Tablets: a new era in chasing?

[Brett Roberts]

Even with the proliferation of smartphones and tablets the past several years, I've been a die-hard laptop chaser and, until recently, thought I'd probably never change my ways. But after playing with a few tablets on display in stores, and being blown away by the power and speed of my new Samsung Galaxy S3, I'm suddenly reconsidering my position.

It turns out that Verizon, the obvious carrier of choice these days, offers very reasonably-priced tablet data plans without contract. All of the tablets on this page are available to buy outright at the prices listed, and with data rates of $30/mo. for 2 GB or $50/mo. for 5 GB: http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/...viewPhoneOverviewByDevice&deviceCategoryId=12

To be honest, my experience with USB modems the past three years has left a lot to be desired. They're great for chasers in theory, but the carriers and manufacturers clearly can't be bothered to dedicate time and resources to high-quality drivers and software for such a niche market, so frustration usually ensues. I've found that my phone, while crippled by AT&T's poor coverage, simply works (even for data) whenever there *is* signal. I would assume a connected tablet should be similar.

My hope with this thread is to gather as much information as possible about the merits and downfalls of going to a 3G/4G tablet-based chase setup. Firsthand accounts from those who are ahead of the curve and have already implemented the idea are particularly helpful.

Some of my perceived advantages of tablets over laptops:
- Setup time (compared with laptop stands, AC power cord+power strip+inverter, etc.)
- Passenger room
- Ease of access and ease of quick viewing for the driver, if mounted on the dash or windshield
- For cellular-enabled tablets, none of the buggy software/drivers or reconnect authentication process of USB modems.
- Wireless hotspot and/or USB tethering apps would allow the tablet to function as a modem if you do decide to break out the laptop for old times' sake.
- *IF* Google Maps allows offline caching of your entire chase domain, data quality exceeding even the best popular PC mapping programs.

Some concerns I have and potential pitfalls:
- Multitouch can be more cumbersome than a good ol' mouse and keyboard in some cases, particularly for typing. (Granted, the opposite may be true in certain other cases).
- Multitasking ability (i.e., can you run and flip between RadarScope/PYKL3, a GPS program, a web browser, and whatever else you need for 10 hours straight and maintain stability/responsiveness?). Obviously this will be highly dependent upon the individual tablet.
- Availability of offline mapping/GPS apps whose data quality rivals or exceeds the old standbys of MS Streets & Strips and DeLorme StreetAtlas
- Ability to import extremely detailed mapping (down to dirt roads) into apps like PYKL3 or RadarScope, particularly without causing major lagging on tablet-level hardware.
- No external antenna port, rendering wired amplifiers useless
- Along those lines: what is the reception quality like? Also highly dependent on the choice of tablet.
- Ability to mount securely to either the windshield or dash in such a way that the tablet doesn't come flying off during the inevitable 60 mph mad dashes down poorly-maintained gravel roads
- No Silverlight (or even Flash in some cases), making it impossible to view sites like iMapTracker and SevereStudios streams

I may edit to add more as I think of them. For now, if anyone has any thoughts, comments or experiences regarding anything on the list, please share!

 

[Skip Talbot]

There's definitely a shift underway in the mobility of computing. I think you'll find that computers will soon just be a matter of, "How big do you want your screen?" and "What peripherals do you want to use with it?" In the car a tablet with a touchscreen makes a lot of sense for the reasons listed above, while you've covered many of the difficulties as well. I think tablets aren't quite as mature as existing PC technology to fully compete, but they're getting there very rapidly. I think you can effectively chase using just a tablet and several chasers are already doing just that. You're at slight handicap in some regards. As far as I'm aware there isn't an effective way to stream using a tablet yet. They don't have the processing power. You also won't be able to edit any of the video you shoot and picture editing is pretty basic from what I understand as well. Many chasers don't really care about any of that though. They just want to get out there, see a storm, and then look at their pictures when they get home. For now I'd envision most chasers who are using a tablet as their primary device, also keeping a laptop in a bag and pulling it out in the hotel room at night to edit some shots. You're also right about the mapping software. Street Atlas and Streets and Trips can be pretty clunky, but you've got a huge feature set and all the data at your fingertips. Caching Google Maps down to an appreciable zoom level for the entirety of the plains requires of tens of gigabytes of tiles (I've done it). As data availability and bandwidth increases in the plains this will be less of an issue.

I'll probably add a tablet to my arsenal at some point in the future, but for at least the 2013 season, I'll still be primarily on the laptop because, and you've covered many of these:
- I'm not going to gamble my ability to navigate on my data connection.
- I need the processor power to be able to run a stream, radar, mapping, browsers, and other misc apps at the same time.
- I need to be able to edit video and pictures, sometimes even mid chase.

