Suggestions for Tablets To Use While Chasing?

[rdale]

Memory is not a big deal. Stay low.

 

[Todd Lemery]

Also, does anyone have recommendations on mounts for a tablet? I know Ram mounts make a variety but it's hard to know what works best for our niche need.

This tablet mount that fits in a cup holder is very flexible. It will hold your tablet in any direction or angle that you want. At $29.95 it’s pretty affordable too.

Amazon.com: ChargerCity LongArm Xtreme Tablet Beverage Drinks Cup Holder Mount w/10inch Arm & 360º Swivel Adjust for All 7 8 10 12" Tablet Like Apple iPad PRO Air Mini Samsung Galaxy Tab Surface Pro/Book: Computers & Accessories

Amazon.com: ChargerCity LongArm Xtreme Tablet Beverage Drinks Cup Holder Mount w/10inch Arm & 360º Swivel Adjust for All 7 8 10 12" Tablet Like Apple iPad PRO Air Mini Samsung Galaxy Tab Surface Pro/Book: Computers & Accessories

www.amazon.com

Oops! Forgot to include the link when I first posted

 

[Sean Ramsey]

I use a Microsoft Surface Go with a 10" screen. I use GR3 exclusively during the chase and satellite obs/forecast tools leading up to. I add my location with a bluetooth app. Use my phone for mapping and Radarscope if necessary. If you don't have a need for USB ports or flipping back and forth between pages during a chase it works pretty well. About $350 if I remember right. I tend to run very light on equipment in the truck (tablet, phone, amplifier, jetpack and that's it).

The one negative is due to the smallness of the screen switching between radar sites can be a pain because the font is small and you have to either zoom in and click or get lucky and hit just the right spot when it's zoomed out.

 

[JamesCaruso]

Do all iPads come equipped with a cell connection or do you have to be careful to buy the correct model for this feature? It'd be really nice to add a device to a data plan and use the cell networks to use the tablet versus using a mobile hot spot and connecting the tablet to the internet that way.

After looking at various options last night and today I am probably going to go with an iPad. Does anyone have any recommendations on how much memory I will need if I use this almost exclusively for chasing and using just Radarscope and a mapping app? I would like to save money if I can get away with a smaller memory iPad. There is quite a range in memory size so not sure what I would need.

Also, does anyone have recommendations on mounts for a tablet? I know Ram mounts make a variety but it's hard to know what works best for our niche need.

Dean, I saw Rob answered already on the cell vs wifi.

As far as memory, I would rather be safe than sorry. What seems like enough memory today, may not be enough in a couple of years, as the way you think you're going to use your iPad evolves in new directions, and then next thing you know, you're stuck buying another iPad. Having said that, mine is a few years old; I bought it with 128 GB and still have 94 GB available. But I also have an iPhone and use that for my memory-hogging stuff (music, photos, podcasts). Most of my iPad memory is taken up by photos, and I'm not even sure if any memory is used up by pictures that synch to my iPad from my iPhone, or if those reside in iCloud... But I do take a lot of screen shots of data directly onto my iPad when chasing, and RadarScope allows you to save images and loops, which you might find yourself doing as a way to go back and do post-mortems on your chases.

 

[James K]

I have an android tablet that I plan on using for the weather/radar app (actually have 2 different tablets, not sure which one I'll end up going with).
Have a laptop that I could bring (after I've replaced the battery), but I'm not sure I'd really have much use for it. .. .though I might try installing a version of android on it, the large screen would deff be nice!
But no matter what device I bring, it'd be turned off unless I'm parked somewhere. (I consider it to dangerous to be looking at your phone/tablet/computer while driving, not to mention its illegal in CO )

As far as maps/GPS, that part I don't know what I'll do yet, I do have a standalone GPS unit, but I believe unless you give it a specific destination its useless.. Might have to find a good free android-based maps app(and ideally one you could download/save your state's map to ahead of time)

I'll need to find to find me a new cellphone & carrier at some point before spring too (but thats a subject for a new thread if I can't find what I'm looking for through google'ing)

 

[Chris Demeniuk]

I use an iPad Air 2 with a 9.7" screen. I use the 13" Cellet Cup Holder Tablet Mount that's currently running about $30 on Amazon. It holds my tablet (which is wearing an Otterbox Defender encapsulating case) and has had no problems with the extra bulk, and keeps the display up high near the dash. I hotspot to my phone, which usually stays stowed away in the forward part of the center console, tucked in with the inside antenna of the WeBoost Drive 4G-X signal booster. I bring a laptop, but like James said, it stays in its bag once I'm on the road.

I have offline nav built into my truck, but I'll still use the iPad for the satellite view (if I have enough LTE signal) of the road grid in the more questionable areas. And as much as I'd like to say I never glance at it while driving, I'd be lying. Especially when I hear EAS tones come across the radio... I want to see where the polygon popped up. I will say that I've gotten a lot better about only turning the iPad on when I'm stopped/parked (for radar/satellite imagery/etc), and I try to navigate around a storm using primarily visual cues if I'm able to.

(Photo was taken while parked)​

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

@James K maps.me app is downloadable and generally well liked by forum members.

