Garmin inReach Messenger (Preview)

You may have gotten an email from BPL lately, containing

“Together with Zoleo… Here’s what sets ZOLEO apart: Seamless Messaging ZOLEO extends your messaging coverage by transmitting over the lowest cost network available (satellite, cellular or Wi-Fi).”

Just an FYI, the Garmin Messenger does this as well as stated in the lead in to this article.  Garmin added this a year or two back.

Update from Garmin “The reverse charge feature does not seem to work if using a USB-C to USB-A adapter on a iphone at this point in time…The feature will work if using a straight usb-c to lightning cable”

They’re escalating with a case number.

So it seems like this was an untested use case in their design cycle.  Hopefully they add this to their documentation because these adapters are becoming staples to avoid carrying a bunch of cables.

There is zero hands on feedback on-line about the reverse charge feature.  Will confirm/deny with an Anker cable tomorrow!

I was finally able to charge an iphone 11 from the Garmin Messenger reverse charging, using this Anker Poweline II cable

I haven’t found any hands on testing of this feature on-line, so thought I’d share a few results:

20 min charge #1: Garmin Battery 80%->58%, iphone11 battery 48%->55%

20 min charge #2: Garmin Battery 58%->35%, iphone11 battery 55%->63%

When used like the Zoleo (I used one last year) without navigation, the Messenger has great battery life so draining it for an iphone charge or two is no big worry.  Turn it on when needing SOS, text or weather, leave it off otherwise.  It uses very little battery that way.

This is a useful safety feature to re-enable GPS navigation capability in case the phone battery dies if accidentally left on with a battery hogging app (anything hunting GPS satellites for example).

So you used up 45% of your Garmin battery to charge 15% of your iPhone battery.  Yeah, guess it would work in a pinch.  I certainly wouldn’t want to run my Garmin battery below 20-15% though, just in case I needed it for actual emergency communication, but good to know it’s possible.

Garmin thought of that and it blocks reverse charge if it’s battery is below 25%.

This is only as back up to the usual battery pack.

inreach messenger users: how do you carry your messenger? any issues with keeping it in a pocket or do you rig it up through the lanyard hole to stay on the outside of your pack?

Interestingly, GearLab states that the antenna is bigger on the Messenger than on the InReachMini: “For the few grams and tiny bit of additional bulk, you get a bigger battery and bigger antenna.” I wonder how they reached that conclusion…

Interestingly, GearLab states that the antenna is bigger on the Messenger than on the InReachMini: “For the few grams and tiny bit of additional bulk, you get a bigger battery and bigger antenna.” I wonder how they reached that conclusion…

The size of that external antenna housing really doesn’t tell you much about the size of the actual antenna. You would have to open up the cases to make that determination (or rely upon the manufacturer to tell you).

>inreach messenger users: how do you carry your messenger?

talagnu, in the better late than never category, I attach my messenger using a small piece of 1.8mm dyneema core cordage (bigger probably won’t fit through).  The messenger end uses a sort of halter hitch locked with an overhand knot, and a bowline on the other end to a small carbiner to an attachment loop on the shoulder strap.  I don’t even notice its there and it clips on and off in seconds.  This is much lighter and superior to the long lanyards and cases I see sold for this.

Maybe this info will save someone a bit of hassle.

I picked up an incharge6 cable but it doesn’t work to reverse charge an iphone from the Messenger.

Seems a no frills cable like that Anker is the only thing that supports Messenger reverse charge.