Best android tablet to use for SkyDemon.
Best android tablet to use for SkyDemon.
Hello all.
I have an iPhone 8 with SkyDemon on it but display is a bit on the small side.
I’m considering a getting an Android tablet I would use primarily for SkyDemon about IPad mini size. Does anyone have any good recommendations which have a good in built GPS for the £100 mark?
Thanks
Mooneyboy
I have an iPhone 8 with SkyDemon on it but display is a bit on the small side.
I’m considering a getting an Android tablet I would use primarily for SkyDemon about IPad mini size. Does anyone have any good recommendations which have a good in built GPS for the £100 mark?
Thanks
Mooneyboy
I've been using a Tesco Hudl II (which was well ahead of its time in performance) and it's been brilliant at running SD. It's still available on ebay with new batteries for a price that you can try out the Android presentation without spending too much. It's GPS, compass and attitude sensors allow you to run some of the 'imitation instrument' apps that could at least get you through a cloud break in a full instrument failure. However I recently bought a Lenovo Tab4+ 8" tablet to replace the Hudl as the main SD presentation and that's been excellent but has not got the compass or attitude sensors built in. Total cost of the two would be around £200.
I am using an Archos 55, but find the GPS performance less than impressive. Still it is quite sufficient, especially when flying. I never even looked into the compass or attitude sensors, I don't think they are available on this cheapo phone.
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As per Meikleour. The internal GPS works fine on my knee, for which the A6 is perfectly sized. I've also got a yoke mount for it. I find the battery lasts for 8 hours of use so no need for additional charging leads - it's completely stand-alone.
Friends of mine went 'up-country' yesterday into England. Wiltshire, actually, so a really long way!. The iPad packed up after about 30 mins as it dropped the Bluetooth connection to the GPS thingy and wouldn't recover. However, they also had a Samsung A6 which performed perfectly both ways, no need for GPS 'help'.
If iPads are so great, why is there a market for a holder with cooling fans built-in and GPS dongles?
TOO
Friends of mine went 'up-country' yesterday into England. Wiltshire, actually, so a really long way!. The iPad packed up after about 30 mins as it dropped the Bluetooth connection to the GPS thingy and wouldn't recover. However, they also had a Samsung A6 which performed perfectly both ways, no need for GPS 'help'.
If iPads are so great, why is there a market for a holder with cooling fans built-in and GPS dongles?
TOO
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As per Meikleour. The internal GPS works fine on my knee, for which the A6 is perfectly sized. I've also got a yoke mount for it. I find the battery lasts for 8 hours of use so no need for additional charging leads - it's completely stand-alone.
Friends of mine went 'up-country' yesterday into England. Wiltshire, actually, so a really long way!. The iPad packed up after about 30 mins as it dropped the Bluetooth connection to the GPS thingy and wouldn't recover. However, they also had a Samsung A6 which performed perfectly both ways, no need for GPS 'help'.
If iPads are so great, why is there a market for a holder with cooling fans built-in and GPS dongles?
TOO
Friends of mine went 'up-country' yesterday into England. Wiltshire, actually, so a really long way!. The iPad packed up after about 30 mins as it dropped the Bluetooth connection to the GPS thingy and wouldn't recover. However, they also had a Samsung A6 which performed perfectly both ways, no need for GPS 'help'.
If iPads are so great, why is there a market for a holder with cooling fans built-in and GPS dongles?
TOO
i have flown in Spain at 40 C strapped to my leg and never had a problem with my silver one, but I will agree you will pay a premium for owning a IPad
Thankyou for all the replies.
Certainly these days the tablet market has a lot more choice than when I first got my iPad mini ( which isn’t the cellular one).
Had a look at Argos and the Samsung tab I couldn’t find it at the £120. The Lenovo seems to be at a good price so that might be the one I go for. The Tesco Hudl 2 with the ability for an artificial horizon sounds intriguing. I’ll have a search to see if there is a modern alternative.
Was also looking at the Huawei MediaPad T3 7 Inch 16GB Tablet. This says it has a ‘gravity sensor’ so hoping this would mean this could provide similar to the Tesco Hudl. This tablet says it ‘supports gps’. Does this mean it has it internally?Certainly these days the tablet market has a lot more choice than when I first got my iPad mini ( which isn’t the cellular one).
Had a look at Argos and the Samsung tab I couldn’t find it at the £120. The Lenovo seems to be at a good price so that might be the one I go for. The Tesco Hudl 2 with the ability for an artificial horizon sounds intriguing. I’ll have a search to see if there is a modern alternative.
Thanks
Mooneyboy
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I have the Huawei 8" Mediapad and run Skydemon. The internal GPS works fine but I mostly used the Bluetooth GNS2000 external receiver. The Mediapad has exceptional screen quality. Highly recommended.
