Questions - Family Member Saftey

Greetings all!

I have a few questions that may seem strange, but I'm considering this as a potential safety device for a family member traveling out of the country. First, is there a way to turn off the audio notifications to keep the device more discrete? If I were to set the device for say 2 hour tracking, should not have heavy trees or canyons, how would that impact battery life? Finally, can the tracking work if the device is in a backpack pocket and not exposed externally?

I will be using the device much more as intended (hiking, climbing etc.), but am interested in knowing how it might perform in the above situation.

Many thanks!
Stacy

0 mariomobiel over 6 years ago

1. Yes there is, press OK>Setup>Sounds>Mute All, set this to ON
2. 2 hours of tracking will hardly make a dent in the battery life, even with poor reception
3. It work great when in a backpack or pocket, try to leave it on top of other stuff

0 WD over 6 years ago

While I would agree with the first two, the third is sketchy at best. And the first thing Support will tell you to do if its not getting good reception is to ensure that it is exposed to the sky, unobstructed.

0 mariomobiel over 6 years ago

I had it in my pack top pocket, and in my front pocket on my jacket both with no problem. Just, don't burry under all other stuff. Just try it before you go on your first trip, also good to get familiar with the device.

0 WD over 6 years ago

Mine isn't happy unless its exposed. Then its fine for the most part.

As a moderator, are you affiliated with Garmin? Would your Mini be any different than mine possibly? Like a different batch, or hardware variation?

0 mariomobiel over 6 years ago

I have notting to do with Garmin, I buy all my device my self.

0 twolpert over 5 years ago

One other thing to note. Particularly if you're going to carry the device in a pocket or pack, be sure you have acquired a fix before you pack it away. The Mini is somewhat touchy about initial acquisition - and you don't get any kind of warning if you start tracking without a fix. I once started tracking without a fix, carried the device in my hand at my side for 15 minutes with the antenna exposed - but the device never acquired. Suspect this is because my hand motion interrupted the acquisition of ephemeris data. But I learned my lesson.

You should always test battery life in your scenario before depending on the device in the back country. YMMV.