Garmin InReach Messenger Expands Availability of Sat Coms?

[AbleGuy]

I’ll admit that I’m not the most up to date member on this communications technology subject, but since the announcement of this gadget/service just came out 4 days ago, I’m guessing it’s a new expansion of a known tool and might be of interest to you all. The electronics are contained in a pretty tiny @2” x 2” square box that pairs with your phone.



Article follows below:

Garmin launches InReach Messenger for satellite communication

Garmin on Tuesday announced an addition to its InReach lineup with the Garmin InReach Messenger device and a Garmin Messenger companion app.

Garmin's InReach line provides a way for those who frequently travel outside of cellular service to communicate with friends, loved ones, and emergency responders using satellite communication.

The InReach Messenger is a $300 gadget with a small display on it. You can use InReach Messenger when paired with your smartphone or as a stand-alone device to send and receive messages, including sending an SOS message to the Garmin International Emergency Response Coordination Center.

When it's paired with the Messenger app, you can send and receive messages with individual contacts or in group messages. The app will automatically pick the best network to send the message through, be it cellular, Wi-Fi or satellite.

View the Garmin InReach Messenger
$299.99 at Garmin
The InReach Messenger has 28 days of battery life, is IPX7 rated for immersion in up to 1 meter of water, and takes up little space, measuring 3.1 by 2.5 inches and weighing 4 ounces. If your phone dies and you need to use Messenger, you can charge your phone using the small device to give you enough power to call for help.

Any messages you send in the Garmin Messenger app will require the recipient to sign up for and use the free Messenger app on their mobile device. There's no fee to use the Messenger app on its own.

Garmin has had satellite communication products for years. In fact, I tested the InReach Mini earlier this year and just about had to use it to call for help after a friend and I decided to go hiking in very deep snow while being completely underdressed and underprepared.

So, the InReach Messenger isn't a direct reply to Apple's new Emergency SOS via satellite that's launching in November on the entire iPhone 14 lineup.

But Garmin's timing couldn't have been better. Satellite communication via a smart device is a hot topic right now, thanks to Apple's announcement, and the conversation will no doubt will draw a subset of users who want broader and more capabilities from a satellite communication product.

(From ZDNet,https://www.zdnet.com/article/garmi...-device-or-app-based-satellite-communication/)

 

[YetiX]

I don't see how it's different that the InReach Mini, at least in terms of its capabilities. Am I missing something? And there's still no way to communicate directly from one messenger to another, something that really drives me crazy.

 

[chet6.7]

I’ll admit that I’m not the most up to date member on this communications technology subject, but since the announcement of this gadget/service just came out 4 days ago, I’m guessing it’s a new expansion of a known tool and might be of interest to you all. The electronics are contained in a pretty tiny @2” x 2” square box that pairs with your phone.

View attachment 745289

Article follows below:



Any messages you send in the Garmin Messenger app will require the recipient to sign up for and use the free Messenger app on their mobile device. There's no fee to use the Messenger app on its own.

Yeah, everyone wants another app sucking the data off of their device.
The place I get my haircut keeps pushing their app, like I want that company to get all my data for a hair cut.

 

[carleton]

Looks like the things that make this unique are:
1) Lower entry price point than an inReach/Mini ($299 vs. $399)
2) Automatic switching from cellular to satellite, depending on connectivity
3) longer battery life than an inReach Mini, plus reverse charging of your phone in a pinch (My phone always bounces around in my pocket and turns itself draining the battery, so a quick boost would be helpful).

Then, the last thing though, if true, is a deal breaker:
"Any messages you send in the Garmin Messenger app will require the recipient to sign up for and use the free Messenger app on their mobile device."
That is unlike any other inReach, and seems silly. I don't want all my emergency contacts to have to download this app on the off chance I'll text them.....
Can anyone confirm this? Because the other inReach products don't have this constraint.


"And there's still no way to communicate directly from one messenger to another, something that really drives me crazy."
Not sure for the Messenger, but for the other inReach products you can message from inReach to inReach.
InReach to InReach

 

[emulous74]

It seems to me that it's an answer to the Zoleo Satellite Communicator. Garmin's is a 100 dollars more and has a mini screen, smaller and lighter. The one plus I see with the Zoleo, is Zoleo allows you to suspend your service for $4.00 a month, which you can un-suspend immediately in the phone app.

