OS Map dowloads on Viewranger

[richardh1905]

VR osm maps do lack detail but not all osm maps are the same.  I have three on my GPS and more on my PC.  Some have more detail than OS, some less.

Can you recommend any?

[sussamb]

I use a mix depending on where I am:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B-BtzqG8Y_Z0fkwxRm5vOWNjOEdHZGlUTUYzM0p3dEFmaTVMcHowNjBsZ3RXUWh6QzVfMkU

http://www.freizeitkarte-osm.de/garmin/en/index.html

http://www.openfietsmap.nl/downloads/europe

[Ronin83]

Detail such as cliffs can be crucial if you have to go 'off piste' on steep terrain due to unforeseen circumstances, such as the weather turning unexpectedly.

No doubt. Thats good to know. My mountain experience is so far limited to Spain using orux maps. When I hit the lakes I'll be sure to use OS maps.
Cheers

[richardh1905]

I use a mix depending on where I am:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B-BtzqG8Y_Z0fkwxRm5vOWNjOEdHZGlUTUYzM0p3dEFmaTVMcHowNjBsZ3RXUWh6QzVfMkU

http://www.freizeitkarte-osm.de/garmin/en/index.html

http://www.openfietsmap.nl/downloads/europe

Thanks; I'll take a look.

[richardh1905]

No doubt. Thats good to know. My mountain experience is so far limited to Spain using orux maps. When I hit the lakes I'll be sure to use OS maps.
Cheers

In defence of ViewRanger Terrain, I do note that more mountain paths are marked than on the 1:25000 OS maps. See Ben Eighe as an example. Potentially useful for planning, in conjunction with the OS maps.

[jimbob]

VR also allows down load  of satellite maps also for offline use. So with the OS maps, all the free maps and an aerial view planning and ground coverage should be as good as you can get. Tracks and routes can be pre planned, swapped, bought, given away etc. 
Maps can be stored on sd memory cards on your device, saving on device internal memory. VR can be used offline which I do not believe OS app can.(I don't even have a sim in the phone I use)
Buddy beacon can be switched on ( online only) allowing others to track your walk live, dependant on phone coverage. I have used this but needed to use my normal day to day phone for this purpose.VRs problem is battery usage. I have to carry a battery bank which I carry in the form of a combined solar charger.   This is also true of the OS app.

[sussamb]

Never tried satellite with VR.  Is it free?

[Ronin83]

That's a lot of maps.
IdIlike to one day navigate 'naturally', without maps at all. Safe to say im a long way off that.

[jimbob]

Yep they are free.
Goto the VR learning centre and look at the VR free maps section. Explains about satellite  maps as well as Bing aerial maps . One type can be downloaded the other needs to be online.
When planning, difficult areas can also be screen printed saved as jpgs or pdf and carried on phone. Saves batteries and you can have a paper version if you want.
I have started printing out A5 sheets of my planned walks now in an experiment for myself to see if I need to buy any more paper maps.(*Actually only did one 5 miler, so far )

[sussamb]

Cheers.  I must have a look, would be useful for my SAR work.

[richardh1905]

Detail such as cliffs can be crucial if you have to go 'off piste' on steep terrain due to unforeseen circumstances, such as the weather turning unexpectedly.



For Example - I've just had a look at Ben Nevis - the Viewranger 'Landscape' map gives no hint of the nasty nature of the ground around the flanks of Five Finger Gully. And the 'Open Street' mapping is completely inadequate for use on the hill.


Edit - I've spotted another example of a line of cliffs not being marked - the north side of Glencoul, east of Kylesku.

…and, according to Viewranger Landscape, the Geldie Burn flows uphill !

[jimbob]

…and, according to Viewranger Landscape, the Geldie Burn flows uphill !

Maybe you should stick to VR OS maps then.
It's not impossible for water to flow upwards, many of us have seen it happen at Kinder Downfall.

[richardh1905]

Maybe you should stick to VR OS maps then.

Maybe I'll just stick to paper maps then   


PS - If I did use Viewranger, I most certainly would pay for the OS map upgrade.

[jimbob]

I recently printed out maps on A5 for a 5 mile walk . It was good enough for me to dispense with an OS paper map  I also had the pictures of the maps saved to my phone, but that was a waste of time given that I had better resolution on the same phone with VR OS maps.I believe that if I was doing a very long walk I wouldn't want to use print outs, as again not enough distance per page. I could not justify buying an A3 printer etc just for the saving on a few maps which I can use for the rest of my life.
I search the local charity shops for OS maps, I've only been lucky twice over the last three years.

[Ronin83]

Being reasonable, rambling to hill walking in a lot of Britain(well especially England), you really don't need much. It's not exactly death defying and you're rarely that far from civilisation(unfortunately).
Ive done walks with just a black and white A4 printout and guess what, I didn't die. I think people can get a bit OTT with things sometimes, packing their big old bags to the brim.


Mountains? Ok that's another story.


Saying all that I'll always remember TP on walks. Won't make that mistake twice.