Rugged, waterproof, bright light readable tablet to run Navionics for Android - options?

[Snowgoose-1]

Sailproof
I have used a Sailproof for 1900nm.
The first impression was very good.
But it is very slow. GPS signal is not stable.
It needs permanent charging with Navionics.
And the worst it is not waterproof while charging.
It is not sailproof in real weather.
Mine got damaged and repair on warranty was refused.
The service ist very bad.
I will return to an iPad with a waterproof case.

That's very helpful feedback. Thanking.

 

[TwoFish]

I love my Samsung activ2 latest version from London Chartplotters. Can see in sunlight. Made a holder with fabric and plastic window stuff, can move the screen and do everything through it. Fantastic service from Steve there. I p' exed my old one. About 165.00 if I remember right. With charts and other apps , chargers and mount for bulkheads

I also have a Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 (SM-T395 variant) supplied by London Chartplotters (as an offer in conjunction with visitMyHarbour.com earlier this year). So far, I'm very pleased with it indeed. It came with a complete set of UK, near continent and Iberia raster charts, somehow 'sewn together' using the Marine Navigator app, a rugged case, stand and charger. It's IP68 rated. I use it both with the Marine Navigator raster charts and the Navionics Boating app (it's useful to have both). It's also linked by WiFi to a Quark A026 GPS/AIS receiver and multiplexor (also supplied by LCP). The multiplexor also broadcasts the same GPS & AIS data to other phones and tablets aboard.

As I say, I'm very pleased with the setup (it's particularly good to be able to see / be alerted to AIS targets in Navionics). The only slight quirk I haven't quite got to the bottom of is there sometimes seems to be a slight delay in Navionics updating its GPS position. I suspect this is a configuration issue, but I've not tried to properly investigate the circumstances yet. I'm not entirely sure if Navionics is using the tablet's own GPS or the GPS signal broadcast from the multiplexor.

Dealing with London Chartplotters has also been a good experience. Steve is very helpful and knows his stuff.

 

[LittleSister]

Rugged, waterproof, bright light readable . . .

Like a paper chart, you mean?

 

[eddystone]

I’ve decided to go with the Sailproof but can’t decide whether to get 8” or 10”. The viewing distance from helm to cockpit bulkhead is less than 2 metres so I can hopefully see without reading glasses so I’ll probably go with 10”

 

[BuenaOnda]

Sailproof
I have used a Sailproof for 1900nm.
The first impression was very good.
But it is very slow. GPS signal is not stable.
It needs permanent charging with Navionics.
And the worst it is not waterproof while charging.
It is not sailproof in real weather.
Mine got damaged and repair on warranty was refused.
The service ist very bad.
I will return to an iPad with a waterproof case.

Sorry that you are disappointed, but we can't be responsible of the way you used it. And unfortunately the damage on the USB-c provoked a short circuit and the motherboard was dead. We offered to replace it a at price which was under the real cost of the spare part and man hour. On the attached pictures, that we sent you, you can see the condition of the USB-c port, in comparison to a new one.
For the rest, the review made by Rupert Holmes in Yachting world, as many other in different magazines, confirms that our tablet has excellent performances. Your disappointment cannot lead you to false statements.

Jean-Michel, SailProof

 

[webcraft]

My Oukitel is still going strong , great bit of kit

https://www.amazon.co.uk/OUKITEL-20000mAh-Battery-Unlocked-Waterproof/dp/B0BJJW445T/


- W

 

[eddystone]

My Oukitel is still going strong , great bit of kit

https://www.amazon.co.uk/OUKITEL-20000mAh-Battery-Unlocked-Waterproof/dp/B0BJJW445T/


- W

Trouble is the Sailproof is 1000 nits, the Oukitel is 350, about the same as my non-waterproof Samsung Tab A, which is unreadable in bright sunlight

 

[webcraft]

Trouble is the Sailproof is 1000 nits, the Oukitel is 350, about the same as my non-waterproof Samsung Tab A, which is unreadable in bright sunlight

I am using the Oukitel in Algarve summer sunlight, it doesn't get much brighter than that.

I have to turn the brightness on the Oukitel up to 90% or 95%, but it's fine when I dio that and lasts 6 or 7 hours - though I usually run it plugged in.

- W

 

[Refueler]

My cheapo Android 11 Headwolf Tablet from Banggood running Navionics was a real heaven sent gift when sailing the 'new' boat over from Sweden to Latvia ....

