plan changes are also charged pro rata, I run mine on safety, then up the plan for trips to get tracking etc. When I get home I drop it again, they only charged me for the time I was on the higher plan, not the entire billing month.
@@bencampbell4964 just log onto the website and go to your account select the plan that you want to change to, its almost instant, but they say it can take some time.
Thanks Keith. Good information. I compared the InReach to Zoleo and went with the Zoleo for several reasons. The purchase price is lower. The customer support is better (Garmin customer service can be hard to reach) and plan costs are better. Also there's no annual fee. Thanks again!
Thank you for breaking that down between Australia and the US. I'm in the US so I really appreciate it. My main thing is having something where I can call for help when there is no cell service. No matter what I'm doing. Be safe on your adventures.
What a great device. I’m using for not only for Adv riding, I use for holidaying in car, bush walking etc. You never know when you’ll need to use it. Sometimes phone reception doesn’t work, it’s nice to know ive packed the Inreach mini as well . Life saver PJ
Just listening one can understand that this is as confusing as heck. Thanks for taking the time to untangle all of this and make it clear. The charts are really helpful because you can go back and check the figures. And lastly because I'm in the states I appreciate that you included US dollars. Thanks again for a great video.
Great synopsis. Amazing amount of details. Love your mater of fact easy to understand explanations. We seem to ride and do similar trips will probably see you on the tracks one day
Thanks so much for the breakdown and guidance, a "Like" is not enough praise for truly meaningful and helpful information. I live in the US Southwest and it's too hot to backpack/hike locally a solid 3 months out of the year, but I still like to get out on the odd weekend and go into the backcountry where there's no cell reception. I'm switching to the yearly plan and I'm going to try switching between safety/recreation plans to see how my yearly expenses work out this time next year. Again, thank you for the video and safe travels.
I started with the safety plan, upgraded twice to the expedition. I want to be able to track my device every 2 minutes, if I lose it I can easily find it as long as its turned on. Also, I can hide it on my car or motorcycle as a theft recovery device. Also, I use solar panels when hiking so the battery life isn't a concern.
Did you end up actually using it in your vehicle for tracking in case of theft? I imagine that could become annoying having to charge it up all the time, unless ofcourse its on a sneaky permanent USB charger? I wonder if it would still send tracking info if it was in the glove box or hidden somewhere else without clear view of the sky?
I wanna know the difference between consumer and business. I am a photography / guiding business in the backcountry. But, I work solo - Not communicating to others unless an emerg. Not sure what the difference is, why have business version
Great video, thank you! Just a question, I'm not sure I understood correctly on the garmin website. If you push the sos button they come and rescue you, and you have to pay them. Garmin has an assurance that pays off this expense, is it correct? Thank you, i am confused about all the extra expenses about the inreach.
Great video iv been looking for something like this I ride nearly every Saturday or Sunday I’m not really interested in text or tracking I just want it for the sos function only ride weekends what’s your recommendation
Hey Keith, thank you so much for the video, its really helpful (gave it a BIG like!). I'm planning on doing a lap of Australia over a 10 month period, so the annual plan is looking like the better option for me. Do you happen to know if once I've paid the initial $49 activation fee, that following years I would not have to pay it again, presumably ever again provided I kept an active plan? Additionally, after the first year, if I change to a a Freedom Plan, I presume I must once again pay the activation ammount of $54 each and every year, but what if I then wanted to change back to an annual plan, would I pay $49 again or could it carry over from the previous activation? The pricing format and plans seems a bit sneaky to be honest, they really try to lock you in or make you pay dearly for it, which is a bit frustrating after the initial large ammount paid for the device itself. i'd expect them to make it all a lot easier and reward their customers for choosing their products, particularly after signing up for an initial 12 month annual plan, a more flexible option should then be available i.e. be able to pause annual plans at the lower rate.... Maybe I'm just dreaming
I'm on the annual plan for some years now and have not paid another fee, apart from the monthly fee. Not sure about switching between Annual and Freedom, but my guess is, yes you'll pay. I keep it on annual, and just switch between Safety and Rec, depending on what I'm doing. And yes, I may go months without using it, but so be it. It's just the cost of ownership (and peace of mind). Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks for the video. Are you able to clarify a few things about the unit as well? Are you able to recall all your trips through the program when you’ve tracked them? I assume they overlay on a map automatically when viewed? Thanks in advance.
Yes they are in the Garmin Mapshare website somewhere... I think you just select a date range and they appear. I don't use it though, as all my trips are tracked via the GPS unit I have on the bike.
@@keithjob Hey mate, its been a yeah since your comment above, have there been any noticeable improvements to the apps or website making it easier to use? I've just bought a Mini2 and just going through the setup now, so really appreciate the effort you put into explaining all of this. Cheers, Adam
Hi Keith, just got the same bike as you based in Brisbane and I'll be adventurising too, do you find that you get extreme foot peg vibration, if so, I notice you have different pegs on, do they help?
Plans may be good. My experiences with the Garmin In Reach was worthless followed by 270 minutes with allegedly corporate tech experts whom couldn't even download the map for the Colorado Trail. I have the evidence to support my comment.
My main annoyance is the yearly activation fee for the Freedom plans. I make one or two trips per year where I'd want to bring the InReach, so the yearly fee makes this quite expensive since I can't amortize it over many trips. I appreciate the clear comparison and advice though. As a scuba diver I'd bring the device in case I get separated from a boat in the sea or ocean in exotic destinations.
My situation is similar, but different. I’m old. My dogs are old. So I’m hoping I can pay an annual activation fee. Then just pay for the specific months that I can actually get away from work! (…rarely.)
As of this reply 27-09-2024. Garmin has now changed all the plan types and costs .... and it appears that there are no longer any Flexible plans or Annual plans available, All the plan fees are auto renewed monthly. I can't work out from looking at the new pricing tables, if you can opt to only have the devices subscribed during certain months. IE: Subscribed Jan-Feb, then not subscribed March-April and if I say wanted to again pay for the May-June subscription, would I then have to pay the "Activation Fee" of $70.00 AUD all over again??? Typical Garmin ... nothing is ever straight forward and simple to understand.
Thank you very useful information. Didn't know that you could switch between Safety and Recreation levels on the Annual plan. Surprised this info isn't available on the Garmin website.