Tablets: a new era in chasing?

[Chris Gullikson]

Thanks for the tips. I read a lot of negative reviews on the MAPS.ME app that the caching of map data doesn't actually work? I am going to download this and play around with it once my 64gig microSD card arrives.

I got GPSGate to log to a file now, that works great as long as the tablet screen is on. It would stop logging as soon as the screen timed out. I will have to work on that as I want my entire trip logged. Right now I have it set to log all NEMA data to one file every 24 hours...anybody have any suggestions on interval and what data to log?
GPS accuracy on the built in sensor seems quite good, I was concerned it would struggle getting a signal at times being inside the vehicle and away from the window.
As a side note I use http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/ to view and share my GPS log files.

This tablet charges thru a mini-USB cable. So far it seems to be able to operate and slowly charge at the same time from a 2A vehicle charger. Has anybody tried a powered USB hub to see if their tablet will charge?

 

[Todd Lemery]

Kind of like Jason, I have AT&T on my iPad and Verizon on my phone. I keep the hotspot turned on my phone and then if the Verizon signal drops out, I still have a shot at grabbing an AT&T signal. With the cell phone booster (just got a new one this year that I haven't used yet) helping out, I rarely get left without the ability to access data.

 

[Jake Orosi]

I can join this discussion, since I have a tablet that I plan on using as my chase computer.


It's an ASUS Vivotab Note 8 with full Windows 8.1. This model came with a neat onboard stylus-pen-thing which works great as a pseudo mouse for desktop programs, although I did splurge and get a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse for end-of-day use as a workstation. The tablet is great; it's got desktop power and capacity, while only needing a lighter-socket charger and is small enough to be slipped and locked into my glove compartment.


I was lucky enough (so I thought at the time) to grab Streets and Trips 2013 the last month it was available this past December, and I bought a third-party program that simulates a COM port, which allows the tablet's onboard GPS sensor to be read by programs like S&T. It works beautifully; I recently took a long-distance trip via Amtrak train and S&T with the tablet's GPS had no trouble recording the journey; and the thing navigates and records tracks just as well while sitting unattended in the passenger seat as I drive. But this is probably a moot point; I have a dedicated Garmin GPS, along with my phone's map capabilities and a Rand McNally atlas on top of it all if everything else blows up, so I probably won't be relying too much on S&T for navigation seeing as how its maps cannot be updated anymore. More important is that there's no reason GR (which I haven't bought yet) wouldn't be able to work just as well on this platform.


One downside – this is really a ‘tablet PC’ more than a typical ‘mobile device’; it can’t pick up cellular so no AT&T or Verizon tablet data plan for me. I have to use my phone as a WiFi hotspot. But that’s no great hardship.

 

[Justin Wilcox]

I keep S&T running, but hardly ever use it for navigation. I do however, keep it running just for recording my trip. Works great that way.

 

[Nick Nolte]

I haven't kept up with this thread but I see a couple posts about issues with Windows Location Services and the GPSDirect driver software. I just wanted to touch base and mention that I did testing yesterday and it still functions like it should. I added the GPSDirect into my startup programs so it starts whenever my tablet does. When you set the COM port it is using you should also click the Make Default Location button that way the software will always look on that port when it starts. Without doing that, I believe you have to hit the Install button every time you run it.

So GPSDirect and GPSGate are in startup, I think I have COM4 or something from GPSGate as the one I use in GPSDirect, so it goes GPSGate -> Virtual COM 4 -> GPSDirect -> Windows Location Services. Everything works fine.

Feel free to send me a PM on here if you want assistance in getting this working, as long as I'm not out chasing I should be able to walk you through it

 

[Chuck Kavanaugh]

First time trying to chase with an iPad while using my iPhone as a mobile hotspot. Gonna try Radarscope and Storm for radar images. Planning on posting to Facebook and Twitter too. During my trial run I found it much easier to toggle between pages by touchscreen than trying to find a mouse or mouse pad. Siri will let you dictate when posting to social media accounts, providing a little more hands free application. Also found that mounting an iPad is much easier and roomier since I'm crammed for space (chase vehicle is a Jeep Cherokee). A big plus is I don't have to worry about buying/running a power inverter. The phone and tablet will plug into an ordinary cigarette lighter (and charge) so if I shut my vehicle off (while waiting for storm development) I have a couple hours of battery backup. I will post some pics of my setup later on. Thoughts??

 

[ngjere]

To followup on what Nick said, One other thing to check on is whether Location Services is enabled. 8.1 is very poor at reporting the status of location services and basically says nothing to applications accessing LS when it is disabled.

My head nearly exploded while troubleshooting my particular issue which incorporated both GPSGate, GPSDirect, and GPSReverse.

Everything basically set up fine on the COM port end of things through GPSGate, Spotter Network, and GRL3.

GPSDirect however was a different beast. Data had been confirmed passing through the virtual port assigned to GPSDirect yet, there was nothing I could do to coax data to LS through GPSDirect. Until I discovered that the behavior was indicative of LS being turned off.

