Lars, I started with an old Android tablet which acted as a "proof of concept" if you will.? I acquired a couple ~7" Android tablets from my local MicroCenter? for $30 each that were adequate (one got accidentally broken by an operator during an op session).? My wife replaced her first or 2nd generation Amazon Fire, giving it to me, and again it was a "proof of concept," in that Amazon uses a proprietary version of Android, including the Silk browser.? Even as an early generation, the display was cleaner and clearer than the MicroCenter devices.? So, when I saw an ad from Amazon for refurbished 7" Fires, I bought 2 at $35 each that turned out to be outstanding from a performance and screen basis. ? They clearly are of a quality far above their price point!? More recently, QVC sold me 2 - 8" Fire tablets for $99, and again, they are outstanding performers!
Charles, I stage my tablets at appropriate places around the layout and originally used them as primary or secondary control of Tortoise-powered turnouts via RR-CirKits MotorMan devices.? Operators also had the option of using Digitrax 400 or 500 throttles for turnout control.? They are checked for OS updates several days prior to an ops session, charged overnight, and staged the morning of. They operate on battery power, with the screens set to stay on, unless the power button is momentarily pressed.? The batteries last for the entire ~3 hour session, usually. ? I had determined early on (RR construction began in March of 2016 with ops session starting in August of 2017) that I would install fascia witch would include turnout control push-buttons and track diagrams.? Although the crews accepted the tablets or the throttles to control turnouts (their personal choice,) most if not all are happier with the setup where the fascia has been installed!?
John
