The 8 inch rand McNally tablet

Just for future reference when someone replies to a Post it will show up. A few tidbits that will tell you how old a thread is. At the top of the thread is this. (see below) Notice the Date. Also in the post (Dark Blue) is the post number. Post 478 replied to this thread about 30 minutes before you posted. You can click on page 1 and it will tell you when the OP has started the thread. Also at the bottom of the thread is a Page number. Right now this thread is on page 49.... This is why I could not figure out why you started to list specs to the OP for something about 14 months ago.

The 8 inch rand McNally tablet
Discussion in 'Trucking Electronics, Gadgets and Software Forum' started by Upright, Feb 6, 2015.

 

Ya I got a habit of missing the dates will reply and later realize it's an old thread

 

There are an lot of drivers on here that are pretty tech savy. They seem to know what they are talking about when they complain.

 

There are all kinds of drivers here. Some are tech savvy, some are not. But, there is a way to bring up something without causing ill feelings towards those that are not.

 

Well said. I just purchased this tablet yesterday with the ELD-50 to dip a toe into electronic logging. Obviously no long term tester here, but here's my initial impressions along with some comments about earlier posts after the first trip and some desktop tinkering/learning/updating. On day 1 it's a cautious thumbs up with no buyers remorse yet LOL.

I saw this at MATS last year and was impressed, but still generally happy with my Garmins. I have two trucks and use a 560LMT in one, mine has the 760LMT. I've used Garmin products over 10 yrs and that's what I've been comfortable with. I know where all the settings are and so on. I also depend on the IFTA mileage reports.

Coming from a Garmin, the RM tablet is functionally equivalent (for GPS). I can't say it does anything more remarkable than what I'm used to. It's bigger, so that's an obvious plus. More real estate to display more stuff. I think the tablet platform offers a richer interface than the dedicated gps units do. At least the Garmin 760 I've been using. More about that later.

I think my biggest challenges are gaining the "muscle memory" with the menus. Everyone has different preferences. But after a while, the stuff you use becomes second nature. You can nearly reach over and tap-tap-tap without even looking at the menus to get what you want. The RM seems to have more detailed customizations available, at the expense of being a tiny bit less user friendly.

I had a couple of configuration questions in the gps software that I ended up stumbling around and finding myself. One with the ELD configuration I sent via email and have not gotten a reply after 24 hrs as promised. I will probably find time in the next day or two to just call. In the mean time, I'll dig around on the RM website for some tutorials, as I'm sure some of my questions are related to being to complete newb with ELD, both as a user and as the safety manager dealing with the carrier side. It may also save me from screwing anything up more than it already is LOL.

Don't be like me and think you're gonna buy this thing at a truck stop and configure it in the truck stop parking lot you bought it at, slap it on the dash 15 minutes later and have something completely useful. You can do that with the Garmins, and probably the TND RM products. The tablet takes some time to get to know your way around for even basic stuff. I compounded my error by doing a temporary install on the dash next to my 760, lower and a bit behind it. It made reaching it and seeing things on the screen harder, making already frustrating new stuff even harder to get at. That said, the tablet worked ok even though I could have been better prepared.

The best thing to do is save tearing the box open for home, or someplace you can sit for a few hours with high speed internet, with no pressure to get on the road. Everything has to be updated, and that can take a while and consume mobile data if you're on a limited plan.

The MC Road Atlas in an app is brilliant. That could save me about $30 a year with two of these, even though I really only buy the paper version every 2-3 yrs. Except I will still need to buy the paper version to get all the information I usually use it for, which is looking up state dimension regs, low clearances, and truck restricted routes. The app on the tablet 80 only has the maps. Boo.

The tablet 80 is no Samsung or the like. Nor is it the absolute cheapest Chinese model. It is adequate for it's main purpose, running the gps software. The display is good and it seems fairly well constructed. Of course it won't withstand being dropped. Neither will my much nicer Sony tablet.

As tablets go, I get it regarding the custom hardware and software package not being the latest greatest. Seriously though, if the latest greatest is what you want or expect, you're gonna be disappointed. If you just can't live without watching 4K movies, high speed video games, virtual reality apps, then buy a new high end tablet for all that. This thing happens to be a gps unit that will happen to run a lot of common Android apps for convenience. If you're looking for a gps unit that is more robust than the dedicated appliance like ones, that also lets you read email and do some web surfing or time wasters like card and word games, then you'll probably be happy with this one. It is running Android version 5.1.1 so not as out of date as I've seen posted.