Tablets will probably catch all of these difficulties in the near future though, or integrate with screen and peripherals to make that possible. My solution for now is to run a 22" LCD touchscreen monitor hooked up to a speedy laptop tucked away under the seat (along with a wireless keyboard and mouse). It's quite a bit larger and thicker than a tablet, but it's also quite a bit more space saving than putting a laptop on a bulky stand, and the touch features work out of the box with existing mapping and radar software. I can put Street Atlas and Gr on the screen at the same time while running at 1920x1080 and not have to squint to see what I'm doing or where I'm going. I think even tablets have screens that are too small to effectively use for chase navigating, but maybe my eyes are just bad. Being able to poke that screen with a finger and pan Gr and Street Atlas instead of dinking around with the touchpad is a life saver though.

(Keyboard over dash just for show)

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Many of the "cons" listed by Brett may be addressed in the new Windows 8 tablets that should be available by the spring since "normal" software can be installed (I'm thinking Street Atlas, GR3/GR2, etc.). Of course, there are a myriad of unknowns, two of which include pricing details and suitability of software to a touch interface. If we see a tablet with a pen (which seems inevitable, even early in the game), using software not designed for a touch interface may at least fall into the "doable" regime; if not, using Street Atlas likely will be quite tedious.

There are many advantages to tablets for chasing, but I run too much software on my Windows 7 laptop that can't run on iOS or Android for me to replace my laptop with a currently-available tablet. I did bring along my wife's iPad 2 a few times this past spring and used RadarScope and the web browser, but, since I still needed my laptop, the iPad ended up being something I used primarily during the "down times". This is mostly why I'm very interested in seeing how Windows 8 tablets play out. I am worried about pricing though.

 

[Brett Roberts]

There's definitely a shift underway in the mobility of computing. I think you'll find that computers will soon just be a matter of, "How big do you want your screen?" and "What peripherals do you want to use with it?" In the car a tablet with a touchscreen makes a lot of sense for the reasons listed above, while you've covered many of the difficulties as well. I think tablets aren't quite as mature as existing PC technology to fully compete, but they're getting there very rapidly. I think you can effectively chase using just a tablet and several chasers are already doing just that. You're at slight handicap in some regards. As far as I'm aware there isn't an effective way to stream using a tablet yet. They don't have the processing power. You also won't be able to edit any of the video you shoot and picture editing is pretty basic from what I understand as well. Many chasers don't really care about any of that though. They just want to get out there, see a storm, and then look at their pictures when they get home. For now I'd envision most chasers who are using a tablet as their primary device, also keeping a laptop in a bag and pulling it out in the hotel room at night to edit some shots.

Thanks for the reply. I agree with all of this. To clarify, for my own uses, the tablet would replace (or at least greatly supplement) my laptop *during* the chase itself -- strictly for the purpose of data consumption and decision-making. I would certainly bring my laptop too, even if I kept it in the trunk as a backup and to pull out at night for tasks like photo editing. My thinking for now (and the next few years) is that the obvious sacrifices entailed in a tablet are difficult to justify in everyday use when traveling (e.g., in the hotel room), but are on the verge of being justifiable inside the vehicle where space, convenience and driver proximity are such high priorities.

You're also right about the mapping software. Street Atlas and Streets and Trips can be pretty clunky, but you've got a huge feature set and all the data at your fingertips. Caching Google Maps down to an appreciable zoom level for the entirety of the plains requires of tens of gigabytes of tiles (I've done it). As data availability and bandwidth increases in the plains this will be less of an issue.

Have you actually been able to cache the entire Plains on an Android device? I certainly wouldn't hesitate to spend a few hours on that unpleasant task if it's actually possible. On my smartphone, after I download one ~80 MB tile (the largest allowed; roughly the OKC metro area), it doesn't want to let me download any more.

I'll probably add a tablet to my arsenal at some point in the future, but for at least the 2013 season, I'll still be primarily on the laptop because, and you've covered many of these:
- I'm not going to gamble my ability to navigate on my data connection.
- I need the processor power to be able to run a stream, radar, mapping, browsers, and other misc apps at the same time.
- I need to be able to edit video and pictures, sometimes even mid chase.

All valid concerns. One thing I'm hoping someone with more tablet experience can address is whether there *are* offline mapping apps for Android that are at least in the same vein as DeLorme/MS. I haven't been able to hunt any down recently, but I seem to remember coming across a couple in the past (they were fairly expensive -- $19.99 or more -- and available for direct purchase from the developer, not in the Play Store).

Personally, I'm not a streamer, which likely reduces my processor and memory requirements quite a bit. Still not sure I trust current-gen Android devices not to flake out after a few hours of hammering 10 different products in PYKL3 and loading tons of tiles in Maps, though. Again, some firsthand accounts would be great.

Very cool setup you have with the touchscreen, BTW. If I had anywhere near the space in my Civic to pull something like that off, maybe this wouldn't even be a discussion!

Many of the "cons" listed by Brett may be addressed in the new Windows 8 tablets that should be available by the spring since "normal" software can be installed (I'm thinking Street Atlas, GR3/GR2, etc.). Of course, there are a myriad of unknowns, two of which include pricing details and suitability of software to a touch interface. If we see a tablet with a pen (which seems inevitable, even early in the game), using software not designed for a touch interface may at least fall into the "doable" regime; if not, using Street Atlas likely will be quite tedious.

