Route Planning & Navigation

srhmoto

srhmoto

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Simon
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Anybody using the OS mapping app on the iPhone / iPad for route planning or navigation when out? If so, what are people's thoughts on it? Are there better alternatives out there?

Cheers,

Simon.
 
Used ViewRanger for years, brilliant app and you can buy map tiles for just the areas you want. Didn't like the OS app much.
 
I have subscribed to them. £20 odd a year you can't really complain.
I use it for plotting walks on the computer and then downloading the maps onto my phone as well as printing a hard copy map.

I also have a Garmin GPS so cam also download the GPX file onto that.
 
openstreetmap apps are also quite decent. quality of coverage is a little variable, but many apps are free
 
Not on the iPad but I have an android phone, but a huge amount of old memory map maps on my PC. For £15 I could use them unlimited on my phone, just needed a 128gb memory card to fit them on 88gb worth. Works well for me, gps puts you where you are, zooming controls which map you go to, at which detail.
Larger display than the mapping gps's but I have an old garmin 12 that I'd use for route following.
Trouble is, to start with memory map, I believe is now very expensive.
 
I'm in Florida and I am using navmii it's free. It doesn't use any data as long as you have data roaming disabled It can used in Europe and USA just load the maps one of the best free apps o have used
 
YES!

I use a combination of stuff Simon. both Android and IOS. Originally i used to use Ordnance Survey "Memory Map" with a Windows App and a PDA. Eventually our wonderful OS decided to update the software and low and behold the new software version would not read the old map file extensions (Bloody clever move OS). Anyhow in there infinite wisdom they offered a bolt on to the software that would read the old extensions for a mere £90 as i remember! Well there was an awful lot of peeved people like me around that had built up a considerable library of (Expensive) OS 1.25 maps. To cut a long story short i found this brilliant App called "Alpine Quest" (QUE Android device) this will read many Map formats and will allow you to create or download maps while online and save them to be viewed and used offline. You can import and export maps routes track and all the rest of the things you'd expect. You can get a freebe but for a few shekels you can get a proper version. Don't ask me how the freebe works can only speak for the paid version and its good. Sadly not available on IOS but at least all my maps are not redundant!

Going IOS another App i use is "Pocket Earth" this will allow you to create or download maps while online and save them to be viewed and used offline, I have used this quite extensively abroad, downloading maps from the likes of google saving them, so when i'm out of the country i can get all the map info you can also set it to pull up the Wikipedia info on POI's which is very useful and you can get Topo information (I think that's another couple of shekels extra).
Tracking etc works fine although i haven't gone into importing and exporting routes although clearly you can do that too.

With regard to GPS i always use an external Bluetooth receiver that way your never shafted for Data usage ..... Don't cry if your IOS, contrary to popular belief there are GPS receivers that work with IOS albeit very few!
This is a great one that i use http://www.gns-gmbh.com/index.php?id=233&L=1 obviously this will run on IOS as well as Android etc etc

I do have a big library of paper and waterproof OS maps and several compass which is always the first in my sac!!!
 
69Bonni said:
YES!

I use a combination of stuff Simon. both Android and IOS. Originally i used to use Ordnance Survey "Memory Map" with a Windows App and a PDA. Eventually our wonderful OS decided to update the software and low and behold the new software version would not read the old map file extensions (Bloody clever move OS). Anyhow in there infinite wisdom they offered a bolt on to the software that would read the old extensions for a mere £90 as i remember! Well there was an awful lot of peeved people like me around that had built up a considerable library of (Expensive) OS 1.25 maps. To cut a long story short i found this brilliant App called "Alpine Quest" (QUE Android device) this will read many Map formats and will allow you to create or download maps while online and save them to be viewed and used offline. You can import and export maps routes track and all the rest of the things you'd expect. You can get a freebe but for a few shekels you can get a proper version. Don't ask me how the freebe works can only speak for the paid version and its good. Sadly not available on IOS but at least all my maps are not redundant!

Going IOS another App i use is "Pocket Earth" this will allow you to create or download maps while online and save them to be viewed and used offline, I have used this quite extensively abroad, downloading maps from the likes of google saving them, so when i'm out of the country i can get all the map info you can also set it to pull up the Wikipedia info on POI's which is very useful and you can get Topo information (I think that's another couple of shekels extra).
Tracking etc works fine although i haven't gone into importing and exporting routes although clearly you can do that too.

