Android phone as data collector?

Not an android guy, but I can help with a few of your questions.

firstly, I use an iPad mini for work for mapping and navigation, not for data collection. I have had great luck with life proof protective cases in the rain, particularly the ones with the incorporated plastic screen cover. You need to press a hair longer than normal, but I am able to sweep rain off the screen without triggering buttons.?ÿ
secondly, any kind of tough environmental case for your screen is WELL worth the price. Donƒ??t use the price of the phone as a judge, imagine the value of the your data in the phone. I am not sure about you, but a days work for me exceeds $1000.?ÿ

Lastly, any tough environmental case should be able to withstand most SECO (or Sokkia) data collector clamps, particularly the ones with soft plastic grips on the inside of the clamps. Reach out to your local sales guy with the width you need and they should be able to sort you out.

@summerprophet?ÿ

Good to hear about the LifeProof cases, that's what I hoped. Have started looking at seco claw clamps too, just curious what others were using so thanks for your feedback.

We recently went Android, for new software to run GNSS, and bought this 8" Samsung Active Tab 3.

We haven't field tested it yet but I have used it for drone work. Early indications are that sunlight readability is not flash, however just this weekend I received from an EBay purchase, some matt screen protectors. I've put one on but did a shocking job of it (due to being part way through a haircut - power failure) and have not tested it in the sun yet.

The bracket was from Allan in Tauranga.

@richard-imrie

Any reason for full tablet over a large phone? Keen to hear how your battery life/rain use goes. Thanks

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@lukenz?ÿ

I spent literally months deciding. I think I concluded that the phones available weren't rugged, whereas this Active Tab 3 is rugged (waterproof, dustproof, shock proof). Also, we wanted more real estate than a large phone. This Active Tab 3 has a SIM but I wouldn't fancy it as a phone. It seems just about the right size for a field ops device. It's good for the drone.

Battery life is as yet untested.

I've just been out in the sun, and the matt screen protector is a vast improvement - it almost totally removes that annoying reflection.

@richard-imrie

True, only one I've found I like is the Samsung xcover pro but not sure about battery life. No drone here only boundary work mostly with a bit of topo so smaller form factor is appealing with phone/phablets. Some of the tablets don't have much bigger batteries than phones and much bigger screens so assume shorter lives.

@lukenz?ÿ

Active Tab 3 has 5050mAh battery and it's hot swappable but the irony is, spare batteries don't seem to be available on this planet. Anyway, specs say it's good for up to 11 hours continuous video but that's probably in a cave running at 1% brightness.

@richard-imrie?ÿ

If that's a sketch of what your traverses look like I'd suggest a larger screen. ?????ÿ

@flga-2-2?ÿ

It's a selfie.

@richard-imrie?ÿ

@brad-ott?ÿ

Oh Lordy, Lordy ... I would of thought you wouldn't want to be dragging that out again - I think of it every day!

@richard-imrie?ÿ

@flga-2-2?ÿ

Ha ha. You got me. But FWIW, it's "The Saint", not me mincing around on site.

The defunct Samsung Active series phones are ruggedized, good in the rain and have all day battery life.

Any phone can be ruggedized with a good case, but I havnt found any case that allows easy use of the touchscreen in the rain. I think I would go with a tablet for the larger screen.?ÿ

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@aliquot?ÿ

My Samsung Active S8 is so good I still have it. Hate to get rid of it

@aliquot?ÿ

I think the Samsung xcover pro is the only sort of replacement

@lukenz So what bluetooth version is getting nearly 2000'?

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@lukenz?ÿ

We had a couple of those and one crew chief accidentally sat on it and it broke in half basically. He's not a big guy either. I doubt my glass back OnePlus 8 pro would do that without a case on it.

That said my OnePlus 8 pro android phone has a 6.8" screen (only 0.2" smaller than the rugged Panasonic fz-m1 tablet and it's half the size..but it has half the battery life at best, I don't think Bluetooth range would be anywhere near the long range Bluetooth in the Panasonic. I don't think too many phones will have the long range Bluetooth needed for the Bluetooth radio handle.?ÿ

I have an open question forgive the text I'm driving so I'm not able to type because I'm being lazy and not stopping but the question is basically is what type of data collection are you doing and are you able to use software like any of the products that like a produces or Carlson or Bentley or Trimble because in that aspect even on the Trimble tsc7 which is Windows 10 compatible has a real processor in a real Chip crashes because the math engine doesn't like certain things when you play some too close to each other or it doesn't like an intersection of lines etcetera etcetera so what type of software are you planning on using for your data collection or your stakeout