Delorme inreach question

[preacherman]

I just got a new inreach and had a question about it. I am trying to decide which plan to get. My question is if the inreach is off and someone sends me a message will it show up the next time I turn the inreach on?

The reason I ask is, I was thinking about just getting the basic plan (without tracking) and only turning it on a few times a day when out. If the unit has to be on to receive a message then I guess I am going to have to pony up to the plan with tracking (because the unit always tracks when on)

 

[frederid]

Yes, the server still receives and forwards (stores and forwards) messages when your unit is not off. If you get the messages you're paying for them. The unit doesn't always track when on, though. You have to actually engage the tracking mode for it to send tracking info up to the satellites. So, if you use it to receive messages every once in a while and don't use it for tracking you should be fine with the basic plan.

 

[ExpedH3T]

Plan

I have an Inreach and went with the plan just above basic. My thinking was if I mistakenly left the ping feature on then the extra charge for all the pings would be crazy. The difference between the price plans wasn't that big. Also, If I wanted to ping my route I could do it without concern.

 

[spikemd]

I have been researching the DeLorme InReach and comparing it to t SPOT. I have friends who have enjoyed using their SPOT device and has worked effectively over the past couple of years. The DeLorme looks like a evolution of the SPOT with message confirmation and good syncing with android/iphone devices and using the Iridium satellites which many folks say are better. But the SPOT sounds like it has better online functionality and tracking capabilities.

How do you like your devices? Do you use them frequently? Is the battery life as good as they claim? The plans are not cheap.

 

[fishbum]

Evolution is right - In case you didn't realize the biggest advantage for inReach and Iridium is it's two-way, you can send and receive!!
inReach has the same online web portal management for tracking and sharing maps with others and messaging the user.
The SPOT data expires rather quickly, but I believe the inReach portal retains the data for a year...

One other point - the inReach tracking has a "rest mode", if the user is stationary for 2 track points the the rest mode starts and no more points are sent. On the SE model this is actually adjustable - the 'stationary distance' and the time to the next point can be set by the user.

 

[spikemd]

It sounds like a great device now. My buddy was always frustrated not knowing if a message was sent through SPOT and the DeLorme gives you confirmation that it was sent. Big advantage is that you can also receive messages. The SE model is waterproof, dustproof and links with your android/iphone.

What may sell me on the DeLorme is that it will sync with your phone/tablet utilizing the DeLorme GPS and you can cache the DeLorme maps on the device for navigation offgrid. No reason to buy a separate GPS app or separate maps once you buy the device as you have access to all the DeLorme maps. I have been testing out various GPS apps on my phone but still find them a bit clunky and you have to pay for decent maps. This would integrate everything onto two devices (InReach and phone/tablet) and one main place for maps and tracking.

Has anyone been utilizing the cached maps on a tethered phone/tablet? I also heard the tracking website wasn't as slick as SPOT. Has anyone had any issues? Thanks.

But the SPOT costs about half. $150 vs $300 for the device and only $150 a year for subscription compared with DeLorme $120/yr without tracking or $25/mo for tracking and unlimited messages.

 

[Crom]

Actually, never mind. The reviews on Amazon, tell me that Inreach SE product has some major issues to be worked out.

 

[Christophe Noel]

Actually, never mind. The reviews on Amazon, tell me that Inreach SE product has some major issues to be worked out.

I tested it almost daily over the span of six weeks and it performed flawlessly. Like all of these devices there are some quirks to adapt to, but I would recommend it over any other similar device for a number of reasons.

 

[dstock]

Actually, never mind. The reviews on Amazon, tell me that Inreach SE product has some major issues to be worked out.

I purchased one recently and have had zero issues with it. I read about some initial issues as well back in May but these seem to have been resolved. Like it much better than my Gen 1 Spot.

 

[myoverlandrover]

Can someone confirm something about the inreach? I am confused as to weather this device is soley for communication purposes or does it ALSO turn your iphone/ipad into a true gps device? I'm looking to make an ipad a true gps capable of tracking my location on the delorme maps.

 

[Crom]

I purchased one recently and have had zero issues with it. I read about some initial issues as well back in May but these seem to have been resolved. Like it much better than my Gen 1 Spot.

