Couple questions about Garmin InReach

[krist003]

I'm considering an Inreach Mini or Explorer. Maybe I'm blind, but I can't seem to find a definitive answer on these questions:

1. Is it possible to reactivate/suspend a freedom plan subscription directly from the inreach unit, or do I have to log in online every time I want to reactivate/suspend it for the month?

2. Can the inreach be used as a hotspot for my phone so I can use things like OnX when I don't have cell service?

I have a sneaky suspicion that these things can't be done and it seems like such a shame if that's the case. Hoping I'm wrong.

Thanks for the help

 

[Dos Perros]

1. Login online.
2. No. You can get a daily weather report from InReach for a dollar each, unless otherwise included in the plan. That's the only data you get.

 

[Fitzwho]

what Dos said. You can connect to the InReach via Bluetooth to send and receive text messages and to do a little bit of mapping with the Garmin Earthmate App, but not as a hotspot to download any other information (i.e. maps, etc).

 

[OG DramaLlama]

Love my in-reach mini, but you cannot do what is listed. I link mine to phone to send texts to wife phone still serves as primary mapping system with onX, with the off-grid maps.


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[krist003]

10-4. Thanks guys

 

[Rosey]

Asking the same questions myself before buying. Thanks for asking and for answering.

 

[Kootenay Hunter]

As a side note, I'm looking too. As someone with a fairly good gps unit and carries a phone, would I really need anything more than the Mini? And I'm not going to buy the new 2019 inreach gps, way to spendy for same features as my current gps.

 

[87TT]

Since I hunt and fish solo most of the time and am not getting any younger, I have had an Inreach for a few years. I don't text with it very often except the free preset messages so the basic plan works best for me. The service is on all year and I don't even notice the charge on the CC every month. I have a Garmin GPS with an Onx chip so I see no need to upgrade to the new model until the internal battery dies on mine and they officially accept Onx. Then I probably will, if I am still hunting. Cheap insurance.

 

[Jayhawkhunter]

Kootenay - I'm in the same boat and went with the Mini - didn't see a need for the explorer - less weight/size and does what I need it to do.

 

[Marble]

As far as Onx goes, you dont need cell service to use it while hunting. You download the map area prior to going into the woods and then your GPS puts you in the map so you know where you are. Your phone hits satellites 24/7 all over the world. It's different 4g LTE. It works just like the Inreach does. Why there isn't an ap to text through the satellite service, well it probably just hasnt been done yet.

 

[Chugaglug]

we have an iridium extreme sat phone and it can be used as a hotspot if that's a feature you are looking for

 

[Pgohil]

My 2 cents.
The mini is awesome and it's light, however it requires your phone to use it. If you break your phone, or loose it, your screwed for all but the SOS feature.

I fall down a lot and I see it as a real.risk to break my phone. Im sticking with the inreach explorer to add a small layer of safety.

PGohil
WV

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[muddydogs]

My 2 cents.
The mini is awesome and it's light, however it requires your phone to use it. If you break your phone, or loose it, your screwed for all but the SOS feature.

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This is not true at all. The Mini will function just like any other InReach unit without the phone, it's not very user friendly but you can still send texts from the mini so if your phone goes down it might be a pain but your not totally screwed.

I don't use the quick text messages much but if I had a mini I would set a few more messages up just to make life easier if the phone ever died.

 

[Pgohil]

This is not true at all. The Mini will function just like any other InReach unit without the phone, it's not very user friendly but you can still send texts from the mini so if your phone goes down it might be a pain but your not totaly screwed.

Oh! If that's the case, I apologise. I am completely wrong.!



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[Kootenay Hunter]

Oh! If that's the case, I apologise. I am completely wrong.!

^ Can that moment go down in forum history?

Good info so far, I think the mini is for me, which is basically a better operating version of the Spot X dumped, but with phone connectivity.

 

[muddydogs]

Yes when it comes to sending and receiving messages all 3 InReach models are basically the same. The SE+ and Explorer+ have a hunt and peck key board you navigate with the arrow keys and the Mini has the Alphabet strung in a line down the side of the screen. The hunt and peck is a slow painful process compared to how we send texts on our phone and the Mini's alphabet line is really slow with a bunch of key presses just to type one three letter word but in a pinch all 3 units will get it done.

The InReach is far better then the Spot system in my opinion, both in functionality and satellite service.

Just something to think about when picking a plan. I have 2 units so I'm on the professional plan which has a little more freedom but the individual Freedom plan is similar. I do the cheapest plan they have figuring that most of the time I only send a couple messages and if I want to track I just use my phones GPS and not the InReach tracking feature. For the month or two that I might run over the plans allowed messages I just pay the overage at $.50 a message figuring that switching to a higher plan, switching back to my normal plan and paying for a month or two of the higher plan cost I can just pay the overage fee and I come out even or ahead without all the switching. In the off months I suspend both units so I'm only paying $5 a month.