Portal connect with personal accounts

I am on a SAR team and on large mutual aid searches people are bringing personal InReach units. On enterprise units we can use the Portal Connect to send real time tracks to SarTopo maps. Can this be added to personal accounts?

Also, searchers carry regular GPS units to record tracks. We then connect the units to a computer and download the tracks as GPX files. Can this function be added to the InReach Minis?

  • Portal Connect is only available for inReach devices active on Professional accounts. inReach users on Personal accounts can use the KML feeds to upload track data to third-party map portals as an alternative option. For more information, reference the Support Center article, Embedding inReach Data on a Third Party Website.

    Regarding your question about tracking on an inReach Mini, you can record tracks just like you would with a regular GPS, however, instead of pulling the GPX files off the device directly, you would have to sync the inReach Mini and export the tracks from the Explore Website. For more information, reference Getting Started with Tracking and Logging on an inReach Mini and Exporting Data from the Explore Website

  • Thank you for the answers but I already knew them. As I said I am on a mountain rescue team and we use a program called SarTopo. It is set up to use the Portal connect data, I will check with them about using the KML file.

    I know about exporting the track from the explore web site. This requires having access to it. At searches with multiple mutual aid teams, searchers show up with either InReach units that belong to the team that they are on or with personal ones but are not familiar with how to use Explore. They may not want other people to have access to their account either.
     The usual work flow is for searchers to return to base and drop off their GPS units to a person from the command post who downloads the GPX tracks either directly from newer units or using a program such as Basecamp for older units. This is a quick job and the person downloading the tracks doesn't need any account information or take the time to log in to multiple accounts. Sometimes at the end of the day there may be dozens of GPS units to download from, from many different accounts. Being able to download tracks in the same manner as GPS receivers, as a drive, would make the workflow much easier.
    Chuck Rozner
    Altadena Mountain Rescue Team
  • One thing that would be helpful would be add export both the KML files and the GPX files from a password protected Mapshare account so that these functions would be available without access to all of the other administration features of th Explore account.

    Chuck