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Garmin inReach Mini 2 Satellite Communicator $538.96 ($526.99 with eBay Plus) Delivered @ Ryda eBay

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Garmin inReach Mini 2 Satellite Communicator $538.96 ($526.99 with eBay Plus) Delivered @ Ryda eBay
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wildtree on 12/09/2026 - 12:44 ebay.com.au (1441 clicks)
Last edited 12/09/2026 - 15:57 by 2 other users
SEPTENSEPTWELVE

If you're in the middle of woop woop & have a boo boo, this'll get you out of trouble - the Mini 2 is a super compact satellite communicator for two-way messaging & SOS when you're outside phone coverage.

This seems like a decent deal & last chance to get the Mini 2, as the bigger/more expensive Mini 3 just got released. I don't need all the bells & whistles on the newer ones, so I'm happy with something that works & has physical buttons

As of 2025 Garmin changed their subscription plans, so any can be paused for up to 12 months, meaning it's a LOT cheaper to have one of these if you only use it a couple of months a year (https://www.garmin.com/en-AU/p/837461/)

Specs below:

Weight - 100g (with carabiner)
Charging port - Micro-USB
Battery - 1250 mAh, up to ~14 days in tracking mode (10-min intervals)
Satellite network - Iridium (global coverage)
Messaging - Two-way text via satellite (SBD protocol)
SOS - Interactive SOS to Garmin Response, 24/7 emergency coordination
Screen - Small monochrome, button-controlled
Water rating - IPX7
Tracking - Location sharing via Garmin Explore/Messenger app

Electrical & Electronics Garmin GPS Satellite Messages Relay

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  • Kanjus on 12/09/2026 - 12:46

    If you're in the middle of woop woop & have a boo boo, this'll get you out of deep doo doo without relying on woo woo

    • 22
    • ozbozb123 on 12/09/2026 - 17:29

      And if all else fails, death by snu snu

      • 4
    • Salternative on 12/09/2026 - 20:21

      Stuck a flag in my city, everybody's screamin', "Compton!"
      I should probably run for mayor when I'm done, to be honest
      And I put that on my momma and my baby boo too
      Twenty million walkin' out the court buildin', woo-woo

      • 1
    • QuickToThePointless on 12/09/2026 - 23:24

      E.T. phone home?

      • 0
  • Lucille Bluth on 12/09/2026 - 12:50

    As of 2025 Garmin changed their subscription plans, so any can be paused for up to 12 months

    Can you pause as many times as you want over that additional 12 months? E.g go hike today, pause for 7 days, resume for 1 day hike, pause 7 days?

    I paid monthly for many years and then felt I wasn't taking advantage of it enough so discontinued it.

    • 1
    • wildtree on 12/09/2026 - 12:56

      My understanding is that the subscription is per month, e.g if you're going somewhere in Nov, you pay the $25 or whatever for that whole month.

      In terms of being paused, I believe you can't pause it for more than 12 consecutive months; otherwise, the subscription lapses & you need to pay a new activation fee

      • 5
      • Lucille Bluth on 12/09/2026 - 12:57

        Yes was just about to edit. Found this

        If I Suspend Service Today, When Will it Become Effective?
        A suspension is not an immediate action and will take place on the plan's upcoming monthly renewal date

        • 0
      • banana365 on 13/09/2026 - 01:14

        When I checked after they changed the subscription model, you need to pay the activation fee each time you "unpause" it. In other words, if you go on two trips a year you have to pay 2x$70 plus the subscription fee. This was confirmed at the time by Garmin. So it's definitely not a lot cheaper for many usage types compared to the previous model. The price went up significantly for my usage. I've now just let the subscription lapse totally (this was for one of the mapping GPS inreach units, so still a useful device).

        Given the availability of mobile phone to LEO satellite comms these days, I think Garmin are just trying to get as much cash as they can for this product division before it totally loses its differentiator.

        • 0
    • Banj0 on 12/09/2026 - 20:57

      Yeah, I turn mine off and on as required. Also, I go for a slightly higher plan if it’s multi day and my family can track me a little better.

      Can bump up the plan whenpart way through a lower one, and they work out the difference (I think it was a partial refund from memory, and then a month charged for the higher plan).

      Is an acceptable subscription model. For sure, if you suspend it won’t take place until the paid month ends. Having to activate it only one month after twelve is fine.

      • 3
  • Spacexyz on 12/09/2026 - 12:52

    Better than iPhone satellite mode?

    • 0
  • orangehead911 on 12/09/2026 - 13:07

    iPhones and Apple Watches so equipped use Globalstar satellite network which has fewer satellites than Iridium. If you're not going to the pole regions I wouldn't get a Garmin. What's with the micro-USB charging port? How old is this device?

