Any PIREPS out there on the Garmin inReach satellite tracker/messenger

I was thinking about getting one of these as a backup ELT. It’s very small and could be attached to your person while flying in the event its use became necessary. It basically has an emergency transmission capability but also with a subscription you can send text messages.

Somewhere I read that in a crash the likelihood of you ELT activating is something less than 50-50.

In Reach Mini

I carry mine in my front pocket every time I fly. It is a critical safety item for me.

During a recent long distance flight my spouse and family were able to track my progress through the web service provided.

I only use the stock 3 texts which allow me to send a text when I am out cell service. Each text has a geolocation, so my contacts can see where I was when I sent the text.

I use the basic plan - i think it is $15/mo.

For me the monthly cost is well worth the peace of mind.

I have the original DeLorme InReach (before Garmin bought them).

Several of us do weeklong backcountry trips every year in Utah and Idaho. All of us have various versions of the InReach, all of them work well. The piece of mind for my wife makes them priceless. I send her a text every day once we’re done flying for the day, and she can respond on her phone like a normal text message. It also includes a link with each text so she can see where we are exactly.

It works anywhere on the globe. Highly recommended.

I have the InReach mini. I have used it for flying and hiking. I would not leave home without it.

Garmin inReach

Glad to receive your comments. Going to order it tomorrow
Thanks

dabney said:

Glad to receive your comments. Going to order it tomorrow
Thanks

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A point of reference. I own an inReach as well as an ACR ResQlink 406 plb. The inReach does allow texts but they are somewhat slow compared to a cell phone (20 minutes sometimes) and it needs clear view to the sky to send/receive. The subscription eventually wore me out so I cancelled it and just keep the 406 plb in the plane that does not require a subscription. When we fly over the ocean as a belts and suspenders approach we activate the inReach for a month but aside from that the novelty wore off for me in what it does vs the plb.

With regards to the elt having a poor success rate for activation - if you have a remote mount activation panel you would activate this before you hit the ground at the onset of your problem. If you had a structural failure maybe you would not be able to activate it but at that point who cares as it is a recovery effort and not a rescue opp. We had an accidental activation of our 406 elt while airborne and it started a chain reaction of phone calls from the Air Force so from my experience the elt works.

You won't go wrong with the inReach but you might consider your objective before you sign up for monthly billing.

We’ve had SPOT trackers since they first came out (now have had four of them), and we have an InReach Mini that Garmin sent us to evaluate when they first came out. That’s about ten or twelve years of using the things.

The Mini is a very neat and tiny package, but the problem with it was that it had a rechargeable battery that didn’t last that long - and when it runs out,the people tracking you don’t know whether the unit is dead, or you crashed! The first time that happened to us, it was on the way back from the Idaho back country, and my sister through we were down somewhere in northern Nevada. The SPOTs use replaceable batteries, and will stay powered continuously for a month - so I preferred that package.

However, with the advent of ADS-B, and the fact that Louise and I each have a survival vest with a PLB in the breast pocket, we finally stopped paying for tracking services. Several years of watching the accuracy and timeliness of ADS-B tracking, and knowing that the PLB will get the cavalry on the way makes the SPOT obsolete. Note that we never used the messaging capability - just wasn;t necessary for our use - if that’s important, then yup - pay for the service. Or use your cellphone when you are on the grid….which you’ll be when you get fuel, generally speaking.

It’s interesting how technology evolves - I wouldn’t call SPOT or InReach buggy whips yet - but they might be headed that way….

Paul

I also carry an inReach in my pocket every time I fly. Haven't had to use it with the plane yet, but when I took it on a trip to canyonlands and the truck broke down in a canyon where no cell phone worked the inReach did let me call help.

As for ADS-B, I find in Utah it works by the big airports along the Wasatch Front, but as soon as I leave that area the track no longer shows. Maybe if I flew high enough radar could pick me up over the mountains, but would need oxygen up there.

Think of the inreach as a text only sat phone with a gps and a button that texts search and rescue. It works anywhere and you don’t need to try and talk through a poor connection. You enter your message and it works on it until delivered.

