---
product_id: 139302626
title: "Garmin GPSMAP 66i, GPS Handheld and Satellite Communicator, Featuring TopoActive Mapping and inReach Technology"
brand: "garmin"
price: "€ 631.75"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
category: "Garmin"
url: https://www.desertcart.it/products/139302626-garmin-gpsmap-66i-gps-handheld-and-satellite-communicator-featuring-topoactive
store_origin: IT
region: Italy
---

# Up to 35h battery life in tracking mode Preloaded TOPO maps + Birdseye imagery 100% Global Iridium Satellite Network Garmin GPSMAP 66i, GPS Handheld and Satellite Communicator, Featuring TopoActive Mapping and inReach Technology

**Brand:** garmin
**Price:** € 631.75
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🧭 Navigate Boldly, Connect Globally, Adventure Fearlessly!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Garmin GPSMAP 66i, GPS Handheld and Satellite Communicator, Featuring TopoActive Mapping and inReach Technology by garmin
- **How much does it cost?** € 631.75 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.it](https://www.desertcart.it/products/139302626-garmin-gpsmap-66i-gps-handheld-and-satellite-communicator-featuring-topoactive)

## Best For

- garmin enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted garmin brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Interactive SOS & Safety:** Trigger interactive SOS alerts monitored 24/7 by GEOS for peace of mind in the wild—because safety is the ultimate luxury.
- • **Advanced Navigation Suite:** Multi-GNSS support (GPS + Galileo) plus preloaded TOPO maps and on-the-fly Birdseye satellite imagery downloads—navigate with pinpoint precision.
- • **Extended Battery Endurance:** Up to 35 hours of power in tracking mode and 200 hours in Expedition mode—outlast your longest journeys without missing a beat.
- • **Global Satellite Connectivity:** Stay connected anywhere with 100% Iridium network coverage and two-way messaging—because your adventures deserve real-time communication.
- • **Seamless Weather & Trip Management:** Access active weather forecasts and manage waypoints, routes, and activities via Garmin Explore app—stay ahead of the elements and your itinerary.

## Overview

The Garmin GPSMAP 66i is a rugged handheld GPS and satellite communicator combining a sunlight-readable 3-inch color display with 100% global Iridium satellite network for two-way messaging and SOS alerts. It features preloaded TOPO maps, Birdseye satellite imagery downloads without subscription, multi-GNSS support, and up to 35 hours of battery life in tracking mode. Integrated weather forecasts and compatibility with Garmin Explore app make it a comprehensive tool for serious outdoor professionals and adventurers seeking reliable navigation and global connectivity.

## Description

Precise navigation meets global communication in the rugged GPSMAP 66I. The button-operated GPS handheld and satellite communicator (satellite subscription required) Comes preloaded with Garmin topo mapping and in reach technology, which enables two-way messaging and interactive SOS alerts.

