Inreach Mini failed.

[Alaskanopolis]

While out on my moose hunt last week I grabbed my Inreach mini and noticed it had a black screen, after just using it a minute or so before. I could never get it to turn back on and I tried all the button resets, along with plugging it in etc. I also noticed that when I plugged it into a charger with multiple plugs, the other pieces of hardware would stop charging, almost like the inreach had a fault and was overloading the supply. Kind of odd and BS. I'm glad I had my sat phone as bakcup. Not that I needed the inreach for anything, but everyone at home is so used to being able to talk to me while I'm in the backcountry that if I all of a sudden stopped communicating because my inreach was my only tool for comms, then they'd probably have started to worry.

I guess now I need to get ahold of Garmin and figure out what to do.

 

[westernarcher]

I had my inreach freeze up last year. wouldn't do anything. showed the same screen for 2 days. Finally I took it apart and unplugged the battery and plugged it back in. it turned back on, charged it and its worked fine since.

 

[Titan_Bow]

I have 2 older ones, probably 7 to 10 years old now? Once while in Montana, we’ll away from cell signal or any other means of communicating, my Inreach would not power on, even though I had used it the day before. Nothing seemed to get it to come back on and it was fully charged. It eventually powered on, ironically when I got home from my trip. Never had another issue with it, but I always have a slight hesitation about their reliability. My other inreach , just crapped out last week. It will power on but won’t send a message. Tried to sync it, and even powered on, the computer never recognizes it. Oh well, time to buy another, but my 2 were pre Garmin units, so not sure how much better they are now that they are Garmin.


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[robby denning]

While out on my moose hunt last week I grabbed my Inreach mini and noticed it had a black screen, after just using it a minute or so before. I could never get it to turn back on and I tried all the button resets, along with plugging it in etc. I also noticed that when I plugged it into a charger with multiple plugs, the other pieces of hardware would stop charging, almost like the inreach had a fault and was overloading the supply. Kind of odd and BS. I'm glad I had my sat phone as bakcup. Not that I needed the inreach for anything, but everyone at home is so used to being able to talk to me while I'm in the backcountry that if I all of a sudden stopped communicating because my inreach was my only tool for comms, then they'd probably have started to worry.

I guess now I need to get ahold of Garmin and figure out what to do.

I had a brand new one fail--wouldn't connect to the sat network. Bought from S&S archery. They sent another one and now on it's third season working great (as long as I do the syncs to update it).

good luck

 

[OXN939]

I had a brand new one fail--wouldn't connect to the sat network. Bought from S&S archery. They sent another one and now on it's third season working great (as long as I do the syncs to update it).

good luck

Interesting thread. Two is one, one is none.

 

[Alaskanopolis]

I went on Garmin’s website and tried their troubleshooting procedures to no avail. I sent their support an email and haven’t heard back yet. We’ll see. I think I’ll just go back to my Explorer+, anyways, since I like having the maps for a backup akd the better battery life.

 

[6.5x284]

Had mine fail on a goat hunt last year. Froze on a black screen. On the back there was reset instructions on a sticker. Forgot the sequence of buttons but it did the trick.


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[22lr]

I have gotten in the habit of always sending a test and a preset message before I leave the house, and another test before I leave the truck.

Also, have a comm plan before you leave. If your inreach fails, don't let it ruin your hunt, and don't have your significant other panic and call a search party when you dont check in for the day.

I'm also paranoid with protecting it, and have a tempered glass screen projector on it, a silicone cover plus I keep it in a small padded radio pouch inside a pouch on my pack belt.

 

[Alaskanopolis]

Had mine fail on a goat hunt last year. Froze on a black screen. On the back there was reset instructions on a sticker. Forgot the sequence of buttons but it did the trick.


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I’ve tried everything.

 

[Alaskanopolis]

I have gotten in the habit of always sending a test and a preset message before I leave the house, and another test before I leave the truck.

Also, have a comm plan before you leave. If your inreach fails, don't let it ruin your hunt, and don't have your significant other panic and call a search party when you dont check in for the day.

I'm also paranoid with protecting it, and have a tempered glass screen projector on it, a silicone cover plus I keep it in a small padded radio pouch inside a pouch on my pack belt.

It died while I was in the middle of my hunt.

