Iridium inReach Explorer Operating instructions

How to Use an inReach Explorer

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Table&of&Contents&
The$Basics$...................................................................................................................................$3!
Turning$On$or$Off$..............................................................................................................................$3!
Charging$...............................................................................................................................................$3!
Unlocking$and$Locking$the$Screen$..............................................................................................$3!
Navigating$the$Screen$......................................................................................................................$4!
Sounds$..................................................................................................................................................$4!
Change$the$Screen$Brightness$......................................................................................................$4!
Satellite$Connection$.........................................................................................................................$4!
Status$Bar$............................................................................................................................................$4!
Functions$....................................................................................................................................$6!
Mapping$and$GPS$Functions$..........................................................................................................$6!
Creating!Waypoints!........................................................................................................................................!7!
Creating!Routes!................................................................................................................................................!7!
Navigating!to!a!Destination!.........................................................................................................................!8!
Calibrating!the!Digital!Compass!and!Barometric!Altimeter!.........................................................!9!
Trip!Information!Details!...........................................................................................................................!10!
Your!Current!Location!Details!................................................................................................................!11!
Sending$and$Receiving$Messages$..............................................................................................$11!
Adding!and!Updating!Contacts!in!the!Contacts!List!......................................................................!12!
Using!the!Keyboard!.....................................................................................................................................!12!
Using!Preset!or!Quick!Text!Messages!..................................................................................................!13!
Sending!Messages!........................................................................................................................................!13!
Receiving!Messages!.....................................................................................................................................!14!
Archiving!Messages!.....................................................................................................................................!14!
Sharing!on!Social!Media!............................................................................................................................!15!
Tracking$Your$Location$................................................................................................................$15!
Adjust!the!Log!Interval!..............................................................................................................................!15!
Sharing!Your!Tracking!Data!.....................................................................................................................!17!
MapShare!Website!.......................................................................................................................................!17!
Adjust!the!Sending!Interval!.....................................................................................................................!18!
Archiving!Track!Points!..............................................................................................................................!18!
Reporting$an$Emergency$..............................................................................................................$19!
SOS!Button!.......................................................................................................................................................!19!
Text!Messages!................................................................................................................................................!20!
Using$with$a$Mobile$Device$..........................................................................................................$20!
Earthmate!App!..............................................................................................................................................!21!
Syncing$with$the$Explore$Website$............................................................................................$21!
Other$Pages$and$Options$....................................................................................................$22!
Help$Page$...........................................................................................................................................$22!
Settings$Page$....................................................................................................................................$22!
Updating$the$Firmware$.................................................................................................................$22!
Subscription$Plan$..................................................................................................................$22!

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The&Basics&
Turning&On&or&Off&
To turn the inReach Explorer on, press and hold the Power/Enter button for 1.5
seconds. When the Power On screen appears, use the arrows on the directional pad to
select Power On, then press the Power/Enter button again. Note that this sequence must
be done in 5 seconds or the device turns back off.
To turn the inReach Explorer off, press and hold the Power/Enter button for 1.5
seconds. When the Power Off screen appears, use the arrows on the directional pad to
select Power Off, then press the Power/Enter button again. This sequence must also be
done in 5 seconds or the device remains on.
Charging&
The status light will flash red when the inReach Explorer is running low on
battery power (below 10%). Lift the protective cover on the side to access the micro-USB
port. Connect the inReach Explorer to the USB cable then to a USB port on your
computer or plug the cable into the AC adapter to charge from an electrical outlet. A
lightning bolt icon will appear on the upper right hand corner of the screen letting you
know the device is connected to external power. A charging percentage will also appear
letting you know how full the battery is. When the battery reaches 100% the lightning
bolt will change to a plug icon to indicate that the device is running on external power.
Once fully charged, the inReach Explorer has approximately 100 hours of battery
life. This time approximation can change depending on several factors including: the
inReach Explorer having a clear view of the sky, frequency of logging and sending track
points, frequency of sending or receiving messages, display brightness, Bluetooth status,
etc.
Note: An exclamation point (!) will appear next to the battery percentage if you
are attempting to charge the inReach Explorer outside the supported temperature range
(32oF to 86oF). The inReach Explorer will need to cool down or warm up in order to be
charged.
Unlocking&and&Locking&the&Screen&
When the inReach Explorer is on, the screen will automatically lock after 30
seconds of no activity in order to preserve power and prevent accidental button presses.
To unlock the screen, press the Power/Enter button, use the directional arrows to select
Unlock, then press the Power/Enter button again. This sequence must be done within 5
seconds or the screen remains locked. To lock the screen manually, press and hold the
Power/Enter button for three seconds, then use the directional arrows to select Lock
Screen, then press the Power/Enter button again.
You can change the timing or completely shut off the auto-lock feature by
navigating to Settings > Display > Display Timer, then by using the arrows on the