There are many advantages to tablets for chasing, but I run too much software on my Windows 7 laptop that can't run on iOS or Android for me to replace my laptop with a currently-available tablet. I did bring along my wife's iPad 2 a few times this past spring and used RadarScope and the web browser, but, since I still needed my laptop, the iPad ended up being something I used primarily during the "down times". This is mostly why I'm very interested in seeing how Windows 8 tablets play out. I am worried about pricing though.

I'm very intrigued by the Surface (and Win 8 in general). I say "intrigued," rather than "excited," because I'm just not sure how useful the ability to run traditional PC programs like DeLorme and GR3 will be in the context of chasing when faced with a touchscreen interface. Even if it's feasible, they're not optimized for multitouch like Android/iOS apps, so usability seems likely to be lower. Basically, I share your concern, and I'm not really that optimistic. For me, if a stylus were required for decent results, I think the deal would sour to the point of sticking with the laptop.

Furthermore, I haven't heard anything about 4G/LTE connectivity yet, either. Having a non-contract cellular-enabled device with cheap data plans is as much the appeal to me, regarding tablets, as the convenience. (For those of you on Verizon for cell service, this is a non-issue, as you can tether or hotspot and just use any wi-fi tablet of your choice). I imagine at least some Win8 devices with cellular radio will appear by spring, but it remains to be seen whether they'll compete with the $300-400 pricing we see now on the smaller Verizon Android tablets.

 

[Skip Talbot]

Many of the "cons" listed by Brett may be addressed in the new Windows 8 tablets that should be available by the spring since "normal" software can be installed (I'm thinking Street Atlas, GR3/GR2, etc.). Of course, there are a myriad of unknowns, two of which include pricing details and suitability of software to a touch interface. If we see a tablet with a pen (which seems inevitable, even early in the game), using software not designed for a touch interface may at least fall into the "doable" regime; if not, using Street Atlas likely will be quite tedious.

Assuming the software uses the conventions of most Windows software and that there aren't any other compatibility issues with Windows 8, the software should just work out of the box with the Win 8 touch interface. This is possible because the touch gestures are converted into simple mouse input combinations. A swipe of your finger is equivalent to holding down the left mouse button and dragging. A pinch is equivalent to either rolling the mouse wheel or translates into what the program has designated for zooming. Street Atlas works with Windows 7 touch interface and I assume the same for Windows 8 (if there aren't other OS compatibility issues). It is a little awkward though because a click and drag in Street Atlas draws a zooming box. So when you swipe your finger on a touch display it starts drawing a zoom box instead of panning like you'd expect. You have to stop yourself yourself from doing this or you wind zoomed all the way in. Instead you have to just tap the screen to pan and pinch to zoom. The step size for zooming is too small though so you wind up pinching a lot. I usually just poke the zoom buttons on the right. Gr works quite a bit better as you simply swipe to pan. The zooming on this software is too sensitive though. A slight pinch zooms in several large steps. The other issue is pressing the right icon. No issue for a mouse, they're too tiny to accurately press with a fat finger. The touch pen as you suggested would be great for this task. It all works, but it takes some getting used to, and I think a Win 8 tablet would be a great transition into tablet chasing assuming they have the processor power to run everything.

 

[Brandon Jenkins]

This past year I used a tablet on 100% of my solo chases and honestly I found it to be easily manageable but with some pretty big drawbacks as pointed out above. Firstly the setup I used:

HP Touchpad w/ CM9 + pykl3 + radarscope + gmaps + shareGPS

Inet was provided by a Verizon Mifi.

The touchpad, not being a native android device, was by far my biggest issue this year. There were times when my gps (tom tom bluetooth puck) would just cease to function out of nowhere, but I figured out what was causing that and learned to avoid re-creating the issue. After solving some of the quirks and crashing issues I was able to maintain relative stability throughout my chases. I think using a native android tablet and sticking to the top brand choices with stable software would make this a much smoother operation for someone wanting to make the switch.

The second issue I had was with mounts. I initially purchased a ram ipad mount that was guaranteed to fit the touchpad since they share the same dimensions. But after mounting to the seat bolt and driving around a bit the mount started to sway and shake and this effectively renders the screen useless while moving. I took the mount out after one chase and have yet to replace it, storing the tablet between the seat and center console in my car while moving. This can make navigation a little trickier with no mount, but I keep my S2 mounted on the dash running google maps (through wifi) at all times as my primary navigation tool, tablet w/ cached maps as a backup. I can honestly say that I had better navigation with google maps than I did with streets and trips on my laptop, it never missed a beat.

The third issue was with wire management. I have a phone charger, mifi charger, tablet charger, and the power cable for my cell booster all in roughly the same area. It was a very minor issue but not having a laptop (or tablet) mount to tie my cables to made for a little more of a mess up front.

