Rating your iPhone GPS mapping app

[andrewbish]

I use my iPhone as GPS in the field. My preferred apps are Mud-maps and Motion-X. With Mud-maps I purchased a bundle of 1:25,000 VicMaps tiles. They're great maps, but moving between tiles is a pain. Motion-X has a ton of features. It uses OSM maps and you can download sections for offline use.

A quick search reveals a bunch of other iPhone GPS apps:
- Handy GPS
- Gaia
- Avenza PDF Maps
- Galileo Offline maps (By Trail Behind)
- Offline maps (by Trail Behind)
- Maps n Trax
- Mapout
- Maps.Me
- OS Maps
- Memory Map

I'm keen to hear from users of these or any other iPhone GPS apps. In particular, what do you/don't you like about the apps you use/have used? Would you recommend it?

Andrew

PS. l know there are good discussions to be had about iPhone vs Android vs eTrex, etc. Let's leave that for a separate thread.

[thejungleisneutral]

Some of the nav apps are cross-platform. For instance, I use Avenza PDF Maps on my Android device. It works perfectly with the NSW LPI E-Topo maps which are geocoded PDFs of the same paper maps I carry.

Great for checknav on the move and it's an offline system. First time I used the Avenza PDF Maps app was during a Katoomba to Mittagong back in September and it performed flawlessly. My only gripe with the app is that I had to manually select each new map sheet. I'd still recommend it.

[pastavore]

I'm a big fan of ViewRanger.

[andrewbish]

I'm a big fan of ViewRanger.

Thanks. Anything you particularly like or don't like about it?

[pastavore]

I'm a big fan of ViewRanger.

Thanks. Anything you particularly like or don't like about it?

Free, can use OSM if you choose, cache maps offline, upload tracks and waypoints, never had any problems with reliability, seems to work on multiple platforms.


Haven't really tried any of the alternatives, as this does what I want/expect.


I am still lusting after an etrex 20 or 30, primarily because they don't run out of power after a few hours like a phone, and you can replace the batteries. And a bit more robust mounted to the front of a MTB.

[andrewa]

Recently used Gaia in NZ. We were in a deepish gorge for 4 days, and it kept "telling me" I hadn't moved! Given that we couldn't log onto the Iridium network with our sat phone whilst in that area, I presume we "hadn't moved" coz it hadn't been able to get a sat signal - I just wish it had informed me that there was inadequate satellite signal to find the location!

As to battery power with iPhones, I used my iPhone extensively for photos and video over the week we were there (everything else turned off, as no phone or Internet where we were) and a few times a day used Gaia, and was able to keep the phone going for the week using a 7200mAh battery pack ( which has just been replaced with a 10000mAh solar rechargeable Poweradd Apollo 2, which should be better).

I like the setup of Gaia, but you do need a satellite signal for it to work! ( as with all of them....). I was going to take my Garmin E30, but somehow seem to have deleted all the mapping programs from the software - erk).

A

[Walking_addict]

Someone in a thread on this forum mentioned Mapout a couple of weeks ago, got it (only $6.49 I think it was)..
Brilliant from what I've seen so far.
Downloaded maps for all oz, great topo and trails detail, checked many of the Adelaide hills trails I know well, vic, tas, remote 4wd, etc, and all there.
Also remote tracks in Nepal and PNG are there (maps worldwide, and offshore for you boaties / yakkers).

Had view ranger but never got around to using it, and removed after Mapout download.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Drew]

I've used MotionX for a few years and find it to be pretty good. It was very useful on Monday helping me find the way down King Spur from Mount Koonika! In that instance the track I wanted wasn't marked on the map in the app (despite being marked on both the Spatial Visions and VicMaps of the area) which was a little annoying, but being able to get grid references meant I could locate myself well on the Spatial Visions map.

One negative is that most features aren't labelled on the maps.

I never use the app to record tracks, as it sucks too much battery. I always put my phone on airplane mode for a walk, and just turn off off airplane when I need to use the GPS. With a few photos and maybe some text messages when I have reception on a summit, the phone battery easily lasts 3 or 4 days.

[DanShell]

I use Maps n Trax on my iPhone 6. I don't have anything else to compare it too.

The reason I use it or what I like about it is that I can put the tas gov list maps into it to use offline. I do not use it as a bread crumb gps as such because of the battery usage. I use my iPhone for photos. But when I am in doubt or my garmin gps's map isn't showing me want I need to see, I load up maps n trax and have a quick look. It has helped me several times.

[sunnyape]

I was going to say Back Country Navigator, but it's only available on Android. I have it on my main Android phone and use for random navigation, but have it on an old HTC Desire that I use for my emergency GPS when trekking. It's fantastic and always improving.