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dla
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dla
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PostTue Jun 06, 2017 7:09 am 
Brian Curtiss: You're confusing "functionality " with "reliability ".

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skiorkayak
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PostTue Jun 06, 2017 10:01 am 
Yes, the ability to tell me if a message went through or not is a "function". But I am not going to want to "rely" on a unit that leaves me wondering if my message went through or not. At that point a "functionality" issue becomes a "reliability" issue. I got my inReach SE at the REI garage sale a couple of years ago (I paid $99, but the last garage sale I went to had a couple for $75). I have only used it a couple of times, but the peace of mind it gives on any trip where I am out of cell phone range is invaluable.

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spacetent
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PostTue Jun 06, 2017 1:53 pm 
I've only used the inReach SE, but here are a few additional things that factored into my decision to go with that device: Satellite Networks. The inReach units and SPOT units utilize different satellite constellations for communications: inReach uses Iridium and SPOT uses Globalstar. Debate rages in nerd circles about the relative merits of each constellation, usually focusing on breadth of coverage. Iridium generally seems to have broader coverage, but depending on where you plan to use the device that may not matter. Consider consulting the Googles for more info. Yearly Cost. Garmin offers monthly subscription plans, with the cheapest being $15 (plus taxes) per month, with a $25 annual fee. You can suspend the service for months when you're not using it, so for June-September you'd be paying $85 (plus taxes) for service. The upfront cost is obviously higher for the inReach hardware, but, if you can, you should amortize the hardware cost over the length of time you'd expect to use the device when deciding which to purchase. You'd make up the difference in hardware cost pretty quickly if SPOT wants $200/year now and you only plan to use the device for part of the year. Phone Compatibility. The inReach pairs with an Apple or Android phone, giving you access to GPS navigation on your phone via the inReach GPS chip, as well as the ability to use your phone to send and receive messages via the inReach. It's pretty slick. Weight. This is last for a reason. But, the SPOT wins handily here. The inReach weighs as much as the big iPhone. Skurka has a good article covering the differences between these two devices, PLBs, and sat phones--and he's used them all. My opinion? With the increase in cost, SPOT no longer makes sense over the inReach.

No pithy signature quote will fix the crap I just wrote. Apologies. HYOH
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Pyrites
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PostTue Jun 06, 2017 3:46 pm 
Yes, but MEC costs $5 CA to join for lifetime, and they have great merchandise. You gotta include these downsides. 👨

Keep Calm and Carry On? Heck No. Stay Excited and Get Outside!
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Brian Curtis
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PostWed Jun 07, 2017 6:39 am 
dla wrote:
Brian Curtiss: You're confusing "functionality " with "reliability ".
skiorkayak is correct. When your unit fails silently it becomes a reliability issue. You cannot rely on it to send the OK message. The inReach may not be any more reliable about getting a message out but by telling you it failed it allows you to do something about it and is therefore much more reliable in the field. As I mentioned, I saw an example where the SPOT failed and I absolutely considered it to be both a functionality and reliability issue. I did add commentary about receiving messages from home when there was an emergency which is functionality. But it is something that I don't think most people consider when making this particular decision so I think it added value to my comment.

that elitist from silverdale wanted to tell me that all carnes are bad--Studebaker Hoch
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pcg
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PostWed Jun 07, 2017 7:40 am 
Why the inReach beats SPOT and ResQlink PLB hands down: Consider the scenario in which you are not able to activate your beacon due to injury, or you activate it but the signal cannot get out because of terrain. If you have been automatically transmitting a breadcrumb (only inReach can do this) even once an hour, then, when you eventually go missing, SAR will have a very good idea where you are.

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Canon Shooter
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PostWed Jun 07, 2017 9:16 pm 
I have had my InReach SE since they first came out. I have the safety plan. I pay $13.70 per month (includes taxes). I just pay it whether I use it or not. $13.70 x 12 = $164.40 per year. I only use it for communication, I use iPhone and paper maps for navigation. I could have used the InReach all day yesterday in the remote backcountry for navigation but my phone is so much easier. However, my InReach was fully charged and turned off inside my pack - just in case. The part of the InReach that it is hard to place a value on is the - "just in case" situations. There is no other device available that can do what the InReach does for so little money per month/year. My somewhat of an emergency story: Last year I was on Isle Royale backpacking. Isle Royale as you know is in the north part of Lake Superior. There is no cell coverage. My daughter here in Washington needed some assistance. I was able to give her the assistance because I had the InReach and could communicate quickly and easily with her. Of course I exceeded my ten texts per month on the safety plan and the hour long text conversation was about $60 dollars, but I could not have helped her without the InReach. The $60 was nothing all things considered. Lots of things to consider when deciding on one of these devices.

