Thread: Garmin 66i

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