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Inreach SE/Explorer battery question

Hi,

I currently have an old inreach 1.5 and am feeling pressured to upgrade to a current model by software issues between earthmate and that version and lack of current support (details not relevant to this question). The reason I'm hesitating to upgrade (apart from the cost) is the question of batteries. I am used to the old 1.5 which takes 2xAA batteries, and so when on multi-week trips I can carry spares that are reliable and light-weight.

q1) Am I right to understand that all current Inreach SE+ and Explorer+ models are sealed, with non-field-replaceable batteries in them?

q2) If so, has anyone had experience of field-recharging their inreach unit from any of the many available usb battery packs. What capacity of battery pack did you use? How long this the recharge take? How many charges did you get from a pack? What does your battery pack weigh?

Thanks in advance,

Matt

0 twolpert over 6 years ago

Yes, you are correct in that the battery is rechargeable in the unit and is not user-replaceable.

I don't recharge in the field myself. Hopefully, somebody who does will post. I do know that a lot of people use solar recharging equipment in the field. Tends to be lighter weight and, unlike the packs, does not have a capacity limit.

You would think that it would be easy to find the capacity of the internal battery. It's not. Garmin is all about how many days it will last, not capacity. Found nothing on the official Garmin site, not even in the user manual. I did find something from Roadpost which is probably accurate. I know that the info about the older InReach SE and Explorer (not the + generation) is accurate. So I would guess that the info about the newer generation is accurate as well. I did find this buried in the Garmin knowledge base. The two don't quite agree, but they're close.

Knowing that the battery is in the neighborhood of 3000mAh tells you approximately how many charges will get from any given pack, based on the capacity of the pack.

0 madpom over 6 years ago

Thanks for the reply and the battery capacity data - that certainly helps.

Regarding solar chargers - yes. I have a couple, and I've used them when trapping from a static camp - leaving a battery pack on charge all day whilst I'm away, and then charging field devices from that pack overnight. The system works fine. But for tramping ('hiking' if you prefer) there's seldom enough time in the evening to charge a battery from the remaining sunlight, and NZ undergrowth / scrub does not make carrying solar panels (or anything else, for that matter) on the exterior of a pack to 'charge as you go' a viable option.

Regrading battery packs: the reason I asked is that my experience of charging phones from the one 'goal zero' battery pack I have is that you get about 40% of the nominal charge into the phone compared to what you'd expect based on the battery capacity of the two devices. I'm unsure if this is due to the inefficiency of the charging process (losses to heat, etc) or due to goal zero overstating their device's capacity.

Hence I'd still be keen to hear from anyone who has charged an inreach from a battery pack who can give some real world data.

0 Robtrek over 6 years ago

Regrading battery packs: the reason I asked is that my experience of charging phones from the one 'goal zero' battery pack I have is that you get about 40% of the nominal charge into the phone compared to what you'd expect based on the battery capacity of the two devices. I'm unsure if this is due to the inefficiency of the charging process (losses to heat, etc) or due to goal zero overstating their device's capacity.

Hence I'd still be keen to hear from anyone who has charged an inreach from a battery pack who can give some real world data.

We used the Delorme Inreach SE in 2016 during a 80 days wilderness trip in Siberia. Recharged it only once or twice towards the end of the trip (starting around day 50) from the Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus battery pack. To answer your question: yes that works. The Inreach SE was switched on once a day for half hour or so. Typical usage: sending our position, sending and receiving an email about every other day, a few weather forecasts, but no tracking. If that fits your user profile, you're all set for 80 days and probably much longer.
What you say is right: with the Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus battery pack, I can charge the 3000 mAh battery of my smartphone up to 50% in about 2.5 hrs. It won't go above 50% (which is OK for most purposes).

0 GLBrooks76 over 6 years ago

I used the Inreach for smart phones for several years until it died on one of my hikes. I replaced it last year with the Explorer+. I’ve had it on two hikes so far, one 3 day hike and one 9 day hike. Like you, I carried replacement batteries for the Inreach, the GPS, the camera and my phone. With the new Inreach and my new phone not having replaceable batteries, I had to bring along a USB battery pack. Since I’m charging three units, I felt that I needed large capacity battery pack. I bought an Anker 20100 charger. It weighs in at 16 ounces but it almost came out even by not having to carry the extra batteries for everything. Also, the Explorer+ eliminated the need for the separate GPS unit. I didn’t have to recharge anything on the 3 day hike, but on the 9 day hike, I recharged the inreach and phone every three days even though they were not totally drained. At the end of the hike, I still had about 25% charge left in the charger. I probably could have gone longer between charges, but I was more concerned with making sure that the inreach did not die during the day while hiking.

I realize there is nothing scientific or really calculated in what I did, but maybe it’ll give you an idea of what to expect.

Gary.

0 twolpert over 6 years ago

Depending on your usage pattern, you may find that it's worth trying extended tracking to prolong battery life. In my limited testing, it does increase battery life significantly. However, it disables Bluetooth, disables track logging (as opposed to sending), and eliminates automated message checking. IIRC, it might also negatively affect the accuracy of the location in sent track points. Not enough that SAR wouldn't be able to find you, but enough to be noticeable. Been a long time since I messed with it, though.