    • -2
    • macmanluke on 12/09/2026 - 13:10

      Yep i used to have one but pretty redundant now with its expensive subscription
      iPhone/Satellite capable phone + PLB can do the same thing and offer more redundancy

      • 2
    • eug on 12/09/2026 - 15:42

      What's with the micro-USB charging port? How old is this device?

      Satellite comms equipment (apart from Starlink) have very long product lifecycles. They do not follow the typical consumer product lifecycle where companies release a new model every year with barely any changes. They are serious devices that focus on reliability rather than novelty, so if a design works well, it is kept for a very long time.

      e.g. the current industry-standard Iridium satellite phones are the Iridium 9555 and 9575 Extreme which were released in 2008 and 2011. The 9575 uses a mini USB port on a dongle which plugs in to the bottom of the phone.

      The 9555 never had a USB port, it uses a tiny DC plug. They did just release an updated model of the same phone (with monochrome LCD intact) and a Type-C socket last month though.

      • 5
    • Lucille Bluth on 12/09/2026 - 21:29

      How old is this device?

      Description is wrong. Mine has a USB-C connector

      • 0
      • eug on 12/09/2026 - 21:32

        Yup, the Mini 2 switched to a USB-C port in 2022. Mine came with a micro USB port.

        • 0
    • ProlapsedHeinous on 13/09/2026 - 00:30

      Mine was usbc when i bought it a few years back. i would ring to confirm just in case its old stock it thats important to you

      • 0
  • OZKap on 12/09/2026 - 13:09

    If you don't need the messaging features a Personal Locator Beacon is cheaper and doesn't need a subscription to operate.

    • 11
    • eug on 12/09/2026 - 13:57

      The two devices are for different uses. If someone only needs a device that sends a "I am going to die, send help" message, a PLB is perfect. No one who only needs that would even consider a device like this.

      This device is for people who, instead of calling for a full emergency response, might want to ask the emergency response team "I've [insert injury here], I can stay overnight if the weather is OK, what is the forecast?"

      Or "My 4WD has a mechanical failure, I have 2 days food and water, I don't need emergency services but I need a mechanic".

      The automated live tracking feature is also useful for giving friends and family peace of mind. If someone is running late they can give progress updates, and if a person is no longer able to respond or is unable to activate a PLB at least they can be located.

      • 13
      • OZKap on 12/09/2026 - 15:37

        If someone only needs a device that sends a "I am going to die, send help" message, a PLB is perfect.

        Generally we prefer if people signal before it gets that dire, but sure.

        Just letting people know that there are options available. I doubt the average Ozbargain user is a survival aficionado.

        The automated tracking features do sound nice. Personally I'd rather rely on the worldwide SAR capabilities of the PLB/EPIRB system than a private company but I haven't hugely looked into Garmin

        • 5
        • Cheap Gamer on 12/09/2026 - 23:58

          Can someone explain why this Garmin is better than an EPIRB, which is usually much cheaper? I would want everybody to know I'm in trouble, not just some company that thinks it's International Rescue. Surely you'd be better off with EPIRB and Starlink.

          • 1
          • ProlapsedHeinous on 13/09/2026 - 00:45

            @Cheap Gamer: With garmin you have the option of urgent but not life critical (normal sms) or you can press the emergency button and text with emergency service call centre who will relay the info. you can tell the emergency team whats wrong exactly, perhaps before you are in a situation where you can no longer communicate. Then when rescue arrives, they already know what might be wrong and can go to work on the previously supplied info. otherwise with an epirb the rescue team will come out and may not have the tools for whatever situation you are in. If you have a week of food and water and all you need is a tow, that is going to prevent a lot of people risking their own lives to come and rescue you. All they will do is rock up, hand you a satellite phone and wait while you book a tow truck. thats a complete waste of resources all because you don't want to spend 40 bucks a month for shtf peace of mind.

            • 1
            • Cheap Gamer on 15/09/2026 - 09:55

              @ProlapsedHeinous: Good explanation. Thanks!

              Yeah, I can think of a few stupid and lazy friends who need this device. Plan ahead and you don't really need one.

              • 0
          • eug on 13/09/2026 - 09:50

            @Cheap Gamer:

            Can someone explain why this Garmin is better than an EPIRB, which is usually much cheaper?

            There is a post just above that describes the differences.

            Surely you'd be better off with EPIRB and Starlink.

            They're for different uses. A PLB (EPIRBs are for boats) is for emergencies only. This Garmin is not only for emergencies, it can give peace of mind to friends and family with the live tracking capability. If someone has an incident where they're not able to activate their PLB, or if it has turned into recovery rather than rescue, they can be more easily located.

