In my last post about smartphones, I mentioned using a smartphone as a mobile filed terminal. The phone that you would normally use for emergencies can also run Android native communications apps.
When I wrote that, I envisioned using the smartphone as a very small tablet. Another idea that I had was using the smartphone as a portable desktop using Samsung Dex and a USB C mini docking station.
When my girlfriend upgraded from a Galaxy S10 to an S20-something there was this perfectly good phone sitting in a drawer. I have always wanted to experiment with Dex, so I wiped the phone and threw a bunch of radio apps on it.
It is my opinion that an Android phone is a required tool for ham radio. Between Echolink, APRSDroid, and Meshtastic a smartphone is practically a requirement. But from a hardware standpoint, if I was to make a portable Raspberry Pi box with LTE data, GPS, battery, and touchscreen, it would be double the price of a used smartphone and far clunkier. Add in a drop-proof case and the smartphone becomes a rugged terminal that fits in your hand.
Bluetooth apps for radios range from basic programming ot full fledged off grid messaging. Rattlegram is an app for messaging with any radio, even crappy FRS radios, and Briar does local messaging over WiFi and Bluetooth.
Other non-ham outdoor apps include Organic Maps for off-grid navigation, CivTAK for video game style map markers .and location sharing, GeoCaching for real-life treasure hunting, and HipCamp which is like AirBnB, but for campsites.
When I envision a desktop PC, I think of a comfortable office chair, multiple external monitors, a full-size keyboard, and a proper mouse. Basically the antithesis of a smartphone.
My dream ham shack computer is able to run both Linux and Android. My original idea was a 12v N100 miniPC that ran Linux and an Android emulator like Blue Stacks. Thanks to the AI bubble, mini PCs are now stupidly expensive. I shifted my focus to the Raspberry Pi. I love the Pi as a mobile server because it’s easy to run it off of a battery.
So the ideal hamshack setup for me now includes a Pi and a Samsung smartphone. Why Samsung? Because of Dex. It turns a samsung phone into a desktop, reminiscent of Windows95. I wouldn’t put Dex in the same class as an office PC, but it’ll run a couple of apps simultaneously. If I had a place for a full-sized keyboard, mouse, and monitor, like a shack or a camper, being able to plug either device into it would be a great boost to ergonomics and productivity.