"Wait for GPS" -- poor GPS signal performance

It sounds like there might be a problem with the unit. In my experience, the Mini IS much touchier than other iR devices when it comes to both GPS and Iridium satellite communication. However, I've never seen a situation like yours.

One question, though. Did you have a fix at any time since the last f/w update and/or sync? Like any GPS device, the Mini will acquire faster if it has a full almanac. Offhand, I don't recall if the Mini is one of the devices which can use a pre-loaded EPO file instead of acquiring the almanac from the GPS constellation directly. 

The point here is that if an EPO file is used, it will be delivered and/or updated via sync. It it's not used, the device will require a 20-30 minute stationary "soak" with a clear view of the sky in order to acquire a full almanac from the satellites. The fact that the device acquired its first fix does NOT mean that it has a full almanac. And if it does not, second/subsequent fixes will still take a long time.

If you've soaked it and are still having problems acquiring, a call to tech support is in order. It's possible that the unit has hardware problems.

Thanks for the reply. I guess the next step is a couple controlled tests. Is there a tech resource that would give more details on the difference between the alpha vs the mini regarding EPO file use?  How many days of offline time would cause stale internal state? Etc...

I don't know anything about the lifetime of the EPO file content. I don't even know for sure that the Mini uses an EPO file. 

Units which don't use EPO use the coarse-grained almanac data downloaded from the GPS constellation. The initial load is what takes the 20-30 minutes. After that, a device which is used regularly maintains the almanac incrementally. The classic almanac data is good for up to 90 days. Do note, however, that moving the device (while it is off) more than a few hundred miles will also cause delays in the initial fix after the next power-up. The almanac is still valid, but the device uses it to predict "which satellites are overhead HERE right NOW." If its idea of "here" is incorrect, then so is the prediction. I would guess (but it's only a guess) that the same issue applies to the use of EPO data.

EPO is actually a term that applies to a particular GPS chips et. But lots of chip set manufacturers us a similar concept.

I had GPS performance issues with my inReach mini. It took too long to acquire it's position even with a clear sky. I could wait 10-15 mins.  I've been hiking with an eTrex20x on one shoulder and the mini on the other. The eTrex was always solid. It even managed to track me in a deep gully.  However the mini would struggle even with just some of the sky obscured like by a cliff or under very light tree cover. In the aforementioned deep gully it lost position entirely.

I want it's SOS to be more reliable than that so returned it to Garmin.  They sent me a new device which acquires position much quicker so I think the first must have been faulty. However the eTrex still gets lock quicker. More A/B comparisons required to reach a concrete conclusion but my feeling is that the inReach mini is less able than the solid eTrex 20x and might be a weak performer when the sky starts to get obscured by obstacles.

Same problem here. Bought it 2 months ago for SOS, but after 1 hour it still had no fix. Rebooted a couple of times and finally it had a fix. But after 10 minutes it was gone again. I used it on a boat, so a good clear sky view. A crewmember had the same device, but much better fix. We compared the serials and mine looks much older. Maybe the first ones are bad. Updates did not help. Synced the device, left it on with a fix in a steady place, but no difference.

Same problem here. Purchased the mini in March 2020, and it has been an expensive paperweight, ever since. Cannot rely on it in an emergency - on the boat, it takes half an hour to pick up, if it does at all. Preferably if keeping as still as possible.....

Have checked for updates, etc. 

Have tried it out in the open; on a boat; clear, open skies. No go. Doesn't work when out bushwalking, at all. 

Very disappointing.

I will have to pile on here also.

I purchased an inReach Mini well over a year ago and it has been nothing but trouble the entire time. Almost never can get a position lock, with full clear view of the sky for hours, and sending preset messages can take literally months before they arrive at the recipients inbox. 

Garmin Tech Support had me reset the device fully, reconfigure my account, made sure firmware was updated, etc., but never could determine why the unit behaved the way it did, and as such, I have absolutely ZERO faith the device will be there for me when I need it most.

A real shame. Had great potential. Others have had better luck with theirs, but can I take that gamble? I don't think so.

Expensive paperweight is exactly what the inReach Mini is. Nothing more.

Contact tech support. If they can't sort it out, ask for a replacement unit. Anecdotally, the Mini does appear to be less sensitive than some other iR devices when it comes to acquiring and maintaining a fix. However, the behavior you report is definitely not normal.

I experienced this problem. Garmin replaced the unit, which improved the issue. Then there was a firmware update which fixed it completely.