Unable to acquire GPS after travelling east

There's a software bug in the InReach Mini that prevents the device from acquiring a satellite fix after moving a significant distance (>1500 miles) in an easterly direction while powered off.

Iridium messaging and SOS features still work (and the device passes the InReach "test") but you will need another position source if you need rescue. 

A "reset" through the system menu does not restore functionality, but a full hard reset (OK, back, and down while switched off) will recover GPS. You can remain roughly in the same area, and also travel an unlimited* distance west without experiencing further problems. 

Obviously you'll need to reactivate (no computer needed) and re-sync your contacts and routes. 

I've been able to reproduce this on several occasions - I travel between Europe and North and South America on a weekly basis.

Incidentally - it's a fairly gaping error in the test implementation that it can present a pass without GPS position. Sure, it's only testing the Iridium bit, but it's a last-line rescue tool and the test should mean "ready to go in all respects".

*well, less than 180 degrees of longitude obviously... Yum 

  • Have you contacted tech support about this?

    After moving any substantial distance while powered off, any GPS device will require extra time to acquire. This is because the device typically uses its last known position plus coarse-grained almanac data to determine which satellites might be overhead. This decreases the search time considerably. If the position has changed a lot, or if the almanac data is stale, this will deteriorate into a full-sky search, which takes quite a bit longer.

    I don't have any direct experience with the Mini, so I'm not sure how long "quite a bit longer" is for this device. However, "never" is clearly longer than anybody would expect.

    Tech support will be interested if you have not already contacted them.

  • How long are you waiting for gps acquisition? A new full gps almanac takes 12.5 minutes to send. If your mini is using an old almanac, it may take some time to find a satellite to download a new almanac. I would say wait at least 15 - 30 mins.

  • Yeah, I originally thought that it was an out of date almanac, but it fails to get a fix after more than an hour in the middle of a field. 

    The proof in the pudding is the hard reset, because it gets a first fix within 30 seconds. 

    I've not brought it up with technical support because they'd just reset it and send it back as no fault found. 

  • Call tech support. If this really IS a software bug, you'll assist the rest of the world in getting it fixed.

    Additional questions:

    Did you at any time sync the device? I don't know if the Mini uses an EPO file (in preference to the constellation-derived almanac) or not. But if it does use an EPO file, only a sync will deliver a new one.

    On what screen did you leave the Mini while waiting for a fix? The location widget times out after five minutes or so. I don't know that it continues to attempt to acquire while sitting on the true home screen. (The Mini is very aggressive about battery conservation.)

    Not saying there is not a problem. Just trying to define the circumstances.

  • Thanks for your help. Will give support a call tomorrow and let you know what they say.

    Makes no difference if it's been synced with the InReach sync tool - I tried syncing before leaving the US yesterday albeit not with Garmin Express. 

    It won't get a GPS fix for the registration process, although you do get a message saying that it's taking a long time. 

    The hard reset is obviously clearing some data that the system reset isn't. 

  • If syncing the inReach mini with inReach Sync doesn't resolve the issue, please contact Product Support so we can investigate further.

  • Not a universal issue as far as I can tell.  Went from Canada to Switzerland this summer past and used my mini in the alps, complete with GPS tracks.  no reset needed.

  • Update: After speaking to Garmin Support a replacement unit was sent out to me. Unfortunately it exhibits the same problem as the original, although in this case it was after travelling 4000 miles west from the first fix. If a GPS lock isn't achieved within a minute of switching the device on, it will not get one until it's hard reset.

    Will speak to Garmin when I get home to see how they wish to progress this. In the meantime, if you're travelling with an InReach Mini, either leave it powered up with a satellite fix for the duration of the flight, or be prepared to pack a computer to re-sync it after resetting it at your destination.

    It will complete activation without needed access to a computer if you're really pushed, but obviously you will lose tracks / contacts / waypoints etc.

    Hope this helps.

  • Further update: although not documented this may be fixed in the recent firmware update. Just arrived back in the UK from California and managed to get a GPS lock without hard resetting the unit. Grin

  • Hello, we wanted to share a clarification on the post below. Traveling a great distance and then trying to acquire satellites with any GPS device can result in a delay while the device acquires the location of a new set of GPS satellites. We do not recommend resetting the device to try and speed along the acquisition process, instead you should power on the device and let it sit in a location with the most open sky view possible until it has acquired satellites.