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Garmin inreach mini as luggage tracker

zicle
over 2 years ago

Anybody use an inreach mini as a luggage tracker? I’m taking several international flights and I’m worried that my backpacks could get lost which will mess up my plans. I thought about an AirTag but then thought - why don’t I just switch on my mini (which I’m bringing anyway) when I’m checking in my bag and track it that way.

  • 0 over 2 years ago

    inReach satellite connectivity is non-existent indoors. In fact, unless the device is right on top of the pack, it probably does not connect outdoors either. IMO, unlikely to work as a luggage tracker.

  • 0 over 2 years ago

    I can just share following experience:

    1) with old DeLorme Explorer, we had the device on 10min tracking and put it into a bag and this was stored inside tail of small twin engine airplane (AFAIK Twinotter), in the baggage compartment with basically no windows or other sky view, surrounded just by the aluminum of the plain. Suprisingly, the tracking went on fine, without any substantial interruption.

    2) on normal passenger plane, some airbus, window seat. Old DeLorme Explorer did fine job, not only for tracking but also for rather intensive communication during the flight. In same position the Mini had substantial problems receiving GPS, positions jumping wild over the atlantic. The resulting track on the explore website was useless. The Iridium communication was OK however.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to skyeye

    I interpreted the OP as asking about the mini as a luggage tracker for lost luggage inside an airport. No iR communication there.

    No experience with iR devices in the luggage compartment of a private plane. This description of iR use in a window seat on a commercial aircraft is consistent with expectations. The M1 and M2 are notorious for having difficult obtaining and maintaining a fix. No other iR device has anywhere near that level of difficulty.

  • 0 over 2 years ago

    Having owned an activated Mini 2 for less than a week I will say that my SPOT would be far superior as a luggage tracker, with much better GPS reception and much better battery life, so if you have one of them use it instead. Having said that, it still isn't great at getting a signal indoors.