'REM MAPS' MAPPING GEAR THROUGH THE YEARS - 3
	Ph: Francesca Minetto
	REVOLUTION - 2015
After some internet research, but mostly thanks to the suggestions from Tiago Aires e Raquel Costa - Portoguese mappers, it starts a revolution in my mapping gear. No more paper and pencil, but tablet survey. I buy an old and ugly Samsung Q1 Ultra tablet running Windows XP and OCAD. At the beginning it was tough, but then it was a clear 'no turning back': with tablet surveying the work is faster and the final map will be much better. Scanner and scissors are sidelined and spare batteries (needed to keep alive the tablet for the daily surveying) get in. Back to home/hotel the tablet is connected with its keyboard and it becomes a sort of desktop PC. 7" screen is quite small for drawing at home, and it is much better to connect it with a VGA cable to a bigger monitor. Sometimes I bring a monitor with me, sometimes it is provided by hotel/club. For Hampstead Heath map in London I couldn't find a monitor and I managed to draw the big map all on the 7", while in Split (Croatia) I ended drawing on a huge 40" screen hanged on the wall. Handheld GPS gives way to a simpler GPS receiver (HOLUX M 1000), that I use to tape on the hat. Samsung Q1 Ultra tablet was bought (second hand) for 200 EUR on e-bay, but after one year it collapsed, basically for the neverending rain I got in Zebio-Asiago. Luckily I could easily replace it (with the same model) in less than one week. A set of 3 batteries helps me to survey for as long as 10 hours in a row. A small stylus pen is used on the resistive screen. The screen needs to be protected by a transparent film (to be replaced once in a while) as the stylus scratches the surface at every touch. It's compulsory to recharge the batteries and the GPS unit every night in order to be able to work the next day.