Inreach or Spot X

[LUCKY 7]

you cannot text 911 but you can use your sos button if needed

You betcha.

Each text message you send out has the coordinates embedded.
If the person on the other end has a cell phone they can just click on them and they will display on your map app of choice.

Or you can take it a step further and they can track you in real time.

https://www.findmespot.ca/en/index.php?cid=111

It's really a slick unit.

Local heli company has an on call cell phone? Add that to the phone book.
Keyboard makes it much easier to relay details.

Unfortunately you can't text 911 in Canada yet, but that functionality is coming.

Cheaper unit.
Cheaper plans.
Better Safety device.
But does lack a full blown GPS.

 

[ferniesnow]

Try that during -20C in a white out.
And buddy has a broken leg.

Keep it Simple.

So that is an SOS situation. SAR isn't flying and that means a ground trip to your location. Good back country skills are necessary. No big deal to get out the cell phone and type a message. IMHO, the inReach has better sat coverage and less dead spots.

 

[skegpro]

So that is an SOS situation. SAR isn't flying and that means a ground trip to your location. Good back country skills are necessary. No big deal to get out the cell phone and type a message. IMHO, the inReach has better sat coverage and less dead spots.

Our opinions definetly vary on that one.
But I respect what your saying.

 

[RXN]

I just picked up the inReach SE+
Yesterday, went with the Recreational plan of $35/mo.

Played around a bit with it yesterday. Got the app on my phone for it.
So try it out next trip. See what happens.
I got 40 texts/month.

My spot connect could take up to 30minutes to send a text. And for whatever reason it would not send a text to my wife.

 

[LUCKY 7]

Ferniesnow and I just did a test with my spot from my house. He got the text but the coodinates were not even close to my house on google earth. I also did a email to him and it got right to my house. Not sure if we are doing something wrong but its very concerning that my buddies using the text that I sent won't be able to find me?

 

[skegpro]

Ferniesnow and I just did a test with my spot from my house. He got the text but the coodinates were not even close to my house on google earth. I also did a email to him and it got right to my house. Not sure if we are doing something wrong but its very concerning that my buddies using the text that I sent won't be able to find me?

The original spots are not good..... IMO

The new ones are definitely better.

 

[ferniesnow]

........... IMHO, the inReach has better sat coverage and less dead spots.

......My spot connect could take up to 30minutes to send a text. And for whatever reason it would not send a text to my wife.

I experienced many problems sending messages with the SPOT. Lots of dead spots where there is no coverage (behind mountains, heavy trees, etc..). Thanks for reinforcing that issue Ryan. For what it is worth, I have more faith in a company like Garmin with the tech department that they have.

I'm not trying to sell the inReach but in my experience I have had better success sending messages and the contacts receiving them than I ever did with the SPOT.

 

[LUCKY 7]

would love to hear from anyone with a spotx and their opinion on the unit. How quick is the response etc

 

[skegpro]

I experienced many problems sending messages with the SPOT. Lots of dead spots where there is no coverage (behind mountains, heavy trees, etc..). Thanks for reinforcing that issue Ryan. For what it is worth, I have more faith in a company like Garmin with the tech department that they have.

I'm not trying to sell the inReach but in my experience I have had better success sending messages and the contacts receiving them than I ever did with the SPOT.

I am not sure how long ago you had these issues but if I had to guess it was before the last big network upgrade.

I have the sat phone and have yet to not be able to get a fix in the last 4 years.

I have groups members using the spot 3 and spot x with zero issues and the I.

But I really dont have any skin in this game and don't care if people use the same equipment as me or not.

All I want to relay is that there is no issues with the spot/Globalstar network today.

Have some sort of emergency communication and don't die.

Cheers

 

[skegpro]

would love to hear from anyone with a spotx and their opinion on the unit. How quick is the response etc

It's fast.

 

[skegpro]

would love to hear from anyone with a spotx and their opinion on the unit. How quick is the response etc

https://youtu.be/SRgUQf9hnC0

 

[SLEDBUNNYRACING]

Inreach fan here. Use all the time to keep wifey in the loop when we are delayed etc. Can’t comment on performance of newer SPOT.

 

[ferniesnow]

It's fast.

Well, I could have driven faster to Lucky 7's house than it took for his message to get to me. He lives 35 km away from me.

I got no skin in this game either. When I have friends in this neck of the woods getting rid of the sat phones on Globalstar because they are not consistent enough, I read into that that things haven't changed all that much for this area of the mountains.

 

[bobsledder]

Inreach....superior product. Better than spot no question

 

[S.W.A.T.]

Inreach....superior product. Better than spot no question

Kinda my thought.

 

[skegpro]

Well, I could have driven faster to Lucky 7's house than it took for his message to get to me. He lives 35 km away from me.

I got no skin in this game either. When I have friends in this neck of the woods getting rid of the sat phones on Globalstar because they are not consistent enough, I read into that that things haven't changed all that much for this area of the mountains.

Fernie must be a dead spot.

 

[S.W.A.T.]

Smoke signals

 

[LUCKY 7]

just noticed MEC has the inreach se for $299 and the inreach SE+ for $449

 

[RXN]

just noticed MEC has the inreach se for $299 and the inreach SE+ for $449

Taxes in at Cabelas I paid 550.00 for my inReach SE +
Then selected the recreational plan, for $35/month. I did not do the freedom plan where you have the option to active when needed.

 

[ferniesnow]

Fernie must be a dead spot.

That is my point. When I had my SPOT's, there were lots of dead spots depending on the direction of the valley we were exploring. With the inReach, I have not experienced any dead spots. The direction between my house and Lucky 7's house is straight north/south. There is no reason for the message to take 20 minutes to travel that distance.