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Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby MRG1 » Tue Dec 21, 2021 11:42 pm

motorlaunch wrote:One of fee. The maps are free.


Blimey, what's the catch?
:lol:
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby 37201xoIM » Wed Dec 22, 2021 12:22 am

MRG1 wrote:
motorlaunch wrote:One of fee. The maps are free.


Blimey, what's the catch?
:lol:

My sentiments exactly!! Do they want my left kidney or just my immortal soul in return?
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby WalkWithWallace » Wed Dec 22, 2021 10:09 am

With Back Country Navigator they're piggy backing the map data from Bing, hence why it's so cheap.
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby MRG1 » Wed Dec 22, 2021 11:39 am

MRG1 wrote:
37201xoIM wrote:
motorlaunch wrote:One of fee. The maps are free.


Blimey, what's the catch?
:lol:

My sentiments exactly!! Do they want my left kidney or just my immortal soul in return?




They don't even want to haggle! :D
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby MRG1 » Wed Dec 22, 2021 11:43 am

WalkWithWallace wrote:With Back Country Navigator they're piggy backing the map data from Bing, hence why it's so cheap.


And can it be downloaded so that it can be used offline?
I'm sorry if I keep asking but it genuinely sounds too cheap to be true.
Although I'm guessing that at some point OS might ask/tell Bing to close the loophole.
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby motorlaunch » Wed Dec 22, 2021 2:26 pm

Yes, you download the map tiles you want. The only limitation is that the file should not exceed 4gbit for each folder. As a consequence, I have split Scotland into 3 to fit the areas I want onto the phone.
Suggest you download the free app and look at what they offer.
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby MRG1 » Wed Dec 22, 2021 3:17 pm

motorlaunch wrote:Yes, you download the map tiles you want. The only limitation is that the file should not exceed 4gbit for each folder. As a consequence, I have split Scotland into 3 to fit the areas I want onto the phone.
Suggest you download the free app and look at what they offer.


I've already got it for a try out :thumbup:
One question, have you had a look at the XE version of the app?
It appears to be an annual subscription and I can't seem to find much on the difference between that at the Pro version.
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby motorlaunch » Wed Dec 22, 2021 4:43 pm

Had pro for maybe ten years now. Never looked at the XE version. Pro suits my needs. Cost £7 when I bought it. Suspect they will be watching how well Outdoor Active does with converting Viewranger users and will eventually do something similar to make us all subscription. They are currently focussed on developing a subcription app for the Iphone.
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby MRG1 » Wed Dec 22, 2021 4:52 pm

motorlaunch wrote:Had pro for maybe ten years now. Never looked at the XE version. Pro suits my needs. Cost £7 when I bought it. Suspect they will be watching how well Outdoor Active does with converting Viewranger users and will eventually do something similar to make us all subscription. They are currently focussed on developing a subcription app for the Iphone.


You make a good point about shifting their business to subscription.
Well, I'm sold. I think I'm to going to try the Pro version.
Can't be bad, downloadable OS maps for less than a pizza.
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby 37201xoIM » Sat Dec 25, 2021 6:53 pm

MRG1 wrote:
MRG1 wrote:
37201xoIM wrote:Blimey, what's the catch?
:lol:

My sentiments exactly!! Do they want my left kidney or just my immortal soul in return?




They don't even want to haggle! :D

LOL!

Presumably this is superior to Black Country Navigator, which is an excellent mapping app, provided your hillwalks are mostly centred around the Wolverhampton, Tipton and West Bromwich area.

(Sorry... I actually really did misread the name as such!)
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby MRG1 » Sun Dec 26, 2021 9:05 pm

37201xoIM wrote:LOL!

Presumably this is superior to Black Country Navigator, which is an excellent mapping app, provided your hillwalks are mostly centred around the Wolverhampton, Tipton and West Bromwich area.

(Sorry... I actually really did misread the name as such!)


I can assure you that it covers more than the Midlands :lol:
I downloaded the Backcountry navigator Pro app this afternoon and will try it out tomorrow but it looks pretty good so far.
There's less of the Openstreetmaps and their variants than on Alpinequest but the 25k and 50k OS maps are all there.
So I'm going to keep Backcountry navigator Pro & Alpinequest for my days out in the hills.
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby 37201xoIM » Sun Jan 16, 2022 12:42 pm

MRG1 wrote:
37201xoIM wrote:LOL!

