Inreach Mini failed.

Joined
Jun 29, 2017
Messages
475
Location
AK
While out on my moose hunt last week I grabbed my Inreach mini and noticed it had a black screen, after just using it a minute or so before. I could never get it to turn back on and I tried all the button resets, along with plugging it in etc. I also noticed that when I plugged it into a charger with multiple plugs, the other pieces of hardware would stop charging, almost like the inreach had a fault and was overloading the supply. Kind of odd and BS. I'm glad I had my sat phone as bakcup. Not that I needed the inreach for anything, but everyone at home is so used to being able to talk to me while I'm in the backcountry that if I all of a sudden stopped communicating because my inreach was my only tool for comms, then they'd probably have started to worry.

I guess now I need to get ahold of Garmin and figure out what to do.
 

westernarcher

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 12, 2012
Messages
191
Location
Caldwell, ID
I had my inreach freeze up last year. wouldn't do anything. showed the same screen for 2 days. Finally I took it apart and unplugged the battery and plugged it back in. it turned back on, charged it and its worked fine since.
 

Titan_Bow

WKR
Joined
Dec 10, 2015
Messages
1,116
Location
Colorado
I have 2 older ones, probably 7 to 10 years old now? Once while in Montana, we’ll away from cell signal or any other means of communicating, my Inreach would not power on, even though I had used it the day before. Nothing seemed to get it to come back on and it was fully charged. It eventually powered on, ironically when I got home from my trip. Never had another issue with it, but I always have a slight hesitation about their reliability. My other inreach , just crapped out last week. It will power on but won’t send a message. Tried to sync it, and even powered on, the computer never recognizes it. Oh well, time to buy another, but my 2 were pre Garmin units, so not sure how much better they are now that they are Garmin.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

robby denning

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
14,994
Location
SE Idaho
While out on my moose hunt last week I grabbed my Inreach mini and noticed it had a black screen, after just using it a minute or so before. I could never get it to turn back on and I tried all the button resets, along with plugging it in etc. I also noticed that when I plugged it into a charger with multiple plugs, the other pieces of hardware would stop charging, almost like the inreach had a fault and was overloading the supply. Kind of odd and BS. I'm glad I had my sat phone as bakcup. Not that I needed the inreach for anything, but everyone at home is so used to being able to talk to me while I'm in the backcountry that if I all of a sudden stopped communicating because my inreach was my only tool for comms, then they'd probably have started to worry.

I guess now I need to get ahold of Garmin and figure out what to do.
I had a brand new one fail--wouldn't connect to the sat network. Bought from S&S archery. They sent another one and now on it's third season working great (as long as I do the syncs to update it).

good luck
 

OXN939

WKR
Joined
Jun 28, 2018
Messages
1,790
Location
VA
I had a brand new one fail--wouldn't connect to the sat network. Bought from S&S archery. They sent another one and now on it's third season working great (as long as I do the syncs to update it).

good luck
Interesting thread. Two is one, one is none.
 
OP
Alaskanopolis
Joined
Jun 29, 2017
Messages
475
Location
AK
I went on Garmin’s website and tried their troubleshooting procedures to no avail. I sent their support an email and haven’t heard back yet. We’ll see. I think I’ll just go back to my Explorer+, anyways, since I like having the maps for a backup akd the better battery life.
 

6.5x284

WKR
Joined
May 7, 2015
Messages
901
Location
NW MT
Had mine fail on a goat hunt last year. Froze on a black screen. On the back there was reset instructions on a sticker. Forgot the sequence of buttons but it did the trick.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

22lr

WKR
Joined
Apr 14, 2020
Messages
746
Location
AK
I have gotten in the habit of always sending a test and a preset message before I leave the house, and another test before I leave the truck.

Also, have a comm plan before you leave. If your inreach fails, don't let it ruin your hunt, and don't have your significant other panic and call a search party when you dont check in for the day.

I'm also paranoid with protecting it, and have a tempered glass screen projector on it, a silicone cover plus I keep it in a small padded radio pouch inside a pouch on my pack belt.
 
OP
Alaskanopolis
Joined
Jun 29, 2017
Messages
475
Location
AK
Had mine fail on a goat hunt last year. Froze on a black screen. On the back there was reset instructions on a sticker. Forgot the sequence of buttons but it did the trick.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I’ve tried everything.
 
OP
Alaskanopolis
Joined
Jun 29, 2017
Messages
475
Location
AK
I have gotten in the habit of always sending a test and a preset message before I leave the house, and another test before I leave the truck.

Also, have a comm plan before you leave. If your inreach fails, don't let it ruin your hunt, and don't have your significant other panic and call a search party when you dont check in for the day.

I'm also paranoid with protecting it, and have a tempered glass screen projector on it, a silicone cover plus I keep it in a small padded radio pouch inside a pouch on my pack belt.
It died while I was in the middle of my hunt.
 

kad11

WKR
Joined
Jan 14, 2014
Messages
768
Location
Billings, MT
While out on my moose hunt last week I grabbed my Inreach mini and noticed it had a black screen, after just using it a minute or so before. I could never get it to turn back on and I tried all the button resets, along with plugging it in etc. I also noticed that when I plugged it into a charger with multiple plugs, the other pieces of hardware would stop charging, almost like the inreach had a fault and was overloading the supply. Kind of odd and BS. I'm glad I had my sat phone as bakcup. Not that I needed the inreach for anything, but everyone at home is so used to being able to talk to me while I'm in the backcountry that if I all of a sudden stopped communicating because my inreach was my only tool for comms, then they'd probably have started to worry.