Review: Extremely accurate handheld GPS with a few minor flaws. - This is probably the best handheld GPS you can currently buy. I have owned Garmin GPSMAP 60, 62 and 64 series handhelds and this is hands down the best of the bunch. There is virtually no wait time for satellite acquisition and it is dead on accurate even under dense tree cover. I use it primarily for recreational hiking and geocaching. Familiarity with earlier GPSMAP units kept the learning curve on this unit short for me, about an hour of tinkering to get the menus and fields set up to my liking and I was good to go. Seems earlier reviews had complaints about software issues, seems numerous software updates have fixed those problems - aside from one random shut down I have had none. Battery life is acceptable for my usage, although I do wish Garmin made the battery in this unit replaceable. After a 12 hour day I still had 66% battery life left, more than suitable for weekend warriors. Although I do now keep a battery charging brick in my pack just in case. Enjoying some of the upgraded features from previous versions. Sharper and larger screen, geocaching live, birds eye view maps (on the fly) etc. Charging and connectivity is now via a micro usb, although I do wish Garmin had gone with a modern USB-C still an upgrade from the old style micro usb that was on earlier units. Despite a few minor flaws I am still giving this a 5 star review as they do not detract significantly from what is an excellent handheld recreational GPS reciever.
Review: You need to know what you’re getting into. - This is the first true full-featured GPS navigator with a satellite communicator built in. Realize what you’re buying into, and it’s a fantastic device. The original InReach devices were ostensibly marginal at being GPS navigators, that being a secondary trait of what they do. That isn’t the case with the 66i. The 66i has all of the top-of-the-line features of Garmin’s best handheld units. That being said, there has been a lot of talk of the “pros” and “cons” of this device. Let’s go through them one by one. 1. Price: This thing is expensive for a GPS unit, but in my mind it is NOT expensive for what it does. I used to carry a Globalstar satellite phone when going in remote areas. That was a $350 phone with a $60/month plan - and it didn’t do much but make phone calls, and it wasn’t great at that. No location updates, no SMS. Purely for emergencies. Of course, I also carried a $350 eTrex at the same time. For $700 and $60/mo, I got SOME of the features that the 66i gives me in one device - for $600, $25/mo, and LESS WEIGHT, being key. Add in the weather reports (more on that below), location broadcast, and general utility of non-emergency SMS, and the utility is so much higher. All that and a better screen than the eTrex. Don’t compare the price of the 66i against one device, you need to compare it against two devices at once - a high end GPS AND a satellite communicator. 2. Battery Life: The 35 hour claim is accurate, and Expedition Mode is a must. 20-30 minute track points are perfectly adequate, and you shouldn’t be leaving this on overnight anyway. You can get about 3-4 active days from the unit with moderate settings, and that’s good for most outings. Going longer? A simple power bank is something you should have with you anyways as essential gear. No, it doesn’t take AAs. Outdoors folk seem to have this obsession with AA batteries. 15-20 years ago it made sense, but it just doesn’t anymore and people need to change their mindset. I also carry a flashlight with a lithium battery and USB charging port (Acebeam and Thrunite have excellent models) that is brighter and lighter than an old fashioned AA model. The long and short of it is this: AA batteries have extremely poor power density. The power density (power per gram) of lithium simply isn’t beatable. 35 hours on the 66i can be doubled with juice to spare for other devices by taking along a power bank. That power bank is the equivalent of 20-30 AAs. Lighter, less weight, more power, more versatility. Cheaper after a couple of outings, too. The battery life of the 66i is perfectly good considering you can easily charge it back up overnight and go another 3-4 days. By the way, the issue is that this thing transmits - hundreds of miles into space - whereas your ordinary GPS is only a receiver. This takes an order of magnitude more power than receiving. A lithium rechargeable is the only practical way to go, and life will depend on how often you transmit. 