October 01, 2024

GPS Training Podcast – number 101

42 minutes

Coris Vertix 2s, new inReach contracts, the all-new Garmin inReach Messenger plus and Andy’s top tips.

In this month’s podcast

First thoughts on the Coros Vertix 2s – 2 min 09 sec.

New inReach contracts – 14 min 10 sec.

New inReach messenger plus – 28 min.

Andy’s Top Tips – 33 min 55 sec.

1. First thoughts on the Coros Vertix 2s

Robust tough sapphire screen sunlight readable, titanium bezel, big battery not all the bells and whistles but so easy to use.

For a none solar watch battery is great

Bigger screen very clear data boxes

Scroll wheel works really well as per other coros like lock screen to stop accidental stopping of activity but can still scroll though screens

off course alert virbrate seems stronger and works well

ease of use, app simple, routes transfer easily

Maps not as details but so easy to see line in fromt of you and have handheld with os maps for those more difficult navigation, on 16 mile route yesterday used watch 90% of the time only looked at handheld couple of times

Coros Vertix 2s – more here

2. New inReach contracts

SOS only (Garmin call this inReach enabled) – £7.99/month – inReach Enabled has no annual fee and includes unlimited SOS and pay-as-you-go pricing for other features. (You have to have contract in place for at least x 1 month)

10p / check-in

10p / trackPoint

50p / message/ weather

1 off payment – Activation fee – £39.99

Garmin inReach products – more here

3. New inReach messenger plus

What is the Garmin inReach messenger? – £199.99

Up to 28 days with a message or location sent every 10 minutes with full sky view; up to 14 days with moderate tree cover

Up to 6 days with a message or location sent every 2 minutes with full sky view; up to 3 days with moderate tree cover

Up to 46 days with a message or location sent every 30 minutes with full sky view; up to 23 days with moderate tree cover

Up to 1 year when powered off

What is the inReach messenger plus? – £429.99 ( 30 second voice message, photo’s)

— NEW — The ability to also send voice recordings, photos and group messaging on the Garmin Messenger™ app

Up until now Garmin’s inReach line used Short Burst Data (SBD) to send messages, but with entirely new hardware, the Messenger Plus uses Iridium Messaging Transport (IMT) to send messages 300 times larger than SBD. That means it can support photos, 30-second voice memos, and 1,600-character texts (previous inReach text messages couldn’t exceed 160 characters).

Battery

Up to 120 hours of text message or location information sent every 2 minutes in power-saving messaging mode; up to 70 hours in performance messaging mode.

Up to 600 hours of text message or location information sent every 10 minutes in power-saving messaging mode; up to 110 hours in performance messaging mode.

Send up to 250 multimedia messages on a single battery charge.

Up to 1 year from power off

Note: Battery life estimates assume use with a full view of the sky. Battery life may be significantly reduced by obstructions or dense trees.

Garmin inReach Messenger Plus – more here

4. Andy’s Top Tips

Coros Watches

When on map or elevation plot screen

If you do press in scroll wheel you will see + – icon to use scroll wheel to zoom in and out – remember to press back button when finished or when screen unlocked scroll wheel will not move to next screen as still in zoom mode back button cancels

Remember you cannot pause or stop activity from map or elevation sreen but any other screen

Mac recycle bin for TwoNav maps or Garmin Topo Active, make sure you clear if you have deleted from devoice otherwise when device connected and bin can be seen it still shows that the device has this memory taken

...more

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By Jon Monks, GPS Training and reviews

11 ratings