            If they're running late they can also send a message to their emergency contact so they don't start calling emergency services.

            A PLB cannot do any of that, and people aren't going to carry a Starlink dish and battery on a hike.

            • 2
            • snep on 13/09/2026 - 11:02

              @eug: Starlink is also offering a direct to cell service over LTE which I believe has rolled out in aus.

              • 0
              • eug on 13/09/2026 - 12:47

                @snep: Telstra's Satellite to Mobile service is not intended for emergency use.

                Can I use Telstra Satellite Messaging to call 000 Emergency services?

                No, Telstra Satellite Messaging cannot be used to call 000 or 112 Emergency services. Nor can you text Triple Zero (000) directly from Telstra Satellite Messaging.

                It would be risky to rely on it if you actually need an emergency communications device. You also don't have a single-button SOS, the battery life will be far shorter, and the device is less durable.

                • 2
                • snep on 13/09/2026 - 20:46

                  @eug: Yeah I wasn't suggesting relying on it as your only emergency option. Just pointing out you don't need to cart along a dish :)

                  I'm curious about trying it alongside a PLB, as a messaging option without extra subscriptions, even if it wasn't something to rely upon in all scenarios. But am not on Optus/Telstra unfortunately

                  • 0
                  • eug on 13/09/2026 - 21:19

                    @snep: It looks like a genuinely useful service (once it works more reliably) to have in addition to a PLB, although the pricing at the moment isn't very attractive.

                    It's only available with Telstra now and their cheapest plan is $74/month. If you normally use e.g. Boost's 290GB 12 month plan at $300 for Telstra's coverage, that's $25/month which means you'd be paying an extra $49 a month to use Telstra Satellite Messaging, which works out to be $588 a year.

                    inReach plans start at $13.50/month plus usage so if you only need it for 2-3 months of the year it's far cheaper to just get an inReach plan. This deal at $530 means doing it that way could pay for itself in about a year depending on usage.

                    Of course different people have different phone plan requirements; if they're already happy paying $74/month for a Telstra plan then it'd be just fine.

                    The features still aren't the same though - live tracking works better on inReach due to the longer battery life and configurable intervals and there's a single-button SOS on a durable device, while Starlink mobile will let you send messages to WhatsApp and SMS recipients and access Google Maps and a few other apps at the expense of heavier battery drain and a less reliable connection. So which one is better really depends on what the user wants to do.

                    • 0
            • Cheap Gamer on 15/09/2026 - 10:13

              @eug: Yes take one for hiking to save weight, but I don't think I need one in my boat or car. Why risk running out of supplies just to be polite?

              • 0
              • eug on 15/09/2026 - 10:20

                @Cheap Gamer: You don't and that's totally fine as these things definitely aren't for everybody.

                Not everybody does things the way you do though, and for them it might be something very useful.

                Not sure what you mean about risking running out of supplies just to be polite.

                • 0
          • carrawa on 13/09/2026 - 23:39

            @Cheap Gamer: Unless changed, EPIRB/PLB are usually one shot wonders - and not transmitting until manually activated. Once battery is depleted, send back to manufacturer or buy a new one. No ability to send messages. Can locate to less than 100m, most likely less now. Previous analogue units from memory were 400m before digital - no longer work.
            PLB is for land, EPIRB for water, floats etc deals with movement. Battery is good for 7 years unless longer now. Then replace it or entire unit.
            PLB is international, not sure about this and if one subscription.
            Worse case scenario, at least they can recover your body if activated, Garmin would be better for that. Would save emergency services a lot of time too.
            Some phones have sat chips, but you would need to research them.

            • 1
            • Cheap Gamer on 15/09/2026 - 10:16

              @carrawa: Thankfully, I've never used an EPIRB, but I'm pretty sure they automatically activate if you sink. Even on land, you just throw it water to activate.

              • 0
    • belongsinforums on 12/09/2026 - 15:54

      consider the cost of replacing a battery on a plb too

      • 1
      • corvusman on 12/09/2026 - 16:30

        PLB by law have to have min 7 year battery life.

        • 4
        • OZKap on 12/09/2026 - 16:35

          I'm guessing they're talking about the 24 hour broadcast battery life on a PLB, vs with the Garmin you can l send updates etc and then just recharge battery.

          • 0
          • corvusman on 12/09/2026 - 16:44

            @OZKap: Nah, they will broadcast way longer than that, 24 hrs is a minimum legal requirement.
            I read about US SAR operation that took 3+ days to get to some stranded hikers - PLB was transmitting their position all that time.

