[Remote 8]

Anyone here have any feedback on this subject? Now that I ordered one for a joint birthday present (my son and daughter inlaw have birthdays next month a few days apart), did I screw up?

My wife and I try to get the "kids" (41 years old LOL) a life safety item for their pretty remote back country UTV adventures for their joint birthdays. Monitoring emergency traffic, I've heard some pretty hairy very remote backcountry emergencies resolved with these devices.

 

[samo]

Great gift! There have been many places where we are by ourselves and there is zero cell service. That will bring peace of mind to them for sure.

 

[BobX2]

That's awesome. I might take a look at those myself.

 

[Ajb9]

I wonder if it takes a monthly subscription like the Delorme spot? I have heard that 911 and 611 still work on your cell phone when our of range!

 

[Chaka]

I have the Garmin Inreach mini.

It Bluetooth to your phone to allow you to have a compact lightweight sat communicator and have use of maps and bigger key board to your phone. I had gone on a ride this summer to Coalmont and literally did not get service on my phone from the time I arrived at the camp site Thursday night - all through the ride Friday until about 11pm once i got back to camp and drove into town to make sure there were no emergencies.

• Does require a subscription - have yearly or month to month
  • If you do a yearly at the low 11.95 a month and you are planning a big trip like Moab you can upgrade to the bigger plan for just that month.
• Capabilities
  • Texting - will also send location
    • 3 Predefined messages (Example "Checking in everything is good" ) that you can program the wording and who the go to. - you can send unlimited of these with subscription
    • Text messaging - through Earthmate app on phone/tablet - 10 for the low plan and unlimited for the $50 a month plan
      • if you go over 10 it is like .50 a message so not bad if you need it
  • Tracking - I don't use because i normally track on tablet.
  • SOS button - sends the cavalry

Cons

• Can take 5min to send and receive a text
• another subscription to pay for
• Battery is good but if you use tracking it will go through fast.
• Earthmate app is not the greatest
• To change your predefined messages and store contact you have to do on their website and then sync while connected to computer via cord...

Both me and a buddy had one at Moab this past Oct and we put it to use several times. it is great to just send a note to a person with your location.

Garmin inReach® Satellite Communication | Garmin | United States

discover.garmin.com

I ride every month so i felt that it was justified to go ahead and get the yearly ... I upgraded on my trip to Moab to the highest plan but did not need to. likely if I have a week long trip again I will look at going to the middle ... unless I am going to use the tracking .

 

[Remote 8]

I ride every month so i felt that it was justified to go ahead and get the yearly ... I upgraded on my trip to Moab to the highest plan but did not need to. likely if I have a week long trip again I will look at going to the middle ... unless I am going to use the tracking .

Thanks for the feedback Chaka! Number 1 son is a 20 year first responder (made it all the way to asst chief) and sometimes I think he and his riding buddys (again all first responders) some times don't see the forest for the trees. Or perhaps they want to leave some of the horrible reality they have seen in their careers behind them and not think about it.

A few years ago I was being told about an epic ride they went on in the San Juans. I asked about their first aid/trauma kit. Deer in the headlights look said it all. They are all equipped now! Working with his dept on an executive level, I have heard some horrible backcountry accident stories. Hunters with gunshot wounds, riders trapped under rolled UTVs for many hours heart issues in BFE, etc. Some of the stories had a Sat text device in them that really saved someones bacon. I was hoping the device I chose is a good one. I'll tell you this, the monthly service charge is no different than an insurance premium. Hopefully you never need it but you would pay 10x the cost if in need.

 

[Chaka]

Thanks for the feedback Chaka! Number 1 son is a 20 year first responder (made it all the way to asst chief) and sometimes I think he and his riding buddys (again all first responders) some times don't see the forest for the trees. Or perhaps they want to leave some of the horrible reality they have seen in their careers behind them and not think about it.

A few years ago I was being told about an epic ride they went on in the San Juans. I asked about their first aid/trauma kit. Deer in the headlights look said it all. They are all equipped now! Working with his dept on an executive level, I have heard some horrible backcountry accident stories. Hunters with gunshot wounds, riders trapped under rolled UTVs for many hours heart issues in BFE, etc. Some of the stories had a Sat text device in them that really saved someones bacon. I was hoping the device I chose is a good one. I'll tell you this, the monthly service charge is no different than an insurance premium. Hopefully you never need it but you would pay 10x the cost if in need.

I agree on the monthly charge. I also my wife to be able to reach me if needed and to be able to check in. I carry a trauma Kit with me in my SXS and one of my friends is a Nurse practitioner and is usually with us on our big rides and several of the others i ride with have spouses that are in the medical field that come along from time to time.

 

[Jraoffroad]

I wonder if it takes a monthly subscription like the Delorme spot? I have heard that 911 and 611 still work on your cell phone when our of range!

No service is no service. I do believe they may boost the power a little though for 911 as a hunting buddy pocket dialed 911 this year while we were field dressing a deer in an area we don't have service. But I'm only talking hundreds of yards from having a signal, not miles.

I can only imagine what was going through that dispatchers head until we heard her yelling on phone as we talked shot placement and saying things like "stab him right there and then saw up through them bones". I think the only reason we didn't get a visit is because they would have had to walked in a mile in the snow and dark to see what was up.

 

[Remote 8]

I'm pretty sure cell towers have a range adjustment (signal is timed to work within a certain distance with the tower ) to avoid latency. IIRC it is adjustable, I researched this in the past trying get service at my place. I ended up with satellite service for a phone. 911s may override that. Where we ride often their ain't nuthin signal wise for vast areas.

 

[JTW]

@Chaka is a bad influence..

Rocky Mountain ATV had them on sale for $250 so I picked one up.

 

[Remote 8]

Gift to #1 son and wife was a home run! He had his eye on one (the mini), and was going to get around to getting it someday as a couple of riding friends have that model. They are stoked.

 

[Remote 8]

Works flawlessly. Just got a location message and returned a reply. This is going to be used on work vehicles for some pretty out of the way job sites we service in addition to UTV rides.

 

[Chaka]

Gift to #1 son and wife was a home run! He had his eye on one (the mini), and was going to get around to getting it someday as a couple of riding friends have that model. They are stoked.

Glad they like it, I don’t use mine every trip but I definitely appreciate having it on me. Nice to be able to let family know I am good if running late in a not cel area.

 

[Remote 8]

Glad they like it, I don’t use mine every trip but I definitely appreciate having it on me. Nice to be able to let family know I am good if running late in a not cel area.

Our discussion following his test to see if it worked, indicated that they (son and wife) actually felt uncomfortable taking some of the trails they did, we're talking 60 mile + loops and sometines seeing no other traffic. They usually group ride and camp, but sometimes the other group riders "don't feel so well"😣on some mornings so they will ride solo. That "lets just see what is around the next corner" mentality turns into an epic ride. Now their not so on their own and can be more stress free.