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Garmin inReach SE+ and Explorer+


Pablo Mac

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When Garmin bought DeLorme last year, I imagined and hoped for some interesting merging of features between my beloved Garmin 64s handheld receiver and the 2-way communication (via satellite, not cell towers) and rescue/recovery button of the DeLorme InReach products. I have read about the upcoming Garmin Inreach products, and found the product comparison chart.

 

intro.jpg

 

I am interested… even excited for this new product line, but I think I will wait until some improvements and additional features are implemented/clarified:

 


  •  
  • Battery type: "Rechargeable internal lithium ion" (Will it also take AA batteries?)
  • Memory/history: 2 GB (4 GB+ needed)
  • Accepts data cards: No (BIG negative there - gotta use my City Navigator maps!)
  • Custom POIs (ability to add additional points of interest): No (Another BIG negative)
  • Waypoints/favorites/locations: 500 (5000+ needed)
  • Routes: 20 (vs. 64's 200 - not a big deal, as I don't use this feature)
  • Track log: No (I need a "yes" here, along with the 64's 10,000 points, 200 saved tracks)
  • Geocaching-friendly: No (Obviously the biggest issue; needs a "Yes (Paperless)" before I'll buy it)
  • Custom maps compatible: No (gotta use my custom topo mapsl)

 

What are your impressions and ideas so far?

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SOLDERED IN BATTERY???

no caching

no turn by turn

no touch screen (so no route or track planning/editing/etc)

no wifi (for loading/sharing maps and large files)

no Bluetooth (real Bluetooth, instead of something that requires an app and smartphone to share files)

no NFC (not a big deal, very few standalone have NFC anyway)

no querty for logs(if it did support caching at all)

no chirp

no camera (one device instead of three)

 

I haven't seen what the track recording limits are yet. the only videos on YouTube so far do not show any of its functionality in use, just static images. this one

may do the very best yet of displaying what it's really good at: teaching you to use a smartphone for mapping, and charging you monthly fees to send text messages from anywhere in the world to someone who doesn't care that you just left camp.

 

a smartphone (OK OK, stand-alones work fine for hiking too) and a plb is a much more sane combo at this point.

 

wait and see the unboxing and first use videos from real people. I bet the marketing is way way way over selling its usefulness, and completely skipping over its flaws.

Edited by ohgood
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These are not navigation devices. While they possess rudimentary navigation features, their primary purpose is for communicating from the wilderness to the civilized world, sending (but not receiving) short text messages as well as positional data. These are useful for big expeditions into the remotest of places to have alongside a traditional GPS, but not really that necessary for general hiking and backpacking.

Edited by Mineral2
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These are not navigation devices. While they possess rudimentary navigation features, their primary purpose is for communicating from the wilderness to the civilized world, sending (but not receiving) short text messages as well as positional data. These are useful for big expeditions into the remotest of places to have alongside a traditional GPS, but not really that necessary for general hiking and backpacking.

 

Just for clarification...while the Spot devices could only send messages, the in Reach can send and receive.

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These are not navigation devices. While they possess rudimentary navigation features, their primary purpose is for communicating from the wilderness to the civilized world, sending (but not receiving) short text messages as well as positional data. These are useful for big expeditions into the remotest of places to have alongside a traditional GPS, but not really that necessary for general hiking and backpacking.

 

Seeing as it is a Garmin GPS with full mapping capabilities, there is no reason for it not to be programmed to do everything a 64S does as well as the InReach functions of two way satellite communication. That was the whole point of this over the previous inReach models, that it could be used as your main GPS as well as satellite communicator.

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These are not navigation devices. While they possess rudimentary navigation features, their primary purpose is for communicating from the wilderness to the civilized world, sending (but not receiving) short text messages as well as positional data. These are useful for big expeditions into the remotest of places to have alongside a traditional GPS, but not really that necessary for general hiking and backpacking.

 

Seeing as it is a Garmin GPS with full mapping capabilities, there is no reason for it not to be programmed to do everything a 64S does as well as the InReach functions of two way satellite communication. That was the whole point of this over the previous inReach models, that it could be used as your main GPS as well as satellite communicator.

 

But at the moment, it doesn't work that way. So until Garmin integrates the satellite communication with its own line of handheld GPS (maybe the GPSmap 66 and Oregon 800 series?), I just can't recommend investing in an inReach for casual use.

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Thank you for the reminder to test the recently unboxed Garmin 64S as a USB receiver for Delorme Topo mapping and road routing on a Win 10 laptop. It took a few trial clicks here and there to get it set up, but it is so comforting to see road routing on a big screen with Delorme maps. Now back to my regularly scheduled Nuvi for serious road use.

 

As to selling a "full featured", but non road routable out of the box device, combined with InReach capabilities for novice emergency situation use in the wild, that may be a little bit of overkill.

 

But it sure could be handy in a pinch.

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As to selling a "full featured", but non road routable out of the box device, combined with InReach capabilities for novice emergency situation use in the wild, that may be a little bit of overkill.

 

But it sure could be handy in a pinch.

 

The inReach, though, is not just for emergencies. It lets you have normal, regular communication with anyone. The Spot is mostly just for emergencies, but the inReach provides much more and you pay for it.

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As to selling a "full featured", but non road routable out of the box device, combined with InReach capabilities for novice emergency situation use in the wild, that may be a little bit of overkill.

 

But it sure could be handy in a pinch.

 

The inReach, though, is not just for emergencies. It lets you have normal, regular communication with anyone. The Spot is mostly just for emergencies, but the inReach provides much more and you pay for it.

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The Delorme units have been around for quite a while now and you can read about lots of rescues from people using them, they are way less expensive than a satellite phone. I have the yellow Delorme Inreach SE and carry it lots of places I go. You can message to anyone from anywhere in the world as long as they have cell phone reception or internet and to Geos search and rescue who will contact your next of kin and local search and rescue in your area. They are communication devices mainly, and for navigation, not geocaching units. If you venture off the grid anywhere they are nice to have. You have to pay a monthly fee, they have different plans you can pick from and you can change plans at anytime or put your unit into standby if you decide not to use it for awhile.They pair to your phone if you want a larger screen and a keyboard. They have lots of uses. If my truck breaks down on a remote logging road, out of cell phone reach, I can message a friend for help or if someone I am with gets injured hiking or kayaking I can two way message to search and rescue. I can send text messages to avoid cell phone roaming charges and if I am on a cruise ship across the world or in another country chat with family or friends without internet or cell coverage.

Delorme maps for your phone are pretty good and are free but I was disappointed to see that Garmin maps will not work in the new units. The Delorme Explorer had crude maps. You can follow my journey anywhere and see where I am on your laptop or cell phone and two way message or email me. Also I was disappointed to see that AA batteries are not used as these new units have much larger screens than Delorme units. You can make up lots of preset messages ahead of time for quick send off, but there can be delays in communicating of from 5-20 minutes depending on Iridium satellite positioning. If you have two units they can talk to each other as well. I will be keeping my eye on the new Explorer but also have a 64st it will have to win over and how buggy will they be at first like most Garmins, also maybe these are just the beginning of the integration of two way communication into Garmin units. It will definitely add cost as well a fee to use the Iridium network.

Sorry for the double post.

Edited by Forkeye
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I have the yellow Delorme Inreach SE and carry it lots of places I go. .....

Thank you, Forkeye! In contrast to the posts above, we now have a definitive description from someone who has actually held a predecessor, but otherwise similar, inReach unit in their hands while out in the field.

 

Outside of that, the post above lacks conjectural speculation and non-applicable negative nonsense.

Edited by Team CowboyPapa
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