Garmin inReach Explorer+

[J Tosh Reed]

Anybody tried one of these out?
I still want to get a CB, but none of my friends have a CB, and when we are way out there, we live in such a heavy rainforest area, that I've read the CB's wont have much range.
These Garmins though as long as I can get to a place I can send a signal, I can message anywhere on earth and have maps etc.
Pricey at about 600$ but I think the piece of mind is worth it, especially for when my wife stays home, it would be nice to be able to send her the odd message letting her know I'm ok.

 

[94Cruiser]

Satellite based systems really need line of sight to work best also lol

Sent from my SM-G920T using OB Talk mobile app

 

[J Tosh Reed]

Satellite based systems really need line of sight to work best also lol

Sent from my SM-G920T using OB Talk mobile app

Line of sight to the sky tho right?
Still easier for me to manage if I'm way out in the bush, our cell reception doesn't cover well at all in a lot of areas

 

[94Cruiser]

Ya to the sky

Sent from my SM-G920T using OB Talk mobile app

 

[CWu21]

I bought mine this year because I was heading up to Idaho to go hunting by my self. I hiked deep into the bush between 8-10 miles a day I used it to track my movements and created tons of waypoints on the device and my pc that I transferred. I never had an issue finding where I was going and my wife was happy because I was able to text her in the evening when I was back in camp.

One thing is the messaging isn’t instant like texting on your phone. I experienced about 30min delays when sending and receiving

Personally I wouldn’t use this as my only communication source because the plans are pricey and the message delays. It does provide a great piece of mind and since I hunt a lot solo it is a must have for me. Hope that helps a bit.

 

[Keith McAlister]

Just got mine recently and looking forward to getting out and learn how to use. Even more so to sync with tablet for GPS ping and mapping software.

 

[Kevin108]

I've had mine about a year. Full green summer foliage will block the signal.

 

[J Tosh Reed]

I've had mine about a year. Full green summer foliage will block the signal.

how much sky are we talking is necessary to get a signal out then? It's pretty forested here, but we can usually at least see some decent patches of sky.

 

[Kevin108]

When camping in early summer, I had to walk about a quarter mile from camp to where a bridge crossed a river to get enough sky for transmission. You can probably get it to work anywhere, but it might take a little thought. Often just laying it on the hood while stopped will let things work but I have never had it just work while clipped to my belt.

 

[Jeff Graham]

I love mine. I use their window mount/charger. It sends out my location on a reoccurring basis, so my family knows where I’m at. I share my travel plans with a family members. With pre formatted emergency messages, if I ever need assistance, it’s only a push of a button away.

 

[LandPirate]

I'm enjoying mine very much. I pair it with Gaia on iPad. Works great, and lives on my dash during travels well outside cell coverage for hours. Text messaging is best done through the iPad. The iPad is the key. You open the application on the iPad and then you are able to do a lot more, a lot faster and easier than you are directly through the unit. A few quirks, including wonky weather reports which are outrageously wrong but then that's what I get for being in the mountains and not a city. Overall I like it a lot. Been using it steady now for weeks 6+ hours a day on this trip.

 

[Keith McAlister]

Paired to some type tablet device seems to be a constant reply for "best use" scenarios.

 

[vidkun]

How's the Garmin version compare to the DeLorme version? Any real differences, pros, or cons between either?

 

[Kent R]

Garmin bought DeLorme and it looks like the DeLorme inReach Explorer might no longer be made but they are still available a a good price around $250 on Amazon

 

[vidkun]

Garmin bought DeLorme and it looks like the DeLorme inReach Explorer might no longer be made but they are still available a a good price around $250 on Amazon

Yeah, that huge price discrepancy is why I was wondering if there is any significant difference between the two. If they literally just put the same components in a different "Garmin-esque" packaging, then I'd just get the old version. But if the new Garmin release of it actually provides newer, better technology and features then it may be worth the extra money.

 

[ZR2]

Follow the link for a good explanation of the options. I went with the ACR because it does not require a subscription; downside is no texting.
https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/camping-and-hiking/best-personal-locator-beacon

 

[Kevin108]

How's the Garmin version compare to the DeLorme version? Any real differences, pros, or cons between either?

Kind of a two part explanation: when made by Delorme, there were actual hardware differences between the SE and Explorer model. Without going into detail, the SE was a 2-way satellite text device and the Explorer was that plus a handheld GPS unit.

Garmin really only cared about getting the operating system and maps from Delorme. Those are the same on the new devices, but now it essentially runs on the hardware from the Garmin GPSMAP 64 line. The Explorer still has a wide range of full-featured maps. The SE can only do a simple grid map. It comes down to whether or not you can get $50 worth of navigational functionality from the Earthmate app and the additional features of the Explorer over the SE.

With the price points now closer together than when they were Delorme products, the SE doesn't seem to offer any substantial savings now for the reduction in features. If you want to save some money, given that the OS and features are still the same, buying a new-old-stock Delorme Explorer is a great way to save $170 or so.

 

[vidkun]

Kind of a two part explanation: when made by Delorme, there were actual hardware differences between the SE and Explorer model. Without going into detail, the SE was a 2-way satellite text device and the Explorer was that plus a handheld GPS unit.

Garmin really only cared about getting the operating system and maps from Delorme. Those are the same on the new devices, but now it essentially runs on the hardware from the Garmin GPSMAP 64 line. The Explorer still has a wide range of full-featured maps. The SE can only do a simple grid map. It comes down to whether or not you can get $50 worth of navigational functionality from the Earthmate app and the additional features of the Explorer over the SE.

With the price points now closer together than when they were Delorme products, the SE doesn't seem to offer any substantial savings now for the reduction in features. If you want to save some money, given that the OS and features are still the same, buying a new-old-stock Delorme Explorer is a great way to save $170 or so.

Thank you! This sort of comparison and explanation was exactly what I was looking for.

 

[94Cruiser]

how much sky are we talking is necessary to get a signal out then? It's pretty forested here, but we can usually at least see some decent patches of sky.

The Iridium satellites inreach uses are Ka band... higher than 1600mhz which means that although it can reach almost anywhere and can carry more data than lower frequencies, it is more susceptible to cloud or rain fade and really needs line of site.

All that being said, each Iridium satellite can carry 1200 phone calls concurrently... and there are 60 active satellites in orbit at any given time all over the globe

Ka band is what directv and dish use to deliver much of their hi-def tv.


It's really cool beans

Sent from my SM-G920T using OB Talk mobile app

 

[J Tosh Reed]

The Iridium satellites inreach uses are Ka band... higher than 1600mhz which means that although it can reach almost anywhere and can carry more data than lower frequencies, it is more susceptible to cloud or rain fade and really needs line of site.

All that being said, each Iridium satellite can carry 1200 phone calls concurrently... and there are 60 active satellites in orbit at any given time all over the globe

Ka band is what directv and dish use to deliver much of their hi-def tv.


It's really cool beans

Sent from my SM-G920T using OB Talk mobile app

Really cool, thanks for the info.
I think I'm definitely going to pick one up. I live on the coast, so I'm confident no matter what, I can find line of sight to the sky, clouds may interfere, but I'm sure most of the time it wont be so cloudy I can't even get a text out for SOS.
Im interested in playing around with it and figuring out its limitations for me and the area I play in.
Thanks again!