After the season I began to ponder whether or not I would use the setup again next year or switch back to a laptop. At this point I am favoring a laptop setup, strictly for the stable mounting options and always there map availability. But I haven't ruled out the tablet just yet, I really do love the extra space and the ease of setup that is involved with the tablet but it does leave a little to be desired if you are used to a laptop.

If you spend the money on a good tablet and a good mounting solution you certainly have a viable alternative. If you don't mind hashing out software issues you can certainly save a few bucks but get them out of the way early before the heart of chase season and spend plenty of time getting familiar with whatever mapping solution you choose.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Assuming the software uses the conventions of most Windows software and that there aren't any other compatibility issues with Windows 8, the software should just work out of the box with the Win 8 touch interface. This is possible because the touch gestures are converted into simple mouse input combinations. A swipe of your finger is equivalent to holding down the left mouse button and dragging. A pinch is equivalent to either rolling the mouse wheel or translates into what the program has designated for zooming. Street Atlas works with Windows 7 touch interface and I assume the same for Windows 8 (if there aren't other OS compatibility issues). It is a little awkward though because a click and drag in Street Atlas draws a zooming box. So when you swipe your finger on a touch display it starts drawing a zoom box instead of panning like you'd expect. You have to stop yourself yourself from doing this or you wind zoomed all the way in. Instead you have to just tap the screen to pan and pinch to zoom. The step size for zooming is too small though so you wind up pinching a lot. I usually just poke the zoom buttons on the right. Gr works quite a bit better as you simply swipe to pan. The zooming on this software is too sensitive though. A slight pinch zooms in several large steps. The other issue is pressing the right icon. No issue for a mouse, they're too tiny to accurately press with a fat finger. The touch pen as you suggested would be great for this task. It all works, but it takes some getting used to, and I think a Win 8 tablet would be a great transition into tablet chasing assuming they have the processor power to run everything.

Great points and observations. I was looking more into the idea that the software may not be designed to be "touch friendly". What I mean by this is that the software programmers/writers may have made design choices that, while perfectly fine or optimal for a mouse-and-keyboard world, may not be as efficient and user-friendly for a touch interface. For example, there are a lot of small push buttons and tabs in Street Atlas. Typically, when one us using a touch interface, it's more difficult to be as precise with selecting and clicking where intended as one may be with an actual mouse. Sure, one can zoom in and out, but, depending upon the design of the software, the text may not actually get any larger or small (for example). For this reason, apps for the iPad, for example, tend to feature large buttons and relatively large font sizes. I would think that this would be particularly important when one is in a moving vehicle (bumps in the road, etc.). I have little experience with navigating the Windows OS through a touchscreen (I started to put together a carputer back in 2006-2007 using an 8" touchscreen monitor, but I abandoned that project), so perhaps it's not as difficult as I imagine it to be now. This probably isn't a big issue with a normal-sized LCD monitor, but I'd think there could be more significant issues with an 8"-10" tablet.

 

[Randall Cooper]

I went on a 2 day chase with just my iPad this past season and I didn't have a single problem. I have the RAM iPad mount and I just mounted it to my windshield. I liked it so much that I even took my laptop mount out completely and am just gonna run with the iPad for good now...at least for a while. There are maps apps out there that don't run on data, for instance I have one that you can just download the states you need the roads for and bam! No problems! And for the record, there are browsers on the iPad that allow flash support. I've gotten away from streaming, so I'm not gonna have a problem there. Overall, I just like the ease of it.

 

[Marcus Diaz]

I've been debating on investing in a tablet or a laptop w/ mobile hotspot. The benefit with the laptop is the ability to edit and process video while on the field, which is great when I'm on a multi-day stint. It comes down to cost really, because tablets look more convenient that a laptop.

 

[Brandon Jenkins]

I went on a 2 day chase with just my iPad this past season and I didn't have a single problem. I have the RAM iPad mount and I just mounted it to my windshield. I liked it so much that I even took my laptop mount out completely and am just gonna run with the iPad for good now...at least for a while. There are maps apps out there that don't run on data, for instance I have one that you can just download the states you need the roads for and bam! No problems! And for the record, there are browsers on the iPad that allow flash support. I've gotten away from streaming, so I'm not gonna have a problem there. Overall, I just like the ease of it.

Would you mind snapping a pic of your ipad mounted in car? I am curious and considering throwing a windshield mount in next season as a replacement for the seat mount but I am kind of worried about visibility and what not.

 

[Brett Roberts]

This past year I used a tablet on 100% of my solo chases and honestly I found it to be easily manageable but with some pretty big drawbacks as pointed out above. Firstly the setup I used:

HP Touchpad w/ CM9 + pykl3 + radarscope + gmaps + shareGPS

Inet was provided by a Verizon Mifi.

The touchpad, not being a native android device, was by far my biggest issue this year. There were times when my gps (tom tom bluetooth puck) would just cease to function out of nowhere, but I figured out what was causing that and learned to avoid re-creating the issue. After solving some of the quirks and crashing issues I was able to maintain relative stability throughout my chases. I think using a native android tablet and sticking to the top brand choices with stable software would make this a much smoother operation for someone wanting to make the switch.