 

[Bill Ruttan]

"Any messages you send in the Garmin Messenger app will require the recipient to sign up for and use the free Messenger app on their mobile device."
That is unlike any other inReach, and seems silly. I don't want all my emergency contacts to have to download this app on the off chance I'll text them.....

It is generally difficult or impossible for my relatives or acquaintances to initiate a message to my inReach Mini. To me this is the ‘achilles heel’ of the Garmin inReach ecosystem.

 

[YetiX]

It is generally difficult or impossible for my relatives or acquaintances to initiate a message to my inReach Mini. To me this is the ‘achilles heel’ of the Garmin inReach ecosystem.

I had my wife, daughter, and parents set up a separate contact for me to message me on my InReach. Once you send them a message, they can always send a text to the same number and you'll get it.

 

[YetiX]

"And there's still no way to communicate directly from one messenger to another, something that really drives me crazy."
Not sure for the Messenger, but for the other inReach products you can message from inReach to inReach.
InReach to InReach

Thanks for that. I'm going to try that with my hunting buddy.

 

[Bill Ruttan]

I had my wife, daughter, and parents set up a separate contact for me to message me on my InReach. Once you send them a message, they can always send a text to the same number and you'll get it.

Just as you say, you must first send a message to everyone you can think of who might want/need to get in touch with you in a hurry. Even with that, Garmin makes no claims about the longevity of that number to “always” be able to send a return text in the future.

 

[YetiX]

Just as you say, you must first send a message to everyone you can think of who might want/need to get in touch with you in a hurry. Even with that, Garmin makes no claims about the longevity of that number to “always” be able to send a return text in the future.

True. Fwiw, whenever I'm on a trip and go out of cell coverage the first thing I do is send a message to my wife letting her know I'll be out of cell coverage. That way she has the number at the top of her phone. Also fwiw, that number has not changed in the last 2-3 years.

 

[DirtWhiskey]

I can see zero advantage compared to the mini. If you are within cell or wifi range, you use your phone. It's basically a hampered Inreach mini, which is already a garbage device and service (and at the same time best in class). Apple has emergency satcoms coming, though limited for now and T Mobile just signed a contract with Starlink. which is a real gamechanger. I'd say hold on to your shekels. Satcoms are going to escape the 1990's rathole its been stuck in very soon.

 

[jmmaxus]

With the iPhone 14 and beyond gaining Satellite emergency texting, Garmin is going to have to up their game. This seems like it will have better range and battery life but if using it tied to your phone app doesn’t seem worthwhile, as a stand-alone device looks good but I don’t see how it improves upon existing devices.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[carleton]

Just as you say, you must first send a message to everyone you can think of who might want/need to get in touch with you in a hurry. Even with that, Garmin makes no claims about the longevity of that number to “always” be able to send a return text in the future.

According to this article:
Every serious hiker should have something like a Garmin InReach Mini 2 (androidauthority.com)
....the fact that you need to text folks first is a "feature" which makes it so that random numbers can't text you (and then you are stuck with the bill).

Or in my case so that the incessant "We will buy your home" people can't hit up my regular phone # AND my Garmin number...
(or maybe that is just a me problem).

 

[DaveInDenver]

"And there's still no way to communicate directly from one messenger to another, something that really drives me crazy."
Not sure for the Messenger, but for the other inReach products you can message from inReach to inReach.
InReach to InReach

Is the point may be that InReach devices aren't creating their own ad-hoc network? IOW, a message between two InReach devices sitting next to each other still have to see the Iridium constellation. Even if that's what is meant it's not really a fair complaint. It's like saying a cell phone weakness is that it's needs the cell system. Yeah, of course it does, that's just the way it works.

 

[YetiX]

Is the point may be that InReach devices aren't creating their own ad-hoc network? IOW, a message between two InReach devices sitting next to each other still have to see the Iridium constellation. Even if that's what is meant it's not really a fair complaint. It's like saying a cell phone weakness is that it's needs the cell system. Yeah, of course it does, that's just the way it works.

Not really what I meant. For example, I spend a lot of time outside of cell coverage when hunting. My hunting friends and I all have various InReach devices. We can send messages to friends at home, but if my buddy is two mountains over and I want to communicate with him, I cannot do it with my InReach even though I can send and receive messages from home.

However, that article from Carleton explains how to do it so at least we can now. But I also wish it wasn't that complicated.