Are Pocket PCs Slowing Down Your Sampling Data Collection?
I tried to collect environmental data electronically once in 2009. I was classifying vegetation for the Bureau of Land Management in Nevada, producing on average 40 sheets of data a day. That’s a lot of paper, and the manager could see that we were struggling to keep track of it all. One day, we were called into her office, and each technician received a Pocket PC outfitted with software suitable for the job. We were excited: No more paper!
That excitement lasted as long as it took us to get to our job site. Within the day, we were back to using paper. The Pocket PCs collected dust the rest of the year.
Some of you might be asking – what horrible software did they make you use?
The answer? None. The software was fine, but the Pocket PCs were awful. Slow, difficult to use, no glare resistant screen…it was a nightmare. Even if the environmental data collection software is smart, if the hardware sucks, then it doesn’t really matter.
Over the last few years at Terraine, I’ve worked with a variety of handheld devices, including Smartphones such as HTC Android phones, Panasonic Toughbooks, TDS Recons, and others for fieldwork, but the one I like most is the Trimble Yuma.
Above left: The Trimble Yuma.
Above right: Trimble Yuma docking and recharge station, complete with space for recharging two extra batteries.
Trimble Yuma Pros:-
- Very bright and glare-resistant screen without that milky surface when viewing it from an angle.
- Integrated GPS with WaaS enhancement plus easy-to-use GPS software.
- Integrated Wi-Fi.
- Extremely rugged. It was tested with the Military Standard Test Series, which involved:
- Water Test: Water immersion for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter.
- Sand and Dust Test: Tested for 8 hours with blowing powder from every direction.
- Vibration Test: General Minimum Integrity and Loose Cargo Test (Method 514.5).
- Temperature Test: Tested in temperatures from -30°C to 60°C (-22 to 140°F).
- Temperature Shock Test: Transferred from -35°C to 60°C and back.
- Humidity Test: Tested for 12 hours in 95% humidity at 0°C and 70°C.
- Shock/Drop Test: Tested by dropping it 36 times from 4 feet and 6 drops each from 4 feet at -30°C and 60°C.
- Low Pressure: Tested at 15,000 feet at 23°C and 40,000 feet at -30°C.
- It is fast and powerful, with a 32 GB Hard Drive and 1 GB of memory.
- Battery life is 10 hours, and changing out the battery is easy (you can pull one battery out at a time and swap with a new battery while the unit is still on!)
- Dual GPS-enabled cameras located in the front and rear (very cool).
- Windows 7.
Trimble Yuma Cons:-
- It’s heavy and bulky.
- Price! A Yuma costs between $3,500 and $4,000 (retail).
My opinion; the Yuma will pay for itself over time. If you are sending technicians into the field with subpar hardware, they are likely spending unnecessary time in the field. Upgrading will allow your field technicians to complete the job more quickly, which will save money in the long run. Not to mention you will have happier technicians! We all know that happy field techs are productive workers!
Consider renting a Yuma for your next field assignment and see how it works for you! If you'd like more information on the Yuma, we have compiled datasheets and a technical review, which you can access via the link below.
