I tested this tiny satellite communicator on an off-grid journey. Here’s my verdict

I’ve been utilizing and testing satellite messaging and emergency SOS techniques lengthy earlier than Apple added the characteristic to the iPhone 14. There is not any finish of units on the market that can mean you can connect with your nearest satellite to speak with the world.

Also: This tiny satellite communicator is packed filled with options and peace of thoughts

And whereas we’re an extended, good distance off from satellite communication being wherever close to as straightforward or as handy as utilizing Wi-Fi or a mobile community, they are often invaluable relating to providing peace of thoughts to the household and mates of those that prefer to go on adventures that take them past the attain of a mobile community, and turn out to be a lifeline within the occasion that one thing goes incorrect.

I’ve been testing the capabilities of the Garmin InAttain Messenger, a puck-shaped pocket-sized gadget that may connect with the Iridium satellite community.  

Now, you may learn the specs and even take a look at the gadget from the consolation and security of your yard like I did, however nothing beats taking it on just a little journey earlier than taking it on greater ones.

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Garmin inReach Messenger

A two-way messaging gadget that dials into the Iridium satellite community for connection.

So, this is what I did on what turned out to be the most well liked day of the yr up to now. I set the tiny InAttain Messenger to trace my location, threw the tiny gadget into a pocket on my hydration pack and began strolling.

I wished to check a couple of of the options of the InAttain Messenger, the primary being the gadget’s capacity to maintain a lock on my location as I moved by way of terrain that diverse from open grassland to the forest to coastlines edged by cliffs. This space has diverse mobile protection, from sturdy 4G, patchy 3G, to nothing.

Kicking off the monitoring is a matter of both enabling it by way of the Garmin Messenger app put in on a smartphone (iOS or Android) or enabling it on the InAttain Messenger itself. It wants a fairly clear view of the sky, and I discovered having it in my hydration pack was good. 

It despatched my location each 10 minutes and uploaded them to Garmin’s MapShare web site, the place you may give family and friends a particular URL (and optionally available password) the place they may have the ability to see your location on a map in near real-time.

Also: Motorola’s useful Bluetooth gadget provides satellite messaging to your smartphone

It labored flawlessly, not solely exhibiting my location on a map but additionally recording velocity, course, elevation, and the battery standing of the gadget.

You can even permit viewers of your map to message your InAttain Messenger direct from the map (this message types a part of your allowance, or it incurs a cost), and likewise discover your present location.

I can see this characteristic providing those who you allow at house peace of thoughts.

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The subsequent factor I wished to know was how useful it could be to ship and obtain messages utilizing the InAttain Messenger. For this take a look at, I wished to rely solely on the InAttain Messenger unit and never interface with it utilizing an app on my smartphone. 

Again, I had no downside utilizing the gadget to ship e-mail messages to contacts utilizing simply the satellite community. In an period the place we’re used to immediate communications, it is simple to take this without any consideration. But I was effectively impressed by the truth that this little gadget in my bag was beaming messages to and from satellites in house.

Along with the message, you get the coordinates and a hyperlink that takes you to a map exhibiting the place the message was despatched.

That may be very cool!

As for battery life, the unit lived as much as my expectations. The specs promise some 28 days from a battery when monitoring is enabled to ship a location each 10 minutes, and my testing confirms this. This will outlast your smartphone by an extended, very long time. Just bear in mind to cost it up earlier than you journey!

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Finally, there’s that SOS button that you could press within the occasion of an emergency. Obviously, I cannot take a look at this characteristic, however I’ve little question that it really works as successfully and effectively as the remainder of the gadget. 

It’s there, simply in case.

Bottom line

The Garmin InAttain Messenger is a dear gadget, and even a primary subscription provides significantly to the associated fee. But if it’s essential to be out there and visual to others when exterior the attain of a Wi-Fi or mobile community, you do not have a substantial amount of selection. It’s pay-big-bucks-satellite-prices or nothing in any respect.

But in the event you select to take the satellite communicator route, you’ll be very happy to seek out that you have chosen a gadget that is each extremely dependable and tremendous straightforward to make use of, and that can give family members peace of thoughts and a method to get in contact with you.