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fairweather friend
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PostThu Jun 08, 2017 8:28 pm 
Well, you guys convinced me... I took the plunge this morning and ordered a DeLorme Inreach SE from REI. They had the old DeLorme models at a 20% discount, which worked out to $240 plus tax. I just looked again this evening, and I can no longer find the item at REI, so maybe they already sold out. Not as good of a deal as that screaming $180 deal at REI last spring, but I'll take it. I am switching from a satellite phone to this satellite messenger. I had a phone & plan with Globalstar last year, and I was very happy with it (better voice quality than my Verizon wireless phone!), but Globalstar (which owns SPOT, incidentally) got rid of all of the their cheaper low-usage plans at the end of last year. The cheapest plan now is $1000 a year. That might be fine for a business or SAR or even a blue water sailor, but not for us recreational users. So I'm switching to a sat messenger. I've been on two 4-week long Grand Canyon trips where other members in my group were using messengers and they seemed to work fine. Just not as intimate as calling up a loved one from the middle of nowhere and having a nice chat! I already have a Garmin GPS which I use for sea kayaking, whitewater kayaking, and hiking, so I don't really need a combined messenger/GPS. Maybe if/when Garmin improves on the GPS in the combo device, I'll eventually buy one, but the current model doesn't seem worth an extra $210 at this point. If the water level drops enough, I'm off next week to run a 309-mile section of the Salmon River, from Boundary Creek on the Middle Fork, then the Main Salmon, followed by the roadside section, then the Lower Salmon to its confluence with the Snake River and finally the Snake to Heller Bar in Washington. Should be a good opportunity to see how well the device works for me.

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Canon Shooter
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PostThu Jun 08, 2017 8:38 pm 
Smart decision.

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dla
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dla
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PostFri Jun 09, 2017 7:38 am 
I love how the uneducated anti-SPOT crowd showed up. Typical.

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Canon Shooter
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PostFri Jun 09, 2017 7:55 am 
Please elaborate on uneducated anti SPOT crowd?

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pcg
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PostFri Jun 09, 2017 8:22 am 
dla wrote:
I love how the uneducated anti-SPOT crowd showed up. Typical.
Huh? I'm not sure who you are referring to, but I think most posters attempted to educate themselves and researched SPOT as well as other brands, and have offered up their honest opinions. I don't believe this is because they are "anti-SPOT", but simply because their views were requested by the OP. I'm always willing to be educated. Can you add some benefits to the SPOT that we aren't aware of?

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DIYSteve
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PostFri Jun 09, 2017 8:34 am 
dla wrote:
So adding two-way communication wouldn't add much safety-wise.
Disagree. Imagine this scenario: Member of party is injured in a fall in a deep couloir, requires evacuation. Sat message sent from couloir but (unknown to sender at the time) message does not get out because sat transmission is blocked by rock walls on either side of couloir. SPOT messenger has no way of knowing about failed transmission. InReach messenger learns of failed transmission per lack of response message, thus party sends member of party to higher ground to resend message, this time successful/receipt confirmed. 2-way communication also adds safety because it allows communication with outside world re condition of victim, getting victim to better spot for rescue (if necessary), delay in rescue due to weather, informing outside world that party will attempt self-evacuation, etc., etc., etc. The advantages of 2-way communication in non-emergency circumstances are obvious. For example, I recently used my inReach to communicate with latecomers re the position of my camp, and they responded with an ETA.

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HitTheTrail
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PostFri Jun 09, 2017 9:29 am 
DIYSteve wrote:
InReach messenger learns of failed transmission per lack of response message,
InReach indicates at sending time if message went through or failed to go out (or went out with a weak signal). So you know almost instantly to send someone to a clearing or higher ground.

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DIYSteve
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PostFri Jun 09, 2017 9:39 am 
HitTheTrail wrote:
InReach indicates at sending time if message went through or failed to go out (or went out with a weak signal). So you know almost instantly to send someone to a clearing or higher ground.
Ah, right, I had forgotten that. That feature buttresses underscores my point that 2-way communication enhances safety.

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