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Feature Suggestion: Be Able to Pause Tracking

I have an InReach Explorer which I use frequently. I would really love to have the ability to pause tracking so that I can have a single trip record for a day's travels rather than have to stop and start it. Would this be a possible feature to add?

Thanks.

0 Bob.Shelley over 7 years ago

To some degree this feature has always been there — whenever you stop moving it switches to a 4-hour interval, and then resumes the normal interval after you've moved 100 meters.

0 PerryTaylor over 7 years ago

I've always wondered what that algorithm was for the moving vs not moving. The thing is some times when I stop for a break. I get track points that seem to dance around my device which does not get moved while I'm taking a break. Makes me wonder how well that does or does not work.

0 CowboySlim over 7 years ago

What you might try:

1. Set Send interval to OFF.
2. Set Log interval as you wish.
3. Turn tracking OFF when you wish to pause.
4. Turn tracking ON when you wish to resume.
5. When done for the day: (1) connect inReach to smartphone with Earthmate and allow phone to Sync with your account site by WiFi, or (2) sync your inReach to site by USB cable via your PC.
6. Set the Map page/screen on your account site to Last 24 Hours to see the track as disconnected chunklets.

0 twolpert over 7 years ago

I've always wondered what that algorithm was. Funny thing is many times I stop for a break I will continue to get somewhat random track points dancing all around my device which does not move while I'm stopped. Very odd.

What you are seeing here is normal positional error, perhaps aggravated by a multipath environment. In general terms, the feature works as follows. The unit has a threshold distance for what it considers to be movement. While you are moving, the unit takes position readings at the smaller of the logging or sending track interval. When it notices that you have stopped moving (some number of readings for which the distances are shorter than the threshold distance), it switches to a somewhat longer checking interval. When you start moving again, and a check shows that you have moved more than the threshold distance, it goes back to the shorter logging/sending intervals.

The spider web behavior that you see is due to positional error which exceeds the threshold distance. Although it's possible at any time, it's unlikely to occur with a clear view of the sky. It is much more likely to occur in situations which are prone to multipath reception. For example, when you are up against a bluff, in a narrow canyon, in a deep valley, or whatever. In this situation, any given reading is much more likely to have a large error. You are also likely to notice that the "maximum speed" reported is much higher than anything sane.

Here's an illustration of a classic example. The inReach is sitting on my office window sill. The window is on the second floor and faces north. The unit has an unobstructed view of the northern hemisphere of the sky and no view to the south. It is set to send at 2 minute intervals and log at 2 second intervals. Over the course of a 10-hour day, the track is as shown. Note the large north/south excursions.

0 PerryTaylor over 7 years ago

Thank you for that excellent explanation. I guess I just have to export and clean up my tracks to get rid of all of that. Sure wish we could edit tracks and save them back as tracks rather than routes.

0 PerryTaylor over 7 years ago

What you might try:

1. Set Send interval to OFF.
2. Set Log interval as you wish.
3. Turn tracking OFF when you wish to pause.
4. Turn tracking ON when you wish to resume.
5. When done for the day: (1) connect inReach to smartphone with Earthmate and allow phone to Sync with your account site by WiFi, or (2) sync your inReach to site by USB cable via your PC.
6. Set the Map page/screen on your account site to Last 24 Hours to see the track as disconnected chunklets.

I'll try that but the disconnect "chunklets" is what I was hoping to avoid. I want just one track for an entire day.

0 nnnn over 7 years ago

Hi
like PerryTaylor, I want just one track for an entire day. I read the max moving interval is 4 hours. I take this interval.
if I power on my inReach only 1 hour by day. How much waypoints are send? sometime 0 or sometime 1 or 4*6=24...
is it better tracking off before power off?
Best regards

0 twolpert over 7 years ago

Generally speaking, the inReach will send the first track point as soon as it can after you start tracking. Thereafter, it honors the tracking interval. When you are not moving, the tracking interval automatically adjusts to one point every 4 hours. When the unit senses movement, it sends a track point and resumes whatever interval you set.

As far as what gets sent, it doesn't matter much whether or not you stop tracking before you power off. Either way, when you do power off, you should pay attention to any warnings regarding unsent points. Depending on conditions (primarily the unit's view of the sky and your tracking interval), there may be a few points which have not yet been sent when you power down. If you power down without waiting for these points to be sent, they will be lost.

I have never investigated it in detail, but I believe that the unit does send one last track point when you stop tracking. I know that when you stop tracking, the unit immediately tries to send something. I have never known this to make a difference in terms of what I see on the inReach web site. On the other hand, I don't typically pay attention to the location of the final track point because I track at short intervals. If you are tracking at long intervals, this information will likely be important.

Finally, note that from a safety perspective, one track point every 4 hours does not give SAR a lot to work with if you are incapacitated, somebody else calls SAR, and they have to depend only on the track.

0 nnnn over 7 years ago

if I power on Inreach with tracking on : one point automatically . If immediately I power off Inreach with tracking on : no point (because I don't move:))
is it right??

0 twolpert over 7 years ago

You can't power up the inReach with tracking on. You will have to turn it on after power up. It will then send one point. If you then power down without stopping tracking, that point will still be sent.

To handle moving/not moving, the inReach has a checking interval of time and a distance threshold. If you do not move at least the threshold distance between checks, the unit believes you have stopped. It continues checking while you are stopped. When you move by at least the distance threshold between checks, the unit now believes you are moving again. I do not know the details of check interval or distance threshold. They don't really matter. It works well in practice.

Edited to add: I may have misunderstood the point of your question about stopping tracking before powering off. To be perfectly clear, the inReach always stops tracking when you power down. When you power up, the inReach is not tracking, regardless of the state of tracking when you last powered off. Enterprise accounts have a setup option which allows you to start tracking automatically on power up. But this is not available for normal accounts.

I am not sure if manually stopping tracking before powering off makes any difference or not. I know that if you do stop tracking manually, the unit attempts to send what I believe is one last track point. I do not know if that happens when you just power down without manually stopping tracking. Either way, that is the only possible difference. In particular, when you next power up, tracking is off.