Boat has a Garmin 9 UHD 70 series MFD .... was fine until we passed Gotland and out of Swedish waters .... seller was not sure of chart coverage - thinking maybe Baltic ... but turned out to be Swedish waters only. Garmin reverted to plain world view map.

Out with the Android tablet .... magic !!

 

[Rich_P]

Bit of a long post, but here are some of my personal experiences

Re Orca tablet

@eddystone Having just taken a punt myself on the new Orca Display2 (launched yesterday), I wanted to check you are up to date on your pricing just in case you were ruling it out based on the previous pricing of the Orca Display 1.

The new Orca Display2 retails at £899 all in, with a wireless charging mount for £249 I believe. You could save money on a mount by using one of the Rokk tablet mounts that Sailproof sell for less than £100, and just accept that you have to charge the Display2 via USB-C.

Although designed to be part of the Orca ecosystem, I have asked many questions of them and have been assured that it is a fully functioning Android tablet, and in no way restricted in use - this was important for me in case I don't get on with the Orca ecosystem and choose to revert to Navionics and the like.

I did a comparison with the closest competitor Sailproof SP10 tablet, and the pricing was basically identical if you assume that you will get stung for 20% VAT on import, it totals £900. I previously might have taken the risk on this, but recently have been chased by DHL to recoup import charges they paid on my behalf for a non-electrical item that I honestly thought they wouldn't be interested in. The SP10 does have some nice features - the removable batteries and the dedicated docking / charging station are really good. The Orca Display2 has fast wireless charging and 4 assignable hardware buttons. If you do want the Orca ecosystem functionality, you pay the extra £399 for the Orca Core - but that's separate and not comparable with the Sailproof offering.

Re using cheaper / less targeted devices

I am completely understanding of the many arguments for getting something cheaper, and do support that being a good option for people - so I'm certainly not making an argument that the *right* choice is an expensive one. I started with the same perspective.... and benefits / performance is so massively contextual based on your activity, tolerance, and priorities!

However... just thought I'd share some personal experiences from last year using my iPad Pro and Galaxy Tab with Navionics. + and - listed below for both.

+ I already had it, screen is beautifully sharp and clear, and it's powerful as heck. Loads of storage, Good connectivity.
- I put it in a waterproof case - it was simply horrid to use. The case screen didn't provide a good touch interface with the iPad. I had to give up on that.
- I tried it in an Aquapac type waterproof bag - that was also unusable.
- I suffered from sunlight readability issues during the height of summer. It was almost impossible to see without getting right up close. Anything that can provide an edge on that situation is useful in my view.
- During daylight it tends to run on full brightness - it is power hungry and only by using a high output USB-C battery pack can I keep up charging with battery drain.
- I had it shut down from overheat twice. It was located under the sprayhood at all times.
- I found the internal GPS with Navionics to be unreliable for some reason. It's a bit better taking a feed via the wifi NMEA network.
- It did end up getting rained on, of course not in a case because of issue 1.

So I decided I needed to try something a little more suitable for environment. Cue refurbed £80 Galaxy Active 2 purchase from Ebay. Bargain.

+ Rugged, so I don't worry about that aspect now.
+ Inexpensive so ditto.

- Performance is v slow, likely to do with being old hardware now.
- It struggles with memory and storage capacity - which actually means I can't even have my full set of nav applications installed on it. It is now simply a Navionics device.
- I have had more incidents of Navionics randomly hanging or crashing on it than I had with the iPad.
- Screen is low res - it's kind of ok for most things, but you do notice it
- Battery life is ok - power consumption is better than iPad.
- OS support is gone, so it's not being updated now.

So although the Galaxy is still the device I use by default because i don't have to worry about it - going cheap didn't really give me the result I wanted either,.

But for this season, where I'm planning the biggest cruise I've done on my boat so far, I actually just want to have something decent to work with. Lots of unfamiliar water and harbours. Do no want to be worrying about losing my charts at the wrong moment. Boat is just that bit too small to install full on chart plotters in bulkheads etc. and I like the flexibility of a tablet that I can easily move, stick inside, use down below, take home to update etc.

And that's why I am where I am with an Orca Display2 this year!

If you made it reading this far without falling asleep, bl**dy well done to you...

Very interested to see how you get on with this Matt. The Orca solution looks well integrated and simple but likewise I wonder about the charting. If Navionics runs on the Display2, does it also have to install on the Core2 or no need? It would be good if 2 tablets with navionics would sync together through the core.