Value-wise, I paid about $400 for every hardware upgrade on my Garmins, to units released in the past year or so. I paid $550 for a package deal on the tablet plus ELD-50, so really a better value than I've gotten in the past.

Finally a word about RF (radio frequency) noise. I had noticed my ELD-50 was frequently dropping connections with the tablet. Not a huge issue, as the dongle has on board memory and keeps on logging even if it doesn't see the app. I thought about it a minute and remembered my Garmin (3 inches away) has a bluetooth link to my cell phone enabled for some features. When I turned the bluetooth off in the Garmin, the connection problems cleared right up.

Bluetooth is on 2.4GHz, right next to wifi. Consider placing a wifi hotspot, or your phone if you use it that way, a little farther than next to the tablet. For what it's worth, it's good practice to separate gadgets that use radio signals in some way. A special shout out to cheap power inverters. About every other one I've bought has caused problems with everything. I finally got a Xantrex sine wave inverter that's well shielded and have had no more issues with the inverter.

I've run across more than a few things that don't play well with others, and you'd never know since the affected devices may not even be connected or even related. I can name a few crazy but true examples, but here's one of my favorites. I have a T-600 with a 72" sleeper, so storage in the bunk area isn't plentiful. I have an indoor tv antenna that I put on top of my all in one printer on the top right hand shelf when I want to watch tv. I can often see the tv signal degrade when I turn the printer on to scan bills or print something. Either the electronics within the printer, or it's wifi radio, walks on the tv signals coming into the antenna. So I either quit watching tv when using the printer, or make sure I turn it off when I'm done. The point being, sometimes it's not the device (like the RM tablet 80) but the other noisy crap that's in proximity.

 

All of you using RM elogs and garmins. Might want to rethink your elog plans for this years inspection blitz.

Take a look at the blitz thread in teh hot shots forum. @RedForeman

 

Thanks I'll check it out. I'm still officially on Rapid Logs (computer based paper). The RM ELD is on a trial at the moment. It will not be visible or available in the event of an inspection. I will razzle dazzle them with my 7 days of printouts and offer a screen or print out of the current day from my laptop, just like always.

Not intending to sidetrack the topic, but this is relevant to my comments about slapping one of these on the dash in 15 minutes and running with it. I consider myself a somewhat smart guy who is tech savvy. Let's just say the first two days with it have been ugly. About 50% user ignorance and 50% figuring out the tools. Also not helping that I'm 50 and not part of the tablet generation, and have just never gotten in love with anything tablet based. Nonetheless, I will make it work by the dead line. To quote Mr. T, I pity the fools that wait till the last day to buy and figure one out.

 

OK I read the post, which brings me to some clarification here.

What they mean is the built in HOS features actually in the gps app, that have been around years before anyone was thinking about actually being forced into it. To my knowledge, nobody with at least half a head ever used that. These logbook apps fall into two categories.

Earlier units like my Garmin 760, and even this new RM tablet, have some sort of ELD-like feature. It's not tied to the ecm, among other compliance requirements. That's what the DOT is not going to accept as an ELD. On the other hand, if it can produce all the requirements within §395.8 Driver's record of duty status, they would have to accept it. In other words, someone that just waves their gps at an officer will get a ticket.

What I am using is the Driver Connect app on the RM tablet. What makes it compliant is the ELD-50 dongle that screws onto the diagnostic port. It's really independent of the gps feature, and could be used on any Android device without any other RM products. Driver Connect happens to be a bundled install on the RM tablet as well as the TND units, I believe. Exploring it some today, the app even has an inspection mode. It password locks the tablet to the logbook screen where there is a button to mail the logs instead. Keeps the nosy bear from seeing your porn stash I guess. When I do switch over, I will continue my practice of printing out each day and having it on hand, even though it would be considered overkill. My experience has always been that if you depend on technology, and your life depends on it, you will die. Paper usually doesn't lock up, freeze, or fail to turn on.

I saw that Garmin offers a similar product with the newer models of their gps line. I was not as impressed by their implementation.

 

Not to argue. But quite frankly. I don't see why rand WOULDN'T be accepted. I have no clue on the garmin.

I don't have to worry about it anymore. And hopefully, don't have to worry about the scales either. Gonna have to cancel my prepass.

I used trucklogger on laptop with printer when i was OTR. I didn't want to learn to use an electronic android app and have to print.

 

You have a link? And if they are ELD compliant then what would be the issue?