I guess now I need to get ahold of Garmin and figure out what to do.
My 3 year old Garmin SE+ just did the same thing - I contacted Garmin and was told to just buy a new one.

I think I'll look elsewhere this time around...
 

Rokwiia

WKR
Joined
Nov 12, 2016
Messages
886
Location
In the mountains
Redundancy is key for important issues. I always carry two H2O filters, 3 Bic lighters, and two emergency devices. Two and one and one is none.

I have a PLB (ACR ResQLink+) and the InReach Mini for the sole reason that my life might hang in the balance. A satellite phone is something I've looked at as well. I'd suggest always having 2 of these especially if you're like me and out alone most of the time with no backup partner. For that reason, I no longer go out without two types of emergency devices.

It's easy to put redundancy aside saying that I'll always careful and know what I'm doing. "Why waste the money?" I made that excuse for years. A massive heart attack, a bite from a venomous snake, a dead tree branch above that falls on you, a horrendous fall on the mountain, and so many more ways to find yourself in a life-or-death situation.

These are all electronic devices that can fail and sometimes do...at the worst moment.
 

hfk

FNG
Joined
Dec 8, 2021
Messages
71
Have been eyeing the inreach for a little while, but that seems worrisome. What have people been having the most luck with when it comes to satellite communicators if not garmin?
 

fwafwow

WKR
Classified Approved
Joined
Apr 8, 2018
Messages
4,880
My 3 year old Garmin SE+ just did the same thing - I contacted Garmin and was told to just buy a new one.

I think I'll look elsewhere this time around...
Any resolution?
 
Joined
Mar 25, 2019
Messages
792
Location
Pendleton, Or
Disturbing to read of these failures. We’ve been using in reach for several years, all of our guides carry one. 6) Each of the planes have one as well(5). During the off season most of us carry the in reach on our personal adventures, ive been in Baja for a month. None of these units have failed to work except when they weren’t charged.
 

tcpip95

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 24, 2021
Messages
265
Location
Ft. Myers, FL & Blairsville, GA
Redundancy is key for important issues. I always carry two H2O filters, 3 Bic lighters, and two emergency devices. Two and one and one is none.

I have a PLB (ACR ResQLink+) and the InReach Mini for the sole reason that my life might hang in the balance. A satellite phone is something I've looked at as well. I'd suggest always having 2 of these especially if you're like me and out alone most of the time with no backup partner. For that reason, I no longer go out without two types of emergency devices.

It's easy to put redundancy aside saying that I'll always careful and know what I'm doing. "Why waste the money?" I made that excuse for years. A massive heart attack, a bite from a venomous snake, a dead tree branch above that falls on you, a horrendous fall on the mountain, and so many more ways to find yourself in a life-or-death situation.

These are all electronic devices that can fail and sometimes do...at the worst moment.
My wife and I both have our own PLBs that we carry in our ditch bags. Also in there is a handheld VHF radio and a bottle of water. When we filled out our SAR cards with NOAA we put instructions that “survivor has VHF radio and will be monitoring channel 16.”

We don’t leave the dock without them.

Here’s what I’ll be doing when I go moose hunting in N. Alberta. This and my PLB. Iridium 9575 for $50/week. No brainer.

 
Last edited:
Joined
Aug 10, 2019
Messages
2,488
Location
Lowcountry, SC
I wouldn't panic. I have a couple regular Inreach Explorer+ devices. Out of 10s of thousands, some will fail. It's not common.
 
Last edited:

kad11

WKR
Joined
Jan 14, 2014
Messages
768
Location
Billings, MT
Any resolution?
Nope, I babied this money pit and it shit the bed anyways. It still looks brand new.

IMG_20220103_192128341.jpg

Garmin CS walked me through a couple of reset attempts and then concluded it had reached the end of it's service life. No option but to toss this one and buy a new one. It worked fine throughout the season, but I went to check it before a snowshoe this weekend and no response...

I do have a 10-year old Etrex 20 that still works great though.
 

12wander

FNG
Joined
Dec 5, 2021
Messages
97
Location
Wisconsin
Have been eyeing the inreach for a little while, but that seems worrisome. What have people been having the most luck with when it comes to satellite communicators if not garmin?

Take a look at Zoleo. I just picked one up when Camofire had them for $149.00. A little more budget friendly units and plans.
 
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Shraggs

WKR
Joined
Jan 24, 2014
Messages
1,508
Location
Zeeland, MI
My 3 year old Garmin SE+ just did the same thing - I contacted Garmin and was told to just buy a new one.

I think I'll look elsewhere this time around...
First in general garmin has good stuff. Between my marine units, car gps etc functional well designed products. In more recent years I’ve needed customer service here and there as maybe… their QC dips but there has been occasional arrogance as they affirm policy - but it left me as a customer a little put off especially with navigation or safety devices.

It was the reason I have stuck with my original delorme se in reach. Less features or ease if use but really haven’t heard of technical issues.
 
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