To check, Perform the following:

Go to the Desktop "Control Panel"

Click on "Hardware and Sound"

Near the bottom click on "Change Location Settings"

"Turn on the Windows Location platform" should be checked. If it is not, check it.

Voila! Location Services!

Now why Microsoft chose to place that setting in the "Hardware and Sound" control panel category
is beyond me. It certainly was the last place I looked for something like that.

LS is part of the "Privacy" function and as such could be turned off during initial setup of the tablet when Windows
queries the user during the initial setup process about privacy settings.

 

[Chuck Kavanaugh]

The mount is kind of wobbly but it does the job. I'm not looking at going crazy with all the techy stuff. Just the basics, a handheld scanner, the tablet and a GPS unit are all I need. I have a CB radio just to monitor the truckers channel. Sometimes they have the best vantage point and they can relay any info on upcoming traffic or road safety hazards.

 

[Dan Robinson]

I noticed that Wal-Mart now has a number of Android tablets priced below $50. While I'm sure these are underpowered and cheaply built, I'm thinking that you could buy multiple numbers of these, build a side-by-side mount for them, and have each dedicated to some specific lightweight task, like radar, mapping or anything else you'd want to have running full-time. I'm thinking it would be pretty slick to have four of them mounted together in one rectangular panel, each with a different app on the display.

 

[TJKLECKNER]

I have been using the $60 Winbook 7 inch tablet for the past two weeks. It runs Grlevel3 and chrome like a champ. I get about 3 hours of use between charges.

 

[ngjere]

The majority of these tablets have one major flaw: They utilize the one USB port they're equipped with to also double as the charge/power port. And the hardware voodoo required to make both work simultaneously pretty much defeats the purpose. I know this is not the case with the Winbook line but, it seems like everything else has this deal breaking flaw. Still, if you can find one with Win 8.1 packaged for $100-$150 with GPS? It's a bargain.

 

[Todd Rector]

Woot.com had the ASUS Transformer T100TA-C1-GR 10.1 inch tablet for $199 yesterday (sale is over today). This is a serious contender to replace my MS Surface Pro because it's got enough power to do the job with GR3, includes a detachable keyboard with *real* keys, and has a standard USB for charging instead of the proprietary MS ($60) charger. Weighs quite a bit less, too, hence easier to mount. Good cheap tablets ARE out there. (Includes WIn 8.1)

 

[Adam Ploessl]

I use multiple tablets. For the Windows GPS I just install GPS over BT on an android tablet then it outputs GPS data via Bluetooth to the Windows tablet. Works perfectly. Windows tablet isn't pictured here, usually used by passenger. One tablet on Verizon acting has hotspot for the others. Maps.me with offline maps for navigation.

 

[Randall Cooper]

I have been using the $60 Winbook 7 inch tablet for the past two weeks. It runs Grlevel3 and chrome like a champ. I get about 3 hours of use between charges.

I just bought an Insignia 8 inch Windows tablet from Best Buy for $100 this past Monday, so far Im loving it! I had gotten away from using GRlevel3 and using radarscope and pykl3. Can honestly say after installing GRl3 on the tablet, man I missed it!! I haven't taken it chasing yet, but I plan to on my next opportunity. I also get about 3-4 hours between charges.

 

[TJKLECKNER]

Then $60 Winbook has ONE full USB and one micro usb that can be dongled into a full USB. The micro usb is for charging also.

 

[STexan]

BTW, FWIW. Verizon, Galaxy Tab 4 ... Signal reception is lousy (poor antenna or antenna placement?). My iPhone is the only thing that kept me connected w/ radar updates in central TX and other weak coverage areas with Verizon. I'm not carrying my Windows laptop anymore. I miss having GrLevel available, but oh well. Just my Android tablet, iPhone and Macbook. I would probably run a Windows tablet if it wasn't for the fact some apps I have other needs for are best available for Android and non-existent for IOS or Windows

 

[rob.cannon]

-Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 that I run either RadarScope or Pykl3.
-Google Nexus 7 running my offline GPS (Navigator app)
-Note 3 running as my Verizon hotspot.

All are mounted on RAM X-grip mounts.

I still have my Ram laptop mount, but I haven't used it this year, it has sat in the hatch of my car.

 

[Jake Orosi]

Something worth noting. If you have a tablet that runs Windows and it is eligible for an upgrade to Windows 10, you may be interested to know that Windows 10 has a feature that allows you to download maps to use "offline" with the included Maps program. The maps are downloaded manually and by state, so obviously you would want to download your target state as well as all the adjacent states at least, if you don't want to download the whole US for space-saving purposes. And of course this is only useful for navigating if your tablet has GPS capability.

 

[Robert Forry]

The mount is kind of wobbly but it does the job. I'm not looking at going crazy with all the techy stuff. Just the basics, a handheld scanner, the tablet and a GPS unit are all I need. I have a CB radio just to monitor the truckers channel. Sometimes they have the best vantage point and they can relay any info on upcoming traffic or road safety hazards.

