Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Best comms/gps for remote hunts?

Who has the best communication and gps combination for remote hunting?

Good GPS with 5 mile range for walkie-talkie?

David, I've used Garmin Rino systems and the radio function is okay but mostly line-of-sight. I've used their InReach system for several years and to say it sucks is an understatement. Last year their system would not communicate with anyone on AT&T. The same thing happened two years previously on my annual moose hunt too. What good is a system such as that? Now I own Garmin's GPSMap 66i and as a GPS it's just fine. Nice display. Each year in Alaska because of the justified lack of trust in the InReach system I also always carry a Sat phone. If the dimwits at Garmin cannot provide a dependable texting system using it is at best a backup.

John,

I’ve read similar criticisms of the inreach.

And similar praise of the GPS MAP 66i.

Can you send your position to others using the 66i?

I believe you can send your pos to others David similarly to the Rino systems but I have not done that personally.

I have an inreach mini tethered to my phone. I haven’t had any issues over the two and a half years I’ve had it. I do believe John H. is correct in that you can send your position attached to your messages though I have never done so.

Who's using the Garmin 750?

I have a Garmin 750T that I use. Goes through batteries and I really don’t know how to use it efficiently. Just got a box of odds and ends a friend dumped and it has a SPOT GEN3 in it. Anyone use these?

It's all the terrain, other than a licensed radio with higher power, most are about the same. Having said that I have several Garmin Rhino's that work very well. Flat land 5 miles will be fine on the higher power setting. If you have cell service then you can use many, many different apps. Depends on the area.

Are you looking for comms between hunters or back to home/civilization?

Hunters.

The Garmin 66i has the updated inreach technology to text via satellite to home or others, but no voice.

I don’t see a solution with both.

Roger. I use the inreach mini and cell phone to check in with home occasionally. Both the inreach and my phone stay turned off until I need them, so batteries last 4+ weeks. It works well for that.
I tried coordinating a meeting with a buddy that also has an inreach during moose season, and have never been able to make inreach to inreach comms work. Kind of disappointing. Have had rare issues with texts not going through, but have had quite a few times when sat phone calls didn't go through too, so nothing is perfect. Cant speak to the 66i, but the inreach is not something I'd want for comms between parties in the field. For voice, I'd rather run baofeng (cheap) handheld vhf ham radios than anything integrated into another device. So I do... grin.