Thread: Garmin 66i

Who has one and how good are they at getting messages out? I don't wanna spend $1k on a GPS and pay for a satellite subscription only for it to be hopeless.
Cheers

Very good worth the money

Originally Posted by Plinky

Very good worth the money

So you have no issues with getting messages out in the bush? Mate reckons his is very slow at times

Very slow and I used it in open farmland in back of Wairoa and expensive to use unless you want an extended subscription

Similar to Inreach Mini I was told was operating platform

Originally Posted by superdiver

So you have no issues with getting messages out in the bush? Mate reckons his is very slow at times

Like anything that relies on getting a signal to/from satellites (gps) the better the view of sky the quicker data can transfer. Also depends how you use it, if you have it turned off and turn it on to send or receive a message might take a while to lock on to the satellites. Anything that can interfere with the signal will slow up performance up to and including loss of signal - that’s where the breadcrumb feature is handy as people can at least see where you were at certain times and narrow down a search area if something goes wrong. I just reactivated the subscription this afternoon in preparation for a trip down south. Sent a test message walked outside to get a signal and the message went through and was received in probably less than a minute, other times it’s taken longer if surrounded by tall buildings or in the bush. You can see if the message has been sent which is reassuring if you’re asking for help. Nothing is guaranteed to work in all locations 100% including plb and radio. These things are about as close as you will get is my understanding with current tech. Older versions and particularly the spot device didn’t seem to have as good reception.

For me its the subscription cost that makes it not an option. For the few times I need to use one the option of a prepay would be useful. Not only that but ownership would actually go up. I have discussed this with Tony who runs the NZ service and it ain't happening.

Is the base plan that bad?

Hi @superdiver. Yep I've got a Garmin 66i. It's bloody fantastic. I've had it for about a year now and before that I used a Garmin Inreach Explorer+ which had the same Inreach capabilities but very limited navigation as it was built on the Delorme platform that Garmin acquired.

I'm on a U.S. Subscription plan which is cheaper than the NZ Plans - just need to set region to US and input a US Address when setting up for the first time. It costs me $11US (about $17-$18 per month) for unlimited preset messages (you can set and change these via the Inreach website), and 10 custom messages. When I do an expedition of during the winter months when I hunt more I usually beef it up to the next plan which gives unlimited tracking points and 40 messages for $25USD).

I often hunt and hike alone so it's great piece-of-mind for the family and for me.

I've never used the SOS function on the InReach but I know people who have and it has been invaluable to two-way message re the problem.

I got my device from Tony Savage at KiwiGPS in CHCH. Good price and amazing customer service. Go for it I reckon!

Originally Posted by superdiver

Is the base plan that bad?

It is when you don't have about $40 a month spare (480 roughly a year).

Originally Posted by Happy Jack

It is when you don't have about $40 a month spare (480 roughly a year).

Yeah would have to be a plan where I could turn it on and off or pay per usage. Bloody expensive system

Originally Posted by CandiedGold

Hi @superdiver. Yep I've got a Garmin 66i. It's bloody fantastic. I've had it for about a year now and before that I used a Garmin Inreach Explorer+ which had the same Inreach capabilities but very limited navigation as it was built on the Delorme platform that Garmin acquired.

I'm on a U.S. Subscription plan which is cheaper than the NZ Plans - just need to set region to US and input a US Address when setting up for the first time. It costs me $11US (about $17-$18 per month) for unlimited preset messages (you can set and change these via the Inreach website), and 10 custom messages. When I do an expedition of during the winter months when I hunt more I usually beef it up to the next plan which gives unlimited tracking points and 40 messages for $25USD).

I often hunt and hike alone so it's great piece-of-mind for the family and for me.

I've never used the SOS function on the InReach but I know people who have and it has been invaluable to two-way message re the problem.

I got my device from Tony Savage at KiwiGPS in CHCH. Good price and amazing customer service. Go for it I reckon!

Ok will look into that. I have a rhino 750 and love being able to radio and message my mate while hunting. Thought about getting the inreach mini and using the app on my phone like the duleys do but then I am carrying my plb, phone, rhino and inreach. The 66i gives me the luxury of dropping down to 3 items(not giving up the plb as not trusting a GPS sos function to save me plus 2 is better than 1 in that sense). Have american friends and family so no issues getting and address either. If I go down this route you will be hearing from me to get a few pointers