Inreach Mini

On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 5:44:40 PM UTC-5, JS wrote:

If it connects to a phone like the other InReach devices the mini should be fine. Personally don't find the InReach SE cumbersome, or expensive for that matter.
Suggest downloading the Garmin Earthmate app and the Text To Speak engine for the phone you'll connect, so you can use speech to text in the middle of nowhere. Test it at home in airplane mode.

OGN is great, but the N part needs to be much larger to be functional. Opening the OGN app and panning around N America, found only three stations in New Mexico and one between Montreal and Ottawa. Is that the extent of the N. American network?

I also use amateur radio APRS tracking. That network is huge compared to OGN, but still has blanks.
Jim

I have the Delorme Inreach Explorer. It works great. The cell phone pairing and Earthmate app are excellent. Reason for my specific question: I have friends looking at buying an inreach device. I recommended the Mini, but have no hands on experience with it, so I thought I'd throw out the question. Multi-day back country types bitch about the battery life (Amazon reviews), but for soaring it seems like the Mini would be ideal.

-Evan

On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 5:44:40 PM UTC-5, JS wrote:
On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 4:31:05 AM UTC-8, Tango Eight wrote:
Has anyone found anything not to like about the Inreach Mini?

T8

If it connects to a phone like the other InReach devices the mini should be fine. Personally don't find the InReach SE cumbersome, or expensive for that matter.
Suggest downloading the Garmin Earthmate app and the Text To Speak engine for the phone you'll connect, so you can use speech to text in the middle of nowhere. Test it at home in airplane mode.

OGN is great, but the N part needs to be much larger to be functional. Opening the OGN app and panning around N America, found only three stations in New Mexico and one between Montreal and Ottawa. Is that the extent of the N. American network?

I also use amateur radio APRS tracking. That network is huge compared to OGN, but still has blanks.
Jim

@JS: In the summer, there are two stations east of Ottawa (between Ottawa and Montreal), three west of Ottawa (and three stations testing at home in Ottawa), and two east of Montreal. We don't keep them up for the winter. We start flying around April 15th (fingers crossed). I will send a map showing the coverage. We're looking for a station up in the hills north of the Ottawa River...

On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 7:08:50 PM UTC-5, Dan Daly wrote:
On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 5:44:40 PM UTC-5, JS wrote:
On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 4:31:05 AM UTC-8, Tango Eight wrote:
Has anyone found anything not to like about the Inreach Mini?

T8

If it connects to a phone like the other InReach devices the mini should be fine. Personally don't find the InReach SE cumbersome, or expensive for that matter.
Suggest downloading the Garmin Earthmate app and the Text To Speak engine for the phone you'll connect, so you can use speech to text in the middle of nowhere. Test it at home in airplane mode.

OGN is great, but the N part needs to be much larger to be functional. Opening the OGN app and panning around N America, found only three stations in New Mexico and one between Montreal and Ottawa. Is that the extent of the N. American network?

I also use amateur radio APRS tracking. That network is huge compared to OGN, but still has blanks.
Jim

@JS: In the summer, there are two stations east of Ottawa (between Ottawa and Montreal), three west of Ottawa (and three stations testing at home in Ottawa), and two east of Montreal. We don't keep them up for the winter. We start flying around April 15th (fingers crossed). I will send a map showing the coverage. We're looking for a station up in the hills north of the Ottawa River...

There are also a growing number of stations west of Toronto - preparing for the Pan American Gliding Championship - which will track the active cross-country flown there.

And, we have beer...

On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 7:31:05 AM UTC-5, Tango Eight wrote:
Has anyone found anything not to like about the Inreach Mini?

T8

Evan, it is a very new device so I am not sure if you are going to find anyone with enough experience to give you good insight. Before I bought mine I watched some youtube reviews. They gave me a good idea about cons and pros.. I am planning to connect it next month so I will be able to comment in a couple of months.

I have the safety plan for $12 a month.

I can upgrade during flying months to the recreation
plan for $25 a month with unlimited tracking.

If you land out without cell service, it sure is nice
to be able to send a text.

I had the Inreach SE before this, the Mini battery does
not last as long but seems like it still works for 50 hours.

On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 4:31:05 AM UTC-8, Tango Eight wrote:
Has anyone found anything not to like about the Inreach Mini?

T8

I have an InReach Mini. So far, I love it. It's very compact and the battery lasts a long time. I can get several 4+ hour flights out of it before the battery is halfway drained, at which point I recharge it. I haven't used it to send messages yet, and that is likely its weak point since entering text into it is cumbersome. However, you can put in pre-programmed messages that you can send instantly and in most cases, will save you from typing much of anything. I clip it to a strap on my parachute, and it's small enough that I never feel like it's in the way.

On Thursday, February 7, 2019 at 5:04:59 PM UTC-5, wrote:
I have an InReach Mini... I clip it to a strap on my parachute...

Where it will not be when you need it.
Please use a proper sewn/strapped pouch.
No clips and no velcro.
Be safe out there,
Best Regards, Dave

On Thursday, February 7, 2019 at 2:28:26 PM UTC-8, Dave Nadler wrote:
On Thursday, February 7, 2019 at 5:04:59 PM UTC-5, wrote:
I have an InReach Mini... I clip it to a strap on my parachute...

Where it will not be when you need it.
Please use a proper sewn/strapped pouch.
No clips and no velcro.
Be safe out there,
Best Regards, Dave

By clip, I meant an aluminum carabiner that was supplied with the unit. It's not going anywhere, even in a bailout.

By clip, I meant an aluminum carabiner that was supplied with the unit. It's not going anywhere, even in a bailout.

I disagree. Anything "dangling" has less chance of surviving. Go with a proper pouch as YO suggests.

For some years I flew with my PLB and InReach SE in their pouches on my chute chest strap but after reading about Mr Nadler's experience of losing his from its pouch I now have strong wrist straps on them which I lead out of their pouches so that my chest strap can be lead through each unit's wrist strap and pouch strap.