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Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby MRG1 » Tue Dec 07, 2021 5:56 pm

AyrshireAlps wrote:Turn off Bluetooth too, that'll save more power. Aye, smartwatch should have a more accurate track than a phone, it's a dedicated GPS chipset.


I wondered how the watch could be better than the phone, I think you've hit the nail on the head regarding the chipset :thumbup:
I had already worked out that unpairing the watch and phone gave me more battery life but I mostly walk in a group so I leave Bluetooth on 24/7 in order to run the covid contact tracing app. To be fair it uses less than 1% a day.

FYI I've just found two great wee apps, All-in-one-offline-maps (free) and its big brother Alpinequest (£8.99 one off fee).
No OS maps but they both offer downloads of the Thunderoad maps. The Alpinequest just offers more tools.
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby MRG1 » Tue Dec 07, 2021 5:58 pm

Glengavel wrote:Bluetooth seems to really tax my mobile phone battery, much more than WiFi.


Are you running on your Bluetooth?
Because I leave mine on 24/7 and it uses less than 1% a day.
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby WalkWithWallace » Mon Dec 13, 2021 9:13 am

If you downloaded map tiles with ViewRanger (VR) over the years, they are now offering you to download your legacy maps on OutdoorActive (OA), I tried and despite several attempts, couldn't get it to work. Really don't like the OA app at all, so I'm finished with VR/OA.

I've been trying TopoGPS and Locus side by side, I'm swaying towards the latter now. Just feels like a more polished app to me. Bit more expensive for maps, I paid £3.60 for the whole of the Cheviots, but that includes 1:50 and 1:25K.
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby MRG1 » Mon Dec 13, 2021 12:25 pm

WalkWithWallace wrote:If you downloaded map tiles with ViewRanger (VR) over the years, they are now offering you to download your legacy maps on OutdoorActive (OA), I tried and despite several attempts, couldn't get it to work. Really don't like the OA app at all, so I'm finished with VR/OA.

I've been trying TopoGPS and Locus side by side, I'm swaying towards the latter now. Just feels like a more polished app to me. Bit more expensive for maps, I paid £3.60 for the whole of the Cheviots, but that includes 1:50 and 1:25K.


I managed to get the Outdoor Active legacy maps to work BUT they only work online and can't be downloaded unless you subscribe to their service. However, I've kept the Outdoor Active app to use the legacy maps for planning walks.
I got the maps to work by "syncing" Outdoor Active
app then signing out then back in.

I've decided on Alpinequest for most of my walking but I'm going to keep both Locus and Topo GPS to try OS maps on both when I'm doing a walk that I feel warrants the extra detail.

I didn't realise that the Ordnance survey map costs
on Locus included both 1:25k & 1:50k. That does make them good value.
One question: are the digital OS maps on Locus exactly the same areas as the paper maps?

The reason for keeping TopoGPS is that I like the idea of zooming in to purchase only the tiles I need.
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby jolly47roger » Mon Dec 13, 2021 9:15 pm

Locus also offer a map based on OS Opendata - I think the Lowlands are free and the Highlands less than a tenner.
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby MRG1 » Tue Dec 14, 2021 4:47 pm

jolly47roger wrote:Locus also offer a map based on OS Opendata - I think the Lowlands are free and the Highlands less than a tenner.


I'm wondering if those are similar to the Openstreetmap Topo maps available on Alpinequest.
Attachments
Screenshot_20211214_154348.jpg
Zoomed out on the Ochill hills
Screenshot_20211214_154019.jpg
Zoomed into Dunfermline
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby MRG1 » Tue Dec 14, 2021 5:04 pm

jolly47roger wrote:Locus also offer a map based on OS Opendata - I think the Lowlands are free and the Highlands less than a tenner.