The second issue I had was with mounts. I initially purchased a ram ipad mount that was guaranteed to fit the touchpad since they share the same dimensions. But after mounting to the seat bolt and driving around a bit the mount started to sway and shake and this effectively renders the screen useless while moving. I took the mount out after one chase and have yet to replace it, storing the tablet between the seat and center console in my car while moving. This can make navigation a little trickier with no mount, but I keep my S2 mounted on the dash running google maps (through wifi) at all times as my primary navigation tool, tablet w/ cached maps as a backup. I can honestly say that I had better navigation with google maps than I did with streets and trips on my laptop, it never missed a beat.

The third issue was with wire management. I have a phone charger, mifi charger, tablet charger, and the power cable for my cell booster all in roughly the same area. It was a very minor issue but not having a laptop (or tablet) mount to tie my cables to made for a little more of a mess up front.

After the season I began to ponder whether or not I would use the setup again next year or switch back to a laptop. At this point I am favoring a laptop setup, strictly for the stable mounting options and always there map availability. But I haven't ruled out the tablet just yet, I really do love the extra space and the ease of setup that is involved with the tablet but it does leave a little to be desired if you are used to a laptop.

If you spend the money on a good tablet and a good mounting solution you certainly have a viable alternative. If you don't mind hashing out software issues you can certainly save a few bucks but get them out of the way early before the heart of chase season and spend plenty of time getting familiar with whatever mapping solution you choose.

Many thanks for sharing your experience in detail -- this is exactly the type of response I was looking for!

It does seem likely that a current high-end tablet would provide a far better experience than the TouchPad. Still, it doesn't sound like yours was too bad to begin with, which is encouraging.

Were you able to cache data for large areas using Google Maps? You mentioned caching but I wanted to clarify the level of coverage you were able to achieve.

Personally, I would not be looking at seat-bolt mounts anyway. In my opinion, one primary advantage of switching from a laptop would be the ability to get the display closer to the driver, and also more within the driver's normal field of view when looking straight ahead. More than likely, the perfect location would be resting on the center of the dash (in that location, I can envision even a 10" tablet working without blocking any of the "important" view out the windshield). I've been researching mounting devices for both the windshield and dash in recent days, and there are various options. Unfortunately, while some have relatively good reviews from users, I don't think we'll know whether they're up to the rough task of backroad chasing until one of us bites the bullet and tries it out for ourselves.

Finally, a bit OT: how do you like your Verizon MiFi device? That might be a last resort for me if the tablet thing doesn't work out. I'm just so tired of dealing with USB modems and the stupid VZAccess (and Sprint ConnectionManager, in past years) program mid-chase when I need data at my fingertips.

I went on a 2 day chase with just my iPad this past season and I didn't have a single problem. I have the RAM iPad mount and I just mounted it to my windshield. I liked it so much that I even took my laptop mount out completely and am just gonna run with the iPad for good now...at least for a while. There are maps apps out there that don't run on data, for instance I have one that you can just download the states you need the roads for and bam! No problems! And for the record, there are browsers on the iPad that allow flash support. I've gotten away from streaming, so I'm not gonna have a problem there. Overall, I just like the ease of it.

Very cool. My use case would probably be very similar to yours. I don't stream, but I do want access to just about everything else -- including, ideally, viewing others' streams. What are some of the offline mapping apps you know of? Are they up to snuff compared with DeLorme/MS?

 

[David Wolfson]

My setup has (d)evolved into:
CradlePoint mobile wifi router/VZW USB modem for connectivity;
an iPad held to the driver's sun visor with multiple big rubber bands on each side;
a StickyPod cup with an elevator bolt extension engaging a magnet on the back of the visor;
a Dual Bluetooth gps paired to the iPad;
a $350 11" (tablet+ size, 3lb weight, 30W or so draw) ACER notebook for video and PC apps, multiple window functionality;
GlobalSat USB gps puck;
compact seatbolt tray/tripod mount for notebook or camera.

There are decent iPad apps for background route logging and route display/directions using pre-downloaded maps, not needing an internet connection.

I float a charge off an inverter and battery-minder/charger into a deep-cycle battery that I use for things I want to keep powered with the ignition off such as the laptop and wifi router. A ham radio gets power off an always-on direct tap from the auto fuse block. Other low-power stuff draws off the accessory socket keeping the total maximum draw off the socket under 10A. I use a power meter to monitor the inverter output and a little accessory-socket meter to monitor the vehicle battery's health.

The main thing is that with today's tablet technology, the days of heavy duty alternators, battery cross-connects, and big gauge wiring through the firewall can be history, unless you're a trucker with a sleeper A/C, fridge, and such.

 

[Jerry Prsha]

Just found this and thought that it might be relevant...

 

[Brandon Jenkins]

Many thanks for sharing your experience in detail -- this is exactly the type of response I was looking for!

