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High End Research Gear And Equipment


NathanFooter

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On 3/23/2020 at 7:51 PM, wiiawiwb said:

 

Sorry...you already answered my question about the 66i

Did you end up getting one?

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Not yet...I'm still haven't decided between the 66i and the Mini. It will be one or the other. Part of me would like the latest and greatest while another part of my yearns for simplicity.

 

I currently have a Garmin eTrex 30 and am hoping that could lessen the learning curve, even if a small amount, with the 66i. I suspect it will take a lot of time to learn to use it. Contrast that with the Mini needing a cell phone to pair with the Mini to get the most from it.  

Decisions, decisions.

 

 

Edited by wiiawiwb
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A decision has been made although I think circumstance played a large part in it. As I have pontificated before, I'm a believer in rugged gear and think a phone is the weakest link in the chain.  I was convinced I was going to get the 66i.  My smartphone is old and will be non-functional soon. I'm on the prowl for a new phone and will see how things play out.

 

Given that circumstance, I just bought the Mini and will use it with a new smartphone when I decide which one to get. I've seen some YT videos of GAIA and it's ability to record tracks and do a track back.  I'm still skeptical.  I'll try it and also load CalTopo on a new phone and see how it goes. If there is any reluctance, I'll sell the Mini and get the 66i.

 

So there we have it...the bad news is I feel like I've compromised and gone to the dark side. The good news is I can kick the Mini to the curb and get the 66i if I'm not comfortable with things.

 

Now...what smartphone shall I get?

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 4/1/2020 at 9:19 PM, wiiawiwb said:

A decision has been made although I think circumstance played a large part in it. As I have pontificated before, I'm a believer in rugged gear and think a phone is the weakest link in the chain.  I was convinced I was going to get the 66i.  My smartphone is old and will be non-functional soon. I'm on the prowl for a new phone and will see how things play out.

 

Given that circumstance, I just bought the Mini and will use it with a new smartphone when I decide which one to get. I've seen some YT videos of GAIA and it's ability to record tracks and do a track back.  I'm still skeptical.  I'll try it and also load CalTopo on a new phone and see how it goes. If there is any reluctance, I'll sell the Mini and get the 66i.

 

So there we have it...the bad news is I feel like I've compromised and gone to the dark side. The good news is I can kick the Mini to the curb and get the 66i if I'm not comfortable with things.

 

Now...what smartphone shall I get?

The price on the S8 Active has dropped quite a bit.

 

I think that you will enjoy the mini.  I would recommend that you get an inexpensive case and screen protector for the Mini.  Here are the ones that I have been using.  They are inexpensive but work well.  The Mini is rugged, but an extra layer of protection on something that you may end up staking your life on is never a bad idea.

 

screen protector

 

rubber case

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BRB....great idea and thank you for sharing. It would never have dawned on me to get either but both make total sense. I'm going to get them.

 

Does the rubber case still fit when using the Mini with the glass protector?

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51 minutes ago, wiiawiwb said:

BRB....great idea and thank you for sharing. It would never have dawned on me to get either but both make total sense. I'm going to get them.

 

Does the rubber case still fit when using the Mini with the glass protector?

Yes, it does.

 

It is already a rugged piece of equipment, but it doesn't hurt to protect it even more.

 

We go across some pretty rough and Rocky terrain.  If we take a tumble and get injured I want the Mini to survive the fall.

 

The case is just a soft rubber sleeve, but it does a nice job of cushioning it.

Edited by BlackRockBigfoot
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  • 1 month later...

After a misadventure last Sunday afternoon (See "Field Trips" thread) had me hiking 10 km for help, I went out yesterday and bought the Inreach Explorer+. It was on sale at my local Cabellas, ($489 Cdn) so it only cost a few $ more than the mini, with a much larger screen, making the choice a no brainer. I will now send tracking info to at least 2 parties every time I go off road, plus have the text and SOS functions if things really go sideways. It will make me feel a lot safer on solo outings.

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9 minutes ago, BC witness said:

After a misadventure last Sunday afternoon (See "Field Trips" thread) had me hiking 10 km for help, I went out yesterday and bought the Inreach Explorer+. It was on sale at my local Cabellas, ($489 Cdn) so it only cost a few $ more than the mini, with a much larger screen, making the choice a no brainer. I will now send tracking info to at least 2 parties every time I go off road, plus have the text and SOS functions if things really go sideways. It will make me feel a lot safer on solo outings.

