Glove friendly capacitive touchscreen with programmable hard buttons for a multitude of touch and motion gestures allowing easy control in almost any condition.
1024x758 6" flexible E-ink screen designed by PVI provides superior visibility in direct sunlight."Lunar" mode for nighttime illumination also doubles as an emergency lantern.
Water/dust/shock/mud-proof. IP68 rated, allowing full submersion in 2 meters of water for 1 hour. Reliable in temperatures between 0-50 °C. and altitudes up to 40,000 feet.
Laminated solar panel provides up to 20 hours of battery (3100mAh). Earl charges in 5 hours in direct sunlight using high efficiency 22% mono crystalline solar cells.
Our crowdfunding campaign may be over but you can still preorder Earl, starting at $299. As a backer, you're helping fund the production of Earl. To show our thanks, backers not only receive Earl at 15% off retail, you will also receive this prorated discount toward all future purchases and upgrades!
Earl is available in your choice of color, Coal or Snow. Earl comes preloaded with 100k resolution topo base maps covering the United States, Canada and Mexico. Upgrade Earl to 24k resolution topo maps on microSD for an additional $50.
Questions about Earl
What type of GPS does Earl use?
Earl is GPS, GLONASS (Russian GPS) and WAAS (land-based, Wide Area Augmentation System) compatible. Using up to 50 channels, Earl is able to track up to 20 satellites at once with accuracy of up to 3 meters with 30 second cold start fix at 5 Hz using the NMEA 0183 protocol.
How does Earl know the weather?
Earl uses a thermometer for measuring temperature, hygrometer for measuring the water density of air (humidity) with dew point, and a barometer for measuring air pressure and altitude.
What radio frequencies can I use Earl with?
GMRS or General Mobile Radio Service: 15 channels, up to 20 miles with 2 watts of power. PMR446 (Europe). UHFCB (AU/NZ)
Does Earl require specific gloves?
Using an capacitive touchscreen rated for use outdoors, Earl is compatible with all styles of gloves.
How long is the battery life under actual use?
Earl was designed with the weekend backpacker in mind. With a 3100mAh battery, Earl's battery lasts around 20 hours. Data logging intervals and sensors settings can be changed to increase battery life. Use the attached solar panel to keep Earl charged on the go.
Can I use Earl to connect to the internet?
Sure. Earl is a full- featured Android tablet with bluetooth and wifi included. Choose from thousands of apps already available for Android and use Earl to share GPX and KML routes and waypoints with users around the world.
What are the dimensions and weight?
Earl's rugged shell is 178mm x 125mm x 15mm and weighs about 400 grams. Dimensions and weight of the final product may change but will be very close to these.
Does Earl's GPS really work anywhere?
Earl combines GPS with its internal magnetometer, accelerometer and gyroscope to accurately track your position in dense vegetation and dense urban areas when a direct line of site cannot be acquired.
How can Earl help in an emergency?
Quickly access Earl's two-way radio features to signal for rescue. Combine a heart rate monitor and Earl can send out an alert when sensing a loss or extreme change in BPM.
What radio bands can Earl listen to?
Worldwide FM band (64–108 MHz). Worldwide AM band (520–1710 kHz). Shortwave band (2.3–21.85 MHz). Longwave band (153–279 KHz). NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Weather Band using SAME technology (162 MHz).
Does Earl work at night? Does it have a flashlight?
Earl's has a front-light which illuminates it's screen in dark conditions. It's bright enough to use as a lantern if you need some extra light around camp.
Can I charge Earl without using the solar panel?
Every Earl comes with a durable USB lanyard that can be used to transfer data and charge Earl when the sun's out of sight.
Does Earl have a camera built in?
We designed Earl to last for years to come. Current smart device cameras are expensive and constantly evolving. So opted to exclude this from Earl's current design.
Does Earl only work in North America?
Earl works worldwide, and will be preloaded with a worldwide basemap. We've designed the VHF/UHF transceiver to work worldwide so you'll be able to connect no matter if your in North America, Europe or Australia.
Questions about ordering
What is crowdfunding?
The collective effort of individuals who network and pool their money, usually via the Internet, to support efforts initiated by other people or organizations. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowd_funding
What happens if the funding goal is not met?
If we are unable to meet our goal before June 9th, preorder payments will be refunded in full. In addition, backers can cancel their pledge at anytime during the campaign.
Does Earl come with a warranty?
We want to set a standard behind the quality of our design. If Earl breaks, send it back and we'll send you a replacement at no charge.
When will I receive my reward?
We're on track to start production in January and if all goes to plan, we'll have Earl in your hands ready for spring hiking. Our goal right now is to deliver in February. Delays in certification and manufacturing may increase delivery times.
What can I do to help?
Share with your friends, email it to your dad and tell a random hiker on the trail about it. If you have an idea about Earl, you can share it below. And of course, back Earl by making a preorder pledge!
What will backers' money be used for?
Manufacturing discounts for components used in Earl start in 1,000 part quantities. So we've set our goal on based on a thousand units. Funds raised during our campaign will be used for final development, certification and production of Earl.
Does Earl have a contract or monthly fees?
Nope. You can use Earl to connect with friends over walkie talkie while on the trail or wifi when you're at home. Relay route and location information - even share weather data. Completely Free! Anywhere, anytime.
When will my credit card be charged?
Payments are processed at the time of order. This allows us to proceed with development as soon as our goal is met.
Where can I learn more about the development process?
We've started a blog here. Check back often to see our progress and learn more about the development of Earl.
I'm not sure if I am ready to fund, can you send me a reminder?
Sure thing, just above this section to the right of the share links is an email reminder form. We promise not to spam, we'll remind you a few days before our campaign ends.