3. Firmware: Garmin is working on merging their acquired InReach (from DeLorme) infrastructure into their own. The 66i is the first unit released after that transition started, and it’s intended to be a native Garmin device. With that, some software features were delayed. These have now mostly ALL been fixed. You CAN now receive weather over InReach. The branding (“InReach Weather” vs “Active Weather”) is a little confusing - but all you need to know is the first is satellite and is text/table based, and the second is WiFi or via your phone Bluetooth and has radar maps. Radar maps are not currently a thing over satellite - but the detailed hourly satellite forecast is nearly as useful, as it derives from DarkSky which specializes in “hyper local” weather. Expect continued firmware updates, as Garmin has historically been excellent about this (the 66i is the 14th Garmin device I’ve owned over 25 years) - and make sure to keep your device up to date. I always check for updates a couple of days before I go out. 4. Multi-GNSS: This is a little confusing right now, but as someone who actually works in the satellite industry and has specifically worked on the GPS program, I hope I can clarify a little. Right now there are four primary satellite navigation systems out there, each with their own satellite constellations run by different govenrments. The USA’s GPS is obviously the oldest, but there is also Beidou from China, GLONASS from Russia, and Galileo from the EU. GLONASS was the second system to be available to consumer devices, and Galileo is the most recent. Being more modern, Beidou and Galileo claim to have slightly better accuracy than GPS, but we’re talking a matter of a couple of meters. Additionally, the US’s GPS has traditionally been augmented by a secondary system, WAAS/EGNOS, which is a GPS accuracy enhancement system that largely makes up for that difference. In order to enhance reliability and accuracy, in the last few years consumer devices have supported receiving signals from multiple systems, as backup/redundancy and an accuracy enhancement. Whereas most early multi-system GPS’s supported GPS+GLONASS (such as the eTrex line), some now support there (the eTrex X series supports GPS+GALILEO+GLONASS). The GPSMap 66i supports GPS+GALILEO - but surprisingly to many, not GLONASS. In short: the reason this is the case according to Garmin is that the Iridium satellite network uses frequencies very close to that of GLONASS, and optimizing a receive / antenna system for GLONASS and Iridium proved too difficult. Even shorter: you’re not going to miss it. Yes, GLONASS is a more mature system than Galileo, but GPS+WAAS/EGNOS by itself is perfectly quick-acquiring and accurate by itself. Adding GALILEO makes this even more so, and as someone who literally builds radios for satellites for the military as his day job, a three-system unit is pretty much overkill. We’re talking literal inches here. You’re hiking, not flying a surgical strike with a drone. It’s not worth the battery drain. Could Garmin have done something like a dynamic notch filter to switch GLONASS on and off during iridium reception? Sure. Would it be worth cost, complexity and battery impact it could add to the device? No. You’ve already got a device that can use GPS, Galileo, WAAS, Iridium, Wifi and Bluetooth. That’s a lot of radios in one device, and it integrates them well. And last, some clarifications: - Garmin doesn’t word it well at all, but with the freedom plans you can suspend your subscription indefinitely. Their marketing material says you can suspend on a “monthly basis” which makes it sound like you have to sign in every month and suspend or it’ll renew again. That is not true. It stays off until you turn it back on. By “monthly basis” it just means that’s the smallest amount you’ll get charged for when you turn it on. - The ability to send preset messages that don’t count against your plan is huge. This will cover 80% of messaging use cases for most people I’d guess. You get three messages.. and you can attach your current location to all of them. Setting them to something like “Heading out” “Everything is OK” “Stopping for the night” covers most of your check-ins. - I have noticed a bug in the 5.90 firmware where the device restarts when switching WiFi networks or turning WiFi on and off. Not a big deal, but if you see it don’t think your device is broken. - The ability to download the BirdsEye imagery, which is free with the device (and got a major quality improvement in February) is super convenient. This lets you download without having to return home to a computer, so if plans change on the way, you can add images. - In addition to the built in topo maps, The 66i supports OpenStreetMap as well - which is gotten massively better in the past few years. - The SOS feature is backed by GEOS, an actual organization that coordinates rescues - so you aren’t just sending an SOS to your friends or to the local park ranger. This is a professional group. That being said, there is an option to pay $24.95 a year for $100,000 of “rescue insurance”, and options to upgrade for even more. If you’re the type of person who can justify this device, I’d highly consider it. It could save your financial life if you need to use it, and it supports an important organization if you do not. Summary: Overall, this is a wonderfully integrated and convenient unit with a few early-release quirks. It’s definitely not for the casual day-hiker and with so much technology integration, there is a learning curve. But that’s okay. The battery life is manageable and easily augmented, and the InReach feature can literally be a life saver. To be honest, this is the kind of device I had been waiting for. If you’re going to spend time in truly remote areas, I think it’s a must.

