DeLorme inReach Explorer Satellite Messenger
This product is not available.
A global communicator with built-in navigation, waypoints and routing, the DeLorme inReach Explorer lets you send/receive text messages, trigger interactive SOS and plan, track and share your journey.
Shop similar productsKey Details
- You can do all of this from one rugged handheld device with 100% global coverage from Iridium
- Create waypoints, log your trip, find your way back, send/receive text messages or trigger an interactive SOS
- Pair with your mobile device (Apple® iOS, Android® or Kindle Fire®) via Bluetooth® and free Earthmate app to access topographic maps and U.S. NOAA charts
- Create or view a route, drop waypoints, see your detailed GPS tracks, and navigate with the on-screen map view; view route details such as distance and bearing to destination
- Plan your route online ahead of time and share it with family and friends to follow along and watch your progress
- Adjustable tracking intervals from 10 min. to 4 hrs. allow you to track your trip and share your location, including GPS coordinates, course elevation and speed
- Equipped with a digital compass, barometric altimeter, accelerometer and odometer; display trip time, max speed, moving average and trip distance while in the field
- Color screen and virtual keyboard with predictive text for standalone 2-way messaging
- Contract-free month-to-month plans or annual subscriptions available
- Waterproof/dustproof (IP67, standard submersion to 1m for 30 min.); impact-resistant (Mil-STD-810G for shock)
- 100 hrs. of battery life in 10-minute tracking mode with a clear view to the sky
- The DeLorme inReach Explorer comes with a wall charging adapter and USB cord for easy charging
| Best Use | Multisport |
|---|---|
| GPS/Satellite Detectable | Yes |
| Batteries | Lithium polymer |
| Location Accuracy | 5 meters |
| Certification | Approved by FCC; CE, IC, ITU |
| Waterproof | Yes |
| Dimensions | 4.5 x 2.46 x 1.04 inches |
| Weight | 6.7 ounces |
| Water-Resistant Depth | 1 meter |
| Material(s) | Injection-molded housing/liquid crystal display |
| Activation | Manual |
Review this Product
Adding a review will require a valid email for verification
Most Helpful Favorable Review
Most Helpful Critical Review
Customer Images
Works as described - just a few quitks
This unit has worked exactly as I hoped for tracking solo trips out of cell phone range. It's accurate and the map and messaging work well and as expected. Others have commented on the subscription cost which isn't cheap but is clear enough despite the expensive change fees if you go down a service level. I certainly couldn't find anything comparable in features or coverage. The screen is a bit like cell phones circa 2000 and it's a bummer than you can't rearrange the icons to suit your preferences (might be nice to have more ready access to the free pre-saved messages for instance). I've also noticed that the unit is sensitive to the type of USB cable you use; make sure it's their included one or the compute won't recognize it.
Works as advertised
I was a little hesitant to pull the trigger on this after reading a lot of the early reviews but was able to speak in person to someone who had a friend with one as she hiked the John Muir Trail and was able to see how the track and messaging worked. I bought the Explorer for a solo hike in the Eastern Sierra and wanted to ensure my family could keep track of where I was and also wanted the SOS capability in case something went wrong. I have to say as long as you follow the directions for initialization and familiarize yourself with the manual (which I saved on my iPhone in iBooks so I always had it with me), the process is painless. I had the unit up and running within 30 minutes, loaded contacts and edited the short quick messages (which don't count against your prepaid texts) and was ready to head out within 90 minutes of opening the box. Once you load your cc info into the site, go outside and within 10 minutes or so the unit will confirm your activation and you can double check on the website. Definitely have this step executed before heading out onto the trail or you may not have coverage. On the trail, the unit is set and forget. The default is to log your path every minute and send a track point every ten minutes. Choose or compose a message, hit send and keep hiking; it will chirp when it confirms the message has been sent and also chirp when you receive a new message. All my texts went through with a link to my location and those people I had invited with a link and password could follow my progress in fairly realtime on the DeLorme site. I highly recommend the unit, DeLorme's customer service has been excellent with the two questions I have had (billing, but no errors on their part) and O have recommended this unit to a number of my friends who spend a good deal of time outdoors far away from civilization.
