InReach - Spot - Garmin 700i What's everyone's thoughts

[Bulldog Racing]

Hey guys/gals,

Going to get some type of system, but would like to hear your real world experience on what is best if you really need it.

Used to have the Garmin 650, but it died a horrible death in a race boat crash, so haven't replaced it yet, but my boys are learning to ride in the mountains and I want to ensure we have the best equipment available in the event there's trouble.

Thanks.

 

[arff]

I currently have a Montana gps with map books.
Also have the inreach exporer plus

Both work fantastic.

The new model combines both in one. I am currently researching this new model

[FONT=&quot]Garmin GPSMAP 66i GPS Handheld and Satellite Communicator[/FONT]

 

[RXN]

I'm running the inreach.
So far so good. This is year 3 with it.
I do wish i went with the mini. Smaller unit same features.

I mostly use mine for tracking and messaging my wife throughout the day.
I pair it my phone. So the inreach stays in my pack all day. Never uses more than 12% battery/day of riding.

I use this for snowmobiling, quadding, hiking, taken it fishing I dads boat as well if im driving a long distance and I know there are area with no cell reception I pack it along.

I pay 34 a month. And that gives me 40 text messages.

 

[arff]

Yes paired to phone works great. Easy to use.

 

[fredw]

Daughter and the Boyfreind went to quartz a while back, received a text from a unknown number with a map to there locations threw out the day.. was impressed to see there locations, speed and time of day.. even sent a text latter on about the conditions in a no cell phone coverage location

Says it was 500$$ up front with 100 a year activation fee and so many free txts for that price.. over all pretty cool tech. Garmin

 

[fnDan]

I always have my Garmin 650 on the sled and an InReach in my pocket. The Garmin is there in case I get turned around or white out conditions and I can track back or at least I'll know where my main waypoints are.
The Inreach is used through-out the day sending preset messages to my wife so she knows I'm ok. I've got the basic plan at $21/month. You can send unlimited preset messages. You're allowed 3 preset messages. Mine are 1) Checking in and everything is great! 2) Delayed but everything is OK. 3) Minor issue, I will text if needed. I send a preset from the staging area every time as well.
Custom text messages are 10 cents each and I could send 200 custom texts per month before I come close to paying for the the next level of service. I've gotten pretty good at knowing the sequence of buttons to press to send the preset messages without my glasses. A little beep tells me my message was sent.
I like the ability to send messages or my location to other InReach users that are in my contact list.

My biggest advice is read the manual, check out Youtube or find a friend that knows how to use the equipment and practice using it regularly. GPS units need to calibrated every now and then. It's easily done and instructions are in the manual.

 

[acesup800]

I always have my Garmin 650 on the sled and an InReach in my pocket. The Garmin is there in case I get turned around or white out conditions and I can track back or at least I'll know where my main waypoints are.
The Inreach is used through-out the day sending preset messages to my wife so she knows I'm ok. I've got the basic plan at $21/month. You can send unlimited preset messages. You're allowed 3 preset messages. Mine are 1) Checking in and everything is great! 2) Delayed but everything is OK. 3) Minor issue, I will text if needed. I send a preset from the staging area every time as well.
Custom text messages are 10 cents each and I could send 200 custom texts per month before I come close to paying for the the next level of service. I've gotten pretty good at knowing the sequence of buttons to press to send the preset messages without my glasses. A little beep tells me my message was sent.
I like the ability to send messages or my location to other InReach users that are in my contact list.

My biggest advice is read the manual, check out Youtube or find a friend that knows how to use the equipment and practice using it regularly. GPS units need to calibrated every now and then. It's easily done and instructions are in the manual.

You send messages throughout the day to your wife just to check-in?

 

[fnDan]

Oh yeah. I got caught in a storm once and didn’t get to cell service until 9 pm. She had already called the RCMP.
I try to keep her from worrying.

 

[kingcat162]

I like the baeofang in my pack with shoulder mic and long antenna - rino 755t/5 watts on the sled - and a spot gen4 with the preset messages - got the extra vehicle recovery subscription - says you can pause the subscription online

 

[Lund]

Anyone try the Zoleo?
I lost my Inreach last year and haven't replaced it. Earlier this year was looking at Zoleo and the Spot, haven't pulled the trigger yet.

 

[RXN]

Anyone try the Zoleo?
I lost my Inreach last year and haven't replaced it. Earlier this year was looking at Zoleo and the Spot, haven't pulled the trigger yet.

Talk to Norona on those. Think he sells those as well

 

[Cableguy]

kid has the zoleo seems slick and discount activation with bcsf promo code

 

[Lund]

kid has the zoleo seems slick and discount activation with bcsf promo code

It does seem slick and reasonably priced.
Don't leave your tunnel bag open, by the time i saw and realized it was pretty much empty of $500+ gear missing.
Inreach
Fox pump
Jumpstart power pak
Gerber Gator knife
509 googles
First Aid kit
Klim gloves

 

[fnDan]

The 700i looks really interesting. Even the 66 with InReach seems like a great idea.

 

[sled-fiend]

Battery life is absolute garbage on the 700i. That’s coming from a rino 650. The units nice but the battery juice is extremely disappointing in comparison to my old rino.

 

[skegpro]

Battery life is absolute garbage on the 700i. That’s coming from a rino 650. The units nice but the battery juice is extremely disappointing in comparison to my old rino.

Aren't they supposed to be cradle mounted?

 

[NoBrakes!]

currently using

Gaia on Iphone for mapping

Inreach SE paired to Garmin App for communication

Baefeng radio for group

Carry a Rino 650 JIC as the radio is ****s but can still do almost everything the others doo...

 

[snoflake]

I have a never been used Spot X still in the box i would sell for $150.00 - Non-bluetooth edition

 

[800tundra]

To add to this. Ran and still own Montana 610-650.
Second season on montana 700.
Two biggest issues. It stops charging in cradle once below -2 degrees celcius . U will have trouble keeping it going a. Full day. Not good. I am not only one with this issue . Friend quit using his because of this and threw it into drawer at home now.
And unlike the previous montana, it does not get brighter display when it is charging in the power cradle.

 

[giddyup]

the display is the brightest when its on a powered cradle or pluged in to power,we all ride with the 700i on the cradle onn the dash,has saved us a couple of times last year, got dark and had to find a way out because of a break down, the battery is very small on the montana 700 why i dont know, and it seems all are different, but they quit charging once it gets cold,the old ones never did, the big screen on the 700i works great, we ride with rino 750s, great for conversations but we always are sending text with the montanas, always work, much better service compared to the spot we had before, i have spoken to garmin, there is nothing they can do about the screen brightness durning the day,sad,the old 610 was way brighter, but they are working on getting better battery life, if you take the battery off, it weighs nothing,just put on a bigger battery i would say, the ability to comumicat is great