## Features

- Large 3 inch Sunlight-readable color display for easy viewing
- Trigger an interactive SOS to the geos 24/7 search and rescue monitoring center, 2 way messaging via the 100% Global Iridium satellite network (satellite subscription required)
- Preloaded Garmin TOPO mapping with direct-to-device Birdseye satellite imagery downloads (no annual subscription), includes multiple global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) support and navigation sensors
- Cellular connectivity lets you access active weather forecasts and geocaching live
- Compatible with the Garmin explore website and app to help you manage waypoints, routes, activities and collections, use tracks and review trip data from the field
- Internal, rechargeable lithium battery provides up to 35 hours of battery life in 10-minute tracking mode and 1-minute tracking mode (display off), 200 hours in Expedition mode with 30-minute tracking
- Notice: Some jurisdictions regulate or prohibit the use of satellite communications devices. It is the responsibility of the user to know and follow all applicable laws in the jurisdictions where the device is intended to be used

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B07S5GK8NL |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included) |
| Best Sellers Rank | #52,536 in Electronics ( See Top 100 in Electronics ) #46 in Handheld GPS Units |
| Color | Multi |
| Connectivity technologies | Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (1,211) |
| Date First Available | June 28, 2019 |
| Department | Unisex-Adult |
| Display resolution | 240 x 400 |
| Human Interface Input | Buttons |
| Item Weight | 1.28 ounces |
| Item model number | 010-02088-01 |
| Manufacturer | Garmin |
| OS | Android |
| Other display features | Wireless |
| Product Dimensions | 6.4 x 2.6 x 1.4 inches |
| Scanner Resolution | 240 x 400 |
| Special features | 100% Global Iridium® Satellite Network, ABC Sensors, Active Weather, Birdseye Satellite Imagery, Interactive SOS Alerts, Location Sharing, Multi-GNSS Support, Preloaded Topo Maps, Two-Way Messaging, Wikiloc Trails |
| Whats in the box | GPSMAP 66i; Access to Birdseye Satellite Imagery; USB Cable; Carabiner Clip; Documentation |
| Wireless communication technologies | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |

## Product Details

- **Audio Output Mode:** Digital
- **Battery Life:** 16 Hours
- **Brand:** Garmin
- **Connectivity Technology:** Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi
- **Included Components:** GPSMAP 66i; Access to Birdseye Satellite Imagery; USB Cable; Carabiner Clip; Documentation
- **Map Type:** Topographical
- **Model Name:** GRGPSMAP66I
- **Screen Size:** 3 Inches
- **Vehicle Service Type:** Car

## Images

![Garmin GPSMAP 66i, GPS Handheld and Satellite Communicator, Featuring TopoActive Mapping and inReach Technology - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/618jj2sBzuL.jpg)
![Garmin GPSMAP 66i, GPS Handheld and Satellite Communicator, Featuring TopoActive Mapping and inReach Technology - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/517HnBEAaiL.jpg)
![Garmin GPSMAP 66i, GPS Handheld and Satellite Communicator, Featuring TopoActive Mapping and inReach Technology - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61UGY2pxS1L.jpg)
![Garmin GPSMAP 66i, GPS Handheld and Satellite Communicator, Featuring TopoActive Mapping and inReach Technology - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51qNW8HAN7L.jpg)
![Garmin GPSMAP 66i, GPS Handheld and Satellite Communicator, Featuring TopoActive Mapping and inReach Technology - Image 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51VEdGfJ87L.jpg)

## Available Options

This product comes in different **Pattern, Style** options.

## Questions & Answers

**Q: Do you need to add a service provider or can you just use it as is?**
A: I appologize in advance to those who understand the following information. But to those new to the world of InReach satellite communications I will try to explain the basics.

The InReach features buit into the GPSMAP 66i are for text and email (no photos) messages to anyone from anywhere on Earth using the Iridium Satellite nexwork. Garmin provides these services for reasonable price plans that can meet every budget from $13/ mth. To $70/mth depending on your expected use of the system. InReach also can provide Remote Tracking which will send your position via the satellites to a unique map page where family and friends can follow your progress. Garmin has two types of plans, each with the multi-level options mentioned above. The Annual Contract plan keeps your InReach active and ready to communicate at all times, like a Cell phone. If you choose this plan you are committed for the first year no matter what your actual usage. After that you  are free to drop the service at any time. They also offer a convenient and flexable Freedom plan that costs a bit more but lets you deactivate the InReach for any months when you won't need it, It costs $24.99 each year plus the first month's cost depending on the level of service you choose. After that first month you may deactivate or activate it on a month to month basis. The only thing to remember is you MUST activate before heading into the backcountry away from Internet access. Activation and deactivation may  only be done on-line. Never from the InReach via the satellites. The satelllites will not accept any messages ( even  SOS) from deactivated units. All InReach services are provided through Garmin via your unique account site. If you choose not to sign up for an InReach communication plan you may use all of the other features of the  GPSMAP 66i. But if you NEVER intend to use the InReach features I would suggest you consider buying the GPSMAP 66st at a lower price but without the capibility to use the InReach communication and SOS services from remote location beyond the cellular range.  As for me, I would spend the extra money for the GPSMAP 66i and keep the option to activate InReach communnications if only to have the ability to contact emergency sercices at the press of an SOS button or to get roadside help from a dead Cell zone. The  plans are flexable and inexpensive and can save your life.

