SPOT X vs garmin inreach mini?

[bajavanadu]

I just got off the phone with garmin about my "inreach for smartphones" (basically a big inreach mini) and was informed that they are no longer supporting this device, firmware, software, and app. No notice at all from them about this, glad I finally got through to tech support and didn't find out it was a brick while on the trail. Garmin offered me 100 off a new device which would drop the inreach mini down to 250 plus tax and fees. The spot x is only 250 and I don't have to pair it with my phone (pairing was problem since day 1 with my current inreach). Spot x plans seem like a better deal, more messages included, tracking, social media and a dedicated phone number. My main concern is the transmitting power and coverage of the spot. Does anyone have any real world experiences with the spot x?
Thanks for any input.
Eric

 

[XJINTX]

following I have SPOT and looking to upgrade to SPOTX

 

[MountainBiker]

I've been watching the 2-way Sat communicators for some time, and I've owned a 1st Gen Spot since day 1, now use a Spot Gen3.

I consistently see a large percentage of bad reviews (REI and other sites) for the X, so I'm holding off. If I wait long enough, I might just end up with a Sat phone!

 

[DaveInDenver]

I have no complaints about my Gen 3 SPOT, it really has done everything I've ever expected. Globalstar's customer service and marketing/pricing leaves something to be desired, so the headache of dealing with that aside. But there are some significant differences in the SPOT X (other than cost) that have held me off from considering one.

If I didn't already own a SPOT I'd probably get an InReach Mini personally if two-way was deemed important. I haven't yet convinced myself I need two-way, so it's still a luxury in the back of my mind and it's hard to justify the higher price and especially hard for me to justify re-spending a bunch of money.

Point being, I would probably not buy a SPOT X over an InReach Mini but would buy a Gen 3 locator again.

 

[Ovrlnd Rd]

I can't say anything about the inReach mini but I wouldn't head out with out my inReach Explorer Plus. It's not so much my peace of mind as it is for the wife. I can text her when I make it to camp each night so she doesn't have all the worst possible scenarios going through her head. It also was invaluable on our ID BDR trip when we were out of cell range and needed to locate a welder for a vehicle emergency. I texted her, she jumped on the Google machine, and 20 minutes later we had a welder located on a Friday night. The texting ability is worth the price of admission.

 

[BigDaveZJ]

The lack of a dedicated number has always been my #1 complaint about my inReach. I had one of the original Spot devices and loved the simplicity of it, but the 2-way capability that only the inReach offered at the time made me switch over. I still do find that my inReach is generally more reliable in getting a signal out than my Spot was, but I also haven't really used my Spot in a few years now since switching to the inReach. I have had a couple people who are unable to receive messages from my inReach though, unsure if it's an issue with their carrier or the inReach.

 

[jksouthwest]

We run an inReach mini and have great luck with it. We have successfully sent and received messages on multiple trips and also bluetooth connect it to our Ipad mini for navigation.

 

[kmroxo]

My InReach Mini works like a champ - messages, tracking, etc. I use it frequently for the free preset messages, but can easily use my phone to send custom messages. I have never had an issue with pairing.

 

[Gs WK2]

I found the Spot X to be unreliable. Kind of defeats the purpose if the “I’m OK” message doesn’t get to my wife. Switched to In Reach mini and it works perfect.

 

[bajarat]

Spot - Globalstar Sat network. Sucks. Search for failed/no emergency response cases

InReach - Iridium Sat network. It WORKS.

 

[Kerensky97]

I've got the old Delorme InReach SE and have never had any issues with it. It sends/receives in a lot of situations I'm shocked it would see a satellite.

I kind of want to upgrade to the inreach mini but have no reason to other than size. And that cost doesn't justify a small size/weight savings.

 

[Shellshock]

I’ve been using an inreach for the last 3 years and its never let me down. I frequently run tracking and send messages a few times a month. It works great

 

[shade]

I've got the old Delorme InReach SE and have never had any issues with it. It sends/receives in a lot of situations I'm shocked it would see a satellite.

I kind of want to upgrade to the inreach mini but have no reason to other than size. And that cost doesn't justify a small size/weight savings.

May as well wait until it dies, or Garmin pulls the plug on support.

 

[pdxfrogdog]

May as well wait until it dies, or Garmin pulls the plug on support.

I had a 1st gen InReach (even older than the SE) that I recently replaced with a InReach Mini. It's amazing how much quicker the mini it is at both sending and receiving messages. Huge difference and I'm really happy I upgraded.

 

[shade]

I had a 1st gen InReach (even older than the SE) that I recently replaced with a InReach Mini. It's amazing how much quicker the mini it is at both sending and receiving messages. Huge difference and I'm really happy I upgraded.

That's usually the point where I'll consider making an upgrade to something. I have a friend that continues to use an ancient Magellan GPS unit because "it still works!" It features a low-res monochrome display, and it takes 30 minutes to run through an error checking process before it's functional - no, thanks.

When I was shopping the inReach, there was still new DeLorme stock to be had at a discount. I decided whatever I'd save with one wasn't worth the risk of having an unsupported device if/when Garmin decided it was time to close the door on all things DeLorme. If they ever do that, I sure hope they make a highly publicized announcement months in advance. They probably will just to drive new inReach sales, but sometimes companies will abandon a product quietly.