It does seem likely that a current high-end tablet would provide a far better experience than the TouchPad. Still, it doesn't sound like yours was too bad to begin with, which is encouraging.

Were you able to cache data for large areas using Google Maps? You mentioned caching but I wanted to clarify the level of coverage you were able to achieve.

Personally, I would not be looking at seat-bolt mounts anyway. In my opinion, one primary advantage of switching from a laptop would be the ability to get the display closer to the driver, and also more within the driver's normal field of view when looking straight ahead. More than likely, the perfect location would be resting on the center of the dash (in that location, I can envision even a 10" tablet working without blocking any of the "important" view out the windshield). I've been researching mounting devices for both the windshield and dash in recent days, and there are various options. Unfortunately, while some have relatively good reviews from users, I don't think we'll know whether they're up to the rough task of backroad chasing until one of us bites the bullet and tries it out for ourselves.

Finally, a bit OT: how do you like your Verizon MiFi device? That might be a last resort for me if the tablet thing doesn't work out. I'm just so tired of dealing with USB modems and the stupid VZAccess (and Sprint ConnectionManager, in past years) program mid-chase when I need data at my fingertips.

When I say "caching" I am refering to how google maps loads data and stores it in memory until it is closed and/or forced to reload that data. My maps would typically ingest data anytime I had an active connection to verizon's network, so in the off chance that I did lose connection google maps still had that information stored for use, so I wasn't without navigation (unless gmaps crashed or I completely closed it out one). There were only a couple of instances where I temporarily lost my maps but the data connection would eventually reconnect and pull down the needed update. I can see this, however, causing a major problem in areas that have little to no cell reception if something goes wrong, and for that reason I reccommend using gmaps offline caching option. It will let you store so many different areas (user selectable) to access when your data connection is nowhere to be found and it is super easy to configure, only available on android devices of course.

I'm also exploring options for dash mounts this year, I have specifically been looking at this. It has tons of good reviews on the net but I'm not 100% sure it will be vibration free, although unlike other mounts it does have padding to absorb the shock that radiates through the dash, so might be worth a look.

About the mifi, well, we have a love hate relationship. At times I love it, and I do not miss my usb data card (ever). But my mifi is the older model from verizon and has some odd reception issues in very specific areas but otherwise works great. If you have a wireless amp, all the better but stick to a newer model that works with HSPA+ 3G so that you aren't capped to 1-2mb down, pretty much any newer model mifi will do.

 

[Mark Blue]

I would think that this would be particularly important when one is in a moving vehicle (bumps in the road, etc.). I have little experience with navigating the Windows OS through a touchscreen (I started to put together a carputer back in 2006-2007 using an 8" touchscreen monitor, but I abandoned that project), so perhaps it's not as difficult as I imagine it to be now. This probably isn't a big issue with a normal-sized LCD monitor, but I'd think there could be more significant issues with an 8"-10" tablet.

I immediately thought of the bumpy road scenario when I read this thread and I must say that would be a huge concern, at least on my part. I just have to wonder how sensitive the touch interface will be and how that will translate to software packages from different vendors, let alone the immature driver issues that will be present on laptop hardware when Windows 8 first rolls out. I envision touching the screen to zoom in on GRL3 and the bump in the road causes Windows to think you wanted to close Street Atlas or something along those lines. The other issue that would drive me nuts would be the finger prints all over the screen, as that has always been a personal pet peeve of mine that I cannot get past. For most that proabably wouldn't be an issue whatsoever though.

I do see tablets becoming more robust (with time) and gaining traction in the storm chasing arena in the future. The only question I have is how fast will this happen? The sooner, the better as far as I'm concerned because having the ability to chase with a smaller device would be an awesome thing.

By the way, great topic Brett. We need more of these to crop up so we have something to get excited about!

 

[Brett Roberts]

I envision touching the screen to zoom in on GRL3 and the bump in the road causes Windows to think you wanted to close Street Atlas or something along those lines. The other issue that would drive me nuts would be the finger prints all over the screen, as that has always been a personal pet peeve of mine that I cannot get past. For most that proabably wouldn't be an issue whatsoever though.

You're not alone. I probably should've listed this in the "cons" section in my first post. It drives me up the wall with my phone, which I've been known to wipe off with my shirt every two minutes while using. My hope is that there might be some sort of anti-glare screen protector that is also resistant to fingerprints, taking care of two things at once (glare from bright sunlight being the other). I'm normally against screen protectors for my phone, but for a chaser tablet, I imagine the pros would outweigh the cons. Need to do more research into whether such a product exists.

I do see tablets becoming more robust (with time) and gaining traction in the storm chasing arena in the future. The only question I have is how fast will this happen? The sooner, the better as far as I'm concerned because having the ability to chase with a smaller device would be an awesome thing.

