Spot X vs Garmin InReach 2 way Satellite Communicators Iridium vs Globalstar 

I know this is old, but just for people's info Spot X Your sent messages will be displayed in the Messages screen....There are also 3 different icons indicate the status of a message: The first is a chat bubble with a check mark indicating message sent. The second is a chat bubble with a question mark indicating message sent, but the delivery could not be confirmed. The third is a chat bubble with a X indicating message was not sent. This is usually due to poor GPS signal conditions.

Laying on the road??!! These protestors are getting desperate

Glad it served the purpose for you!! Happy trails!

OldPackMule love the unit. Wish the battery life was better. The input on the limited buttons is better than you would expect and of course you only need that function if you don’t have access to your phone which is the primary method of texting. The compact size is truly a benefit if all you need is the sos and 2 way text functions. Main concern is battery life so be ready to charge it with something it on a extended hike.

You are very welcome…

Thank you!

You will hopefully enjoy our upcoming videos as we are in the process (should have one out this week) of producing Jeep videos as well! Enjoy!!

Good luck on your hike!! Thanks for the comment!

WheelSpin Productions thank you so much ☺️🙏🏻

David Mays Thank you for this extra information! 😎💙

I just spoke to Spot and the updated version does have fixes for many of the weak links. Looking forward to providing the updated video.

Thank you for watching!

let me know how it goes.. The only thing to remember is the battery life of the mini can be pretty short so if you decide to take it on over night hikes, bring a battery charger or put in expedition mode to conserve battery.

I appreciate that.

I’m glad it helped give you a clear decision. Yeah wish I could at least have got a free device but all good. I never leave without it.

You won’t be disappointed. Here is a pro tip... if you need even better service and you are deep in woods, attach paracord to something heavy and throw over a tree limb.. tie the other end to the Garmin... hoist it up into the tree. Using Bluetooth you can communicate using your phone app that works with the explorer and send and receive texts in places you might otherwise not be able to do.. I’ve done that a couple times in the Appalachia where the valleys can be pretty tight and trees heavy,, usually just a little height solves it

@@aMAYSingLife thank you so much for all the quick responses. And yes, I saw that in your video where you were putting it up a tree to get reception all the while using your cell phone to text. I’m leaving Saturday for my cabin in the Utah mountains. I’m going to try and survive a winter there and return to Vegas in the Spring. To appease my wife I told here I would get an SOS devise in case I get injured or fire ... blah blah blah. Would be a difficult rescue where I’m going as I’m totally off grid 10 miles from the nearest road. I’m typically careful but you never know when accidents happen. I’ve been using Garmin products for years so I’m a little more comfortable with them. I already bought the Spot X but there were zero directions in the box. It’s going back tomorrow and replacing w the Garmin. Thank you again and great job w the video !

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it

This is great news.. Competition is always a good thing. I'll verify this and add this to the comments. Do you have the bluetooth model or the original?

Thanks, I ended up watching this video review precisely with that usage in mind and I'm happy I found that answer from you.

Could you clarify within tens of miles of ocean shorelines? The Spot website shows this device to literally work anywhere in the world with very few exceptions.

Hmmmm, no. Where did you get that BS?

Glad you liked it!

@@aMAYSingLife thanks!

Well if you have SMS support you then must have cellular support so likely you are best to use your phone to call them. If you are remote and will require rescue you still may be better initiating an sos if you have the yearly insurance provided through that service that will cover up to 150k in rescue services. Of course if you are in a timely life threatening situation by all means use fastest method possible which would likely be cell phone as you can have a voice conversation with 911. Hope that helps.

Soul Laugh glad you liked it!

You don't need phone to send messages from mini, it just clunky to write on small screen with 2 buttons, additional you can prepare messages on PC and save them to mini and send from up and dow list

Awesome, thank you!

I would also consider the zoleo as I believe it uses the iridium network and should have similar coverage as the Garmin and might have better battery than the mini 2. Worth taking a look at.

I believe you will be happy with your decision!

I actually use the Goal Zero pack (the 28w that folds pretty small). In fact, when on the bike I also carry a 20w kit that daisy chains giving me 48w charging power. I can obviously carry a lot more than a backpacker while traveling by moto. The goal zero does a good job charging it though. I carry an Anker PD 28000 battery pack that charges off the bike. This allows me to charge camera equipment, the Garmin etc even my laptop. IF I were backpacking I could get away with just the goal zero 28w or I also have a smaller one that would be enough to charge the Garmin but likely not much else. ideally you have one charge pack that charges as you are hiking so it can store the energy then you use it that night to recharge necessary items. the Garmin lasts about 4 days on a charge (turn tracking off at destinations) but can last much longer if you put it in expedition mode (I think that is what it is called). I have just upgraded to the new Garmin 66st and will be doing a review on it once I get some time under my belt with it. So far I love it but there is a lot going on with this unit so going to take a bit longer to give a real world test on it.