I tested it almost daily over the span of six weeks and it performed flawlessly. Like all of these devices there are some quirks to adapt to, but I would recommend it over any other similar device for a number of reasons.

Did either of you sync the device with your smart phone? If so were you able to compose messages on your phone and send through the Deloreme? Also, it was reported that being a GPS device with a screen and all that, there was no screen to view that showed your present GPS coordinates. Another reviewer wrote that if the device was left alone for a long time it lost signal and there was no notification that it had happened (this is only an issue if you were waiting for new message to come through.).

 

[dstock]

Did either of you sync the device with your smart phone? If so were you able to compose messages on your phone and send through the Deloreme? Also, it was reported that being a GPS device with a screen and all that, there was no screen to view that showed your present GPS coordinates. Another reviewer wrote that if the device was left alone for a long time it lost signal and there was no notification that it had happened (this is only an issue if you were waiting for new message to come through.).

I synced it with my smart phone and sent messages through the Delorme Earthmate app, worked great.

I'll have to check on the gps coordinate readout.

I turned it on a recent trip, put it on the dash and left it there for a couple hours and had accurate tracks when I ended my trip. Didn't stare at it the whole time so couldn't comment as to whether it had signal the whole time but with tracking set to report a waypoint every 10 mins, that's is what I got. It is very easy to look at the screen and see if you have signal or not if one was concerned.

 

[fishbum]

It's very normal for the inReach to 'lose signal'... First of all, the inreach does not stay in constant connection with the satellites, thats not how the technology is designed to work. The SBD data is a quick burst of data to the sat, and the sat responds with a quick burst of data.

The iridium satellites are passing across the sky constantly, so it's also possible - depending on where you place the inReach - that the sat is behind you, below a ridgeline, or above your car out of sight of the windshield. All normal. If you 'lose signal', thats a great indication that you need to move the inReach or yourself to a location where you have a better sky view (if possible).

The best part about 2-way iridium is that you KNOW when your message was sent, and if it didn't go it keeps trying or it tells you it has not been sent. If you have not received a response, then the satellite will continue to try and send, and it won't stop delivery until it does send it.

So I call BS about a reviewer that wrote "it lost signal and there was no notification that it had happened". They clearly did not understand the technology.

Oh - one more thing - when a message cannot be sent like a track point, it goes into a queue for sending when there is visibility to the sats, so no lost track points unless the queue gets full.

 

[Matt_OCENS]

It's very normal for the inReach to 'lose signal'... First of all, the inreach does not stay in constant connection with the satellites, thats not how the technology is designed to work. The SBD data is a quick burst of data to the sat, and the sat responds with a quick burst of data.

The iridium satellites are passing across the sky constantly, so it's also possible - depending on where you place the inReach - that the sat is behind you, below a ridgeline, or above your car out of sight of the windshield. All normal. If you 'lose signal', thats a great indication that you need to move the inReach or yourself to a location where you have a better sky view (if possible).

The best part about 2-way iridium is that you KNOW when your message was sent, and if it didn't go it keeps trying or it tells you it has not been sent. If you have not received a response, then the satellite will continue to try and send, and it won't stop delivery until it does send it.

So I call BS about a reviewer that wrote "it lost signal and there was no notification that it had happened". They clearly did not understand the technology.

Oh - one more thing - when a message cannot be sent like a track point, it goes into a queue for sending when there is visibility to the sats, so no lost track points unless the queue gets full.

This is a great explanation.

The other point to keep in mind, is that this product was designed with power consumption in mind, so if the device was constantly registered to the network and active, it would cause a significantly greater power drain on the battery.

 

[Crom]

If the Iridium devices are not constantly connected, how does a sat phone know when to ring? Don't feel compelled to answer if you don't' want to. I can do research if I really want to know, but it is interesting to me. What's being described is very different product behavior from say a Garmin using NAVSTAR. For example, I have a Garmin GPS 60CSx which I've owned since 2006. When turned on, and it has a GPS fix, it never stops tracking the satellites that are in view. But the NAVSTAR satellites orbit the earth twice a day, so their moving too.