Wife said I could get a new spot which I was thinking about and then I saw the inreach which one is better all things considered money etc.

Thanks

Ive had the spot messenger for a couple of years. Its nice to be able to send the pre-loaded messages to my in the air and let my wife know that all is well or i am on the ground safe. I like running it from my iphone because i am already familiar with it. I have had issues with connecting it via bluetooth a couple times but it has never let me down. My only real gripe with this stuff is by the time i connect my spot, setup my gopro, and load foreflight, i have wasted 10 minutes of my life and half of the battery on my iphone. I love the technology and safety aspects, but sometimes I just want to get in my airplane and detch from the world and all the gadgets take away from that.

In reach no question!

+1 for Inreach.

I weigh the health of the satellite network heavily and the Iridium network Inreach uses offers far more reliable coverage than the Globalstar network Spot uses. Part of the reason Spot service is cheaper is due to the competitive disadvantage causing Globalstar to discount services. Additionally they use a "bent pipe" architecture requiring your Spot device and a ground station to be in view of your satellite, limiting service areas. Finally the Globalstar constellation is too far south to give reliable service in Northern Canada and AK. They offer service up north, but the satellites are low in the sky reducing reliability.

Iridium has a more complex, expensive and reliable data network that will relay from satellite to satellite until a ground station comes into view. The are in a polar orbit, giving better coverage as you go north. And most importantly, they are making money with tons of spares in orbit and a new constellation planned.

The satellite operators try to hide the health and architecture of their networks behind marketing-speak but the geeks know what's up

Besides the innate differences between the sat systems, Globalstar and Iridium, Spot is one way (simplex) and InReach is two-way (duplex).

Spot is like being deaf - you can yell for help but you never know if anyone responds or hears you. With InReach, not only do you know that your help signal has been received, you can sent and receive text messages to another InReach, a cell phone, or an email address - from or to anywhere in the world. If you do have an SOS situation, and assuming you have the time, you can convey further info to SAR or whoever the responder is, things like medical condition, any special equipment needed to effect rescue, etc. SAR can also update you on what's going on with their response etc.

InReach cost a bit more, depending on the plan you choose, but worth it.

bumper

So just looking at the current prices after initial purchase and it appears inreach is actually a buck or two cheaper for the basic package per year?? Is this not correct, could somebody please tell me that has paid for one and is currently in a contract if this is actually true or are there some hidden fees?

If this is true then the inreach would be the obvious choice in my opinion

I've used my original SPOT for last 10 years from Alaska to Central America -Philippines to Germany -never missed a beat . Just simple one way "I'm here and safe" -tried a Inreach Delorme but didn't see any significant Increase to show for increased cost. I'm staying with SPOT.

In my experience, the InReach is much more expensive both to purchase and to operate on a monthly basis. That device does have more features as noted above, but you pay for that capability.....as it should be.

MTV

Quite recently I've been on the receiving end of both SPOT and InReach messages from friends. Not emergencies- just folks out on lengthy adventures using me as their backup plan/ contact point. WAY more versatile to be able to message back and forth with the InReach. This has proven valuable for giving updates about snow and trail conditions, weather patterns, locations of resupply caches, etc, etc. Personally, I prefer to carry Iridium phone(s), a PLB, and a 406/GPS ELT aboard my plane. But if it was a choice between a SPOT and an InReach, it'd be the InReach hands-down.
I've also been very impressed with the real-world, cold weather battery life of the InReach. And the question of Iridium vs Globalstar coverage is a non-starter.
-DP

Had a spot, but changed for an InReach last season, the two way texting eliminates a lot of my sat phone needs (still carry one). Also the programmable preset messages are nice. A little more expensive, but really not much.

tcraft wrote:So just looking at the current prices after initial purchase and it appears inreach is actually a buck or two cheaper for the basic package per year?? Is this not correct, could somebody please tell me that has paid for one and is currently in a contract if this is actually true or are there some hidden fees?

If this is true then the inreach would be the obvious choice in my opinion

Lot's of people don't know about the enterprise plans that Delorme offers for pilots. You are not limited to the plans listed on the website. These enterprise plans allow up to one minute tracking. I pointed this out in the other thread that is linked up there by Phil...