**Q: How big an sd card can you use ?**
A: You can use any size card you want, there are tutorials on how to use 128GB card and we suspect that you can also use 256GB card, big problem is that it must be formatted in Fat32 format which is a very old format, and if you transfer payloads larger than 4 GB in size the files will get corrupted, Fat32 is also very slow, so if you go for the big 256GB card, prepare to take several weeks to upload that many maps, and also prepare for the GPS to take several minutes to read the whole library. 32GB memory stuff they say is absolute rubbish, google it and you will see, if it can be done with 64, it can be done in 66.

**Q: Can it be run on aa/aaa batteries or does it require the rechargeable pack?**
A: Unlike its sister GPS only device, the GPSMAP 66st the InReach added GPSMAP 66i only comes with a built-in rechargable battery which is not accessible by the user. I suspect that this is because the energy requirements needed to push InReach messages far into space to passing Iridium satellites requires a battery with more capacity  than AA batterirs can provide. So, like all InReach models the GPSMAP 66i has an internal lithium battery that is not accessible by the user. When, after many years if service it dies, a replacement can be swapped in by Garmin and the unit resealed to meet the waterproof standard.

**Q: can you use it for finding ptoperty boundries?**
A: The GPSMAP 66 can be used to get a position fix of much greater accuracy than 10-15 feet, which might be useful to you for non-professional surveys. To get this does require extra work on your part. You have to enable RINEX logging on the unit while it is in a fixed position for (ideally) 3 or more hours. Turn off the RINEX logging before moving it. The GPSMAP 66 will save this log file so that you can retrieve it with you computer, and using PC software RTKLIB, you can post-process the log file to derive a position that can be accurate to less than a meter. How accurate the position is will depend on the distance to the nearest "base" station, and other environmental factors.  It isn't a simple procedure, either!  Even if you have your property corner latitudes and longitudes accurately recorded in this fashion, you will still only be able to arrive at them again within the normal operating accuracy of the GPS, and the same goes for boundary lines between points. You will have eliminated some position uncertainty however by doing the RINEX post-processing.

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Extremely accurate handheld GPS with a few minor flaws.
*by A***R on February 20, 2022*

This is probably the best handheld GPS you can currently buy. I have owned Garmin GPSMAP 60, 62 and 64 series handhelds and this is hands down the best of the bunch. There is virtually no wait time for satellite acquisition and it is dead on accurate even under dense tree cover. I use it primarily for recreational hiking and geocaching. Familiarity with earlier GPSMAP units kept the learning curve on this unit short for me, about an hour of tinkering to get the menus and fields set up to my liking and I was good to go. Seems earlier reviews had complaints about software issues, seems numerous software updates have fixed those problems - aside from one random shut down I have had none. Battery life is acceptable for my usage, although I do wish Garmin made the battery in this unit replaceable. After a 12 hour day I still had 66% battery life left, more than suitable for weekend warriors. Although I do now keep a battery charging brick in my pack just in case. Enjoying some of the upgraded features from previous versions. Sharper and larger screen, geocaching live, birds eye view maps (on the fly) etc. Charging and connectivity is now via a micro usb, although I do wish Garmin had gone with a modern USB-C still an upgrade from the old style micro usb that was on earlier units. Despite a few minor flaws I am still giving this a 5 star review as they do not detract significantly from what is an excellent handheld recreational GPS reciever.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ You need to know what you’re getting into.
*by T***0 on August 2, 2020*

