Best tablet to use in the boat for Google Earth and Aqua-Vu

[Tk_duluthbass]

I am looking into buying a tablet to mount on my console for using Google Earth and possibly connecting an Aqua-Vu via wifi. I don’t know much about computers or displays so I’m overwhelmed by the options. I’d like to spend under $300. It’s important that I am able to connect to my iPhone for data and that the screen is bright enough to see all the details on Earth. I also want a sd port so I can transfer waypoints from the tablet to my Humminbird, if that’s even possible. Any help or recommendations are appreciated, thanks.

edit: so after doing some more research it looks like I’m gonna have to spend more than 300 to get a “rugged tablet”. I’m going to justify spending the extra money since I will also use it as my main computer at home and for my business. Looks like entry level is at least $600 and top of line is $2000-$2500.

[bassburch]

I tried a Samsung galaxy tablet but it sucked in the sun. Need to find something that performs well in direct sun.

[Slicefixer]

IN for this....

[grandbassslayer]

A microsoft surface works decent in the sun, better than a regular laptop.

[NoCAL]

If you are going to spend something north of $600, wouldn’t it make more sense to just get another HB sonar/GPS unit with good mapping? What am I missing? What does Google Earth do that satellite imagery on a good GPS won’t do? Not arguing just want to understand the utility of a tablet over a unit. With a Lowrance you can even view the underwater camera with a cable, though not wireless. Don’t know if HB can do that.

NoCAL

[Skeeterbait]

First problem will be reading it in sun light. Next will be overheating in direct sun, next will be water damage in rain or even morning condensation.

[Tk_duluthbass]

Google Earth Pro has historical maps, I use them a lot from home and have to go through a process to get waypoints from Earth to my Humminbird. It’d be way easier to just have Google Earth Pro in boat. I don’t think my iPhone Google Earth app shows historical imagery, and it’s hard to see anything on my phone in full daylight. Humminbirds don’t connect to the Aqua-Vu and I don’t want to buy a Raymarine or Lowrance just for the Aqua Vu, it would be more expensive than buying a tablet.

[NoCAL]

Got it. Thanks for the explanation

[Wayne P.]

Google Earth Pro has historical maps, I use them a lot from home and have to go through a process to get waypoints from Earth to my Humminbird. It’d be way easier to just have Google Earth Pro in boat. I don’t think my iPhone Google Earth app shows historical imagery, and it’s hard to see anything on my phone in full daylight. Humminbirds don’t connect to the Aqua-Vu and I don’t want to buy a Raymarine or Lowrance just for the Aqua Vu, it would be more expensive than buying a tablet.

If you have Humminbird units and your waters are Lakemaster HD surveyed, you can purchase Lakemaster single bodies of water via Chart Select and include several years of satellite overlays. They try to pick years with different water levels so you get somewhat the same effect as the Google Earth Time Slider overlayed on the contour mapping.

[Tk_duluthbass]

Interesting, I didn’t know there was historical imagery in those lakemaster maps. I have a Helix G3N on my bow with a Lakemaster+ chip that shows satellite imagery and there is not very good detail when I zoom in. Do the HD lakes on Chartselect have higher quality satellite images? I’m in Northern MN and it looks like each lake is at least $10, even for smaller lakes.

[Amistad Tackle]

If you can access the internet on the tablet, through your phones hotspot or a cellular subscription, you can get Google Earth with the historical images. With Google Earth pro you should be able to see your boats position in real time. The stuff I've seen on the Lakemaster plus card (or whatever it is called) has been worthless. When you zoom in it is blurry and not taken at the right time. Trouble is finding a tablet that is cheap enough, and you can see in the sun. Standardmapping.com has some lake imagery at low levels for Lowrance and Garmin. Price is right, but lake choices are limited. I like the tablet idea better, but have never found one cheap enough that you can use in direct sunlight. If anyone has had success with a set-up like this please enlighten us. I know people use tablets on the water (e.g., Bryan New), just none I have ever been in the boat with.

Lots of used/refurbished Toughpads out there for sale. They are sunlight readable.

[Tk_duluthbass]

Yeah, I was looking at all the different refurbished Toughpads and Dell Rugged Inspirons, but some are pretty old and there are lots of specs to choose from. Not sure if the sunlight readable would be good for maps or if it’s just good for text, like a kindle. The Lakemaster aerial imagery on Chartselect is at least an additional $5 per image, per lake, and you only get a crappy looking preview image before buying.

[grandbassslayer]

I just use the laptop in the garage before I go, and mark waypoints on the graph of spots I see when lake was low.

[Tk_duluthbass]

Yeah, I go as far as converting and transferring waypoints from Google Earth on my laptop to my Humminbirds, but I don’t want to have to do that anymore. I want all those satellite images with me in my boat.

[Amistad Tackle]

You might message Bryan New on IG bryannewfishing and ask him what he runs. He runs a tablet in addition to three graphs on his console.

Like you I always thought it would be nice to have the low lake level imagery available on board, but never found a way to do it. Some of the lakes I fish I have 4-500 waypoints and you can't remember exactly what you marked, even if you have them coded. I may only fish that lake a couple times a year.

[Tk_duluthbass]

Will do, thanks.

[T. Hill]

Why not just review Earth at home and create waypoints then transfer it to your graph? To me Google Earth adds another deminsion. Lots of times I find myself looking back away from the lake, for instance when I'm looking for red clay banks or rock formations the tell tell sign may be 20 yards hidden back in the woods. Especially true on old boat ramps and residential railroad tracks.

[Tk_duluthbass]

That’s what I’ve been doing. I want access to the all the satellite imagery while I’m on the water.

[Tk_duluthbass]

You might message Bryan New on IG bryannewfishing and ask him what he runs. He runs a tablet in addition to three graphs on his console.

Like you I always thought it would be nice to have the low lake level imagery available on board, but never found a way to do it. Some of the lakes I fish I have 4-500 waypoints and you can't remember exactly what you marked, even if you have them coded. I may only fish that lake a couple times a year.

He said he runs an IPad and that it’s hard to see when it’s sunny. So he’s just using the app and not the Pro pc version with historical images.

[alpine4x4]

Have you looked into getting that imaging on your unit? You can use SAS planet in conjuction with a google earth cache and create raster files your unit will read as an overlay. I have a couple custom made low water imaging satellite views for one of my local lakes that I can view on ky Lowrance which should also work on humminbird. Its a bit of work to make, but cheaper than a tablet.