The enterprise plans are based on Bytes used. I have the "Delorme 2" plan which is good for 3,000 bytes and costs $22.95 per month. There is a GOES fee of $2.95 per month so my total is $25.90. 3,000 bytes is almost *8 hours* (In the other thread I said 20 hours which is wrong) of tracking at 2 minute intervals. The bytes are shared between tracking and messages. If you go over your usage it is around $5 per 1000 bytes. Last year, I went over during the summer months, and was below my limits during the colder months. Net it was cheaper to pay the overage fees than to buy a bigger plan for the year. You must call them to get these plans, they are not available if you activate or change plans online.

I have no dog in this, but want everyone to know there is a cheaper way to get one or two minute tracking intervals than by using the "Extreme Plan" for $80 a month.

I was at the PNW Aviation conference and an AOPA speaker said something about Spidertracks being monitored by FAA or something similar.

Thoughts on this? Looks like it is hooked to the Iridium network and is something similar to a Spot. I know nothing about either.

TD

TomD wrote:I was at the PNW Aviation conference and an AOPA speaker said something about Spidertracks being monitored by FAA or something similar.

Thoughts on this? Looks like it is hooked to the Iridium network and is something similar to a Spot. I know nothing about either.

TD

I think this is what you are thinking of for the Lower 48.

https://www.1800wxbrief.com/afss/#!/surveillance-enhanced-search-and-rescue

It wouldn't be the FAA, rather Lockheed Martin Flight Services.

In Alaska we have eSRS, where a link to our tracking information is provided on a Master Flight Plan to the FSS. If we don't close it, they can pull up the info. If a distress signal is received they are notified first and can expedite SAR. It is different in that in the Lower 48 they claim to actively monitor the tracking, and in Alaska they claim to never look at it unless required.

Prosaria wrote:
The enterprise plans are based on Bytes used. I have the "Delorme 2" plan which is good for 3,000 bytes and costs $22.95 per month. There is a GOES fee of $2.95 per month so my total is $25.90. 3,000 bytes is almost *8 hours* (In the other thread I said 20 hours which is wrong) of tracking at 2 minute intervals. The bytes are shared between tracking and messages. If you go over your usage it is around $5 per 1000 bytes. Last year, I went over during the summer months, and was below my limits during the colder months. Net it was cheaper to pay the overage fees than to buy a bigger plan for the year. You must call them to get these plans, they are not available if you activate or change plans online.

.

This is the plan I have. Best feature is the inReach turns on and puts itself into tracking mode automatically when it senses external power. It also shuts itself down automatically when I turn the master off. Battery life is phenomenal although I always have it plugged into ships power. When I take it out on the snowmobiles I have a handlebar mounted pack and it works great thru that. For flying I have it set to 5 minute tracking points. The inReach is also better than the SPOT because when you stop it only sends points every hour or so. Then picks back up when you start moving again.

I'm ordering one this spring, thanks for all the info on plans in here.

Bonanza Man wrote:Best feature is the inReach turns on and puts itself into tracking mode automatically when it senses external power. It also shuts itself down automatically when I turn the master off.

How does that play out in a wreck? I'd hate to be knocked out and have the inReach shut itself off, but I can't be the first person to have thought about that, so what's the plan?

I'm sure you could unplug it and run it on battery if you add it to your emergency checklist.

I've had an InReach for a couple of years now. Works really well.

Initially, I had a beef with it as it seems to require a very good view of the sky. If I drive around with it in the cup holder of my car, it would intermittently lose the ability to send tracking points. Fortunately, they stay in memory, and once it re-established a link it would then send out all the skipped points, so I never really lost any.

Now that I know it a bit better, I wouldn't be anywhere remote without it.

In the 180, I clip it to the visor and forget about it. Never misses a point. I can put it in my backpack outer zippered pocket, and it will still keep a connection.

This thread reminded me of the enterprise plans, and I just changed to one yesterday. I didn't think it through like some of you, and went with the DeLorme 3. Shoulda gone with the 2, but I was thinking of a long trip I'm taking next month. I may downgrade later, but they claim to charge $25 if you cancel or downgrade. We'll see.

Fwiw, I can go all the way down to 30 second tracking now. It can also be setup to stop tacking when you're not moving. I tried it yesterday and it worked really well. 2 min tracking when moving, and 4 hours when stopped. Worked perfectly, and picked up tracking again as soon as I started driving. You can even set the radius that it uses to sense movement (100m, 50m, etc.).

The battery life is phenomenal as well - I could easily get a week out of it.