Presumably this is superior to Black Country Navigator, which is an excellent mapping app, provided your hillwalks are mostly centred around the Wolverhampton, Tipton and West Bromwich area.

(Sorry... I actually really did misread the name as such!)


I can assure you that it covers more than the Midlands :lol:
I downloaded the Backcountry navigator Pro app this afternoon and will try it out tomorrow but it looks pretty good so far.
There's less of the Openstreetmaps and their variants than on Alpinequest but the 25k and 50k OS maps are all there.
So I'm going to keep Backcountry navigator Pro & Alpinequest for my days out in the hills.

Just wondering if you have indeed had a chance to give this one a try while out and about?

I've downloaded the Demo version and it works fine, and I'm pleased to see the developers reply to e-mails, so that inspires confidence too (was asking if I'll be OK with my paid content when I change phones - they say yes, fine because it's linked to your Google account).

The Demo version is asking me if I want to upgrade to Pro or XE... From what you and others have said above, it sounds as though Pro is the one to go for?
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby MRG1 » Wed Jan 19, 2022 11:24 am

37201xoIM wrote:
MRG1 wrote:
37201xoIM wrote:LOL!

Presumably this is superior to Black Country Navigator, which is an excellent mapping app, provided your hillwalks are mostly centred around the Wolverhampton, Tipton and West Bromwich area.

(Sorry... I actually really did misread the name as such!)


I can assure you that it covers more than the Midlands :lol:
I downloaded the Backcountry navigator Pro app this afternoon and will try it out tomorrow but it looks pretty good so far.
There's less of the Openstreetmaps and their variants than on Alpinequest but the 25k and 50k OS maps are all there.
So I'm going to keep Backcountry navigator Pro & Alpinequest for my days out in the hills.

Just wondering if you have indeed had a chance to give this one a try while out and about?

I've downloaded the Demo version and it works fine, and I'm pleased to see the developers reply to e-mails, so that inspires confidence too (was asking if I'll be OK with my paid content when I change phones - they say yes, fine because it's linked to your Google account).

The Demo version is asking me if I want to upgrade to Pro or XE... From what you and others have said above, it sounds as though Pro is the one to go for?



Yes I've given the Pro version a few tries and it works well.
The OS 25k and 50k maps are downloadable in areas chosen by the user as promised.
If you do get it might I suggest using the magnifying function though, it's handy.

For some reason the tracks I recorded with it gave me perfectly ok data other than things such as average speed and total time stationary.
It might just be the way I've set it up though. That doesn't bother me as I no longer use my phone to record tracks anyway.
Its battery usage seems ok. For instance: 6.6% of a 3400mah battery for recording a 3 hour track.
That was just recording though, I'd guesstimate that actually navigating with the app might use twice as much. Still pretty good.

That's good news about it being linked to the Google account, it was something I'd wondered.

I did try the free 7 day trial of the XE version.
It had many more functions but I have found that Pro is more than adequate for my needs.
I hope this helps.
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby 37201xoIM » Wed Jan 19, 2022 11:34 am

Ah, thanks a lot, MRG1. Yes, I've now downloaded the Pro version and think I'm beginning to get to grips with it.

That's a very good tip about the Magnifying function - one issue I have noticed is that the 1:50k maps do, on my phone's small-ish screen, come up with very small type etc. which is pretty hard to read, and of course if you zoom in it switches to 1:25k rather than magnifying the 1:50k. Not fatal as you can of course then magnify the 1:25k, but it would be good to be able to magnify generally. I need to work out how to find said function, to be honest...*

Now to plan a good hike around the Black Country - Tipton here I come! ;-)

* PS Ah yes, that'll be the big button right on the main screen, cunningly disguised by looking, err, like a big magnifying glass... Facepalm! (Well spotted, Batman!)
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Re: Ideas for Viewranger replacement.

Postby AyrshireAlps » Wed Jan 19, 2022 2:12 pm

For some reason the tracks I recorded with it gave me perfectly ok data other than things such as average speed and total time stationary.


I always assume that's down to the measuring device - Phone/sports watch/GPS unit, rather than the like of BCN. When on particularly steep ground, or moving very slowly, the unit assumes you are stationary and factors into average speed etc.

I've noticed it a few times on really steep stuff, know that I never stopped, but data telling me that I did.
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