woodsthing
ArboristSite Lurker
Who has electronic gadgets that make things easier? Who bought one and eventually left it at home or tucked away?
While I've always gone for tools/accessories that make things easier/faster/safer on the job (i.e. big shot, lightweight bars, eight different kinds of caribiners, ten types of wedges, etc), I find myself temped to justify a couple of Electronic Gadgets this spring... As a self-employed tree guy, I've only bought what I really needed or could justify in one direct manner or other- The Laptop and iPhone were recent stretches of my justification, but now am grasping at straws with my newest techie "crushes".
First and almost conventional is a Helmet Cam in the form of a GoPro Hero2, I get short vids and okay pics with my iPhone, but on the coolest jobs, it feels like I have the least time to walk around and take pics- and the in-tree vids i've seen are pretty cool... This is purely a toy purchase, but it kinda ties in with my other gadget.
Next, would be a tablet, like an iPad... I don't need or want one at home, but a buddy who does a bit of spelunking and a lot of para-sailing shows off his awesome helmet cam vids on his tablet and makes me jealous of all the free time he has... This has got me thinking: Would this combo be useful (and more importantly) cost beneficial, to use to show potential customers past work?
Any thoughts on this? The combined cost for these two would cost me the equivalent of a month or so of fuel, a quarter of my yearly advertising, a fully equipped 460, a few good ropes, or any number of other expenses I already have...
While I've always gone for tools/accessories that make things easier/faster/safer on the job (i.e. big shot, lightweight bars, eight different kinds of caribiners, ten types of wedges, etc), I find myself temped to justify a couple of Electronic Gadgets this spring... As a self-employed tree guy, I've only bought what I really needed or could justify in one direct manner or other- The Laptop and iPhone were recent stretches of my justification, but now am grasping at straws with my newest techie "crushes".
First and almost conventional is a Helmet Cam in the form of a GoPro Hero2, I get short vids and okay pics with my iPhone, but on the coolest jobs, it feels like I have the least time to walk around and take pics- and the in-tree vids i've seen are pretty cool... This is purely a toy purchase, but it kinda ties in with my other gadget.
Next, would be a tablet, like an iPad... I don't need or want one at home, but a buddy who does a bit of spelunking and a lot of para-sailing shows off his awesome helmet cam vids on his tablet and makes me jealous of all the free time he has... This has got me thinking: Would this combo be useful (and more importantly) cost beneficial, to use to show potential customers past work?
Any thoughts on this? The combined cost for these two would cost me the equivalent of a month or so of fuel, a quarter of my yearly advertising, a fully equipped 460, a few good ropes, or any number of other expenses I already have...