Using my Ipad Soil Sampling

I used my IPAD as my primary guidance tool in the field this spring.  It has worked better than anything else I have ever used.  I am using Ipad2 WIFI.  It does not have a data card, so it requires an external Bluetooth GPS.  I am using a Garmin Glo.  The app I am using is GISRoam.  At start up I sometimes have trouble with GISRoam recognizing the GPS on start up.  In other words, the cursor is not on the screen.   I sometime have to reboot two or three times.  I think it is a start up sequence problem, but once it is going it stays going. Battery life is 6 to 7 hours.  That is about all I can work anyway.  If you want to conserve battery you can put it on standby between stops.  Screen visibility is not great with the sun at your back, but you can darken lines and usually see it OK. I can visualize farmers using this setup to keep records on maps.  I have set up two customers already.

I recommend buying a model with a data card.  I think the newer models have better visibility too. 

Durability is good with the Otterbox.  I used it for an hour today in a light rain with no problem.  It also meets the test of time as I have sampled more than ever before.  Over all I rate it a 7 out of 10.  Nothing else I have gets higher than a 5.  There are flaws in all of them.  My previous blog had a rundown.