Viewranger replacement

[steve271]

Steve271 - does the OS app not do those things?  I am not sure about the screen on when sleeping the phone as I've never done that.

It doesn't let you zoom in as far as you want, and there's no way to stop the map rotating. VR Support tell me these are both feature enhancements on their list.

These are both show-stoppers for me, they are not quite so important when walking but using the app while cycling/running/driving they mean I just can't use it.

[pdstsp]

I wasn't aware of the rotating - I guess I've never noticed - as for scrolling I manage to get it pretty close when handheld - I can't imagine it being much use if I got closer, but understand what you are saying if its mounted some way from you on the bike.  Have you had a look at Xpedition2, Satmaps own app?  I know on the unit you can lock the screen to North up etc, but not tried on the phone app.

[ninthace]

I have the OS app and the map remains N to the top on both Apple tablet and Android Phone.  I can't find a way of making it otherwise in the settings.  Max zoom on my phone gives 8mm high caps in the smallest font on the 25000 map without pixellation.

[Dread]

I don't think previously bought VR maps will be accessble through OA. Someone has also said as much, possibly earlier in this thread.

Technically it is doubtful too. VR uses a [far superior IMO] vector format for maps, whereas OA uses simple map images. This is one reason why OA maps take up much more space than VR maps and also go fuzzy when zoomed in.

So I doubt they are going to make OA able to read VR maps, even if they wanted to.

(Vector format basically means that it stores information about the map, rather than a simple picture of it. Think of it as the difference between storing the text of a newpaper page (a few thousand characters, for example these can be printed in any size or format without any quality loss) and a picture of the same page (hugely larger and there is no 'knowledge' in the picture about what is in it).

Thanks for that Steve. Might as well stick with VR as long as I can then. It'll be hard for them to kill it outright but I'm sure an Android/iOS update will eventually see it off. I have Backcountry and Maverick as well so I'm not stuck. It would be nice if there was a way of converting the VR tiles to use in other programs.

[frustin]

Used outdooractive for the first time on a 15mile walk this weekend. I've migrated from VR (plus walks).


Couple of things i've noticed:


1. i cant see how long is left in my walk - there must be a way surely?
2. if i pocket my iphone and bring it back out, the map redraws itself (0.5 secs) each time
3. rotating map is a bit irksome, i prefer it to be set to north.
4. VR feature i miss: tap the route and it turns red (or blue i cant remember) and it shows the distance markers
5. it crashed a couple of times while i was putting a route on there ready to go, so i didnt want to poke around too much with the options while on the walk itself


EDIT:


If VR subscriptions are no longer being taken what's the point of them sending out email promotions on it? Really annoys me, because i'd have just signed up for another year of VR rather than go to outdooractive.

[ninthace]

Just had the final email from ViewRanger today closing my download royalties account and asking where to send the cash.  Good job I decided not to go professional!


Sad day though.  I shall miss VR when it finally goes.  I have used it both in the UK and in various other countries and, in my opinion, of all the navigation apps and gadgets I have had, it remains the best in terms of functionality and ease of use.

Salve et Vale

[Glyno]

I got a bit of encouraging news from the people at Viewranger...


Basically, there are no plans to close VR as yet, though there'll be no more development, subscriptions or sales, only maintenance and support.

[Dread]

Perhaps Outdooractive are only interested in subscribers and have effectively bought out that part of the Viewranger operation. VR will push all subscribers their way and the others can stay. OA doesn't have a credit system so there's no money to be made from people who won't but a years worth of maps. The trouble is how much support and maintenance VR carry out on a much reduced income.

[ninthace]

The trouble is VR’s indigenous mapping is not great quality and there is now no way to get better mapping by subscription.  OK if you are a follow the line on the screen kind of walker but less helpful if you want to know which side of the hedge line you should be on.

Also, I believe the useful safety feature, Buddy Beacon, has also transferred to OutdoorActive.

To get OS mapping from OA is £2.50  a month, cf the price of an OS app subscription of £23.99 with auto renewal or £3.99 a month.  It really depends on how you value the other features. OA will record a trace while following a route, with  the OS app it is either or. The OA user support is really on the ball, the OS, less so.

On the other hand, if you have all the maps you need from past VR subscription, stick with it while they last then decide.

As to other apps, such as Backcountry, I have no experience so cannot comment.

[sussamb]

If you have buddy beacon on VR it still works but you can't now add it.

[Dread]

You can still buy credits and map tiles which is what I always did anyway. I'm a bit loathe to buy anymore though as the tiles will only work in VR and the app may well be on its last legs.

[steve271]

Yes I suspect VR will continue to work until some change in Android means they would have to make a more-than-trivial change to their code, so it will just stop working properly. I suspect that will bring about it's final demise, and could happen at any time. So I can't see it's worth buying any more VR stuff, even if you still could.
For those you use the OS app, can I ask if you find it reliable? The reviews on Google Play are mostly negative, although it does have the advantage of a £3.99 per month offer, so I could try it with little risk.
Apart from the OS app, I have just about settled on Memory Map as my other main contender. This gives you full OS maps on subscription for about £40 a year. It has a proper 'full screen' mode, which I like. It has no frills - basically just maps and simple tracking/route plotting - which I like too. Disadvantages include that it doesn't have maps for many areas (it has France but not Italy, for example), so it's not a one-stop solution.
Another app I came across is Locus Map - I liked lots of things about this (apart from it's complicated and confusing range of purchase and membership options) but it's main flaw for me is that it only allows you to buy individual OS sheets for about £2 - £4 each, and has no subscription option.

[ninthace]

Steve,
I have found the OS websiite is an excellent planning tool for UK walking,  It is gives access to OS mapping with the option to switch to aerial imagery to check the route.  Saving the route makes it available to you on the app so you can use it to navigate. The option to save an offline map means you are not reliant on a phone signal.
Be aware that in the app, recoirding a track or following a route are either or.  You cannot do both in the current iteration of the software.  It has had some problems in the past, hence the bad reviews but now it runs just fine, or at least my Windows 10 PC and Samsung Phone has no problems at all.

[Guy]

Another app I came across is Locus Map - I liked lots of things about this (apart from it's complicated and confusing range of purchase and membership options) but it's main flaw for me is that it only allows you to buy individual OS sheets for about £2 - £4 each, and has no subscription option.

I've been using Locus Map for a month now, and overall I'm impressed.  If OS maps are an absolute requirement then I agree their current licensing rules is problematic.


However, I've generally found that nowadays open street map data is as good (if not better) than OS maps - at least in the areas that I walk.  I'm using a custom map theme (Voltunary MapsForge) with downloaded openandromaps (openstreetmap) of the UK  in Locus Map.  This theme gives OS style rendering of the openstreetmap data.  This works well for me.


I also like that this means I have the equivalent of 1:25k mapping for the whole of the UK downloaded on my phone.

[Guy]

Be aware that in the [OS] app, recoirding a track or following a route are either or.  You cannot do both in the current iteration of the software.

What?!  That is crazy.  That's literally what I want to do all the time - follow a route *and* record the track!