Chris Tobin
Well-Known Member
I have been doing some research on how to keep in contact with my wife/family if I am able to go down for the Baja 1000 this year and was considering AT&T and or Verizon cellular with an older phone and possibly augmenting that with a SPOT tracker. Then I cam across the DeLorme (now owned by Garmin) InReach Explorer and its sister devices in the InReach family Garmin | inReach
They seem to be a great device for tracking AND communication, but I have never heard of them before my research. Has anyone used one and what do they think about using it in Baja???
I am leaning more and more toward the DeLorme InReach Explorer or Garmin InReach Explorer+ they allow two-way text communication as well as online tracking and use the Iridium Satellites so they will work everywhere.
The DeLorme is the older, but still available new for as little as $260-300, unit and it has a smaller screen and must be paired with a phone or tablet to show mapping/navigating data, but the phone or tablet does not need cell service, you gust need to download the maps in advance. http://www.gpscity.com/delorme-inreach-explorer
Garmin purchased DeLorme and released the InReach Explorer+ in their packaging, it is basically the same unit with a slightly larger screen (still too small to really do any navigating on) that will show maps and navigating on screen, but can still be tethered to a phone or tablet. The Explorer+ is running $450-500 from what I have seen. http://www.gpscity.com/garmin-inreach-explorer-plus-satellite-communicator
As I understand it both units operate basically the same and offer similar tracking as a SPOT for friends and family to monitor progress, but they add the functionality of 2-way texting so that you can send and receive text messages to update friends and family directly. It seems to me like these would be great for Baja use. They also have an SOS feature that is monitored 24/7 to send rescue if needed.
Has anyone used one of these?
They seem to be a great device for tracking AND communication, but I have never heard of them before my research. Has anyone used one and what do they think about using it in Baja???
I am leaning more and more toward the DeLorme InReach Explorer or Garmin InReach Explorer+ they allow two-way text communication as well as online tracking and use the Iridium Satellites so they will work everywhere.
The DeLorme is the older, but still available new for as little as $260-300, unit and it has a smaller screen and must be paired with a phone or tablet to show mapping/navigating data, but the phone or tablet does not need cell service, you gust need to download the maps in advance. http://www.gpscity.com/delorme-inreach-explorer
Garmin purchased DeLorme and released the InReach Explorer+ in their packaging, it is basically the same unit with a slightly larger screen (still too small to really do any navigating on) that will show maps and navigating on screen, but can still be tethered to a phone or tablet. The Explorer+ is running $450-500 from what I have seen. http://www.gpscity.com/garmin-inreach-explorer-plus-satellite-communicator
As I understand it both units operate basically the same and offer similar tracking as a SPOT for friends and family to monitor progress, but they add the functionality of 2-way texting so that you can send and receive text messages to update friends and family directly. It seems to me like these would be great for Baja use. They also have an SOS feature that is monitored 24/7 to send rescue if needed.
Has anyone used one of these?