With regard to GPS i always use an external Bluetooth receiver that way your never shafted for Data usage ..... Don't cry if your IOS, contrary to popular belief there are GPS receivers that work with IOS albeit very few!
This is a great one that i use http://www.gns-gmbh.com/index.php?id=233&L=1 obviously this will run on IOS as well as Android etc etc

I do have a big library of paper and waterproof OS maps and several compass which is always the first in my sac!!!
Click to expand...

It's my understanding that a GPS signal is completely independant of your data allocation on the phone. Hence you can access a GPS Signal with no problem, even when your phone is showing no service.
Additionally, you could turn off the data on your phone, but still be able to use a GPS Signal.
If the maps are preloaded onto the device, then it won't use any data at all, only if you are pulling the map information down from the net.
I used to use Memorymap, til they decided to switch the system and now it wont read any of my maps (strong move guys)
Another vote here for viewranger. Seems to work a treat the few times I have used it.
 
MattyW said:
It's my understanding that a GPS signal is completely independant of your data allocation on the phone. Hence you can access a GPS Signal with no problem, even when your phone is showing no service.
Additionally, you could turn off the data on your phone, but still be able to use a GPS Signal.
If the maps are preloaded onto the device, then it won't use any data at all, only if you are pulling the map information down from the net.
I used to use Memorymap, til they decided to switch the system and now it wont read any of my maps (strong move guys)
Another vote here for viewranger. Seems to work a treat the few times I have used it.
Click to expand...

Your Correct mate! It's only that if you use a device without a GPS receiver that you really need it (or if the GPS receiver on your device is crap). Although my wife did at one time decide to Navigate from the web .......... Abroad! Well i could have bought her a Sat Nav with the following bill!
 
69Bonni said:
Your Correct mate! It's only that if you use a device without a GPS receiver that you really need it (or if the GPS receiver on your device is crap). Although my wife did at one time decide to Navigate from the web .......... Abroad! Well i could have bought her a Sat Nav with the following bill!
Click to expand...


Eeeeek!
 
A useful aside, but if you turn the data roaming off on your phone, whilst abroad, and start navigating via the maps/google maps app on your phone whilst on Wifi, this will load the route up and give you navigation for the duration of your journey, without needing to use any data/incur any cost.
I've often logged onto the wifi at a service station to grab a route, then run the sat nav all the way to destination. Absolutely gratis.
 
jerry12953 said:
Eeeeek!
Click to expand...
That's not quite what i said to her Jerry, but its unrepeatable on here:eek:

MattyW said:
A useful aside, but if you turn the data roaming off on your phone, whilst abroad, and start navigating via the maps/google maps app on your phone whilst on Wifi, this will load the route up and give you navigation for the duration of your journey, without needing to use any data/incur any cost.
I've often logged onto the wifi at a service station to grab a route, then run the sat nav all the way to destination. Absolutely gratis.
Click to expand...
Don't rub it in Matty! that's an interesting point though(y)
 
I just use Google Maps on my Android phone (since I accidentally left my old sat nav in my car when I sold it (n):oops: :$ )

The great thing with Google Maps is that when you're on wifi you can download an area before you go. If you go into the "offline maps" part of the app, you can select an area to download, so that you can view if for 6 weeks or so without any internet. I did this for the whole of Manhattan when I went to NY on holiday. Meant I could still see the entire map in full detail, and use the blue GPS dot to find my way round, but it didn't use any data at all. I also did it for the Brecon Beacons at the weekend so I could navigate around with no internet.
 
I have a Garmin satnav so I use their Basecamp software on my PC and on my laptop. I plug the satnav into either device, Basecamp reads the map data from the satnav, and I can create waypoints and create a 'trip' consisting of one or more waypoints or routes. I then send the 'trip' to the Garmin and select it in the Apps/Trip Planner section. I also use FreeFileSync to sync the Garmin folder between the PC and the laptop.

This is great for when I'm out and about in the car. On foot I now use either Here Maps or Google Maps, though I've used ViewRanger, OS Maps, and OSMand (OS Mapping for Android) in the past. Each has its merits.
 
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