Best tablet for SAR work?

Jamesz · Dec 2, 2022

Hi
I'm currently using a Galaxy S7 Edge with a Mini 2 and Mavic pro for mountain rescue in England. The S7 has a good screen resolution and is quite bright, but is really too small a screen to search mountain and moorland effectively. I'm considering getting some form of ipad as they seem to tick most boxes.

Has anyone any experience of using ipad Mini or Pro for this type of SAR use? I want something easily portable (Tripletek a bit too heavy), a good screen resolution and a brightness over 500 nits. Other devices can be considered if they fit the bill. Any advice most welcome.

akdrone · Dec 2, 2022

I'd reconsider the Tripletek. The weight difference between that and a Pro or even a mini would be pretty darn small and they are built strong which would be good for mountain rescue and on a hot day in the sun any of the iPads will dim a lot which is why I often use a 12.9" iPad pro quite often but am forced to use the Tripltek in mid summer sunshine. I think the big iPad wouldn't be the best bet and is the only iPad I use so no comments on others. If the smaller iPads have good brightness I'd see them as useful but again, the weight difference would be minimal ( but I used to cut my toothbrush in half and go to extremes to reduce weight carried for week long solo backpacking so I do "get" the need for minimal weight)

.

sar104 · Dec 2, 2022

I use the M2P and M2EA for search and rescue. I now run both from the DJI SC that came with the M2EA, which is bright and a reasonable size. Previously I used an iPad Pro with the M2P, which is suitably large but works best with a sunshade in bright conditions.

Jamesz · Dec 2, 2022

Thanks for the replies. I'd discounted the Tripletek as many users say the resolution is not impressive for the price & weight. Sun is rarely a problem on our callouts! (but a reasonable brightness is useful and lower weight means faster movement)
I'm leaning towards the iPad Pro unless someone points to something more appropriate...