I picked up a new Garmin InReach and just activated it. For $25 one time a year, you can activate it month to month. So for me, I will use it maybe three months out of the year and will have about $125 a year in fees.
I HOPE that I can use this in place of a SPOT in EC2020 and not have to renew my SPOT for 2020. If SPOT gives me a real deal of $50 or so, I might just do it, but I'm not paying $200 a year or more.
SO here are a few observations about the InReach.
1) it has internal lithium batteries, so if you keep it On for tracking and gps functions, then you need to bring some means of recharging it. Most seem to prefer a powerpack vs. a solar panel.
2) it will NOT replace a good GPS unless you tether it to a Smartphone. I will never be tethering it to a Smartphone...so my comments are regarding using it as a stand alone device. As a stand alone, I don't think I can add the NOAA charts. Might be able to. But it is not a robust GPS as it does not have a Sd slot, and it has a relatively small capacity as far as routes and waypoints are concerned.
3) Garmin makes a 66i, they just recently came out with it. For only $600 you get a top of the line GPS with two-way texting capability of the InReach. I might should have bought one of those instead. It looks to be the one device that elminate the need to have both a satellite 2 way communicator and a GPS.
So all in all, the $400 InReach is a good robust two way satellite messenger, I prefer it to a SPOTX, but it won't replace my GPS.
Chief please integrate the InReach into your mapper!
Joe
