Review of cheap waterproof tablet as chartplotter

[procraftwes]

I recently bought a used 17' proline as a kind of "lets see" cheap boat to test the local waters before committing to a new boat.

That being said everything on this boat so far has been in the budget category. Cutting edge boat tops leaning post, 4" garmin sounder, Bimini instead of T-top,etc.

I bought a 8" Pantech Element tablet for 89.99 shipped. It has internal GPS,Wifi,HD video, and 4g sim card capable on AT&T.Search ebay for either a refurbished unit or used. This is an older tablet but has a dual core processor and is reasonably snappy for this application.

I have an ipad but I don't want it on the boat. For the price of a lifeproof case I bought this tablet.

I bought the software on sale for 19.99 a long time ago but think its 34.99 currently. It allows you to download any maps nationwide and gives great detail. You download the maps at home and they stay on the unit itself.. no data needed.

Ok back to the Pantech. It is rated for submersion for 30minutes @ 3.3ft. The catch is the ports for the unit must be closed to achive this. after a few outings with the unit on 24/7 I wanted the unit to be able to charge and stay water resistant. It has great battery life but I'd say limited to about 5-6 hours with the screen constantly on.

I removed the port cover on the USB side of things and used Plastidip to secure a USB cord semi-permanently(can be removed easily). This allows the unit to be waterproof and be charged. I also bought a mount from amazon for like $10 shipped. Its the suction cup style which I hate so I just screwed it to the dash. I also added velcro to the back of the Pantech and the mount. If you do this don't use the 3" industrial velcro if you want to be able to remove it easily. You could also just velcro it to the dash directly. Mine isn't the correct angle so I didn't.

Another bonus would be that the element records 720p HD video and pictures. The video is HD but marginal at best but the pictures turn out okay.


The cons are
Hard to see with polarized glasses
When wet the screen goes nuts... this can be a problem when you have wet hands.



Modification to USB port with plastidip


Soaking in the tub




Sample Video from the Pantech
http://vid181.photobucket.com/albums/x1 ... -03-29.mp4

[tallykenj]

Nice.

[bman]

Is the software Navionics?

[procraftwes]

Is the software Navionics?

Yes Navionics HD.

Works very well with a few complaints.

I should be able to choose a saved waypoint or destination and choose route to. I dont expect it to keep me in the channels but direct line would be nice. That being said you can set up a route and follow that route. Once I get the boat back from the shop I'll do a little demo.

I've heard the IOS(ipad/iphone) app is better than android.

Another issue is that android/iphone car chargers aren't saltwater resistant. Ive found a couple of usb chargers that are but @ around $20 i'm just going to see how long it holds up as is with a cheap one. I may hardwire it in the future and just cover it with a drybag once I keep the boat dry stored @ Rock landing.. Although it is nice to have around the house..

[red_yakker]

Inventive. I have wondered if an I-phone could be used in place of a chartplotter. If nothing else, it could be a useful tool to easily see which spots are close to which other spots for those times when you have to change your plans once you're already on the water.

[woopty]

I hosed my garmin last year and put my numbers in a free andriod app, GPS Essentials. Puts me right on them.

[procraftwes]

Inventive. I have wondered if an I-phone could be used in place of a chartplotter. If nothing else, it could be a useful tool to easily see which spots are close to which other spots for those times when you have to change your plans once you're already on the water.

Iphone might be a bit hard to see but no worse than some of the 5" chartplotters available.

These tablets are blurring the lines between a $1000 unit and a $100 unit like this one. This tablet blows away a HD7 on screen resolution and screen size. Its only lacking certain software to link into radar,sounder,etc.

It will be a cold day in hell that networking software from garmin/raymarine/etc will be released that will work with either Ipad or android tablet for your sounder or radar but if they did I wouldn't hesitate.

All the marine devices are leaps behind the tablet market in resolution,processor speed and storage.

I hosed my garmin last year and put my numbers in a free andriod app, GPS Essentials. Puts me right on them.

Navionics is on the price side for an app at over $30 but it transforms an apple or android device into a viable alternative to a chartplotter.

Gps in the phone will get you there but Navionics will show you the depth, wrecks, countours, seabed type, obstructions, channels,etc.

[foxtrotuniform]

Oh man, you are speaking my language.

I've been looking for a tough, cheap tablet for a while to run my chartplotting software. Here's a question for you. How well does the screen on that tablet do in direct sunlight? Or just in general, how much dimmer is it than an actual Humminbird or Lowrance unit?

[foxtrotuniform]

By the way, for Android devices, I've found three applications that function pretty damn well as chartplotter replacements.

Oruxmaps -- Free -- Most features by far, but sketchy compatibility with some devices. Lots of background charts. Can make custom maps.

Backcountry Navigator -- $11.99 (free demo available) -- Very very nice software. Lacks a couple of the navigation features of Orux, but is much easier to use. good selection of background charts.

Locus Map Pro/Free -- $8.27/free -- Simple to use nice and accurate. Lots of "add on" extras available for a couple bucks each.



If you need a nautical chart background map for any of these, let me know and I'll hook you up.

[procraftwes]

By the way, for Android devices, I've found three applications that function pretty damn well as chartplotter replacements.

Oruxmaps -- Free -- Most features by far, but sketchy compatibility with some devices. Lots of background charts. Can make custom maps.

Backcountry Navigator -- $11.99 (free demo available) -- Very very nice software. Lacks a couple of the navigation features of Orux, but is much easier to use. good selection of background charts.

Locus Map Pro/Free -- $8.27/free -- Simple to use nice and accurate. Lots of "add on" extras available for a couple bucks each.



If you need a nautical chart background map for any of these, let me know and I'll hook you up.

I've tried them all over the past few years(including a couple you listed)... mx mariner is the best of those apps that use noaa raster maps.

If you are serious about it nothing comes close to using navionics HD.

As far as the tablet while it is water resistant it's not what I'd call rugged. Daytime visibility is good. I just turn it to automatic brightness and it works well. Glare is evident vs some other units but it's definitely usable but not better in that dept.

For me it was a matter of buying a life proof case for my iPad vs buying this already water resistant tablet... seemed like a no brainer to me but if I already has an iPad(or other tablet)with a life proof case I'd just use that.