Mounted tablet, maps, diagnostic and use?

Whatcha.

So after watching some of the Utah off road mafia on YouTube it's peaked my interest in the idea of having a cheap tablet mounted in the car that was dedicated to szviewer and mapping.  I'd like it to be supplementary to the stereo rather than just having a double din screen that way I can bring it with me for security.  They seem to have onx over there for lanes and trails which I know we're not covered by. 

So first thing is a tablet considered as not a phone and can therefore be touched while driving legally? Secondly do we have an equivalent to onx that doesn't involve having to be a member of glass?

Ok to answer my own first question it seems that according to the .gov they're placing the emphasis on holding a device not touching it so that suggests that a properly mounted device is usable as long as it is not distracting or impairment to view though they're quite happy with voice controls etc. That said there does seem to be an awful lot of noise surrounding the subject especially from the Google robot so if anyone has direct experience chime in.

You have a few options and decisions open to you.

Firstly I wouldn’t rule out a double din unit, so long as it can do screen mirror or Apple CarPlay. Although worth noting not all apps will support things like CarPlay. Which includes some of the mapping apps.

Space is at a premium in a Jimny. How keen are you at drilling holes or the like to attach a bracket and do you need to preserve the passengers space between the seat and dash?

If going for a tablet do you know what size or brand? I used to use an iPad Mini which worked really well in a vehicle. I’m now using a regular iPad which I feel is a little too large. Also the regular iPad doesn’t fit the mounting bracket I have.

There are very few off the shelf mounts in my opinion. You could make one. And those that do exist seem to be for the smaller pads. You can set some window mounted brackets. However I was using this in a Land Rover Series. The windscreen is not very large and due to lots of exposed metal (seer box etc) in a Series Land Rover I had concerns on a smashed screen should the mount fall off.

I went with what should have been a desk mount. Although there are wall mounts that may be suitable. Sorry no photos at the moment.

As for mapping apps. Sadly no, there is nothing like Onx Off-road for the U.K. at least not that I know of.

Trail wise is “ok”. But much better used before you leave for planning, rather than when you are out on the lanes. The map view is not great (Streetmap or something). And the searching facility is completely woeful. But it does show the lanes and you can click on them for more info. People also post comments, which can be handy to see if anyone has driven them recently.

Someone recently told me about Smart Trail: allterrainuk.com/smart-trail/

I’ve not used it. As you also have to pay. It does look like it might be slightly better than Trailwise. But still lacking overall.

For mapping duties I use Outdoors GPS on my iPhone/iPad as you can download the maps and not need signal. You have to pay (£20/year). But I’ve found them quite good. They use OS Maps, which I like as they are clear and easy to read. You can record as you drive. And save a route for later as well as import gpx files if you want. A bit clunky in some areas and sadly doesn’t use Apple CarPlay!

I’ve also been suggest OsmAnd Maps. You can download for free. But to make use of the off line maps and things like CarPlay you still need to pay. It does look quite good, but a bit clunky and too much in some areas. The maps look ok (but loads of settings and options you need to faff with), but very different from the OS style if you are used to those.

Note: the mapping tools are just that. And usually designed for hiking or bike riding. None are for off roading. So it is just a map. There is no off road navigation or info on lanes & trails.

Regarding the legal requirements, see
www.gov.uk/using-mobile-phones-when-driving-the-law

Basically you can't hold and use the device, but if it is fixed in the car and has hands free operation, it's OK. So a tablet showing a route or OBD data would probably be OK.

However, you must stay in control at all times, so if you were reading print rather than looking at easy to read gauges or a route on a map, you might be skating a bit too close to the law.

Although I have an iPhone and iPad, I wouldn't suggest an Apple product to connect to OBD, it is either lacking in features, expensive or both. Android has much better connectivity and I used Torque Pro in my last Jimny and use it in my other car, both were Android head units.

Torque Pro gives you nice guages which you can customise to show just what you want, it even graphs sensors. I used to look at fuel trim and O2 outputs on my other car (when it had a misfire), it is essential a Vee and it runs better when both sides are in balance.

As for mapping, I used OSMAnd in my Gen 3 (and my other car), it works really well, especially when you import the BOATS in GPX (get these from www.rowmaps.co.uk ) or other routers.

