Advice wanted on Android tablet
Submitted: Friday, Aug 19, 2016 at 18:37
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Hilux fan
Yeah I know, another thread asking about devices. But this one is a bit different. Our CFA brigade is interested in using the
BART app for use during incidents. For one thing it automatically plots the location of the incident from the turnout message and then provides navigation routes to it. I couldn't find a standard satnav system that would take the callout coordinates. We'd be wanting to get an Android tablet to put in the firetruck and I was hoping someone had experience or knowledge of a good device with suitable mounts that can take the punishment of a 24 year old trucks
suspension, as
well as coping with dust, smoke and maybe a bit of water.
Reply By: TomH - Friday, Aug 19, 2016 at 18:53
Friday, Aug 19, 2016 at 18:53
A Samsung S5 smartphone would do it as it is supposed to be immersable and isnt too big Has a GPS and uses a micro SD card for additional space.
AnswerID:
603561
Follow Up By: Hilux fan - Friday, Aug 19, 2016 at 19:04
Friday, Aug 19, 2016 at 19:04
We'd be looking for a bigger size, since the dash is fairly distant from the driver so a bigger screen would help. Something like the Galaxy Tab, but it needs to be able to take a lot of bouncing around. I've nearly hit my head on the cabin roof driving over potholes and I'm in a
seat with
suspension! Anything mounted on the dash is going to get thumped.
FollowupID:
873158
Reply By: Member - William B (The Shire) - Friday, Aug 19, 2016 at 19:47
Friday, Aug 19, 2016 at 19:47
Hi,
Not a direct answer to your question.
I have used a Samsung 10" tablet in my Prado, I used it on the Canning last year with a generic windscreen mount with no problems.
William
AnswerID:
603566
Follow Up By: Hilux fan - Friday, Aug 19, 2016 at 20:18
Friday, Aug 19, 2016 at 20:18
Yes, I'm leaning towards a Samsung or other good brand name, mainly because we could also get a tough case to help protect it. Some of the minor brands aren't catered for in the accessory market.
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Dean K3 - Saturday, Aug 20, 2016 at 13:42
Saturday, Aug 20, 2016 at 13:42
RAM mounts way to go there a few stockist around Australia.
SSD (solid state drive) for the pad/lappy is also a good option beats having a disc head go bang due to vibrations etc.
Just remember illegal for driver to operate device when driving has to be done by radio operator/passenger
seat
When we installed the cadcom (read computers and display screens ) into WAPOL we had to come up with way of preventing driver from using keyboard otherwise DPI (licensing dept) wouldn't allow it to occur. came up with a design that tethered soem rope to passenger chair with block of plastic with a knot or two inside keyboard prevented driver from operating and all dept's were happy.
AnswerID:
603598
Follow Up By: Hilux fan - Saturday, Aug 20, 2016 at 13:53
Saturday, Aug 20, 2016 at 13:53
"Just remember illegal for driver to operate device when driving"
The way our truck bounces while being driven that would almost be an impossible task anyway. Mainly want a good big screen so the driver can use the map to navigate by. We're getting quite a few new people in the region and they don't always know the minor roads, so having something to navigate from will be useful. We have printed map books already that the passenger can refer to (if there is one: usually is but not guaranteed).
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Geoff H9 - Saturday, Aug 20, 2016 at 15:59
Saturday, Aug 20, 2016 at 15:59
We have excellent experience using Exogear Mounts in both our BT50 and our Outback. We use a Mini Ipad and have had no troubles on all sorts of roads.
https://exogear.com/product/exomount-tablet/
AnswerID:
603607
Reply By: Frank P (NSW) - Saturday, Aug 20, 2016 at 17:05
Saturday, Aug 20, 2016 at 17:05
We have a 9.7 Samsung tablet and have had good results with a RAM X-mount on a RAM stalk with an adapter to bolt to the passenger
seat mount. I made an adaptor to hold a cannibalised phone mount as
well. I had to install a couple of stabilising brackets to steady it. It's set up for solo use in the
pic, but both phone and tablet can be rotated to the left for navigator use:
RAM Stalk and X mount
Phone and tablet
The other stuff you can see: dashcam in the middle, tyre monitor bottom right and breakaway battery monitor top right to satisfy NSW regs.
Cheers
AnswerID:
603609
Follow Up By: Hilux fan - Saturday, Aug 20, 2016 at 19:02
Saturday, Aug 20, 2016 at 19:02
Looks like a good setup but we have a middle
seat in the fire truck. Not sure if there's floor room available for this sort of rig, but I'll have a look next time I'm in the shed.
Is that battery monitor wireless or have you tucked the cables out of sight?
We looked at dashcams too but the admin lot are a bit twitchy about them. Wonder if the tablet could be used as a dashcam at the same time?
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Frank P (NSW) - Saturday, Aug 20, 2016 at 20:09
Saturday, Aug 20, 2016 at 20:09
The battery monitor is powered from the ciggy socket - you can see the switch on it glowing red in the
pic. That wire is tucked out of sight. The connection between the battery and the display is long-range Bluetooth (30+ metres). There is a name for that standard, but I've forgotten it. There is a small Bluetooth sender unit in a sealed plastic box in a protected place toward the front of the van.
Are admin twitchy about the dashcam hanging off the windscreen (visibility issues for the driver) or because they record your own actions as
well as those of the idiot that caused the accident? I imagine in an emergency response situation with what you have to do, in this litigious environment we live in the recording of your own emergency actions which may be somewhat "unconventional" could result in some "issues".
If the tablet was mounted high enough to see the road it would undoubtedly work, but native file sizes are large and recording time would be limited unless the device can use a very large external memory card (I'm thinking 64GB or more - AFAIK most are limited to 32). Being a large object it would probably impinge on driver's lines of sight and would be subject to the legal issues I alluded to if they are significant to your admin people.
Cheers
FollowupID:
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