Tablets: a new era in chasing?

[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.

 

[Matt Tottle]

Just a quick note for anyone considering a Surface.. There are two different flavors, the PRO and the RT.. While the price of the RT looks very attractive compared to the PRO/PRO2 ($250, vs $500 and $900), the RT is pretty much useless for chasing, because it can not run standard programs due to having an ARM processor (the kind found in Android tablets and phones). It is also locked down to a point where it can only install "approved" apps from the Microsoft store. The PRO/PRO2 runs on a real deal Intel i5 processor, and so can run any program that is compatible with Windows 8.

 

[Jon Strebler]

To add to your point Matt, the Microsoft store is very limited on apps so people need to be aware of that. From the standpoint of using something simple for chasing I think the Android platform is the way to go. I do a lot of a solo chasing so the touch screen on a tablet is ideal for me. Trying to use something like GRL3 on a tablet isn't practical for me.

 

[chrisbray]

Hello all,

This year when I am doing local chases solo, looks like I will be using just my new iphone 5 and an original Ipad. I was wondering, is Radarscope pretty much just the app to use? Also, since my original ipad doesn't have mobile data and can only hook up to wireless networks it finds, is there an app or another way to sync my Iphone5 with the ipad, in the sense of receiving mobile data on my iphone and using it for radarscope, but showing the display on the ipad so I have a larger screen to look at? i doubt there is a way to really make this work since you have no way to physically connect the two devices and the ipad doesn't have it's own mobile data (verizon is my carrier for the iphone)

Any thoughts or tips would be appreciated!

 

[Jon Strebler]

Can't you just turn on the Personal Hotspot option on your iphone and tether your ipad in with it?

 

[chrisbray]

Can't you just turn on the Personal Hotspot option on your iphone and tether your ipad in with it?

Unfortunately, that costs money and probably won't be in the budget