Thread: Garmin 66i

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.