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Gamin InReach Anyone?

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    • Gamin InReach Anyone?

      My wife has decided spending $350 on a Garmin InReach Mini satellite communicator is a good idea, considering I'm hiking in the Grand Canyon solo in Apr/May. I will probably just sign up for the Safety Plan as I am getting this mostly for emergency use and not for regular communication or tracking (I don't feel the need to stay connected while out). However I will probably want to send some some of the pre-set text messages you can set up in advance. For those who have used these (or those who have thought about it), besides the "Got to camp OK and on schedule" type of check-in pre-set message, are there others you might suggest or have found useful?

    • odd man out wrote:

      My wife has decided spending $350 on a Garmin InReach Mini satellite communicator is a good idea, considering I'm hiking in the Grand Canyon solo in Apr/May. I will probably just sign up for the Safety Plan as I am getting this mostly for emergency use and not for regular communication or tracking (I don't feel the need to stay connected while out). However I will probably want to send some some of the pre-set text messages you can set up in advance. For those who have used these (or those who have thought about it), besides the "Got to camp OK and on schedule" type of check-in pre-set message, are there others you might suggest or have found useful?
      My wife would weigh that $350 Garmin InReach in one hand and the thought of buying $350 of quilting fabric in the other. Then she would look at me and say go have a good time and I am fine if you keep just texting me whenever you can. :rolleyes:
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • I replied to you on "TOS".... My presets are "Starting here, no reply needed", "Stopping here, no reply needed". I forget the third one. I've told wife she MAY reply but that it just eats up the paid-for messages as I'm on a Freedom plan. With it, she went from "I don't think you should go solo and have no cell coverage if you get hurt" to "take that locator thingy and have fun".
      Pirating – Corporate Takeover without the paperwork

    • I justify the cost (upfront & monthly) with a combination of peace of mind for my wife and peace of mind for me. And spending 5 days each year in the Quiet Zone surrounding the Green Bank WV Radio Telescope ensures it will get some use.

      Good idea to stress that there's no need for a reply. Incoming replies sometime get delayed which makes it difficult to match up posts and replies. If I could only convince my wife...
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

    • Mountain-Mike wrote:

      If you haven't bought it yet, let me know. I have a mini I am thinking about selling. Bought it for use shuttling at the the hostel & found it a bit cumbersome for several staff members. After a week or two I switched over to Zoleo unit.
      Have not purchased yet. Any issues transferring to new owner? Do you just have to link it to a new account? I'd hate to have all your friends think you fell off the south rim. Is the Zoleo one that only interfaces via a cell phone? I'd rather not have to take my phone hiking so I wasn't considering that type. But if shuttling, then something like that makes sense.

    • StalkingTortoise wrote:

      I justify the cost (upfront & monthly) with a combination of peace of mind for my wife and peace of mind for me. And spending 5 days each year in the Quiet Zone surrounding the Green Bank WV Radio Telescope ensures it will get some use.

      Good idea to stress that there's no need for a reply. Incoming replies sometime get delayed which makes it difficult to match up posts and replies. If I could only convince my wife...
      My peace of mind comes mainly from knowing that my wife won't have a fit when she sees the credit card bill since I was able to make her think it was her idea in the first place.

    • odd man out wrote:

      Mountain-Mike wrote:

      If you haven't bought it yet, let me know. I have a mini I am thinking about selling. Bought it for use shuttling at the the hostel & found it a bit cumbersome for several staff members. After a week or two I switched over to Zoleo unit.
      Have not purchased yet. Any issues transferring to new owner? Do you just have to link it to a new account? I'd hate to have all your friends think you fell off the south rim.
      In the inReach account page, there is an option to reassign a device to a new email address. As long as the seller reassigns it from their address to the buyers address, all previous links should be broken.

      Plans & Devices -> Manage Device -> Reassign
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

    • Mountain-Mike wrote:

      If you haven't bought it yet, let me know. I have a mini I am thinking about selling. Bought it for use shuttling at the the hostel & found it a bit cumbersome for several staff members. After a week or two I switched over to Zoleo unit.
      I've been thinking about a Bivy Stick, sounds similar to the Zoleo.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • StalkingTortoise wrote:

      In the inReach account page, there is an option to reassign a device to a new email address. As long as the seller reassigns it from their address to the buyers address, all previous links should be broken.
      Plans & Devices -> Manage Device -> Reassign
      I was looking at that too. It says that when setting up an account you may get an error message that says the device is linked to another account. It also said that only the previous account holder (not Garmin) can terminate and account. There was another page with instructions for previous owners to unlink and do a factory reset so a new owner doesn't have access to previous owners info (tracking, messages, etc). It seems the new owner can't create an account until they have the device, as each account is tied to a specific device and vice versa.

    • Garmin is trying to prevent someone from stealing and then activating a unit, or trying to use a lost & found unit. Makes sense.

      Buying used from a stranger would have some risk. Buying from a AT Cafe member - mo' bettah!
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

    • jimmyjam wrote:

      Mountain-Mike wrote:

      If you haven't bought it yet, let me know. I have a mini I am thinking about selling. Bought it for use shuttling at the the hostel & found it a bit cumbersome for several staff members. After a week or two I switched over to Zoleo unit.
      I've been thinking about a Bivy Stick, sounds similar to the Zoleo.
      I like the Zoleo because it has a dedicated text # & email with the account. Whom ever has the hostel phone has my sat # on it. It will only go through sat signal after trying wifi & cell signal first. It as simple as texting. Easy at both ends.

    • odd man out wrote:

      StalkingTortoise wrote:

      In the inReach account page, there is an option to reassign a device to a new email address. As long as the seller reassigns it from their address to the buyers address, all previous links should be broken.
      Plans & Devices -> Manage Device -> Reassign
      I was looking at that too. It says that when setting up an account you may get an error message that says the device is linked to another account. It also said that only the previous account holder (not Garmin) can terminate and account. There was another page with instructions for previous owners to unlink and do a factory reset so a new owner doesn't have access to previous owners info (tracking, messages, etc). It seems the new owner can't create an account until they have the device, as each account is tied to a specific device and vice versa.
      I have to loo into shutting down my account. Termination cost of contract wasn't worth the effort I like the way it works with earthmate map on my phone as a gps. For a group member that needs it I will sell for $180.