What am I saying, I've got those maps on Locus. Doh :crazy:

I've got the Locus lowlands map and I also managed to get the Scotland OAM map free.
For comparison I've enclosed screenshots to compare with Alpinequest for anyone reading the thread.
Attachments
Screenshot_20211214_155234.jpg
Ochill hills Locus OAM
Screenshot_20211214_155258.jpg
Ochill hills Locus lowlands
Screenshot_20211214_155329.jpg
Dunfermline locus OAM
Screenshot_20211214_155315.jpg
Dunfermline locus lowlands
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby AyrshireAlps » Wed Dec 15, 2021 9:39 am

Ochill hills Locus lowlands


Is there another level of zoom that shows fencelines/dykes?.
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby WalkWithWallace » Wed Dec 15, 2021 11:14 am

Locus map sections mirror the OS 1:25K Explorer maps. 8)
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Screenshot_20211215_101125_menion.android.locus.pro.jpg
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby MRG1 » Wed Dec 15, 2021 12:34 pm

AyrshireAlps wrote:
Ochill hills Locus lowlands


Is there another level of zoom that shows fencelines/dykes?.


The locus maps I showed there can be zoomed extremely close but none of the free maps seem to show the fence lines or dykes.

That's one of the reasons I went with Alpinequest, more maps available for download with details like the fencelines / boundaries.
At least two of the Openstreetmaps show them (Landscape and Opentopo).
They're not as detailed as Ordnance survey maps but they will serve most of my walks well.
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby MRG1 » Wed Dec 15, 2021 12:48 pm

WalkWithWallace wrote:Locus map sections mirror the OS 1:25K Explorer maps. 8)


Ok, thanks 👍

In that case I'll probably lean towards Locus when I do need an Ordnance Survey map.
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby 37201xoIM » Sat Dec 18, 2021 5:24 pm

This is a really useful thread - thanks a lot to the previous posters!

Am I right in thinking that both TopoGPS and Locus allow you to purchase and download OS maps at 1:25k? For that specific purpose (obviously in the hillwalking context), any views as to which is superior - and would I be right in guessing that both are better than OS Maps' own app?

I too am a "refugee" from Viewranger, and still slightly in shock, even if VR did have silly features I never used (social networking, 3D imaging......)

Thanks again!
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby WalkWithWallace » Sat Dec 18, 2021 8:46 pm

Locus is edging it for me, feels more of a polished app. Ironically back in the day I had Locus before I ever had Viewranger. Shame about VR, its a cracking app. Wonder how many customers they lost?

OS app just didn't do it for me, bit clunky and I don't like the way you download the sections you need offline.
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby MRG1 » Sun Dec 19, 2021 12:03 pm

37201xoIM wrote:This is a really useful thread - thanks a lot to the previous posters!

Am I right in thinking that both TopoGPS and Locus allow you to purchase and download OS maps at 1:25k? For that specific purpose (obviously in the hillwalking context), any views as to which is superior - and would I be right in guessing that both are better than OS Maps' own app?

I too am a "refugee" from Viewranger, and still slightly in shock, even if VR did have silly features I never used (social networking, 3D imaging......)

Thanks again!


I haven't yet tried purchasing an OS map from either but so I don't really feel qualified to comment on that. WalkWithWallace is your go-to on that.
The only thing I would say is that I'm with Wallace on the Locus app feeling better made, I tried it with some of it's free maps to track a walk and I liked it. The only reason I went with Alpinequest is because of its good selection after a small one-off fee. What can I say, I'm a skin flint :D

To expand a little on what they said though: I'm not sure if you're aware but if you've bought an OS paper map in the last few years then they all have a scratch off bit that leads to a code allowing you to download an offline version of that map.
No extra costs, you just need to sign-up for a free OS account.
It's not my favourite app though, Wallace's description of "clunky" hit the nail on the head.

I feel your pain on VR.
I very rarely used it's social side but in all other regards it was solid.

It's replacement has a rating of 1.5 out of 5 stars on the Google play store from 7000 reviews and 1 million+ downloads. That says it all. In my opinion they really missed an opportunity to make a great app even better. Shame.
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby MRG1 » Sun Dec 19, 2021 12:07 pm

WalkWithWallace wrote:Shame about VR, its a cracking app. Wonder how many customers they lost?


I suspect that they have lost loads of customers, The Outdoor Active app is being slated on the Google play store.
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