 

[kad11]

While out on my moose hunt last week I grabbed my Inreach mini and noticed it had a black screen, after just using it a minute or so before. I could never get it to turn back on and I tried all the button resets, along with plugging it in etc. I also noticed that when I plugged it into a charger with multiple plugs, the other pieces of hardware would stop charging, almost like the inreach had a fault and was overloading the supply. Kind of odd and BS. I'm glad I had my sat phone as bakcup. Not that I needed the inreach for anything, but everyone at home is so used to being able to talk to me while I'm in the backcountry that if I all of a sudden stopped communicating because my inreach was my only tool for comms, then they'd probably have started to worry.

I guess now I need to get ahold of Garmin and figure out what to do.

My 3 year old Garmin SE+ just did the same thing - I contacted Garmin and was told to just buy a new one.

I think I'll look elsewhere this time around...

 

[Rokwiia]

Redundancy is key for important issues. I always carry two H2O filters, 3 Bic lighters, and two emergency devices. Two and one and one is none.

I have a PLB (ACR ResQLink+) and the InReach Mini for the sole reason that my life might hang in the balance. A satellite phone is something I've looked at as well. I'd suggest always having 2 of these especially if you're like me and out alone most of the time with no backup partner. For that reason, I no longer go out without two types of emergency devices.

It's easy to put redundancy aside saying that I'll always careful and know what I'm doing. "Why waste the money?" I made that excuse for years. A massive heart attack, a bite from a venomous snake, a dead tree branch above that falls on you, a horrendous fall on the mountain, and so many more ways to find yourself in a life-or-death situation.

These are all electronic devices that can fail and sometimes do...at the worst moment.

 

[hfk]

Have been eyeing the inreach for a little while, but that seems worrisome. What have people been having the most luck with when it comes to satellite communicators if not garmin?

 

[fwafwow]

My 3 year old Garmin SE+ just did the same thing - I contacted Garmin and was told to just buy a new one.

I think I'll look elsewhere this time around...

Any resolution?

 

[Salmonchaser]

Disturbing to read of these failures. We’ve been using in reach for several years, all of our guides carry one. 6) Each of the planes have one as well(5). During the off season most of us carry the in reach on our personal adventures, ive been in Baja for a month. None of these units have failed to work except when they weren’t charged.

 

[tcpip95]

Redundancy is key for important issues. I always carry two H2O filters, 3 Bic lighters, and two emergency devices. Two and one and one is none.

I have a PLB (ACR ResQLink+) and the InReach Mini for the sole reason that my life might hang in the balance. A satellite phone is something I've looked at as well. I'd suggest always having 2 of these especially if you're like me and out alone most of the time with no backup partner. For that reason, I no longer go out without two types of emergency devices.

It's easy to put redundancy aside saying that I'll always careful and know what I'm doing. "Why waste the money?" I made that excuse for years. A massive heart attack, a bite from a venomous snake, a dead tree branch above that falls on you, a horrendous fall on the mountain, and so many more ways to find yourself in a life-or-death situation.

These are all electronic devices that can fail and sometimes do...at the worst moment.

My wife and I both have our own PLBs that we carry in our ditch bags. Also in there is a handheld VHF radio and a bottle of water. When we filled out our SAR cards with NOAA we put instructions that “survivor has VHF radio and will be monitoring channel 16.”

We don’t leave the dock without them.

Here’s what I’ll be doing when I go moose hunting in N. Alberta. This and my PLB. Iridium 9575 for $50/week. No brainer.

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[Mike Islander]

I wouldn't panic. I have a couple regular Inreach Explorer+ devices. Out of 10s of thousands, some will fail. It's not common.

 

[kad11]

Any resolution?

Nope, I babied this money pit and it shit the bed anyways. It still looks brand new.



Garmin CS walked me through a couple of reset attempts and then concluded it had reached the end of it's service life. No option but to toss this one and buy a new one. It worked fine throughout the season, but I went to check it before a snowshoe this weekend and no response...

I do have a 10-year old Etrex 20 that still works great though.

 

[12wander]

Have been eyeing the inreach for a little while, but that seems worrisome. What have people been having the most luck with when it comes to satellite communicators if not garmin?

Take a look at Zoleo. I just picked one up when Camofire had them for $149.00. A little more budget friendly units and plans.

 

[Shraggs]

My 3 year old Garmin SE+ just did the same thing - I contacted Garmin and was told to just buy a new one.

I think I'll look elsewhere this time around...

First in general garmin has good stuff. Between my marine units, car gps etc functional well designed products. In more recent years I’ve needed customer service here and there as maybe… their QC dips but there has been occasional arrogance as they affirm policy - but it left me as a customer a little put off especially with navigation or safety devices.

It was the reason I have stuck with my original delorme se in reach. Less features or ease if use but really haven’t heard of technical issues.