Javier Mexico per month.

Thanks for watching!

agreed! and the insurance for search and rescue is ridiculously cheap compared to the cash required if you end up needing it. Travel safe!

I am also planning a trip through Canada and Alaska and since I have an older spot device that works, I am going to use the Spot X, There are now plans for spot that are good on a month by month basis without having to pay for a year contract. Perfect for my Motorcycle Road trip

yes, you are correct about the mini in that it can send custom messages.. Unfortunately I had to take the representatives word on the Mini since I didn't have one to test myself at the time of the video.. It just goes to show that trusting a rep for all things regarding a device is sometimes not trustworthy. I also had a Spot rep tell me there wasn't a backlight on the device when I called with the device to inquire about it. Of course, that was proven false as well. I do say even with the back light it is still far more difficult to read due to the inability to increase the font size. The InReach and of course the mini due to the phone use makes it very easy and fast to send/receive texts and read them. Sorry for the delay in seeing this too.. I must have seen it at a time I couldn't respond then forgot. Thanks for your input!!

Good idea they're going to burn you the second year spot Jax the Pikes up the second year to use this device everyone hates the spot website look at Google Map review so many people are leaving bad comments about spot LLC if they disabled their comments on their RU-vid channel so that people wouldn't be leaving all this bad information they don't want you to know what people think of them their website says $99 a year for Generation 1 one-way communication but that's a lie it's $170 a year for the most basic basic service with no insurance $300 a year plus for the most basic basic service on two way communication

I used a Sony A7 and a GoPro and used a Sony professional wireless mic connected to the camera.

Coondog's outdoor adventures I would highly recommend their new 66st given the nature of your journeys.. it’s not cheap but has full mapping capability and the battery lasts longer than the Inreach plus it’s fully integrated into the garmin world which allows using with their watches etc. Did I mention it isn’t cheap... but seriously depending on what you do, it could be worth it. I love mine. I upgraded from the explorer a year or so ago and haven’t looked back.. for hikers it’s a no brained.

@@aMAYSingLife Thanks, been using compass and paper map for 35 years. I'm mostly interested in the tracking , texting , and emergency signal so my wife knows I'm safe. Do you know how it handles in the cold? Last April in the 20s my go pro did not work. Too cold for batery. I could keep it in an inside pocket. I could use a power pack to recharge and leave it off when stationary.

Coondog's outdoor adventures I’ve used it down to the teens without issue and I normally leave it hanging on the outside pocket of my jacket. At camp it’s normally hanging somewhere for best reception.

@@aMAYSingLife I took what you said and other reviews to heart. I ended up getting the Garmin's expedition. It was the best for myprice range. I'm in a heavy canopy and the Spot seems to be less reliable, the expedition gets a signal in Africa. The map on the unit and longer batery life. My wife and family can know I'm ok and get help anywhere. Even if I go back to Siberia. The suspending the plan to same money I like too.

glad you enjoyed it

That is a tricky one to answer because my needs don’t fit everyone else’s. What I did was upgrade to the 66si which has full mapping capability even levels of turn by turn for road use. Has a bigger screen and faster processor. It connects to my Garmin watch which is another plus. I had an Apple Watch for years and loved it but got sick of it going dead every 24 hrs. I have the solar Fenix 9 and love it. I didn’t actually know at the time that it connected directly to my Inreach. Others can use the mini and it be perfect for them. The reason I didn’t go with it initially was due to it not having as good of a battery life as the Inreach explorer, even my 66si gets several days, even more if I put in expedition mode. I need to do a new video on the 66si.. it’s been out a year but it’s still an awesome product. It is also fully into the Garmin ecosphere meaning that it is not a legacy from the purchase of Delorme which made the inReach initially. For those who primarily want to have the peace of mind of sos and at the same time be able to reach out and text a loved one when you are away without cell, then the explorer is possibly still the way to go. It’s pretty bullet proof at this point. If battery life isn’t as big a deal and you always have your phone with you (for easier texting) then the mini might be the way. If you also hike, Jeep, camp for days, explore and need mapping that is always reliable, the 66si would be my recommendation. Hope that helps.

Agreed