Rugged Android tablet with decent charging socket?

jlavery

jlavery

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I have read this thread regarding android tablets.

Interesting suggestions there. What I'm after is one which has a decent charging socket which can better cope with marine conditions, or one with better battery life than the ipad I'm currently using.

Suggestions?
 
We have an old Samsung, if it's wet on deck we use it in a dry-bag.
Battery life is about 6 hours, so we tend to give it a charge once we're in open water if we will need help with pilotage at the end of the passage.
We have a couple of 5Ah powerbamks, with a right angle lead we can put that in the dry bag with the tablet if needed.
It's an old tablet with a nasty micro-USB socket, but so far it works fine.

There are lots of android car stereo units around quite cheaply, I'm thinking of making a box for one and having it on deck. That would sort the battery life issues.
The downside is IMHO, the screen resolution is poor. Plus, they use more power.

If the tablet was solely for use on the boat, you could maybe glue the power connector in permanently to seal it, if you could do that without it being vulnerable?
A mate of mine has an old phone with a dodgy micro USB, he's glued in a magnetic power adaptor. But I don't like magnets on boats...
Magnetic Fast Charging USB Cable Charger 2.4A, 360 Rotation Micro Type C Android | eBay
 
jlavery said:
And sadly I find USB C unreliable in a marine environment too. The deep, inaccessible multiple connections are prone to corrosion and impossible to clean.
Click to expand...
Not arguing, but I have quite a few devices that need to be charged using USB (mostly USB-C, but a few micro-USB), and I've never had a problem with them on the boat. Of course, they must be kept dry and clean, but at least one of them (my phone) lives in my pocket and if it was going to accumulate fluff it would do so there. But whatever, charging via USB-C is a fact of life now.
 
B27 said:
We have an old Samsung, if it's wet on deck we use it in a dry-bag.
Battery life is about 6 hours, so we tend to give it a charge once we're in open water if we will need help with pilotage at the end of the passage.
We have a couple of 5Ah powerbamks, with a right angle lead we can put that in the dry bag with the tablet if needed.
It's an old tablet with a nasty micro-USB socket, but so far it works fine.

There are lots of android car stereo units around quite cheaply, I'm thinking of making a box for one and having it on deck. That would sort the battery life issues.
The downside is IMHO, the screen resolution is poor. Plus, they use more power.

If the tablet was solely for use on the boat, you could maybe glue the power connector in permanently to seal it, if you could do that without it being vulnerable?
A mate of mine has an old phone with a dodgy micro USB, he's glued in a magnetic power adaptor. But I don't like magnets on boats...
Magnetic Fast Charging USB Cable Charger 2.4A, 360 Rotation Micro Type C Android | eBay
Click to expand...
Interesting idea. It will be for
AntarcticPilot said:
Not arguing, but I have quite a few devices that need to be charged using USB (mostly USB-C, but a few micro-USB), and I've never had a problem with them on the boat. Of course, they must be kept dry and clean, but at least one of them (my phone) lives in my pocket and if it was going to accumulate fluff it would do so there. But whatever, charging via USB-C is a fact of life now.
Click to expand...
Yep, it's here to stay. My poor experience is with my Samsung phones. They seem to end up sensitive to which cable is used. I want to use it in the cockpit, so think I'll try the glued in magnetic connection idea.
 
I have a Blackview Android Smartphone for six years, it is rugged and rated at IP67. They also do tablets. The charging is via a USB C which plugs into the boat's DC 2 amp sockets in six years I've never had a problem with charging, but have replaced the original leads with some better quality ones.
 
jlavery said:
Interesting idea. It will be for

Yep, it's here to stay. My poor experience is with my Samsung phones. They seem to end up sensitive to which cable is used. I want to use it in the cockpit, so think I'll try the glued in magnetic connection idea.
Click to expand...
The chap who fixes my daughter's iPhone says these magnetic connections are rubbish. Personally, I think it is the rubbish that Apple flog.
 
Sandy said:
The chap who fixes my daughter's iPhone says these magnetic connections are rubbish. Personally, I think it is the rubbish that Apple flog.
Click to expand...
Interesting. Of course, if the magnetic connector corrodes, we're back to square one.
 
My mate with the magnetic connector has been using it on his mountain bike for a while.
I guess it leaves the phone's 5V quite exposed?
Not sure I like the idea.

I have a micro-USB device which is quite dodgy, only charges when it feels like it and the cable is at the right angle etc etc.
I bought a very cheap solar panel with USB output, the cable which came with that works better than anything else.

It's all the kind of thing which could be a real pain during a 2 week cruise when you can't just order another cable from Amazon.
 
jlavery said:
Interesting idea. It will be for

Yep, it's here to stay. My poor experience is with my Samsung phones. They seem to end up sensitive to which cable is used. I want to use it in the cockpit, so think I'll try the glued in magnetic connection idea.
Click to expand...
By contrast my Samsung phone with USB C has (so far at least over 3 years) been fine and happy with a variety of cables and connections.
Much less fussy than the old apple Fire connector
 
A trick to secure a tablet outside .... Clingfilm.

Its thin enough - touchscreen still works ... it sticks to itself so seals up nicely ...

When I put 808 cameras on my Float-Plane models - I clingfilm them ... nothing more .... I've had models flip over and hold the cameras under water .... no problem.
 
I keep a standard 10 " T 580 2016 Samsung android tablet on a swinging arm high under the sprayhood out of most sunlight and all rain/spray and run Marine Navigator continuously en passage.I haven't had any issues at sea with the USB A charge point .(A second samsung tablet also has two navigation apps with current charts but is used mainly for weather,tides etc. and entertainment.)
I have replaced the battery ,easy on the T580 older model, but the latest improvements have jointly transformed the battery life issue.
These are: replacement switch panels by Blue Sea which give me a pair of 12 volt sockets overall rated at 6 amps and then the purchase of an Amazon 'basics' USB 5v twin adaptor which gives up to 4.8 amps total output (£8.99) .Coupled with a good lead capable of 'rapid charge' this means that the tablet will run all day,starting and ending with 100 % charge.
amazon link ( not 'an associate/affiliate' just happy with purchase)

Yes the USB C is a great improvement but in my case the USB A soldiers on happily.Original leads though for the A are unlikely to be rated for rapid charge.
 
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Sandy said:
I have a Blackview Android Smartphone for six years, it is rugged and rated at IP67. They also do tablets. The charging is via a USB C which plugs into the boat's DC 2 amp sockets in six years I've never had a problem with charging, but have replaced the original leads with some better quality ones.
Click to expand...
I have a Ulefone smart fone, with a decent sized screen that is hammer and waterproof and has a crazy sized battery. It also charges from a wireless pad so it could stay sealed. Works for everything.

I also have a fixed Android tablet as in the COVID project detailed above.

Also have a bike mount so I can fix the phone in the cockpit...very handy at night.
 
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