GPS Enabled Tablet

[derekbland]

I am looking to buy an Android GPS enabled tablet and to download Navionics on to it which I understand is around the £40 mark. I want to be able to use it as a backup or possibly the main plotter depending on what cards are included with the plotter on the boat I am hoping to buy. I will of course be using paper charts too. I will also download the app to my Android phone too. Is there any minimum memory (RAM) you would suggest and what size hard drive? I will probably go towards and 8 to 10" screen. I am surprised at how cheap tablets have become over the last year or two.

I would rather not pay more than £200 for the tablet and Navionics combined, if possible. Any advice or recommendations appreciated so long as it's not Apple products -I am not criticising them simply don't want one.

 

[Lon nan Gruagach]

You should find some useful information at https://www.navionics.com/gbr/support/compatibility-guides

See the mobile-devices link

 

[gjgm]

Just remember tablets are designed around photo quality so are pretty useless in daylight..and so pretty useless as a plotter unless well screened from sky.

 

[derekbland]

Just remember tablets are designed around photo quality so are pretty useless in daylight..and so pretty useless as a plotter unless well screened from sky.

Good point but it seems more and more are using them. Are there not different types of screen you can get. I know my shiny-screen laptop was better than my dull screen one - technical terms

 

[MachineHead]

Useful thread on this from last year in 'Reader to Reader' forum (esp. p. 3):
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?476757-Low-end-Lenovo-tablet-amp-Navionics

Other stuff too if you search for it.

I have recently bought a Lenovo Tab 7 Essential 16Gb which I am very pleased with. They now cost around GBP 70 from Argos and elsewhere, 7 inch screen, good GPS and battery.

I use it with Marine Navigator and raster charts from Visit My Harbour to give local detail, as cost of updating old Navman chip is mental. Plot routes etc. on big screen and transfer to Android.
Also use Absolute Tides - brilliant app, comes free and just a couple of quid a year for the data. Don't be put off by the ill-informed reviews on G play.

Direct sunlight is an issue as others have said. Info on screen shields in thread referenced above, and also on 'build your own' on this London Chartplotters page:
http://www.londonchartplotters.com/sunshade--for-toughbooks-tablets.php
(Also worth looking at their ready-prepared machines - I've no connection).

It is worth getting a car usb phone/tablet charger if you have a 12v socket within reach.

 

[derekbland]

Nice one thank you. How much ROM or RAM does it have and it appears from your post that it is sufficient?

 

[MachineHead]

Mine has 1GB RAM and 16GB built-in ROM. It also has a slot for an SD card. I put in a big SD card before I found out that there is a quirk in Android which means that apps generally have to have most of their parts stored in the system memory in order to run properly. (Plenty of room for pics and videos now!)
Anyhow, it runs all my stuff just as well as my older Nexus 7 - which I did not want to habitually risk on the water. I am not familiar with Navionics, but no issues with Marine Navigator. On this machine I generally just run the apps I want to use in the moment.

 

[derekbland]

Mine has 1GB RAM and 16GB built-in ROM. It also has a slot for an SD card. I put in a big SD card before I found out that there is a quirk in Android which means that apps generally have to have most of their parts stored in the system memory in order to run properly. (Plenty of room for pics and videos now!)
Anyhow, it runs all my stuff just as well as my older Nexus 7 - which I did not want to habitually risk on the water. I am not familiar with Navionics, but no issues with Marine Navigator. On this machine I generally just run the apps I want to use in the moment.

Thanks again. I feel a little more confident in what to get now.

 

[gjgm]

Just to add.. from old nexus 7 to latest Samsung..totally useless imho unless so cloudy it is raining! This is not like a web page....you need to see fine chart detail..and you cant. Of course if you are in a wheelhouse..different story.

 

[Scubadoo]

Lenovo a10 are good, the only issue I found due to the hot weather, it overheated and wanted to shutdown, to get around this I had to put a towel to keep the sun off it. I only use it as a backup, and the overheat issue rarely occurs, so keep that in mind if more exposed.