Works well, could use some tweaks
This replaced my aging Spot Locator, and did a good job on my recent solo trip to BBNP. Pros - 2-way texting; great battery life; waypoint tracking; message alerts; message sent verification; ruggedly built. Cons - screen/text is tiny; needs (larger) touch screen; belt clip not easily removeable; must have clear S.sky to receive messages; must re-enable tracking every morning; must sync with website every time you make the smallest change; suspending monthly service is tricky.
What a LEGEND.
Recommended to me by the United States Park Service of the Department of Interior, this device is worth it's size in solid gold. The ability to keep in contact with friends and family and let them know your well, is priceless. The online services at Delorme range in duration from per month, to yearly, depending on your recreation lifestyle and longevity. There is also subscription options, ranging from a few texts, to unlimited texts. Let's not forget it also has GEO notification, all the way up to GEO EVAC rescue operations. Elderly people have Life Alert, Outdoor Enthusiasts have a DeLorme.
Boating, flying, or hiking. It does what you want
This was a gift item from my wife over the summer. Since I do about any outdoor activity [one the ground and in the air imaginable] she thought I could have multiple uses for the device. Turns out, she is right. My first test drive with my Explorer [and powered RAM mount I had to buy separately] was in my Cherokee single engine plane. I am a member of AOPA and always flie a master flight plan for safety and flight following. The RE Irep. told me that the FAA allows, and encourages pilots like us to not onlu use the device in flight on a general aviation flight, but also register its IMEI on my flight plan for safety purposes, which I did. If my plane ever goes down, or I dont close my flight plan on time it allows the FAA on a voluntary basis to check on my location and make sure everything is OK. Thats a big peace of mind builder. I always turn on my 2 minute tracking when I fly with my Explorer, most recently on a longer flight I did from Cleveland to Indy, and it worked like a charm (even broadcasting my speed, altitude, and heading). The built in digital compass on my Explorer is a GEM! I've also used my Explorer for 3 way texting, by enabling the feature on my MapShare page. so far so good. My device has worked just as good under heavy tree canopy, as out in the wide open, so I'm sold on its performance when my view to the satellites is not optimal. For under $400, and no-contract plans, this device, for all it does, is a bargain. I recommend for anyone who feel that safety is important to them when out remote, as well as those that just want 2-way communications for fun's ake with family. My Explorer rocks. REI customer service was 1st class!
Whoa! Love the Explorer. GPS Functionaly great
I'm an avid climber, and often go out to Smith Rock on the weekend with my climbing buddies. Saw the new Explorer at rei.com and was intrigued by the Iridium satellite communications capability with built in GPS. I'm hoping to now just take out this device and save on bringing a satcom system, GPS, etc. So far, so good. We went out on a long weekend hike, that included going over some new hiking trails and end our trip going up Smith Rock just outside of Redmond. I planned my route in advance from my inReach account, which was pretty simple to do. Synched up my Exploerer so I had in my device my route, pre-set satellite text messages. Signed up on the no-contract Freedom plan, paid my initial $25 annual fee and chose the "Recreation" Option. For $35/month, its a pretty good deal with 2-way SOS and texting, infinite preset messages, infinite tracking, and 40 freeform text [which should be enough]. I intend to use the device between now and around October 15, when the my season effectively ends. I love the fact that I can suspend my service in the offseason without penality. That will save me a lot fo $$$ over the long run. So far, so good. the GPS functionality built in the device is pretty good, GPS has been so far accurate to about 15 feet, and the 3 axis compass is right on target. The biggest enhancement I have noticed on this Explorer device (i've had the SE and the SPOT2 in the past] is the built in map on the screen that show my progress from point A to point B. And while the map on the screen is small, I understand there must be some engineering limitations. I already have the Eartmate App on my Samsung smartphone, so if I need high res. topo maps, I've them at my disposal. I like the built-in keyboard (even if it's not touch screen]. Freeform texting is the way to go. I understand the built in GPS would never compete with a high end GPS like an Oregon or Montana, but to have both satcom and GPS navigation in 1 unit for roughly $350 is a real bargain. I love the innovation and the performance.
