A few Android Apps that I find helpful living off grid.

This article is about some Android Apps that I find to be rather helpful for living off-grid, property caretaking and homesteading but they can also be useful outside that situation.

First: I would like to mention a few ways to tether an Android device to share it's internet connection because I think that it is perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of living off-grid and still being able to communicate with the 'outside' world.

For USB tethering I would have to say that hands down I have found an App named EasyTether to be the most reliable. I have used it for nearly eight years and it has yet to fail me in doing what it's developers designed it for. It also has a Bluetooth tethering function and although I have used it when the need arose I have mainly used it's USB tethering function instead. The free version caps https usage after five hundred megabytes but all http traffic still works after the cap is reached. It is absolutely worth buying the full version of this App. I strongly suggest remembering the email used to register it and also writing down the activation code for your device in case you have to factory reset the device or otherwise re-install the App itself. The activation (registration) is device specific but you can contact the developers and change the registration to a different device if need be. The App itself can be downloaded from the developer site along with the required drivers for various operating systems. Because the App can evade the 'tethering guard' on some devices it cannot be found on any official 'App Market'.

For WiFi tethering I would have to say that PdaNet+ with the FoxFi Add-On is definitely worth the money. It also has a Bluetooth tethering function that I have used on occasion but primarily I have used it's WiFi Hotspot function. I have been using it now for nearly five years and other than an occasional random crash the App has performed flawlessly for my needs. It is worth noting that using an Android device as a WiFi Hotspot tends to rapidly drain the battery, make the device run hot and can cause it to turn itself off if it overheats. To help prevent overheating I turn the screen off, remove the battery cover (if possible) and built a small cardboard box with a fan to help keep the device cool. To secure the battery in the device I just put a rubber band around the device to hold it in place. It is worth noting that the App also has a USB tethering option but since there is not a Linux driver for it I have never used it.

Second: I would like to mention a great way to map a property and also be able to discern distances, determine elevations, and make markers on the created map to make notes or just mark items or features of the property. My Tracks is the name of the App and although newer versions of it can be downloaded from 'App Markets' I have found that for my needs the older versions work very well and are simpler to use. It is worth mentioning that the maps can be exported in various formats and also can be uploaded to online map services where they can be further edited or added to. You can also create multiple maps and then merge them into one map via an online service or mapping software on a computer.

Third: I would like to mention the value of having a really good Notepad (Text Editor) App. I have tried several over the years but the one made by the developer 'Bander' is my favorite. It is a very simple App and allows for importing and exporting of text files. One thing worth mentioning is that when exporting 'notes' (as they are called in the App) each 'note' needs to have a unique name or else the export will fail.

Fourth: If you are like me and often need a dictionary but have limited cellular service a good off-line dictionary is very handy. The best one that I have found is an App called Dictionary+ and I must say that although I only recently began using it I have found it to be very useful.

Fifth: If you like being able to see a real-time weather radar I highly recommend an App named Raindar. It is a very basic App without any frills and uses minimal bandwidth. It has a satellite view and topographic view. I have used this App extensively over the years and highly recommend it.

Thanks for reading and Good Luck!