This is the first true full-featured GPS navigator with a satellite communicator built in. Realize what you’re buying into, and it’s a fantastic device. The original InReach devices were ostensibly marginal at being GPS navigators, that being a secondary trait of what they do. That isn’t the case with the 66i. The 66i has all of the top-of-the-line features of Garmin’s best handheld units. That being said, there has been a lot of talk of the “pros” and “cons” of this device. Let’s go through them one by one. 1. Price: This thing is expensive for a GPS unit, but in my mind it is NOT expensive for what it does. I used to carry a Globalstar satellite phone when going in remote areas. That was a $350 phone with a $60/month plan - and it didn’t do much but make phone calls, and it wasn’t great at that. No location updates, no SMS. Purely for emergencies. Of course, I also carried a $350 eTrex at the same time. For $700 and $60/mo, I got SOME of the features that the 66i gives me in one device - for $600, $25/mo, and LESS WEIGHT, being key. Add in the weather reports (more on that below), location broadcast, and general utility of non-emergency SMS, and the utility is so much higher. All that and a better screen than the eTrex. Don’t compare the price of the 66i against one device, you need to compare it against two devices at once - a high end GPS AND a satellite communicator. 2. Battery Life: The 35 hour claim is accurate, and Expedition Mode is a must. 20-30 minute track points are perfectly adequate, and you shouldn’t be leaving this on overnight anyway. You can get about 3-4 active days from the unit with moderate settings, and that’s good for most outings. Going longer? A simple power bank is something you should have with you anyways as essential gear. No, it doesn’t take AAs. Outdoors folk seem to have this obsession with AA batteries. 15-20 years ago it made sense, but it just doesn’t anymore and people need to change their mindset. I also carry a flashlight with a lithium battery and USB charging port (Acebeam and Thrunite have excellent models) that is brighter and lighter than an old fashioned AA model. The long and short of it is this: AA batteries have extremely poor power density. The power density (power per gram) of lithium simply isn’t beatable. 35 hours on the 66i can be doubled with juice to spare for other devices by taking along a power bank. That power bank is the equivalent of 20-30 AAs. Lighter, less weight, more power, more versatility. Cheaper after a couple of outings, too. The battery life of the 66i is perfectly good considering you can easily charge it back up overnight and go another 3-4 days. By the way, the issue is that this thing transmits - hundreds of miles into space - whereas your ordinary GPS is only a receiver. This takes an order of magnitude more power than receiving. A lithium rechargeable is the only practical way to go, and life will depend on how often you transmit. 3. Firmware: Garmin is working on merging their acquired InReach (from DeLorme) infrastructure into their own. The 66i is the first unit released after that transition started, and it’s intended to be a native Garmin device. With that, some software features were delayed. These have now mostly ALL been fixed. You CAN now receive weather over InReach. The branding (“InReach Weather” vs “Active Weather”) is a little confusing - but all you need to know is the first is satellite and is text/table based, and the second is WiFi or via your phone Bluetooth and has radar maps. Radar maps are not currently a thing over satellite - but the detailed hourly satellite forecast is nearly as useful, as it derives from DarkSky which specializes in “hyper local” weather. Expect continued firmware updates, as Garmin has historically been excellent about this (the 66i is the 14th Garmin device I’ve owned over 25 years) - and make sure to keep your device up to date. I always check for updates a couple of days before I go out. 4. Multi-GNSS: This is a little confusing right now, but as someone who actually works in the satellite industry and has specifically worked on the GPS program, I hope I can clarify a little. Right now there are four primary satellite navigation systems out there, each with their own satellite constellations run by different govenrments. The USA’s GPS is obviously the oldest, but there is also Beidou from China, GLONASS from Russia, and Galileo from the EU. GLONASS was the second system to be available to consumer devices, and Galileo is the most recent. Being more modern, Beidou and Galileo claim to have slightly better accuracy than GPS, but we’re talking a matter of a couple of meters. Additionally, the US’s GPS has traditionally been augmented by a secondary system, WAAS/EGNOS, which is a GPS accuracy enhancement system that largely makes up for that difference. In order to enhance reliability and accuracy, in the last few years consumer devices have supported receiving signals from multiple systems, as backup/redundancy and an accuracy enhancement. Whereas most early multi-system GPS’s supported GPS+GLONASS (such as the eTrex line), some now support there (the eTrex X series supports GPS+GALILEO+GLONASS). The GPSMap 66i supports GPS+GALILEO - but surprisingly to many, not GLONASS. In short: the reason this is the case according to Garmin is that the Iridium satellite network uses frequencies very close to that of GLONASS, and optimizing a receive / antenna system for GLONASS and Iridium proved too difficult. Even shorter: you’re not going to miss it. Yes, GLONASS is a more mature system than Galileo, but GPS+WAAS/EGNOS by itself is perfectly quick-acquiring and accurate by itself. Adding GALILEO makes this even more so, and as someone who literally builds radios for satellites for the military as his day job, a three-system unit is pretty much overkill. We’re talking literal inches here. You’re hiking, not flying a surgical strike with a drone. It’s not worth the battery drain. Could Garmin have done something like a dynamic notch filter to switch GLONASS on and off during iridium reception? Sure. Would it be worth cost, complexity and battery impact it could add to the device? No. You’ve already got a device that can use GPS, Galileo, WAAS, Iridium, Wifi and Bluetooth. That’s a lot of radios in one device, and it integrates them well. And last, some clarifications: - Garmin doesn’t word it well at all, but with the freedom plans you can suspend your subscription indefinitely. Their marketing material says you can suspend on a “monthly basis” which makes it sound like you have to sign in every month and suspend or it’ll renew again. That is not true. It stays off until you turn it back on. By “monthly basis” it just means that’s the smallest amount you’ll get charged for when you turn it on. - The ability to send preset messages that don’t count against your plan is huge. This will cover 80% of messaging use cases for most people I’d guess. You get three messages.. and you can attach your current location to all of them. Setting them to something like “Heading out” “Everything is OK” “Stopping for the night” covers most of your check-ins. - I have noticed a bug in the 5.90 firmware where the device restarts when switching WiFi networks or turning WiFi on and off. Not a big deal, but if you see it don’t think your device is broken. - The ability to download the BirdsEye imagery, which is free with the device (and got a major quality improvement in February) is super convenient. This lets you download without having to return home to a computer, so if plans change on the way, you can add images. - In addition to the built in topo maps, The 66i supports OpenStreetMap as well - which is gotten massively better in the past few years. - The SOS feature is backed by GEOS, an actual organization that coordinates rescues - so you aren’t just sending an SOS to your friends or to the local park ranger. This is a professional group. That being said, there is an option to pay $24.95 a year for $100,000 of “rescue insurance”, and options to upgrade for even more. If you’re the type of person who can justify this device, I’d highly consider it. It could save your financial life if you need to use it, and it supports an important organization if you do not. Summary: Overall, this is a wonderfully integrated and convenient unit with a few early-release quirks. It’s definitely not for the casual day-hiker and with so much technology integration, there is a learning curve. But that’s okay. The battery life is manageable and easily augmented, and the InReach feature can literally be a life saver. To be honest, this is the kind of device I had been waiting for. If you’re going to spend time in truly remote areas, I think it’s a must.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Most capable and most rugged GPS receiver ever! Bugs have been fixed.
*by W***R on April 12, 2021*

