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Hourly check for messages? What if you don't want that?

4957510
2 days ago

We are hoping/planning to use our InReach Mini 2 just as a GPS with loaded Waypoints, etc. and we have the Enabled plan just so we can have the SOS button.

Is there some "Hourly Check" for messages the thing does? And Garmin doesn't let us turn it off? If so, that's a bummer. We plan to be out for a long time and wanting to preserve charge as much as possible, and we are not using it in such a way as we need to get any important incoming messages or whatever.

I'm aware of it because with the InReach Mini 2 indoors we get the message "Trouble Sending, ensure that the device yada yada... clear sky..."

And please no need to point out how having live tracking on all the time is the only way to go because that way the InReach can help even if it is turned off or blocked from satellite. Sure that's true. It can help somebody find you if you're reported missing or where to find the bodies if you're dead. 50+ years of backpacking in the Sierra without such, so no, we don't need that. (Sorry if any of you do come along off-trail somewhere and find our dead bodies. Not our intent!)

thx!

  • 0 1 day ago

    I guess I could add a question to this, and that is: Once the device is turned on, does it wait a full hour before doing the "hourly check for messages?"

  • 0 1 day ago

    Best way to conserve battery life is to turn off the Mini 2 when you’re not using it. The periodic message check can indeed not be disabled, but as long as you have good views of the sky it doesn’t affect battery life that much.

    For reference, Garmin specifies battery life with moderate tree coverage and 30 min tracking to be 10 days. So without tracking enabled it will be longer. With clear sky view it’s up to 30 days.