$20 Android 6 "pocket tablet" (Walmart deep sale)
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Ive been using an iPhone 5 without any service, as a glorified iPod Touch that has GPS (The Touch does not). Got it mainly to use with my bicycle to run a really neat biking App called Cyclemeter, and also a very useful app called iArrow which is a GPS Compass that points to where I parked, with distance to go (Well, I set it for "current location" before going on a group bike ride, in case I lost the group or wanted to bail on the ride for some reason). Do other stuff with it too.
Anyway, thanks for posting this. At that price I got one, or will be picking it up soon, anyway. So I can try out some Android apps that are not on IOS, and other stuff. Probably keep it in my car most of the time.
Anyway, thanks for posting this. At that price I got one, or will be picking it up soon, anyway. So I can try out some Android apps that are not on IOS, and other stuff. Probably keep it in my car most of the time.
Ok, fellow said no onboard GPS chip so would be somewhat hobbled for using live rocket tracking apps.
That said, I did get a $40.00 cheapo tablet (Teclast X80) over Christmas that didn't have an onboard GPS chipset. It is a dual boot Android/Windows tablet and the Chinese hide the firmware somewhere so I didn't risk bricking the device trying to root it and unlock the bootloader. The Nexus devices one can find the "base" firmware online and if they
"brick" the device, using WinBlows or Linux adb apps can push a new image to their
device and bring it back to life. I've done it a lot with after market ROMS. Seems like
"magic" as the device will not turn on and after the flash process is finished on the laptop
screen, it comes back up.
I could NOT download any GPS tracking apps with the Teclast dualboot as the Android store kept giving me "Your device is not compatible" routine. I suspect that would happen with
this $20.00 Android phone if attempted. What the hay? It's only $20.00 so feel free to play
with it.
Soooooooo............ I have a rooted Nexus 7 2013 and was able to dig in its files and find the executable
.apk buried in what would otherwise be a hidden directory of an app I was interested in. It wasn't the install .apk
but the actual executable code. I lifted it to the Teclast and paired an outboard B/T GPS. Lo' and beholden,
it works. Now admittedly too much trouble for most folks to do so if looking for an Android device to run
tracking apps on do what many purveyors of rocket tracking devices suggests and get a used Android phone or tablet
that has a GPS in it. (That is of course if you don't already own one!) It just needs Wifi a GPS chipset and one is good to go. Download apps and maps via WiFi and run self contained.
That's the easy way to do it.
As an aside, a relatively newer APRS tracking app, APRSISMO: https://ldeffenb.dnsalias.net/APRSISMO/index.htm has some really nice maptile server links available for a Ham APRS
tracker (aka Beeline GPS tracking hardware and others) There is the potential to connect
a Mobilnkd TNC https://www.mobilinkd.com/ and do some impressive live tracking on a
photo map. "Oh gosh! It's coming down close to that danged tree/barn/drainage ditch etc.!"
It's said the maptiles are locally cacheable. Now if it could only allow one to connect up
an EggFinder receiver and we'd be in the catbird seat. I asked the author some questions about it so we'll see. The other APRS app out there, YAAC can do that so it "has" the potential for EggFinder live tracking on a map but last time I tried it 10 months ago the Bluetooth abilities weren't that good. Plugging in a USB EggFinder receiver and it worked great!
I could keep track of my local position and YAAC would monitor another NMEA/GPS stream that came off the EF receiver and track it like an APRS station/icon. So much potential that just wasn't quite ready. Kurt
That said, I did get a $40.00 cheapo tablet (Teclast X80) over Christmas that didn't have an onboard GPS chipset. It is a dual boot Android/Windows tablet and the Chinese hide the firmware somewhere so I didn't risk bricking the device trying to root it and unlock the bootloader. The Nexus devices one can find the "base" firmware online and if they
"brick" the device, using WinBlows or Linux adb apps can push a new image to their
device and bring it back to life. I've done it a lot with after market ROMS. Seems like
"magic" as the device will not turn on and after the flash process is finished on the laptop
screen, it comes back up.
I could NOT download any GPS tracking apps with the Teclast dualboot as the Android store kept giving me "Your device is not compatible" routine. I suspect that would happen with
this $20.00 Android phone if attempted. What the hay? It's only $20.00 so feel free to play
with it.
Soooooooo............ I have a rooted Nexus 7 2013 and was able to dig in its files and find the executable
.apk buried in what would otherwise be a hidden directory of an app I was interested in. It wasn't the install .apk
but the actual executable code. I lifted it to the Teclast and paired an outboard B/T GPS. Lo' and beholden,
it works. Now admittedly too much trouble for most folks to do so if looking for an Android device to run
tracking apps on do what many purveyors of rocket tracking devices suggests and get a used Android phone or tablet
that has a GPS in it. (That is of course if you don't already own one!) It just needs Wifi a GPS chipset and one is good to go. Download apps and maps via WiFi and run self contained.
That's the easy way to do it.
As an aside, a relatively newer APRS tracking app, APRSISMO: https://ldeffenb.dnsalias.net/APRSISMO/index.htm has some really nice maptile server links available for a Ham APRS
tracker (aka Beeline GPS tracking hardware and others) There is the potential to connect
a Mobilnkd TNC https://www.mobilinkd.com/ and do some impressive live tracking on a
photo map. "Oh gosh! It's coming down close to that danged tree/barn/drainage ditch etc.!"
It's said the maptiles are locally cacheable. Now if it could only allow one to connect up
an EggFinder receiver and we'd be in the catbird seat. I asked the author some questions about it so we'll see. The other APRS app out there, YAAC can do that so it "has" the potential for EggFinder live tracking on a map but last time I tried it 10 months ago the Bluetooth abilities weren't that good. Plugging in a USB EggFinder receiver and it worked great!
I could keep track of my local position and YAAC would monitor another NMEA/GPS stream that came off the EF receiver and track it like an APRS station/icon. So much potential that just wasn't quite ready. Kurt
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