From the perspective of actual emergencies, I’d argue that a 406mhz ELT is better, but if you are out of cell phone range doing back country ops, it’s really nice to text your spouse, or them use the web app to see where you are even if it’s not at the airport.

I think of the overlap like this:

Cell phones cover communication when you have service.
Ads-b can show your family your location if you are in the airplane, you don’t care about privacy, and there is service.
ELT’s cover actual emergencies.

The inreach covers everything else.

I started using inreach years ago when spot didn’t work in AK and wanted something as there isn’t any ads-b coverage and cell phones don’t work at many of my destinations. It was nice to be able to phone home when I spent the night in the airplane at the illiamna airport due to weather.

I recently purchased a Zoleo brand satellite tracker. I travel from the Denver area to Steamboat Springs, CO almost weekly (driving most weeks this winter) and there are large stretches of highway with limited cell phone coverage. I also go on solo motorcycle rides in the summer months all through the Rockies.

One of the primary functions I was searching for was the ability to drop "breadcrumbs" to show my track and last position. I pay $26/month for this feature with the Zoleo. It also has a "check-in" button and an emergency button. Depending on the nature of the problem, I may or may not have an opportunity to activate the emergency function. I've got the Zoleo software programmed to send my breadcrumb track to an aviation friend as well as my brother.

As someone else mentioned, I don't experience universal reliability via my ADSB setup and sites like Flight Aware. Last Wednesday I flew my RV-3 to and from Taos and see that only about 1/2 my outbound flight registered and none of the return flight registered. I was at 14,500' the whole trip with the exception of when I ducked under the KDEN Class B airspace.

Edited to Add: The Zoleo pairs with a smart phone and allows you to send text messages with your phone using the satellite system. It also allows incoming text messages via satellite if the sender knows the dedicated phone number for your Zoleo device. I think I'm limited to 15 messages per month with my $26 plan and extra messages are somewhere around 50 cents each. I'm pretty careful in not sharing my Zoleo number with everyone. It's already helped in one situation when I was driving home and came to a complete stop for 45 minutes due to a traffic accident in a no-cell-phone area. I was reading a book waiting for EMS to clear the accident scene and my brother texted me via the Zoleo system. He noticed my track was stationary for too long in the middle of nowhere.

InReach Mini 2

I know this is a year old thread but I am looking for a PLB. I believe the Mini 2 is the one I want but looking for other options.

I want one for my flying but also for travel. My daughter and her husband are going to Patagonia on a mountain climbing trip and since I want one for my use thought it would be good to get one they could take also.

I dont want old technology and looking for world wide coverage with text ability. Any ideas or product reviews? Thanks

A little off-topic...my iPhone 14 is able to send texts to emergency services and share location via satellite when no cell service is available. No additional subscription required. Also has crash detection.

rockwoodrv9 said:

I know this is a year old thread but I am looking for a PLB. I believe the Mini 2 is the one I want but looking for other options.

I want one for my flying but also for travel. My daughter and her husband are going to Patagonia on a mountain climbing trip and since I want one for my use thought it would be good to get one they could take also.

I dont want old technology and looking for world wide coverage with text ability. Any ideas or product reviews? Thanks

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I just purchased a Zoleo off of e-Bay. Mine will be dual purpose; I primarily bought it for backcountry hunting but will also now be taking it along in the airplane. Don't have it yet so can't give my full review, but did a lot of research before selecting Zoleo over Garmin. I'd suggest giving it a look.

Thanks guys. I thought of the iphone 14, but wasnt sure it would work at the bottom tip of south America. I will look at the Zoleo too.

rockwoodrv9 said:

Thanks guys. I thought of the iphone 14, but wasnt sure it would work at the bottom tip of south America. I will look at the Zoleo too.

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I don't think the satellite SOS feature on the iPhone 14 would work in South America yet, although supposedly Apple's satellite partner does cover that part of the world. I gather that it's a bandwidth problem, or something like that. Still on the table, they say, but timeline unknown. In the meantime, it's U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, and the U.K. so far.