spot special rebate 50%

[Sytes]

I just went into an outdoor store and was about to purchase an InReach unit for $299 when the store clerk advise me the spot generation 3 had a 50% mail in rebate. this expires on the 4th.

needless to say at $150 I thought it worth mulling over the inReach unit at $300 however at $75 for the Spot gen3 it became a swift kick in the pants as to how technical I want to say help! And someone to hear and not the bear.

Anyhow for what it's worth only a couple days left and for a $75 emergency unit I hope never to use I'm pretty happy with the purchase.

 

[Joe Hulburt]

My mom bought me a spot 3 for Christmas off Amazon and it was full price. Do you think that rebate would apply?

 

[T Bone]

thanks sytes.

here is the link to the rebate

http://www.findmespot.com/HolidayHa...m_medium=vanity&utm_campaign=2014_holidayhalf

 

[Sytes]

My mom bought me a spot 3 for Christmas off Amazon and it was full price. Do you think that rebate would apply?

Joe, it says valid from 11/02/14 - 01/04/15... So I would say you're in luck. Cheers for the link T Bone.

 

[mixedbag]

Do these units also offer texting??I have a fly in moose trip scheduled in Ak this fall and my family would be happy to know I'm safe thru texts each day.Is there a monthly plan I have to buy also??I've just started to look into these units

 

[Don K]

You cant send a text with the Spot and cant receive messages.. You have three preset messages that you can send and have to pay a yearly fee.

The In-reach you can send preset messages and you can send custom messages. The unit also receives messages. You pay a yearly fee and you pay for a monthly service package (there are 3) and can suspend the service to avoid the monthly fees when not in use.

Both units have been having rebates on and off lately.

 

[Sytes]

Do these units also offer texting??I have a fly in moose trip scheduled in Ak this fall and my family would be happy to know I'm safe thru texts each day.Is there a monthly plan I have to buy also??I've just started to look into these units

Another option I was deeply considering... SPOT SAT Phone... is included in the 50% discount bringing a Satellite phone to a price cheaper than the texting device InReachSE. As mentioned, the InReach is selling for $299. The SPOT SAT Phone w/ 50% discount is only $250!

Here is some basic information to consider. Again, as mentioned in the opening post,

needless to say at $150 I thought it worth mulling over the inReach unit at $300 however at $75 for the Spot gen3 it became a swift kick in the pants as to how technical I want to say help!

Basically, for the texting bells and whistles I was still considering paying 2x's the value for the InReachSE. Still a tough choice though when the 50% discount came into play, making the Spot Gen3 $75, it had me ponder my use of such a device...

We all have our desired intended usage, these are mine:
1. Injury in the back country. S.O.S.
2. Call for game retrieval.
3. Send a happy go lucky message to my wife.

The InReachSE covers all and adds more with the ability to add specifics AND receive responses - with a $299 price tag. One downside, the battery is designed as a plug in rechargeable unit. If it dies in the field... well, better carry another device to recharge it (solar pad, etc?)

The Spot Gen3 covers all with a few extras though does not have the option to send & receive specifics - with a $75 price tag. One upside, this unit runs on AAA batteries. Simple to replace if the batteries die in the field.

Price Plan for the Spot Gen3:
http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=103

Price plan for InReachSE:
http://www.inreachdelorme.com/product-info/subscription-plans.php

Sportsman's Warehouse review of the Spot Gen3:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS1GIxyXcFo

Sportsman's Warehouse review of the InReach SE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjIwHghB0fk

Comparing the plans is a bitch, to be blunt.
<edited>
For the "Freedom Plan" from InReach, the following is stated:

Freedom plans require a minimum 30-day commitment and you can move freely up and down a plan at no charge. When going up a plan, a minimum of a 30-day commitment to the new plan is required. You can suspend your service on a monthly basis at no charge and still retain access to all your inReach data stored on the Explore portal. Your selected plan will auto-renew each month unless you make a change on your account in the Explore portal. There is an annual program fee of $24.95 to enroll in a Freedom plan.

Both have annual coverage as well and as far as I can tell, the Spot Gen3 does not have a monthly plan.

It really boils down to the initial price and the subscriptions thereafter and the extent of communication while in the backcountry.

Last day for the discount though so if you are interested in the Spot Gen3 or Spot Sat phone, 50% off is a nice touch.

 

[JohnCushman]

I don't mind paying the extra money for the InReach. It is worth it to me to have the 2 way texting ability. I call my middle sons every night, and if I can't call them, I can still at least text with them. My wife appreciates the piece of mind she gets from being constantly updated and being able to have text conversations to let me know how the dogs are and to keep me up to date on how things are back at home. She also likes being able to get ahold of me if there is an emergency back home. It was worth it to me on my recent archery elk hunt to know that my wife was very sick and I needed to get home. I also do a lot of cross country driving, and having the inreach gives me a little piece of mind that I can get ahold of someone should I break down or have an emergency outside of cell coverage. So, all in all, I guess it really depends on what you are looking for or needing when it comes to making the decision on a device and purchase.

