joesimmers[_2_]]

Thanks for the experienced advice Dave Nadler, I think
I will reevaluate the way my inreach is attached.