Fool me twice
I've had 3 of these, 2 of which have failed within a year of purchase and been replaced by REI. My third one hasn't failed or been used. These are a great concept. I love the tracking, 2 way messaging, and navigation, but it is extremely delicate. I mount it on my motorcycle handlebars as a lifeline and each unit has failed without any indication. Perhaps due to vibration or jars that come with dropping the bike during off-road riding. This is advertised as a lifeline in case of an emergency, but I don't believe this would survive any emergency where I'd need it. A PLB and an iPhone may be a better option.
Indispensable for Wilderness Safety
I have had my DeLorme inReach Explorer for about 9 months. This review is mostly about its "satellite messenger" service, as I have not fully explored the GPS capability. In addition to shorter hikes, I took the Explorer on an 8-day solo backpack on the Wonderland Trail last August-September. It enabled me to text-message my wife when I had reached my campsites safely and to connect with friends remotely, and provided a way to send an SOS and be located in case of emergency. I used the compass feature surprisingly often, considering that I had an old-fashioned magnetic compass handy. After the hike, I could trace my route on the online map, enhancing the memories of my trip. This capability also let me share my progress with friends while I as hiking. I now take it on all hikes when I might be out of cell phone range. Cons: The keyboard interface is very slow. You have to subscribe to the service, which can get pricey if you want to use the device actively. When you view your progress at home on the map, the software has linked location points with lines, which is fine. However, a bug occasionally linked these points out-of-sequence, resulting in annoying stray lines. As of my last communication with Technical Support, they had not developed a plan to fix this, or enable the user to turn off the lines altogether. Pros: You can ratchet up or down the level of service you subscribe to, on a monthly basis, to adjust the cost to your seasonal usage. (This might be less flexible now -- DeLorme issued a change notice which I didn't fully understand.) In the field I used only about 15% of the battery charge daily, with the device on 10 hours or so, sending a location point every 20 minutes and about 3-4 text messages per day. It seems to connect to a satellite almost constantly, though the accuracy of the location points was better if I carried the device in an exposed position (upper pocket of my pack vs. cargo pocket of my pants). The device always syncs flawlessly with my Windows 7 computer. DeLorme Technical Support was always responsive and helpful, especially regarding capabilities of the device and and potential bugs and/or work-arounds. I gave this 5 stars because of the overwhelming value of the basic messaging and safety capability that it provides. Everything else pales in comparison. As stated above, I always carry it on hikes, even day hikes, where I might be out of cell phone range -- and sometimes even when I know I won't.