            • 3
          • belongsinforums on 12/09/2026 - 17:33

            @OZKap: no im talking about the $200 battery

            • -3
  • Phoebus on 12/09/2026 - 14:30

    If you're prepping for the AI Apocalypse this may not be a wise choice. Satellites will probably all be destroyed.

    • 1
    • John Doh on 12/09/2026 - 14:54

      Using this during AI Apocolypse is like giving away your location to the terminators.

      • 9
      • OZKap on 12/09/2026 - 16:23

        Garmin® Rods from God™ incoming on your position

        • 0
        • John Doh on 12/09/2026 - 17:09

          Blistering Barnacles. Hope we never reach there!

          • 0
  • belongsinforums on 12/09/2026 - 15:55

    this can be used while on a (maximum) 12 month subscription suspension for emergency SOS https://support.garmin.com/en-AU/?faq=eJz14OUvnG1MivsmEzhSi8

    • -1
  • Nivlac on 12/09/2026 - 16:04

    Thanks for posting this deal, Op.

    I'm still keeping an eye out for the 3 (none plus) 🤞

    • 0
  • corvusman on 12/09/2026 - 16:32

    If you need sat messaging and/or tracking features, consider Zoleo - it's a bit more affordable than Inreach.

    • 0
  • functionalgrump on 12/09/2026 - 16:47

    Personally I only use an inreach for messaging. Still carry a PLB for survival.

    • 2
    • Banj0 on 12/09/2026 - 21:03

      You can at least get a message through to responders about the situation with this (ie…snake bite, broken leg, whatever). They have no idea what your situation is with a PLB.

      But yeah, take both.

      How many people could have been saved by these things in recent decades.

      • 2
  • aidos on 12/09/2026 - 16:50

    Description is incorrect, it has a USB-C port, not micro USB :)

    • 3
  • El cheepo on 12/09/2026 - 16:58

    Ive taken these things a million times out onto remote tracks for work. Never once have i been told or shown how to use it nor checked.
    This post made me think i should probably learn, cheers haha

    • 2
    • lachhelix on 13/09/2026 - 00:14

      It's the thought that counts 😂

      • 1
    • ProlapsedHeinous on 13/09/2026 - 01:05

      definitely do. it has to be logged into before going out. theres a test function you should also do before you go that is free. Also if you don't have a plan you can't use it, nor the emergency function

      • 1
  • mynameisborat on 12/09/2026 - 18:03

    Don't travel with this to a foreign country. You may land up behind bars.

    • 1
    • Wonderfool on 12/09/2026 - 19:07

      It's only a few countries. I think satellite communicators companies usually have a list

      • 1
    • PurpleMonkeyDwasher on 13/09/2026 - 16:59

      How ironic that an emergency phone creates an emergency.

      • 0
  • philmarcracken on 12/09/2026 - 18:16

    If you're in the middle of woop woop & have a boo boo, this'll get you out of trouble

    They've already taken everything of mine including this, and left me for dead

    • 0
  • froddoog on 12/09/2026 - 19:44

    Ocean Signal RescueMe PLB1 and
    GME MT610G 406 MHz Personal Locator Beacon is much better no?

    • 0
    • eug on 12/09/2026 - 20:02

      They have different capabilities.

      • 1
    • belongsinforums on 12/09/2026 - 20:28

      you can use this to have network connection in places where your phone network provider won't have connection, but it isn't exactly cheap. it's cheaper than telstra satellite messaging by a lot though

      • -1
  • Plantain on 12/09/2026 - 22:49

    The subscription prices increase substantially every year.
    Then there's the extremely predatory cancellation policies.

    • 2
    • ProlapsedHeinous on 13/09/2026 - 01:12

      I guess just buy a plb. the only tradeoff is the plb you can't have back and forth comms with it so whatever level of urgency its all going to be treated as if you're about to die if you trigger. At least with the Garmin the emergency team will maybe have a bit more time to plan the rescue/evac and might just be ok with driving in instead of flying a chopper in. Either way you'll be paying a lot of money. A company car I was driving recently broke down 170km away from home, it was just over a grand to tow it. I can only imagine a car a couple more hundred or thousand km away if you're really far in

      • 0
    • eug on 15/09/2026 - 10:43

      The subscription prices increase substantially every year.

      How much did it change every year?

      Then there's the extremely predatory cancellation policies.

      What are they?

      • 0
  • orangecarpet-22 on 13/09/2026 - 17:54

    Got this Mini 2 in November last year for $474 from Anaconda.

    Then a week later they released Mini 3. Thought I had the worst timing.

    Turns out it’s still a deal.

    • 0
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