Garmin needs to make some basic changes

I love my InReach Explorer+. In the backcountry, it's reliable and helps me keep in touch.

But Garmin, you need to fix how the device interfaces with the rest of the world. Having to launder my data to an from the inreach.garmin.com portal through a phone is the dumbest interface I've ever seen. It also is not reliable. Earthmate, BTW, has on at least three occasional gone rouge and sucked my phone battery to 0 in a short time.

The InReeach has a USB connection, enable it to transfer tracks and routes and waypoints, the way my GPSMap 60 and 62 did. I could mount the 62 as an external drive.

For a $450 device, you should support it better.

Bill Hensley

0 twolpert over 4 years ago

Just my opinion, but I don't think you're going to see significant changes to the legacy iR devices (Explorer+ and SE+), or to the associated Earthmate mobile app. Most of the features you are looking for are present in newer iR devices, the GPSMAP 66i in particular. For newer devices, the Explore mobile app has replaced the Earthmate app.

The biggest disadvantage to the newer devices is battery runtime. The 66i has significantly shorter runtime on a charge than does the Explorer+. Features vs. battery life tradeoff.

Not editorializing on commercial practices here. Garmin is no different than your favorite cell phone manufacturer. Just noting that buying a new device is likely to be the only way you can get those features.