Strongly agree. In fact, during my chases this weekend, I got something of a preview of what tablet chasing might be like: I snagged a $20 mount for my Galaxy S3, and had it set up directly above the speedometer both days. Even with the 4.8" screen, I found myself needing to consult the laptop only very occasionally. PYKL3 and Dolphin Browser held up quite well even during heavy usage in data-sparse areas, with only a couple brief (10-20 sec.) lockups of the former, which I think were related to all the SN icons congregated on the screen.

I'd go as far as to say that the experience largely relieved most of my major worries, provided I can find a mount that's just as sturdy for a larger and heavier, 8-10" device. I'm fairly intent now on picking up a Verizon tablet by March to replace my USB modem. My thinking is that even if I still need to keep the laptop in the setup for those 5-10% fringe situations, the convenience of being able to view most relevant data from the driver's seat without even turning my neck is well worth a few hundred bucks.

Rock-solid offline mapping remains the one question mark in my mind, but I'm hoping that Google Maps allows offline caching of larger areas -- if not the entire country -- in the near future.

 

[kb8kmm]

I use one of the rubber tipped stylists made for tables with my iPad and Zoom. I can't stand the fingerprints either. I even use the stylists on my phone if I am doing more than making a phone call.

 

[Matt Tottle]

Bumps in the road aren't going to affect the type of touchscreen (capacitive) that is used on a tablet. They require a touch from skin or metal to operate and are immune to bump triggering. Resistive touch panels (the kind you would retrofit into a laptop) have the "wire sandwich" that can be inadvertantly triggered by a bump.

As far as styluses (not "stylists", lol!) you need to make sure it is designed for a capacitive screen otherwise it won't work. This type is usually metal with a conductive rubber tip, or plastic with a metal grip area. Basically they transfer the electrical charge from your hand to the screen through the rubber tip. If you use a regular plastic stylus designed for a resistive screen, it won't work. For the same reason you can't type on a capacitive screen with (non-leather) gloves on - it blocks the electric charge.

And they do make anti-glare protectors, but they are unpopular due to the fact that one of their side effects is reduction in screen sharpness. You can have an ultra sharp glaring screen or a rather soft anti-glare screen. The two are mutually exclusive so you can't have both. They use to use matte screens on laptops years ago but people complained they weren't as sharp as their desktops. Now all you can find are the glossy ultra-sharp ones and they glare like a mf.

Sent from my Galaxy SII using some Tappity Talkity thing.

 

[Brett Roberts]

To resurrect this thread and discussion: after passing on the tablet idea in 2013, I'm now reconsidering after purchasing one around Black Friday. I've been testing it as a "carputer" already, and I'm pleasantly surprised thus far.

The one remaining obstacle in my eyes is the prospect of finding a suitable Android-based replacement for DeLorme. I've already auditioned a lot of the most popular free OpenStreetMap apps in the Play store, and all seem to have at least one dealbreaker. It's sad, because the free data itself is more than sufficient for our purposes, as far as I can tell. We just need an interface for viewing it that's stable and has all the right features.

The app MapsWithMe has the best combination of speed and map aesthetics among those I've tried, but the downside is it's meant more as an atlas and less as a GPS navigator.

Has anyone found an offline mapping app for Android that they find good enough for chasing without DeLorme or Streets and Trips? I'm willing to pay up if it's good enough, but so far the paid "pro" versions I've seen haven't looked enticing enough for me to chance. Two of the biggest things missing in all the options so far:

- Labeled exit numbers in interstates
- Ability to customize the zoom level at which certain layers appear (default level for the dirt grid is too zoomed in for my tastes usually)

 

[Justin Wilcox]

My laptop took a dive last year, so I ended up using Google Maps the entire time. I hated that it was on a tiny phone, but I honestly had no problem with the program itself. this year I think I will use both Maps and something like Sygic for the downloadable content.

 

[Keith Fronk]

I went from a laptop on a Jotto mount to a Toshiba Thrive running PYKL3 in a dash mount.

Then I found the Microsoft Surface Pro and never looked back. This little jewel does it all video, NAV, Mobile ThreatNet and even GR Level 2 Analyst!

 

[Dan Robinson]

Tablets have great promise for chasing, but in my opinion they aren't there yet. The most critical needs for me are hands-off GPS mapping, Threatnet, video editing and internet-based data (radar, satellite, obs, etc). Tablets are great for the last task, but aren't ready to take the first three jobs. I'll welcome the day when an affordable solution arrives that can handle everything with ease, but it appears that's at least a year or two away. Dollar for dollar, laptops are still the better buy for horsepower and overall utility.

 

[Brett Roberts]

I went from a laptop on a Jotto mount to a Toshiba Thrive running PYKL3 in a dash mount.

Then I found the Microsoft Surface Pro and never looked back. This little jewel does it all video, NAV, Mobile ThreatNet and even GR Level 2 Analyst!

Nice! How are you liking GR software on the touchscreen? I'm still concerned about usability, especially for changing radar products on the go, since it requires navigating menus that weren't designed for multi-touch. I'm sure the 11" screen size helps. For Windows tablets, I've been more interested in cheaper and slimmer options like the Dell Venue 8, whose smaller screen could exacerbate the problem.

