To spot or not to spot

andrewh

/dev/4wd
Did some searching, not too much information posted. I loved my 1st gen spot, buts alas its dead. Is spot still the go to for sat sms/breadcrumbs/sos? Inreach has been garmin-ified. Is it still worth it? Some of the iridium sat phones have come down in price and offer similar functionality. Thoughts? opinions? Taking a trip up to the great white north this summer and would like to have something by may. Is the gen3 spot the way to go?
 

Joe917

Explorer
We just got the InReach after a family issue when we were 5 days without cell or any other contact. The texting is great. I am not a Garmin fan but this is about the cheapest worldwide communication system. The spot only allows a map trail and a panic button. The interface is a bit cumbersome, but I think we will get it figured out!
 

bhguy

Observer
I have the newest spot and will be getting an inreach. The lack of 2 way communication, the delay on sending messages while having full coverage in an urban area (my backyard for testing) and given the cost gap it seems a no brainer. Wife got it for me for xmas she got bad advice from my daughter which one i wanted.
 

andrewh

/dev/4wd
Well if customer support means anything, i sent this last night. You guys might want to wait a couple of weeks for the new model to hit shelves.

Web Self-Service Email Form Submission


>>
Description: Hello, Interested in purchasing either the inreach se or inreach explorer, but cannot find information on what the latest model is. The item is out of stock on garmins site, has it been discontinued? Is there a newer model that I should be waiting for? I see a few on amazon/REI/Basspro but would like to ensure i am purchasing the most current model. Thanks -Andrew

>>
Hello Andrew,
It has not been discontinued, however, there is a new device coming out, which will be available 5 to 8 weeks of which they will be distributed. Please see the link below to view the new inReach line at Garmins site.
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/561269/pn/010-01735-10
Thank you for choosing Garmin,
Joshua
Product Support - Outdoor Team
Garmin International
http://support.garmin.com
 

robgendreau

Explorer
I think the new ones will have some enhanced mapping stuff, maybe even the one that wasn't so good at nav (the cheaper model).

But look at sat phones...they were still too much when I look late last summer, but YMMV. And yeah, you definitely need two way. What clinched it for me was an emergency that occurred to a family member at home and they had to contact ME (no way with SPOT). And the fact that the emergency contact people through I guess GEOS arranged tows and extrication of vehicles for some folks. Again, hard to do with SPOT.
 

dstock

Explorer
Lots of articles from CES unveiling of the new models last week, here's one:

http://www.digitaltrends.com/outdoors/garmin-inreach-se-ces-2017/

I have the current now old generation InReach SE and it's been great, much better then my Gen 1 spot. The 2 way communication through text is very handy in general when checking in with home base. Seems much better with the tracking then my Spot. Probably worth waiting for the new models, and the price difference between the SE+ and Explorer+ isn't all that big so if you want a back up stand alone GPS I would go with the Explorer+.
 

Joe917

Explorer
The weather report is also great. When we are in the back country with 50 miles of clay track between us and asphalt its nice to know if rain is coming!
 

Blackradon

New member
Well if customer support means anything, i sent this last night. You guys might want to wait a couple of weeks for the new model to hit shelves.

Web Self-Service Email Form Submission


>>
Description: Hello, Interested in purchasing either the inreach se or inreach explorer, but cannot find information on what the latest model is. The item is out of stock on garmins site, has it been discontinued? Is there a newer model that I should be waiting for? I see a few on amazon/REI/Basspro but would like to ensure i am purchasing the most current model. Thanks -Andrew

>>
Hello Andrew,
It has not been discontinued, however, there is a new device coming out, which will be available 5 to 8 weeks of which they will be distributed. Please see the link below to view the new inReach line at Garmins site.
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/561269/pn/010-01735-10
Thank you for choosing Garmin,
Joshua
Product Support - Outdoor Team
Garmin International
http://support.garmin.com

That's looks like a good product, depending on what you have to pay for your "coverage plan". Thanks for sharing! Lots of good info!
 

jpachard

Adventurer
InReach user here.

After 6+hrs drops and lags in coverage from my Spot, it's not a device I would trust my life to. So I switched to inReach.

My inReach has served me in Australia, USA, Nepal, Nicaragua, Chile, Peru, Argentina etc on multiple forms of transport and on foot and never let me down. The positioning has been extremely accurate and texting 100% reliable. I've never had to use the SOS function yet but have confidence it would be just as reliable as the other services I use the device for are.

Cheers, James


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Lucky j

Explorer
I also have an inreach. The base model taht I link to my I phone or I pad. Tow way com is great, but somehow I got into some situation that the message were not getting to the person I was texting to in time. So quite often, so message were delaid and order of receiving could be hours in difference. Exemple, they would get third message before second. And at my end, all was ok with transmission confirmation. All that inreach could tel me was that they did not know what happend. And all was right at theire end.

Disapointed into that, but still like it.
 

BurbanAZ

Explorer
Did some searching, not too much information posted. I loved my 1st gen spot, buts alas its dead. Is spot still the go to for sat sms/breadcrumbs/sos? Inreach has been garmin-ified. Is it still worth it? Some of the iridium sat phones have come down in price and offer similar functionality. Thoughts? opinions? Taking a trip up to the great white north this summer and would like to have something by may. Is the gen3 spot the way to go?

Just curious, did your spot break or did the upgrade the system or something so it doesn't work anymore? We still have a gen 1 that we use, but haven't used it in a little while.
 

Christophe Noel

Expedition Leader
I was a SPOT user and have been using inReach for 3 years now. Hands down the best system. I've sent/received thousands of signals and messages from Nepal, Ecuador, Alaska, Peru, Baja, Iceland, and everywhere in between. Always works great.

And it's a great thing that it got acquired by Garmin. Garmin's technology has never been an issue. It will only make the inReach series that much better.
 

DanCooper

Adventurer
I started with Spot but switched to inReach a few years ago. One of the main reasons is coverage. Spot does not cover the northern latitudes real well and has other limitations in other parts of the globe. If you take a look at their coverage and compare it to inReach, you will see what I mean.

Moreover the two-way communication feature can not be beaten. If you are waiting for a flight out of the bush, you can communicate local weather to the air-taxi. Pete Day from MoskoMoto was glad he had the two-way comms when Ashley broke her foot on the trail and they had to call in help. It is one of those things that when you need it, you need it, and without it, you are shtupped.

Finally, the ability to connect it to a smartphone via Bluetooth makes it very convenient. It makes texting easier, and the map feature can be beneficial as well.

My Spot tracked me around the U.S. and gave my wife some peace. The inReach and I traveled the U.S, Europe, Asia Minor, and Central Asia. It also goes hunting with me into the Alaska Range, and I can communicate with the world. While I do have a sat-phone for those lengthy conversations, when a simple text can do, the inReach is better.
 

1Louder

Explorer
Never owned a Spot. Never wanted to own a Spot. I own a Delorme InReach and have been very happy with it.
 

BurbanAZ

Explorer
We've only ever had just the basic spot but after reading through this thread I went and looked through the de Lorme site. I didn't realize they offered so much and the prices aren't bad at all. Units look a little pricey though, is the only unit the explorer plus?

Our spot renews next month and I'm thinking about canceling and moving over to the de De Lorme. We're leaving for a 40 day trip in Feb so I might do it before that.

Is the earthmate app that comes with it any good?
 

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