in reach vs in reach mini

[sivart]

What features do you lose w/ the mini?

 

[bpctcb]

You can’t use the mini as a stand alone gps.
I use onX on my phone so I went with the mini. I only use the mini for SOS and texting and it works perfect for that. The mini is tiny and I love it.

BP


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[Brozonelayer]

You can’t use the mini as a stand alone gps.
I use onX on my phone so I went with the mini. I only use the mini for SOS and texting and it works perfect for that. The mini is tiny and I love it.

BP

Same situation as BP

 

[ozyclint]

you lose weight and size. it is a satelite text service and nothing else for me

 

[muddydogs]

As compared to which Inreach? The Mini has the same features as the Delorme SE, Explorer, and Garmin SE+. Contrary to whats posted above the mini is a stand alone GPS without maps like the above listed units. The Mini can mark waypoints and navigate to waypoints.

The Garmin Explorer+ and 66i have all the same functions as the mini with the added bonus of down loaded maps, the Explorer+ has very limited maps compared to the 66i.

So if all your looking for is two way communication with the ability to find your camp or pickup should your phone mapping app crap out considering you marked your camp or pickup with the Inreach before you left then the SE+ or Mini is a good choice. If you want some mapping on the unit and still keep the unit cost down then the Explorer+ is a great choice. The 66i is a great do it all unit but your going to pay for the top of the line.

 

[muddydogs]

If something ever happened to your phone, you would lose texting ability. I have considered moving from the regular to the mini but I don't mind carrying a couple of extra ounces for that added level of reliability.

You will not lose texting ability as the Mini is a stand alone unit capable of sending text messages. Yep the text editor on the Mini is just a alphabet line down the side of the screen so there is a lot of hunting and pecking for each character but you can still send text messages.
Wish people would do there research before posting bad info.

 

[AkMtnRunner]

You will not lose texting ability as the Mini is a stand alone unit capable of sending text messages. Yep the text editor on the Mini is just a alphabet line down the side of the screen so there is a lot of hunting and pecking for each character but you can still send text messages.
Wish people would do there research before posting bad info.

I stand corrected. I deleted the post.

 

[jmriness]

You can’t use the mini as a stand alone gps.
I use onX on my phone so I went with the mini. I only use the mini for SOS and texting and it works perfect for that. The mini is tiny and I love it.

BP


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This. No need for the extra weight of the GPS features when im already carrying my phone.

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[P Carter]

You can also use the mini as a standalone gps. It does not have a mapping feature, but it will drop waypoints and navigate to waypoints without using your phone.

More accurately, I suppose, it serves as a limited standalone GPS, as well as an SOS with texting capacity, albeit clunky, if the phone were to lose battery or be broken.

 

[dla]

You can also use the mini as a standalone gps. It does not have a mapping feature, but it will drop waypoints and navigate to waypoints without using your phone.

More accurately, I suppose, it serves as a limited standalone GPS, as well as an SOS with texting capacity, albeit clunky, if the phone were to lose battery or be broken.

And the mini will back track, which is nice if you get lost on an in&out hunt and your phone is dead.
Funny, but if you have tracking enabled, you can message a loved one and ask them where you are at

 

[P Carter]

And the mini will back track, which is nice if you get lost on an in&out hunt and your phone is dead.
Funny, but if you have tracking enabled, you can message a loved one and ask them where you are at

That's funny, never thought of that! Now, i'm not sure my wife would think that is funny...but something to keep in mind in a pinch I suppose!

 

[Bill V]

I lost my phone on a long stalk through a swamp in Alaska last week and only had the mini for communication and GPS after that. It's not very functional as a GPS for finding your way, but you can mark spots and get coordinates and find your way back with a compass if needed. I really like using the mini along with a phone for text communication and I prefer using a phone with topo and satellite maps downloaded vs. a GPS for navigation.

 

[E2Eastman]

I run the mini and really like it. It is likely you will always have your phone and with Onx or Base map it can act as your GPS. So, the mini saves weight and bulk

 

[shooterrdy]

You can navigate with the Mini its not great but you can mark waypoints and use the Explore app from garmin, mini does a great job snd its size/weight is awesome

 

[Marbles]

Besides the differences in navigation, the Explorer has longer battery life.

If you need near real time communication or accurate near real time tracking of your movements, you want the Explorer. This does not apply to most hunters.

The mini checks for messages 10 minutes after a message is sent and then once an hour. This cannot be changed, though a message check can be forced manually.

The Explorer defaults to checking every 10 minutes and the setting can be changed for more or less frequent checks.

The mini appears to only send tracking points once an hour. You can set it for a tracking point every 5 minuets (of what ever) but all 12 tracking points for the past hour will appear in mapshare at the same time, rather than one every 5 minuets.

Most people will never notice the time lag of the mini.

The mini is lighter, easier to carry, and both the mini and Explorer really need to be paired with a phone for easy texting. A phone will also provide better navigation capability than the Explorer.

 

[KBC]

What’s the real world battery life on the minI? I have the explorer+ and rarely use the gps function but the battery life is great.

 

[ianpadron]

The Mini is superior unless you don't carry your phone in the backcountry.

If you do, just Bluetooth Sync that lil bugger to your smart phone and the Earthmate App and you have the most user friendly satellite communication and GPS combo currently available. Pull weather reports, detailed maps, etc. All over your phone's touchscreen. Game-changer

 

[ianpadron]

What’s the real world battery life on the minI? I have the explorer+ and rarely use the gps function but the battery life is great.

Varies on usage. I just leave mine off unless needed and can get a week or more out of it. If I'm sending a ton of messages or pulling a lot of maps, I'll top it off every other day.

 

[Vandy321]

20+ comments until someone mentioned the earthmate app for the mini, crazy considering how functional it is. Its a full on GPS navigation app, topo maps, plot points, tracks, etc. Also, can free text from the app and view the thread like a normal text thread, pull weather, etc. If yoy already carry your phone, its a no-brainer, at least it was for me.

Nice for sending updates from the river with no service too...like I was going to post a screenshot from my hunting spot

 

[Marbles]

What’s the real world battery life on the minI? I have the explorer+ and rarely use the gps function but the battery life is great.

About 2 days with 30 minute tracking send interval (sending two points once an hour on the mini) and a few texts. I don't recall my tracking log setting, I think I have it set to one minute. This is turning it off at night and not getting below 30% battery.

Tracking log setting will have the biggest effect on battery life as this is how often the device provides power for gps fixes. As mentioned earlier, message check intervals cannot be changed on the mini.

The mini pulls less power than the Explorer, but has a much smaller battery. If using a power bank, the mini has a slight edge. If needing extended operation on only the internal battery, the Explorer easily wins.