Initial Thoughts
used this over the w/e hiking in the Mt Hood, OR Wilderness-2 partial and 1 full day-totaling about 17 hours of hiking; user interface on the inReach is like using my older GPS device using the directional arrow and scrolling across 2 screens of 17 total icons (contacts, preset msgs, data use, msgs, waypoints, etc...) the screen is small but clear in bright sunshine w/ setting to 100% brightness-battery life was down to 67% after the 17 hours of use which included sending out track points every 10 minutes for half the hike and every 30 minutes for 1/4 of the hike; I did attempt to use the map function on the device on the small screen but since I did not load maps to the InReach (not sure I can) it just appeared as a general trekking route (line on the screen) so it wasn't beneficial to even look at that; I did however link up my iphone 5s via Bluetooth and was able to load the map very clearly on the iphone as I was hiking (this requires an annual fee and a monthly plan charge) and see the track points and distance along with the preset messages I had sent out (to myself and a group of friends) and the lone message that was sent to me in response (I had requested them not to respond unless an emergency b/c the plan is for 40 free msgs/month and did not want to waste them) Overall Impressions: 1. no problem w/ signing up as soon as I figured out you have to go to the InReach section of DeLorme to register the product and sign up (not just the generic DeLorme site) 2. loading maps on iphone was simple for the US and the specific area I planned to hike after downloading the Earthmate app 3. editing my specific user data (3 pre-set messages and emergency contact info) was straightforward and easy to do (once I realized that you have to add the info individually for who you want to receive the msgs) 4. use in the field was good for tracking and the pairing w/ the iphone for visualizing the maps was simple and worked every time Drawbacks include: 1. pairing w/ iphone via Bluetooth will chew up the iphone battery like no tomorrow; I basically left the iphone off the entire hike and only turned it on to check on it out of curiosity w/ it being the first time using it once I saw how fast the iphone battery was depleting-I would highly encourage utilizing an external charging source for your smartphone when out for more than a few hours, especially if you plan on having the phone on the entire time and paired via Bluetooth 2. messaging on the InReach is slow, slow, slow...I don't get how I can have the device on the outside of my pack the entire time and the preset "im ok" message took over 3 hours and never was sent from the device-it wasn't like I was hiking in a canyon or under dense tree cover; however, when I was at the campsites or taking a rest break under clear skies, the device sent and received the lone incoming message very quickly (the device takes a while to initally register the gps signal but will emit a series of beeps to let you know when a msg is sent or received)...this is my biggest concern w/ the device and will require me to look into whether there is something I can do on my end to improve that reception...again, the device was tracking the whole time, I could see it was on the device and on the iphone, so im not sure what the issue was 3. as mentioned in previous reviews, the keypad function for the device is like using an old cell phone or gps, not a qwerty style touchscreen, I didn't attempt to send any msgs from the device nor use the iphone to try either. this is something I still need to experiment with 4. for some reason, in the field, my pre-set msgs were showing up as being used against my allotted 40 free messages, but once I got home and logged on the website, the correct number of messages used against the count (the 1 msg I received) showed up overall, I really like it, I like being able to pair w/ the iphone and use that device for mapping; the tracking was accurate in the field and after logging on the website once back home (it's the same info); friends all report receiving my preset messages (except the one that never went through) and being able to log onto my account, send a request and track my current location and view my track points (you have to provide the info ahead of time through the website-it sends them a generic message with a link and the password you've created); the downside being the battery issues via Bluetooth and the slow message delivery time (which could be the biggest issue of all depending on circumstances). I highly recommend spending some significant time getting to know the device around your neighborhood before taking it out in the field, that way you can communicate w/ your friends via cellphone at the same time to verify where you are, what data you are sending out and what they are able to access on their phones (or home computers) I was able to do that briefly to work out a few kinks in the interface
Fantastic Product!
Love love love this unit! I have carried Sat Phones for years and this unit will do 99% of a phone yet is less that half the cost...say nothing about the weight and space savings. A tremendous value for what you get. My wife can "ping" the unit at any time to see where I am. (Hmm good or bad?) SOS feature with the SAR support that comes included with it is worth the cost alone. Always had good coverage and response times to messages from home or to other units in the field. The map share website is great for you and others to follow your data/progress. I found tech support to be very helpful, yes they are a small company so hold times were there but tolerable. The unit is new so the user manual is online only...once you find it all the information is there on how to use all the features. The "map" feature is a bit misleading: there is no underlying map with contours or roads, etc. You only get a white screen showing relative locations of your user entered waypoints. Functional by itself or pair it with a phone (which i never did) to get a detailed map. My only complaints are: 1) does not support UTM coordinates, only lat/long. 2) internal battery is rechargeable, NOT replaceable. So for an extended trip you don't bring extra batteries, you need a recharging device of some sort (usually solar panel). Overall a fantastic product..I think this will go "viral"!