It brings a lot of peace if mind.  Just make sure that you keep your free contact updated so you can keep someone current with your location. I have forgotten to change mine before and ended up texting the person with me my location the entire time.  

 

When we got back into cell range, her phone blew up with all of the updates that I thought that I was sending to someone else.

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Thanks for the tip, BRB, I probably wouldn't have thought of that. The Primary and alternate that I set up on mine occasionally join me on trips, but never both at the same time.

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Another option is to send a text, once or twice a day, using your Inreach, that contains your UTM coordinates. That way you know the person you want to receive location information is receiving it. That or sending the coordinates to a second person as a form of insurance.

Edited by wiiawiwb
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  • 1 month later...
Guest Bigfooter
On 1/19/2013 at 7:19 AM, Guest said:

I would go with Ion Air Pro or Contour2 over Go Pro. The GoPro form factor is too clunky and awkward to mount. I plan on getting an Ion Air Pro and mounting it to my head with a head band or on a hat I have. I like the vibrate switch feature a lot.

 

Nathan I would look at the Sony Alpha a37 if I were you. That way you can add on lenses, you might want a nice 70-300mm lens. I have a Minolta 5D which is older, but Sony bought the DSLR technology from Minolta so my lenses work with the Sony Alpha's.

The Canon S95 if the consumer grade camera that pros use for their secondary point and shoot camera. They came out with the S100 but I think the S95 has a faster lens (better for low light photography) Give those a look if you are thinking of getting into the $400 price point.

 

 

I have used Icon for years.. best out there.

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  • 5 weeks later...

I was going to put this into the low end gear thread but the components I'm going to talk about together translate into a bit more than low end stuff. Allow me to explain the situation. My souse and I go to a state park that prides itself in having no hook ups and few amenities. It's why we love to go there :) I have given what I'm going to show much thought in the last couple of years and quite a bit of research I finally pulled the trigger on acquiring the necessary items. Keep in mind that I already run an 18 watt solar panel with a charge controller to trickle charge the camper's battery. If I didn't do that the battery lasts for a week and I then had to use my running truck to recharge it. So I've succeeded in eliminated that particular headache.

 

In the hot weather we use a 12V fan inside the camper. It takes 8 D-Cell batteries to operate it. It also has a HI/LOW switch. On HI the batteries might last one day and then slow down on the second day. By the third day it almost useless for moving any air althout it still runs. That is if we run it for 8 hrs. a day overnight. In a two week period I will go through 4 sets of 8 D-Cells! That's over $50 and then I return them for recycling and purchase four more sets. Do that 3 times a season and it's over $150 in battery cost!!

 

My solution is to go solar all the way. The problem was no sun at night so some kind of battery powered storage is required. I've had a 12V sealed lead acid jumper box for years that has a cigar lighter feature like most and so I plug in a 350W DC/AC converter when I wanted to charge, say, a laptop or other small device. The issue was the battery pack would only give me one charge and then I'd have to go for a drive (gas consumption) to recharge the battery pack. It was a real nuisance situation which, over the course of two weeks, becomes ridiculous.

 

So here's my solution for the fan: 80 watt Renology solar panel>10 amp Renology charge controller>1100 peak amp battery jumper pack>350 watt DC/AC inverter>Powerex AC charger adapter>Powerex D-Cell battery charger which will charge 8 D-Cell at once (or any other mixed battery combination up to 8 units)>8 Powerex rechargeable batteries. Powerex batteries because after a year in storage they will only discharge to 85%! which is the best in the industry.

 

The solar panel puts out 80 watts at 4.5 amps and the Powerex charger only needs 2 amps which means a constant full charge on the SLA jumper battery and, after 5 hours, a full charge on the 8 D-Cell batteries. Total investment cost? Around $420. It means the invest will take three to see an offsetting return but the D-Cell batteries can be recharged at least 500 times over. If the rest of the system's components are as good as the manufacturer's claim then I should be able to run my fan for years! And even though things break down and wear out I will maintain or replace those things as needed. Portland, Maine just experienced its hottest summer on record. I think I'm doing this switch over just in time. Especially if I insist on continuing to use my camper off-grid and need to keep my devices, no matter what they are, up and running for at least two weeks.

 

ALL of my and my spouse's devices run on batteries so I see this investment as a good move that won't require running the truck engine for hours, or having to go for a drive, or purchasing a generator of some kind- which also uses gas! 

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