 

[npaden]

Another option I was deeply considering... SPOT SAT Phone... is included in the 50% discount bringing a Satellite phone to a price cheaper than the texting device InReachSE. As mentioned, the InReach is selling for $299. The SPOT SAT Phone w/ 50% discount is only $250!

I was happy to have my InReach in Wyoming when my buddy had his SPOT SAT phone because he wasn't able to get service to complete a call so I sent some text messages out to the people he was trying to reach with my InReach.

 

[Sytes]

..She also likes being able to get ahold of me if there is an emergency back home. It was worth it to me on my recent archery elk hunt to know that my wife was very sick and I needed to get home.

That is a pretty solid sell for InReach. Good point John.

Npaden, that would piss me off to have a SAT phone fail while texting via satellite transmission work fine especially considering how much additional is paid for the phone subscription! Ouch!

 

[npaden]

It's the whole Globalstar vs. Irridium network discussion.

He was pretty sure if he wanted to hike up to the top of the hill he could get a good enough signal to make a call. I was sending text messages from inside a warm tent down in the river bottom.

 

[npaden]

The way I use mine the annual cost is $50 - $65 per year for the InReach.

I think the lowest plan you can buy for the SPOT is $100.

It will take a few years to get close, but the added features of the InReach and the better network coverage are worth it to me.

 

[Don K]

They have been having 50 dollar rebates on the Inreach quite a bit.

What I enjoyed was waking up in the morning and turning on the inreach while getting dressed and having a message from my wife with the weather forecast for the day. Also knowing my messages made it out was nice too. Spending 10 days in the wilderness and being able to communicate if needed was nice.

 

[JohnCushman]

The only real advantage of the SE over the original is being able to post to social media and using it as a stand alone device without a cell phone. You can still find great deals on the original InReach models on Amazon sometimes.

 

[mixedbag]

Very good post,I learned about what I'll be needing.Definitely want something for my Ak moose trip this fall.We always rent the sat phone,but having the other unit for backup and to take on my other hunts will make my family happy.Always hated trying to find a high open clearing for my cell phone to "maybe" work while elk hunting

 

[1_pointer]

It's the whole Globalstar vs. Irridium network discussion.

This is spades! I would suggest anyone considering a SPOT or Inreach to do a bit of research on the satellite systems each use. The reviews/reports were pretty telling to me.

I have the older Inreach that pairs with my Delorme GPS. If I was buying now, I'd prefer the SE to have a standalone unit. An old smartphone wouldn't be a bad way to go either, just keep it charged and paired with the Inreach. The only real benefit is an easier to use keyboard with the phone. That said, I mostly use the pre-set messages, which the older Inreach can send without pairing it, but you have to pair it to read/check for received messages. It's a Bluetooth thing and doesn't take long.

I'm in for a similar amount of money per year as previously posted using my Inreach. For my situation and my wife's piece of mind I think it's quite cheap...

 

[Sytes]

my impression when purchasing the spot was they had a month to month subscription option. Anyone know if this is true? The representative mentioned she only paid for her husband's for 3 months. It was kind of a on the spot (pun intended) purchase based on the discount and the simple needs beyond what I have now.

so far the only subscription plan I have found requires a yearly fee. this base fee is $180 compared to what a couple of you mentioned of the inReach unit costing approximately $65.00. That alone after 2 years would make this a different choice in units for myself. Top that with the Iridium vs Globalstar and that becomes another push for me to return this unit.

I don't like the battery options of the inReach unit. and since the age of dawn I've never found it necessary to have conversations back and forth when I'm in the backwoods. It's kind of a reason why I like to go hunting where no cell phone may holler at me though I can appreciate a few comments related to staying in touch with family in the event issues arise on the other end.

Anyhow if anyone has information on the subscription plan for the spot that relate to a month to month I could certainly appreciate some insight on that before I send in this rebate. I may call them if no response here and I will update with information I find. Even though this was related to a 50 percent off discount and who knows how many other threads related to the inReach vs other options this is still been pretty darn insightful. Thanks for all the posts.

 

[npaden]

I am only aware of annual subscription plans for SPOT. I thought there was one for only $100 though.

The InReach has the $25 annual fee essentially and then the $15 monthly plan is all you need with the unlimted 3 preset messages in my experience.

I don't mind the battery option on the InReach - I carry one of the litium battery storage units for my cell phone and camera and could use it for my InReach as well. I wish my GPS had a litium rechargeable battery instead of AA's so I wouldn't have to carry spare AA batteries.

EDIT - Here is the spot pricing - https://findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=103

Here is the InReach pricing - I do the Freedom Plan - http://www.inreachdelorme.com/product-info/subscription-plans.php

 

[MThuntr]

I did the math for a previous thread...If I did it correctly over the course of an "average need" of a few months a year and expected life of the devices at 5 years or longer the InReach came out ahead.

That being said having either the SPOT or the InReach are better than not having one at all.