Samsung SM-T580 - great tablet but...

[jlavery]

I've got a Samsung SM-T580 for displaying Antares charts etc. It's a great unit with what looks so far like really good battery capacity.

 But one feature the manufacturer is proud of (I found after purchase) is the magnetic back plate. Great for sticking to a fridge or similar, not so good above the steering compass. It induces about 20 degrees deviation on Arpeggio.

So need to be careful where it's placed on the boat!

 

[ChromeDome]

Anything Magnetic or magnetisable affects the compass.

Keys, tools (bit holders!), speakers (also built into portable gadgets) and much more.

 

[[2574]]

I've got a Samsung SM-T580 for displaying Antares charts etc. It's a great unit with what looks so far like really good battery capacity.

 But one feature the manufacturer is proud of (I found after purchase) is the magnetic back plate. Great for sticking to a fridge or similar, not so good above the steering compass. It induces about 20 degrees deviation on Arpeggio.

So need to be careful where it's placed on the boat!

Does that tablet have an integral gps? I see it is a wifi only version, with iPad I think one has to buy the SIM card version to have gps capability - essential for chart apps.

 

[ChromeDome]

Does that tablet have an integral gps? I see it is a wifi only version, with iPad I think one has to buy the SIM card version to have gps capability - essential for chart apps.

True re. iPad - the GPS features is built into the SIM card holder. Not wise.

I'm sure the Samsung SM-T580 has GPS/GLONASS and that will show true compass regardless of magnets.

 

[mjcoon]

I'm sure the Samsung SM-T580 has GPS/GLONASS and that will show true compass regardless of magnets.

By which you mean showing the direction of movement, not of heading as your compass would.

 

[jlavery]

True re. iPad - the GPS features is built into the SIM card holder. Not wise.

I'm sure the Samsung SM-T580 has GPS/GLONASS and that will show true compass regardless of magnets.

Yes, it has GPS so will show position and COG.

 

[Dellquay13]

By which you mean showing the direction of movement, not of heading as your compass would.

My lower spec SM T395 has an inbuilt magnetometer and so doesn’t use gps to give a reasonable compass heading. I imagine the higher spec T580 of the OP has similar. I know it relies on actual magnetism as the Polaris compass app is responding to the proximity of the magnetic catch on my phone case as I type this

Thankfully mine doesn’t seem to have a magnet built into the case, so it should be safe-ish near my bulkhead compass, should I ever decide to take the sun cover off

 

[mjcoon]

My lower spec SM T395 has an inbuilt magnetometer and so doesn’t use gps to give a reasonable compass heading. I imagine the higher spec T580 of the OP has similar. I know it relies on actual magnetism as the Polaris compass app is responding to the proximity of the magnetic catch on my phone case as I type this

Thankfully mine doesn’t seem to have a magnet built into the case, so it should be safe-ish near my bulkhead compass, should I ever decide to take the sun cover off

I imagine having a magnetic case is incompatible with having an inbuilt magnetometer. Maybe the built-in speakers that tablets usually have can be piezoelectric, or have speaker magnets that are well shielded.