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directional pad to change the time. It is recommended that the screen lock remain on to
prevent accidental button presses.
Navigating&the&Screen&
Use the arrows on the directional pad to scroll through and highlight the different
pages or options on the screen. To open a page or select an option, highlight it, and then
press the Power/Enter button. Press the Quit/Preset button to close a page or option.
Sounds&
The inReach Explorer will play a sound for various reasons including sending and
receiving messages, announcing critical alerts, and powering off the device. To change
what sound is played for the various reasons go to Settings > Sounds. You can also mute
the sounds by going to Setting > Sounds, or by pressing and holding the Power/Enter
button for three seconds, then using the directional arrows to select Mute Sound.
Change&the&Screen&Brightness&
To brighten or darken the screen, press and hold the Power/Enter button for three
seconds, then use the directional arrows to select Adjust Display Brightness. The
brightness can also be adjusted by going to Settings > Display.
Another way to change the screen brightness is to change the color scheme of the
screen. The color scheme can be changed by going to Settings > Display > choose Dark
Display to darken the screen or choose Light Display to lighten the screen.
Satellite&Connection&
The inReach Explorer requires a clear view of the sky to acquire a GPS signal and
transmit any data over the satellite network. For the best reception, attach the inReach
Explorer to a backpack shoulder strap or somewhere on the upper body. Note that the
status light will not tell you your connection to the satellite network. The green and red
colors are used to indicate battery power status or the status of any sent or received
messages.
Status&Bar&
The status bar is located at the very top of the screen and is used to review the
inReach Explorer activity. Some of these items may not appear, which means they must
be turned on. See below for turning on certain functions. Starting from the left and
moving right you will see:
•The current time.
•Quality of the GPS signal as indicated by a searching icon or the words 2D or 3D.
The searching icon means no location information is available, while 3D means
you have a high quality GPS signal.
•A double arrow icon will flash when the device is communicating with the
satellite network.
•An envelope icon will appear when you have unread messages. The number
beside the envelope indicates the total amount of unread messages you have.

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•A gray colored Bluetooth icon will appear when the Bluetooth function has been
enabled. If it is not bold, then the inReach Explorer is not paired with a mobile
device. If it is bold, then the inReach Explorer is paired with a mobile device.
•Lastly, the percentage number indicates the remaining battery capacity.
Figure 1. This status bar is showing from left to right: the current time, the inReach Explorer is communicating with the
satellite network (double arrow icon), there are four new messages that need to be read, Bluetooth is active and the
inReach Explorer is not paired with a mobile device, and the inReach Explorer has 86% battery life remaining.

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Functions&
Mapping&and&GPS&Functions&
The Map Page shows your current location on a map, which is represented by a
green arrow in the center of the map. Perform the following to navigate around the map:
•Use the directional arrows to pan the map
•Press the Power/Enter button once to view the map zoom controls
oUp Directional Arrow – Zoom In
oDown Directional Arrow – Zoom Out
•Press the Power/Enter button twice to view the waypoint controls
oUp Directional Arrow – Use the cursor to select an object on the map to
view its details and navigate to that point
oDown Directional Arrow – Mark a waypoint
•Press the Quit/Preset button to exit the map zoom and waypoint control menus
The Map Page can also show you the locations of marked waypoints, where
messages were sent and received, and logged track points and lines relative to your
current location. The following items are depicted on the map as such:
•Waypoints – the symbol you selected when marking the waypoint
•Sent Messages – blue icons
•Received Messages – green icons
•Track Points – yellow icons
•Track Lines – green line connecting the track points
•Navigation Line – orange line connecting your starting point and destination
point.
Figure 2. The Map Page. The green arrow is your current location, the yellow icons are track points, the blue icon is a
sent message, the green line is the track line, the orange line is the navigation line, and the flags at either end of the line
are waypoints.
You can turn on and off the above items from displaying on the map by
navigating to Settings > Map. The map grid in the background of the page is spaced so
that it matches the map scale. For example, if the map scale extends over two grid

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squares and shows a distance of one mile, then each individual grid square represents a
half a mile.
Creating&Waypoints&
Waypoints are used to mark important locations on the map. To create a
waypoint, navigate to Waypoints > New Waypoint, or from the Map Page, press the
Power/Enter button twice, then press the Down Directional Arrow. From here you can
assign the waypoint a name, symbol, and any additional location details.
Once the waypoint is created it will be listed on the Waypoints Page. The
Waypoints Page will display the symbol, name, and distance and bearing from your
current location to each waypoint on the inReach Explorer. You can also sort the
waypoints by distance, name, symbol, or date created by selecting the Sort Order…
button on top of the page.
Figure 3. The Waypoints Page. Left Side: To create a new waypoint select New Waypoint and to sort the waypoints by
distance, name, symbol, or date created select Sort Order....Right Side: When a waypoint is selected it will show this
page where you can view the details of the waypoint. To delete the waypoint select Delete, to navigate to the waypoint
select Navigate.
Have coordinates for a location and want to mark it as a waypoint, but do not
want to travel to that spot to do so? Marking waypoints for locations with known
coordinates can be done. Follow the above steps to create a new waypoint and then edit
the coordinates in the location field.
Note: Waypoints that you create during your trip will also be sent to your
MapShare webpage for others to see. When a waypoint is being sent a sending animation
appears next to its label on the Waypoints Page. This sharing capability can be turned off.
See the Tracking Section below.
Creating&Routes&
Routes are used to mark a set path from one destination to another. To create a
route, navigate to the Routes Page and select New Route. From here you can assign the
route a name, a color, and any additional location details. To start marking a route, click
Start and then proceed to the destination. Once the destination has been reached, click
End.