Also, what navigation software do you use on the Surface Pro?

How did you like the Toshiba tablet setup when you used it?

Tablets have great promise for chasing, but in my opinion they aren't there yet. The most critical needs for me are hands-off GPS mapping, Threatnet, video editing and internet-based data (radar, satellite, obs, etc). Tablets are great for the last task, but aren't ready to take the first three jobs. I'll welcome the day when an affordable solution arrives that can handle everything with ease, but it appears that's at least a year or two away. Dollar for dollar, laptops are still the better buy for horsepower and overall utility.

I'm still torn, but leaning more favorably toward tablets than I was since my original post a couple years ago.

First of all, I completely agree that if you want to edit video, a laptop is inevitably coming along for the ride. My vision for tablets is more to cover in-combat duty, so you can keep the laptop in your bag and use it after the chase. Shedding the cramped, power-hungry laptop setup in one's vehicle definitely holds appeal, so long as the compromises aren't too large.

I'm not sure that hands-off GPS mapping is a showstopper now. I've been playing with the free app MapsWithMe, and I think it may be sufficient for my needs. There are a few little quirks and annoyances, but then the same can be said for DeLorme, which I've used for seven years. With the option to use Google Maps as backup anywhere the connection is decent, I'm relatively unconcerned about mapping now. If you like to log your GPS route, Google MyTracks takes care of that well.

Baron/ThreatNet is probably out the window for tablet compatibility, being a relatively archaic piece of technology (but one with a key advantage that makes it still relevant, of course). For those who use it, that could surely be a dealbreaker. [EDIT: Actually, it looks like Keith is using it just fine in his post above, so maybe not!]

For viewing web-based data: I've been doing some testing on that front, too, and I think we're in this annoying gray zone where the experience just borders on sufficient. For Windows tablets like the Surface Pro, I actually don't see any problems here. For Android, though, there are limitations like lack of Silverlight that will make viewing live streams a problem (and this will never be fixed, unless a certain major streaming site moves away from Silverlight entirely). Plus, the new SPC Mesoanalysis page is not entirely well-behaved on any of the mobile browsers I've used. But for 95% of the data sources I use, a tablet is fine.

Finally, I'm sure that streaming your own video is still problematic at best, but perhaps not on a Surface Pro or other Win 8 tablet with USB port. I don't stream, so I haven't looked into it.

I think my list of major, noteworthy "cons" for an Android tablet has been reduced to the following:
- No Silverlight
- No ultra-detailed roads down to the dirt grid in PYKL3 (theoretically possible with modified GIS files, but would likely cause performance problems)
- More generally, I can't exactly replicate every aspect of my familiar GR3 display setup, but maybe I need to stop worrying about that!

For Windows tablets:
- The key software (GR3, DeLorme, Streets & Trips) isn't designed for multi-touch, leading to an overall cumbersome experience (likely worse the smaller the screen is)

I've been using a 9" Android tablet which I've dash-mounted in a location similar to Keith's above, and can't wait for the first local/marginal ops of the season to do some real testing. I'll probably keep my laptop stand installed and have the laptop itself within arm's reach, as I'm still as hesitant about making this change as the rest of you.

 

[Keith Fronk]

For video editing the conventional laptop still rules the roost. Since video isn't my driving force I haven't invested heavily in editing BUT, that being said, storing a copy of your video stream on the tablet's memory card while you chase, then plug the memory card into your laptop and edit away after the chase.

If my old Compaq can run ThreatNet, the Surface Pro has more than enough power.

For efficient operation of the Surface I strongly suggest a wireless touchpad or a trackball / keyboard like the Lenovo.

For NAV I'm using Microsoft Streets & Trips the GPS is a US Globalsat MR350 bulkhead mounted in the roof but be forewarned you will need the 64 bit USB cable NOT the usual 32 bit cable system that is commonly found.

Needless to say, if you are doing a tablet you are going to need multiple USB outlets (something a tablet is lacking) so get a good quality USB splitter.

 

[Jon Strebler]

I've used a Galaxy Tab 10.1 for the last two years and really haven't had much of an issue. It really comes down to what you are trying to do. Streaming and video editing are obviously a no go, but that isn't a priority for me while chasing. I simply need access to data, so internet, radar, and mapping are what I need and a tablet is sufficient for that. I haven't come across a situation yet that using a tablet has negatively impacted a chase. If you are worried about mapping while being without data, OsmAnd works, and even Google Maps has a function to save maps for offline use although it isn't ideal. Also, the 10.1 inch screen is big enough for me, and I wouldn't go with anything smaller. With prices being so low it might be a good time to check one out because you can get something good for around $250, and a manufacturer refurbished one for even less. That's how I got mine because I wasn't quite sold on using a tablet and didn't want to overspend so I went with a refurbished one and it's lasted two years with no issues. Everyone has a personal preference on what they like to chase with, but tablets are worth looking into.