 

[Mark Blue]

Good choice on the iPad Dean. The iPads with cellular built in are the most expensive as compared to WiFi only, but it’s convenient to have both available. I bought a RAM mount to use last year but never got around to installing it. IIRC it was around $100.00 and fits under the seat plate/bolt of any car that is relatively flat in that area. If you have an existing hotspot you could keep that and use it in dead spots with your primary carrier. For instance, I bought the Verizon iPad model from the Apple Store, same version as @Ethan Schisler, the 10.9” iPad Pro. I also have a Netgear Nighthawk MR1100 that I bought outright from AT&T new for $200.00. So generally I connect via Verizon on my iPad but when I see it’s not connected I plug in my Netgear, turn on WiFi on my iPad and usually get a connection through AT&T. I’ve pretty much done away with amplifiers because I don’t think they add that much value anymore, unless you’re stationary and can aim a YAGI antenna at the tower. I hope all of this has helped.

 

[Dean Baron]

I use an iPad Air 2 with a 9.7" screen. I use the 13" Cellet Cup Holder Tablet Mount that's currently running about $30 on Amazon. It holds my tablet (which is wearing an Otterbox Defender encapsulating case) and has had no problems with the extra bulk, and keeps the display up high near the dash. I hotspot to my phone, which usually stays stowed away in the forward part of the center console, tucked in with the inside antenna of the WeBoost Drive 4G-X signal booster. I bring a laptop, but like James said, it stays in its bag once I'm on the road.

I have offline nav built into my truck, but I'll still use the iPad for the satellite view (if I have enough LTE signal) of the road grid in the more questionable areas. And as much as I'd like to say I never glance at it while driving, I'd be lying. Especially when I hear EAS tones come across the radio... I want to see where the polygon popped up. I will say that I've gotten a lot better about only turning the iPad on when I'm stopped/parked (for radar/satellite imagery/etc), and I try to navigate around a storm using primarily visual cues if I'm able to.

Do the older versions of the iPad work just fine for chasing? They are quite a bit cheaper than the newer models with the larger screens so I'm curious if they work well for chasing. Is the screen big enough to see easily while chasing?

 

[Chris Demeniuk]

Do the older versions of the iPad work just fine for chasing? They are quite a bit cheaper than the newer models with the larger screens so I'm curious if they work well for chasing. Is the screen big enough to see easily while chasing?

I think so, and my vision is pretty not great. A lot of it is individual preference though... your mileage may vary. When I bought my iPad, it was the new, current model. And as much as I'm sure Apple would like me to, I don't have plans to trade up anytime soon. It is more than enough for what I use it for (RS, surface obs, visible sat, occasional Google Maps).

Like I mentioned earlier in the thread, I am getting better about not using it while driving, BUT... if you're going to have it on while driving, my recommendation is to mount it as high as possible (while not obstructing your view). Try to get it as close to the top of the dash as you can, so your forward gaze doesn't deviate much when you glance at it. (That's also the reason why the built-in infotainment screens are always up high on the dash.)

Hope this helps!

 

[Mark Blue]

If you don’t load it up with a billion apps it should work okay. The problem I found was Apple rolls out their updates fairly regularly, so by the time four or five major versions have passed since you bought it, the OS becomes too robust for the hardware to handle. I’d say since I started owning iPads the shelf life is generally 3 years or something close to that. Now they have iPadOS instead of iOS so maybe it’ll contain more targeted features than when it was the latter. There is nothing worse than the premium you have to pay Apple to own a new one.

 

[Dean Baron]

If you don’t load it up with a billion apps it should work okay. The problem I found was Apple rolls out their updates fairly regularly, so by the time four or five major versions have passed since you bought it, the OS becomes too robust for the hardware to handle. I’d say since I started owning iPads the shelf life is generally 3 years or something close to that. Now they have iPadOS instead of iOS so maybe it’ll contain more targeted features than when it was the latter. There is nothing worse than the premium you have to pay Apple to own a new one.

Do you think it's worth getting a newer version of an iPad? The newer models seem to be running $450+ vs. $200-300 for the previous model.

What do you guys use for GPS? Do you have a separate GPS unit on the dash or do you use the maps on your tablet and toggle between radar and GPS?

 

[Mark Blue]

I’d say if you have a good job and can afford it go new. GPS is called “Location Services” on an iPad. I just turn it on in RS and the dot tracks my position relative to the storm. You also can use it with the Maps program that comes with iPadOS or Google Maps if you prefer. A few years ago I said on this very forum I’d never stop using a laptop while chasing but as soon as I saw how easy it is with an iPad I was an instant convert.

 

[James K]

@James K maps.me app is downloadable and generally well liked by forum members.

Thanks.. I downloaded it & was going to install. But as I commonly do, did some searching on it...looked good until I read this: "Maps.me was acquired by Mail.Ru Group ".
I'm going to check out one called OsmAnd next.
Looks like a number of thes apps & websites get their map data from the OpenStreetMap Foundation.

 

[Chris Demeniuk]

The problem I found was Apple rolls out their updates fairly regularly, so by the time four or five major versions have passed since you bought it, the OS becomes too robust for the hardware to handle. I’d say since I started owning iPads the shelf life is generally 3 years or something close to that.

Wasn't there a big uproar a few years back about Apple deliberately slowing down older devices? Something where they said it was to protect the battery, but lots of others seemed to think it was to force upgrades to newer hardware? Was that just phones, or were tablets included as well?

I do know this: I originally used my iPad for chasing and work early on, and I got the 'Apple Battery Swell' so bad that it started to separate the case and pop the display off the frame. Turns out, battery swell is pretty common, and if you take it to an Apple store, they'll take the swollen unit and, in lieu of replacing the battery, give you a 'new' refurb unit with a new battery for $100. So even though the original iPad purchase was several years ago, the one I use now is only about a year old. And it performs like a new out-of-the-box unit. [EDIT: the $100 for a 'new' refurb is for iPads that are out of warranty, like mine was. For in-warranty units, I'm pretty sure you won't pay extra.]