OSMAnd is free for up to five map areas and you download the maps in to your device, so don't need to suck them over 4G all of the time. I think the lifetime license is only about £25 if you decide to buy it.

A walking, running cycle app called Outdoor Active has OS maps and 4x4 routes that people have uploaded. If you activate a route (either one that someone else has posted or one you create) it will guide you, but it's like looking at an OS map, so not ideal for on-road driving. I use Outdoor Active all the time for hill walking and when I did the 4x4 trek from Wooler to Morpeth recorded my route, just in case I want to do bits of it again.

Robin

Cheers lads. That link is the one I read too so I agree it's probably fair game. As for a double din unfortunately I can't find one with a built-in 4x100 amp like I already have with my Sony so that's out. It will definitely be android and around the A5 paper size not A4 and for what I intend to do with it it will probably be from the likes of Back Market. I have already got one bracket from a Norwegian company that fits between the facia and the dashboard for my phone and should have space to have the tablet above or below the phone as suits. The obd is mostly to keep an eye on the transmission temperature while towing but I love the sound of dials rather than figures thanks for the heads up. I'll have a look at the map options mentioned.

If you have an accident and the police are convinced that you were not being suitably observant to what you were doing then you can be charged with "driving without due care and attention" or, if the result of the accident was death and you are held responsible then the charge is elevated to "causing death by dangerous driving ."
Your choice but I find that a suitable map is much safer and much more fun.

Roger

Would Lambert please explain why he has an apparent problem with The Green Lane Association.I would remind him that GLASS has prevented many County Councils from blatantly closing or downgrading Green Lanes, the very lanes that many non members are happy to drive but are seemingly unaware that it was Glass who made it possible.

Roger

If you are going to invoke Driving without due care etc because of having a screen in a car then you are effectively seeking to criminalise virtually every driver on the road as basically every new car on the market in the last 5 to 10 years has pretty much everything controlled by a touch screen infotainment system.

As for my objection to glass, unfortunately it is yet another organisation that has lot of conflicting egos in it which manifests as it being well intentioned but ultimately ineffective as demonstrated by the wholly underwhelming fallout of the NERC act, locally we lost dozens of lanes to the park authority and councils and hardly a peep from glass. Then from the other side as a land owner with a lane adjacent to my farm that was suffering from significant damage from recreational 4x4 use on the section beyond my access point, when in contact with glass to look into a working party to tidy and repair the damage or at minimum publicising a voluntary restriction on use the response was far from positive with excuses and evasion being to the fore. Not impressed from either side.

Roger Fairclough wrote:

If you have an accident and the police are convinced that you were not being suitably observant to what you were doing then you can be charged with "driving without due care and attention" or, if the result of the accident was death and you are held responsible then the charge is elevated to "causing death by dangerous driving ."
Your choice but I find that a suitable map is much safer and much more fun.

Roger

If you are talking about a paper based map and using it whilst driving I would imagine that would be seen as far worse than a touchscreen SatNav.
 

Roger Fairclough wrote:

Your choice but I find that a suitable map is much safer and much more fun.
 

Having come from a paper map era in the '70's through "freestanding GPS NAV systems", through "dash integrated GPS NAV systems", vent mounted smartphones running Google Maps, to today's dash integrated Android Auto Google Maps - I think I have the experience to say that a decent sized fixed screen, be it OnX or GoogleMaps is a lot less of a distraction than a paper map on the passenger seat.

My passenger seat has my wife (navigator) sitting in it. I concentrate on the driving and she concentrates on the navigation. Seriously though, I trust no one was under the impression that I drive and navigate at the same time. Stupidity is not a family trait.

Roger

With reference to my comments concerning police action, I clearly stated "if you have an accident" and that obviously means that you have the accident and then the police ( if involved ) investigate and prosecute, if required.
With regards to the comments regarding GLASS, there will always be situations that are beyond the control of any well meaning organisation when a miss informed government apply their powers and flourish a blunt instrument to show that they have the power. GLASS have done good work and as more people join them they have more money to wield the law and stop irresponsible councils from closing lanes. I have been a member for 20 years plus, 10 of which as rep. for Warwickshire. I wonder how many other forum members are members?

Roger