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Figure 4. The Routes Page. Left Side: To start navigating along a route, select one of the routes located on this page
and select Start Navigating. To stop navigating along a route select Stop Navigating. Right Side: When a route is
selected it will show this page where you can view the details of the route. To start navigating along a route select Start,
to stop navigating along a route select Stop, to view the route on a map select View.
Routes can also be created on the Explore website (explore.delorme.com) before
going on your trip. Once a pre-trip route has been created make sure to sync the inReach
Explorer with the Explore website so that it can be loaded onto the device (see below for
syncing procedures).
Navigating&to&a&Destination&
The inReach Explorer will allow you to navigate to waypoints, a location where a
message was sent or received, or any other point that you would like to travel toward. To
navigate to a destination, select a waypoint from the Waypoints Page, select a message
from the Messages Page, or select a point on the map by using the cursor function. Once
selected, choose Navigate.
The map page will then appear showing your starting location and your selected
destination connected by an orange route. As you travel towards your destination, the
route will change to green and the map will display a finish field, which will tell you the
distance between your current location and the destination.
The map page will automatically rotate to show your direction of travel always
going towards the top of the device. You can go to Settings > Map to change this in order
to keep the orientation of the map to remain north up. The map page will also
automatically zoom in and out to show your position and your destination on the map. If
you manually zoom in or out, the map page will return to the automatic zoom option
when you quit the zoom mode. You can turn this auto zoom function off by going to
Settings > Map.
Going to the Compass Page will show you the bearing and distance between your
current location and the destination. The green arrow on the compass shows you how to
stay on course as you move towards the destination.

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Figure 5. The Compass Page. The green arrow shows you which direction to travel in order to stay on course to your
destination. Make sure to have the green arrow always pointing up. To stop navigating to a destination select Stop
Navigation.
The inReach Explorer will also allow you to navigate along a route to a
destination. To navigate along a route, proceed to the Routes Page, highlight a route, and
then press the Power/Enter button. From here you can view the details of the route, start
and stop navigation for the route, or reverse the navigation direction of the route.
Calibrating&the&Digital&Compass&and&Barometric&Altimeter&
The digital compass and barometric altimeter can be calibrated if you feel that
they are giving incorrect readings. To do this, navigate to Settings and select Compass
and Altimeter.
The inReach Explorer uses a digital compass to give the heading and bearing
direction. The inReach Explorer will automatically check the calibration of the digital
compass and will alert you if it needs to be calibrated. The digital compass can also be
manually calibrated by selecting the Calibrate Compass option. Rotate the inReach
Explorer until it beeps to complete a successful calibration.
Figure 6. Move the inReach Explorer in this pattern until it beeps in order to calibrate the digital compass.
The inReach Explorer uses a barometric altimeter to give elevation readings. The
inReach Explorer will automatically check the calibration of the barometric altimeter
using the GPS Elevation every time it is powered on. The barometric altimeter can also
be manually calibrated. Manually calibrating the barometric altimeter only works if you
can enter accurate elevation or atmospheric pressure readings at your current location. To

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manually calibrate the barometric altimeter select Calibrate Altimeter and choose one of
the three options:
•Known Elevation – use this option to enter the true elevation at your current
location.
•Known Pressure – use this option to enter the atmospheric pressure at your
current location.
•GPS Elevation – use this option if you do not know the correct elevation or
pressure. This is the auto calibration option.
After selecting a method, follow the on-screen instructions. Note that manually
calibrating the barometric altimeter will disable the automatic calibration until the
inReach Explorer is restarted. Also note that changes in weather conditions can impact
barometric altimeter readings. Thus, consider enabling auto calibration when weather is
likely to change.
Trip&Information&Details&
The Trip Info page allows you to see certain statistics about your trip:
•Trip Time – The total time the inReach Explorer has been running
•Time Moving – The total time the inReach Explorer has been in motion
•Speed Max – The maximum recorded speed
•Moving Avg. – The average moving speed
•Trip Distance – The distance traveled
•Odometer – A second trip distance with an independent reset option.
To clear the statistics of a particular trip while retaining the overall mileage
shown in the Odometer field, select Reset. To clear all of the statistics, select Reset All.
Figure 7. The Trip Info Page. Select Rest to clear the statistics of a trip while retaining the overall mileage shown in the
odometer field. Select Reset All to clear all of the statistics.
The accuracy of these statistics depends on the frequency interval of when track
points are logged. A more frequent interval will generate more readings, resulting in
more accurate statistics. See the tracking section below for more information.