I like the look in the (Cherokee?) Chuck. I'm using the X Mount for Ram for my Surface Pro III in my Cherokee and it takes up quite a bit of leg/knee space for the passenger. The mount itself is pretty sturdy and very easy to use. Depending on what chase vehicle I upgrade to, I may have to do some modifications in my shop to get more space savings. BTW - how do you deal with where you have your CB'c control head mounted? In my Cherokee I'd be banging the hell out of my left knee all the time..

 

[Robert Forry]

I haven't kept up with this thread but I see a couple posts about issues with Windows Location Services and the GPSDirect driver software. I just wanted to touch base and mention that I did testing yesterday and it still functions like it should. I added the GPSDirect into my startup programs so it starts whenever my tablet does. When you set the COM port it is using you should also click the Make Default Location button that way the software will always look on that port when it starts. Without doing that, I believe you have to hit the Install button every time you run it.

So GPSDirect and GPSGate are in startup, I think I have COM4 or something from GPSGate as the one I use in GPSDirect, so it goes GPSGate -> Virtual COM 4 -> GPSDirect -> Windows Location Services. Everything works fine.

Feel free to send me a PM on here if you want assistance in getting this working, as long as I'm not out chasing I should be able to walk you through it

Nick, your advice on this was very valuable. I did the same think with mine in startup so I don't have to fiddle with anything anymore. Works flawlessly. Thank you!!

 

[Brett Roberts]

As an update to this thread I started three years ago:

I purchased a Surface Pro 2 on clearance before the season began, and I'm officially a convert to tablet-based chasing. I didn't touch my laptop all year, and the SP2 mounted (in a rather unique, jerry-rigged way) to my dash provided by far the best chasing experience I've had to-date.

To address some of the concerns I had going in:

- I'm using a $15 Bluetooth GPS receiver from eBay, and although the initial setup wasn't entirely painless (as evidenced by a lot of the discussion the past 2 pages), it's been working at least as well as any USB puck I used prior. By far the most painful part of the setup was configuring GPS to work with Metro apps.

- Regarding offline mapping: it turns out that "Maps Pro" in the Windows Store, despite its mediocre user ratings and lots of complaints, is a fully functional touchscreen-friendly navigation app with the ability to use OpenStreetMap data. In this regard, it's very much the equivalent of MAPS.ME found on Android/iOS, which is good enough for me (even if not quite as full-featured as DeLorme/S&T were, e.g. for navigation). However, I should warn that once again, the initial setup was not without hiccups and annoyances -- the app author wants you to purchase OpenStreetMap data through the app, but you can easily download these free files from elsewhere, place them in the appropriate directory, and things work fine.

- As the first chase drew near, I had everything resolved except for a touch-friendly GRLevelX interface on the high-PPI screen. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the program itself to give tablet users an optimal interface (I'm sure it'll happen someday, but who knows when). As a result, I messed around in Visual Studio and created a rather ghetto x86 program which can float above the GRLevelX window and provide large touch-friendly buttons for basic tasks like switching products, playing/pausing a loop, and moving up/down through tilts. I used it myself all season and it made touchscreen operation of GRX painless for most in-chase tasks. However, I still need to go back and polish a couple things so I can post it here for others to use if desired.

All in all, I couldn't be happier chasing with the SP2. The only real challenge is mounting, although in larger vehicles that may not be an issue either. If you're able to dash-mount, the amount of space freed up compared against a laptop setup is monumental, and you lose virtually no functionality or power. I'm sure the same can be said of the SP3, even though it has a bit larger footprint that could possibly make mounting it even harder. However, after playing around with one at the store, I would say the Surface 3 (non-pro) is probably the ultimate chase device. Similar footprint to the SP2, but much thinner and lighter with a better power connector. On the other hand, the price-to-performance proposition for the SP3 (or SP2 if you can find one) is probably better than the S3, and I'd stick with the Pro series if you want to do full-on 1080p+ video editing on the road.

 

[Chuck Kavanaugh]

I like the look in the (Cherokee?) Chuck. I'm using the X Mount for Ram for my Surface Pro III in my Cherokee and it takes up quite a bit of leg/knee space for the passenger. The mount itself is pretty sturdy and very easy to use. Depending on what chase vehicle I upgrade to, I may have to do some modifications in my shop to get more space savings. BTW - how do you deal with where you have your CB'c control head mounted? In my Cherokee I'd be banging the hell out of my left knee all the time..

Sorry, I haven't had much time to visit this site like I want to. Yes it is a Cherokee and the mount I'm using works well and provides ample leg room. The only problem is that it's not on a swivel and when I try to turn the screen over to the passenger I have to re-bend the mount (which the manufacturer doesn't recommend because it could snap in half) so I'm the only one who can see/use the radar. As far as the CB I the just lay the mic and cord over the steering column. Kinda hillbillyish but I don't want to wrestle with the mount which is practically mashed between my leg and the drivers door, lol. Have a Merry Christmas and bring on spring!!!!