inreach SOS if turned off?

[insanelupus]

Looking to invest, think I'm going with the Inreach Mini. Mainly plan to use for comm when I stop on breaks, power up and down.

Question, if the device is off and you encounter an emergency, will hitting the SOS button power up the device and send the SOS signal? Or does the device first need to be powered up and on before the SOS button can send the SOS?

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[87TT]

Pretty sure it has to be on and connected with the satellites.

 

[FlyGuy]

It’s got to be powered up.


You can’t cheat the mountain

 

[muddydogs]

You need to check into this. I know with the old Delorme units and the Garmin SE+ and Explorer that when the unit is off pressing and holding the SOS button for 5 seconds powers up the unit and puts it into SOS mode, don't know why it would be any different with the mini but maybe. Guess I need to check into this myself with the Mini since we have added a few to the fleet.

 

[87TT]

Never heard that. Always read and heard that it had to be on and connected. Holding the SOS button for three seconds will unlock it but didn't think it turned it on. Five seconds, cancels the SOS.

 

[muddydogs]

Never heard that. Always read and heard that it had to be on and connected. Holding the SOS button for three seconds will unlock it but didn't think it turned it on. Five seconds, cancels the SOS.

Ya well we found out the hard way twice with the Delorme brand units, slider wasn't all the way over to lock the SOS button and when the button is held down the unit comes on in SOS mode.

If in doubt try it yourself, you have 20 seconds to cancel the SOS once activated. I'll be giving it a try tomorrow when I get to work on the newest SE+we have though I think I already confirmed it starts up once but don't remember for sure. Probably won't try a Mini as the 2 I have in inventory haven't been activated or have a service plan yet so testing the mini will have to wait until I send a unit to the field.

 

[87TT]

I couldn't find anything in the instructions but I'll take your word for it. Don't get me wrong , I like that it can do that. I will try it sometime. Will save the battery for sure on those week long trips.

 

[muddydogs]

So I tested out holding the SOS button to turn on the unit and send an SOS with the SE+ and Mini. Both went right into the SOS 20 second count down after the SOS button was held down for 5 ish seconds with the unit off.

With the SE+ I had a poor signal warning which is to be expected since the unit didn't have time to acquire a signal but once the unit is on for a minute or so it should start sending better coordinates to the emergency center.

The mini did the same as the SE+. I did get a warning that the unit needs an active subscription for the SOS service to work which is to be expected considering the unit is NIB and hasn't been activated yet or added to a service plan.

So having been through a couple false alarms with these devices where they have been inadvertently activated in a pack with poor GPS signal I can tell you that the first thing I've seen on the web site is a location marker showing up in the South China Sea or some other far off place, as the unit gets better GPS location information the next location marker on the map will be your current location.

 

[insanelupus]

Good info, thanks!