"Jesus have non of you lot heard a things called maps compasses and wizz wheels"
Airspace Avoid has the circles already shown. Using compasses to draw circles damages the screen.
Airspace Avoid has the circles already shown. Using compasses to draw circles damages the screen.
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Jesus have non of you lot heard a things called maps compasses and wizz wheels
I have to admit though, flying close to controlled airspace in poor visibility is hard work and I`m becoming tempted to take the easy way out.
Copied from the newspaper in the "Don't Get Lost" thread. £7000+ fine.
"Despite his aircraft being equipped with GPS mapping, he chose to rely instead on the more traditional method of navigation using a paper chart and visual reference points. At some point he lost awareness of his position and entered Luton Airport’s controlled airspace twice as he tried to establish his location."
"Despite his aircraft being equipped with GPS mapping, he chose to rely instead on the more traditional method of navigation using a paper chart and visual reference points. At some point he lost awareness of his position and entered Luton Airport’s controlled airspace twice as he tried to establish his location."
Last edited by Maoraigh1; 5th Mar 2019 at 19:11. Reason: Spelling
I believe if there is a tool out there to help then why not use it but don’t 100% rely on it.
What I did like about SkyDemon was the ability to print out a flight plan with magnetic headings etc. So if there is an issue with your tablet for example battery runs out, freezes, you loose GPS signal ( which I’ve had numerous times in the eastern Mediterranean) then either you get your phone out which has the gps ability or you revert back to you old school map.
Regarding using solely maps for navigation how many of us have been convinced we know where we are and then realise something doesn’t quite tie up. Look at the map and there isn’t enough detail or have made an error in the planning stage.
In a commercial airliner there is always redundancy built in. So for one example if one landing gear computer fails there is a second and if that fails manual gear extension.
I fully intend tend to take this approach of redundancy available for when I’m navigating in light aircraft. Last thing I would want is a fine or sending a commercial aircraft on a go around due to my infringement.
What I did like about SkyDemon was the ability to print out a flight plan with magnetic headings etc. So if there is an issue with your tablet for example battery runs out, freezes, you loose GPS signal ( which I’ve had numerous times in the eastern Mediterranean) then either you get your phone out which has the gps ability or you revert back to you old school map.
Regarding using solely maps for navigation how many of us have been convinced we know where we are and then realise something doesn’t quite tie up. Look at the map and there isn’t enough detail or have made an error in the planning stage.
In a commercial airliner there is always redundancy built in. So for one example if one landing gear computer fails there is a second and if that fails manual gear extension.
I fully intend tend to take this approach of redundancy available for when I’m navigating in light aircraft. Last thing I would want is a fine or sending a commercial aircraft on a go around due to my infringement.
Copied from the newspaper in the "Don't Get Lost" thread. £7000+ fine.
"Despite his aircraft being equipped with GPS mapping, he chose to rely instead on the more traditional method of navigation using a paper chart and visual reference points. At some point he lost awareness of his position and entered Luton Airport’s controlled airspace twice as he tried to establish his location."
"Despite his aircraft being equipped with GPS mapping, he chose to rely instead on the more traditional method of navigation using a paper chart and visual reference points. At some point he lost awareness of his position and entered Luton Airport’s controlled airspace twice as he tried to establish his location."
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I found that a phone is better for skydemon over a tablet, and having the phone mounted at head height against the left window (in my case, by suction mount). I repurposed an old phone (Motorola Moto G) to be dedicated to skydemon. Never leaves my flight bag.
In this configuration and because of its smaller screen size, I find I spend more time looking out and flying and only need to glance at skydemon to verify that I'm track and to adjust course, or to read time/distance to next waypoint. It's small and not obtrusive.
For airport plates, circuit diagrams, flight plan, etc - I print those out for my kneeboard. I could do it with a tablet, but paper is far easier to access and an insurance against any technical failure.
In this configuration and because of its smaller screen size, I find I spend more time looking out and flying and only need to glance at skydemon to verify that I'm track and to adjust course, or to read time/distance to next waypoint. It's small and not obtrusive.
For airport plates, circuit diagrams, flight plan, etc - I print those out for my kneeboard. I could do it with a tablet, but paper is far easier to access and an insurance against any technical failure.
Be aware that when an iPad overheats and shuts down, it's because the battery thermocouple is complaining.
The fact that Android tablets don't is beacuse they haven't got as much monitoring, not because they're better.
If an iPad closes down it's too hot for ANY tablet...
The fact that Android tablets don't is beacuse they haven't got as much monitoring, not because they're better.
If an iPad closes down it's too hot for ANY tablet...
