Ditch garmin

[John pettimore]

Has anyone ditched their garmin for Starlink direct to cell only?

 

[SouthernCharm]

No, cell doesn’t work as well nor does the battery last as long. Like the tracker function where my wife can directly pinpoint my location.

 

[Bcoonce117]

I just upgraded to the newest inreach

 

[Wrench]

For the $$ I can't see the benefits. I have this tiny little box that's paid for costing me a buck a day to carry. That little box is known to work well and has an incredible battery life AND a direct link to help should I truly need it.

If I was hunting near help who knew my area and I could count on....AND it was open I'd consider it.....but 5 hours from anywhere....no way would I save the 30 bux.

 

[hoooogan]

I'm with that guy ^^^^. Inreach is a direct link to emergency help. If I am in a situation where I need to activate the inreach, the absolute last thing I want to do is hope someone answers a text.

 

[fngTony]

I’m with the crowd of keeping the inreach or similar device. Have you ever called 911 to report a car accident and they ask you a bunch of dumb questions about the location? I’ve given them explicit street names and businesses on the corner and they’re still asking “what city is that?” Point being that those dedicated satellite emergency devices send your location at the push of the SOS button. They are also answered by people trained for the scenario of outdoor emergencies.

 

[Blake C]

Last month I added starlink to my plan. Itw works well for texting. Doesn't do good sending pictures. I been using a mini for like 6 years with freedom plan. Ill still turn it on for hunt season, but with the lowest offered plan. Carry it for emergency purposes but no more communicating on it. But the starling works fine for my out of reach stuff a couple times a week.

 

[Hussar]

I've ditched my InReach for the star link texting. Starlink works better, faste, and is significantly cheaper. I only really used the InReach for communication anyway.

I could see reactivating my InReach if I was going to be out for an extended period of time somewhere extremely remote. Otherwise, starlink is working well enough at this time.

 

[swavescatter]

I have Tmobile with the direct Starlink micro-data feature. It gets better weekly it seems. Way faster than my old Inreach and can text like normal. Other low-data features work too like Google Maps navigation (about 80% success) and weather. I can't see every needing Garmin iridium again...

 

[BRTreedogs]

I have Tmobile with the direct Starlink micro-data feature. It gets better weekly it seems. Way faster than my old Inreach and can text like normal. Other low-data features work too like Google Maps navigation (about 80% success) and weather. I can't see every needing Garmin iridium again...

Are you planning to text 911 in a real deal emergency?

 

[Sawitrightoff]

Maybe by the time this fall’s hunting seasons come, we’ll have better options.

 

[swavescatter]

Are you planning to text 911 in a real deal emergency?

Maybe. I think 911 texting is rolled out already, or will be soon? I would also just text a large group of friends/family, give them details and have them contact authorities. My guess is that it's still faster and more efficient than using the Garmin app through my phone and having some random stranger who knows where try to reach out to local authorities that no nothing about me or where I am or what I was doing. I did listen to a podcast about what happens when you hit the inReach button and it's not a quick process necessarily. I would trust friends and family to engage authorities but also drop what they're doing and head out to me immediately, maybe even post on Facebook for local help, etc.

Just my guess, but hopefully none of this happens. So many variables, but at the end of the day the Garmin device is simply an added layer to communicating with my phone via an external antenna. Next gen apple watches are supposedly going to have the direct satellite antennas integrated for added redundancy.

 

[Blake C]

How did we survive before any satellite coms?........

 

[BRTreedogs]

How did we survive before any satellite coms?........

Some people didn’t.
They layed there and died.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Maybe. I think 911 texting is rolled out already, or will be soon? I would also just text a large group of friends/family, give them details and have them contact authorities. My guess is that it's still faster and more efficient than using the Garmin app through my phone and having some random stranger who knows where try to reach out to local authorities that no nothing about me or where I am or what I was doing. I did listen to a podcast about what happens when you hit the inReach button and it's not a quick process necessarily. I would trust friends and family to engage authorities but also drop what they're doing and head out to me immediately, maybe even post on Facebook for local help, etc.

Just my guess, but hopefully none of this happens. So many variables, but at the end of the day the Garmin device is simply an added layer to communicating with my phone via an external antenna. Next gen apple watches are supposedly going to have the direct satellite antennas integrated for added redundancy.

I picture more of a grizzly attack or something.
Not pairing my phone

But just ON/ sos button between bouts of loosing consciousness.

I don’t really see myself requesting much for help unless I legitimately think I’m going to die immediately.

 

[BBob]

How did we survive before any satellite coms?........

As it was then, it’s the same as now. I’m not in it necessarily for the comms. I’m in it so I don’t have to suffer like a dog till I die if I get incapacitated and need to get my butt hauled out sooner rather than later.

To answer the original question, nope not yet. I like others don’t think the cell/satellite is quite there yet for SOS.

 

[One300wsm]

My IPhone has satellite text and works well. I have used it in the Yukon, Frank Church Wilderness, Mexico and Wyoming. With no issues to people with a IPhone and Android.

 

[medvedyt]

dialing 911 or sos button when in the wilderness area will not mean you will get rescue as fast as you think ...

a few times here the SAR teams were contacted by a texas HQ and they were just giving locations of the issues. in the winter it is easier to travel but in the fall helicopter and planes have limited hours of operations, it is way easier here in the Yukon to get the phone of local RCMP station to inform them where you are and what you need that just pressing a sos button.

 

[AKM]

Starlink just got economically impossible in AK. $1500 one time access fee. But at least they offer to loan you the mini if you want to mobile.

 

[mtnbound]

Has anyone ditched their garmin for Starlink direct to cell only?

No, the InReach, with its tracking feature and reliability, is the big difference. T Satellite(Starlink) has been up and down for me. Works then it doesn't, won't connect for hours. When and if it works, it works great. Apple's native satellite is more reliable than T satellite, but I dislike having to move around to get connected to it. InReach is far from perfect, but it's the one that I'll bet my life on.