InReach Bluetooth Reliability

[Boone-In-Wall]

Than antenna and transmitter between all the inReaches are the same per Garmin.

The only important differences between the mini and the Explorer+ is battery life (the Explorer's is significantly better) and frequency of message checks. The mini automatically checks messages and sends tracking points every hour and this cannot be chaneged, though manual checks can be forced (the reason is battery preservation). The Explorer defalts to checking every 10 minutes, and this can be changed to more or less frequently.

Most people are fine with the mini. If you plan multi week expositions, need near real time messaging, or need frequent tracking points, then the Explorer is what you want. Most people never notice the delay with the mini as it also checks 10 minutes after a message is sent, so if someone replies quickly you will get it at this 10 minutes check. However, if they take 11 minutes to reply you will not see it until the hourly check unless you force a manual check before then or send another message.

Glacer travel is the only time I can think of where I would defenatively want tracking points sent more frequently than hourly (if you set the mini to 10 minutes tracking intervals it just sends 6 tracking points at the 1 hour mark, it does not send 1 tracking point every 10 minutes).

In short, you probably want the mini.

Marbles, thanks for the reply. That is some good insight! How long does the mini last compared to the explorer, generally?

 

[Marbles]

My mini will go three to four days on a charge (turing it off at night, not laying down GPS tracks, and sending only 10 or so messages). I usually carry a powerbank and just charge it every night, and I have not taken it past 2 days withough charging just because I like a full battery.

For the Explorer+ Garmin says
"Up to 100 hours at 10-minute tracking mode (default)
Up to 75 hours at 10-minute tracking with 1-second logging
Up to 30 days at the 30-minute interval power save mode
Up to 3 years when powered off"

For the mini
"Up to 90 hours at 10-minute tracking (default)
Up to 35 hours at 10-minute tracking with 1-second logging
Up to 24 days at 30-minute tracking power save mode
Up to 1 year when powered off"

Keeping in mind the difference in frequency in satellite connectivity to get the mini to a 90 hour battery life in the first scenario, the second scenario where the mini has a 35 hour battery life and the Explorer+ has 75 hours probably is the most informative for how they will respond to heavy use.

The 1-second logging interval refers to laying down a GPS track that records your position once every seconed, powering a GPS eats a lot of battery, same is true on your phone. You can set the logging interval to be less frequent and get ore battery life at the expence of track accuracy.

 

[Dos Perros]

I think the mini has all the functionality of the other in reaches. If you’re going to have you phone anyway, I’d save the weight and go with the mini.

This is what I do for Sept backpack hunts.

If I were planning to backpack in later colder weather hunts I’d not count on the iPhone battery to keep working. Had mine trip out on temperature before.

 

[Marbles]

This is what I do for Sept backpack hunts.

If I were planning to backpack in later colder weather hunts I’d not count on the iPhone battery to keep working. Had mine trip out on temperature before.

The screens on phones will also stop working in extreme cold. I just tuck mine in under my layers. Some of the SAR guys up here will stick foot warmers on the back of their phones and they say it works well.

 

[Dos Perros]

The screens on phones will also stop working in extreme cold. I just tuck mine in under my layers. Some of the SAR guys up here will stick foot warmers on the back of their phones and they say it works well.

Ya, I just don’t want to depend on that. Having reliable nav could save one’s life. I’ll get the newer Montana for that reason at some point.

 

[Boone-In-Wall]

This is what I do for Sept backpack hunts.

If I were planning to backpack in later colder weather hunts I’d not count on the iPhone battery to keep working. Had mine trip out on temperature before.

I've had this problem at my deer camp bc we camp primitively. I usually sleep with my phone inside or under my sleeping bag. Keeps the cold from sucking the battery life out of the phone.

 

[alaskabound]

I've got the 3 year old Explorer+. The only problem I've had is that incoming texts won't show up on my paired phone half the time. That said I haven't tried re-pairing it to see if it fixes it.
It's happened several times where I go to shut it off at the end of the day and I've got a message I never saw. When I go to the messages on my phone, they never show up.

Never had a problem otherwise, messages always send as expected unlike the SPOT I used to have.

I have had the same issues. I have a Delorme Explorer and I have to check the inReach to see if someone responded. It's very annoying.

 

[Mike Islander]

Title should probably be "Phone Bluetooth reliability".

Mine works great with Samsung S7.