I was hesitant to buy the 66sr after some of the other model 66 reports of buggy firmware but I researched this by googling the gpsmap 66 bug list. I see the the significant bugs have been corrected and this matches my experience. I purchased two model 66sr receivers and gave them a thorough workout but using multiple maps (the built in active top, the free OSM maps, and birds eye imagery loaded using Basecamp). We both used them for a long on-trail and off-trail hike and even did some geocaching. The two units worked flawlessly! One big benefit is that I found I could get a good GPS position in situation where I could get only a poor position (or none at all with an unlucky satellite positioning above me). (I have owned a number of previous Garmin and other brand GPS receivers.) I have been using GPS receivers since they were first available and the 66sr is the best currently available. Why? It has the best accuracy with it's multi-band support (not the 66i does not have this and since I carry an InReach Mini, the 66i would have been a step down for me. If you don't have an inreach device then the 66i may be of value even though it doesn't have the enhanced accuracy and reliability.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Garmin GPSMAP 66i, GPS Handheld and Satellite Communicator, Featuring TopoActive mapping and inReach Technology, Multi
- Garmin Backpack Tether Accessory for Garmin Devices, Black
- TUSITA Silicone Case Compatible with Garmin GPSMAP 66i 67i

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*Product available on Desertcart Italy*
*Store origin: IT*
*Last updated: 2026-02-22*