Author Topic: Viewranger replacement  (Read 23680 times)

Guy

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Viewranger replacement
« on: 11:06:49, 02/04/21 »
With ViewRanger going the way of the dodo, I'm looking for a replacement.  Functionality I'm looking for:


- Import/export of GPX to/from PC

- Off route alarm with configurable distance off route
- Downloadable maps
- Display speed based on elapsed (not moving) time
- OS grid reference
- OS maps (nice to have not essential)
- Buddy beacon (nice to have not essential)


Can anyone recommend a decent android app?

forgotmyoldpassword

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Re: Viewranger replacement
« Reply #1 on: 11:29:17, 02/04/21 »
The OS Maps app might fit the bill?


Not sure what is happening with Viewranger though, I've used it for a few years and doesn't seem to be noticeably worse at anything.  Have you read a news update about something in particular?

ninthace

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Re: Viewranger replacement
« Reply #2 on: 11:30:59, 02/04/21 »
Has the demise of VR been announced?  Not seen that.
What functionality does its partner OutdoorActive lack?

The OS app is certainly not as good in terms of functionlity yet.
My go to is Garmin but that requires a dedicated unit.
Solvitur Ambulando

Guy

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Re: Viewranger replacement
« Reply #3 on: 12:13:09, 02/04/21 »
You can no longer renew your ViewRanger subscription.  The app will continue to work for a while, but clearly at some point it'll be killed off entirely / they'll be an OS upgrade and it will stop working.


Outdoors Active has off route alarms, but they are too sensitive.  I was walking the other week and got repeated alerts, when I was clearly on the right path (presumably small map error).  With ViewRanger you can specify the distance off route and also silence an alarm.


I navigate primarily with a map/compass with my phone kept in a pocket, so fully working off route alarms are a killer feature for me.

gunwharfman

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Re: Viewranger replacement
« Reply #4 on: 12:50:31, 02/04/21 »
Have a look at Backcountry, the paid-for one (a once-only payment) uses OS maps, the free one Openstreet. I've used it for years, never had a problem, I think it does all that you want?

jimbob

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Re: Viewranger replacement
« Reply #5 on: 13:54:05, 02/04/21 »
GWM are you sure that backcountry navigator gives free Ordnance Survey maps 1:25000 or Open Source maps?

Just asking because there was a bit of a mix up between the two on a much earlier thread.
Too little, too late, too bad......

jimbob

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Re: Viewranger replacement
« Reply #6 on: 14:07:46, 02/04/21 »
Guy, Outdoor Active does some of what you want.

I cannot find if it has off route alarms at all. Maybe others on this forum have discovered how to get that.
Not too sure if it has the speed displayed the way you would like it to be.Again maybe others have worked this out.

All other points are covered. Their TOPO maps are good. Not sure if OS maps are actually needed when you can download satellite and Open source maps for free. I always carry a paper OS map anyway. Though recently gave been questioning that need.

I think the simple navigation format of Viewranger is something they are really poor at, and hopefully that is why they bought out that team, to improve their offering in this respect.
As an app it is as much a "community" thing as much as anything.  They have some great routes, probably a lot ported over from VR. There does seem to be more interaction between the app users than VR, which is good if you want but not what I'm after.  I'm going to keep using VR until the death then I'll purchase a Garmin of some sort, probably an Etrex 20. Unless if course Ourdiir Active improves its navigation offering,
 Oh, and it's help page.

Too little, too late, too bad......

ninthace

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Re: Viewranger replacement
« Reply #7 on: 15:20:17, 02/04/21 »
For information - I have asked the folks at OA about off track alarms in case they are as good at hiding functionality as the VR used to be in its early days.

Googling the future of VR suggests that it may well be going to die the death
https://www.tgomagazine.co.uk/news/whats-happening-to-viewranger/

So far I have only used OA in parallel with VR to track walks - as the front end stands, I am not a lover of it compared with VR but I have not given it a fair trial yet.  There is an artice about it here.
https://outdooractive-uk.helpscoutdocs.com/article/68-basics-of-the-outdooractive-app
Solvitur Ambulando

gunwharfman

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Re: Viewranger replacement
« Reply #8 on: 15:53:39, 02/04/21 »
Jimbob - My paid-for Backcountry app (now £12.99, a one-off payment) is definitely OS.

The Free Backcountry app (it states that I've had it for 477 days) that is installed on my Google Tablet is also OS.

The Free Backcountry app which I downloaded onto my second phone in 2020 is Multimap (sorry, not Openstreetmap as I first thought) and it will only let me download the OS map if I upgrade to the paid version. I will delete the free one because I need to plan to install my paid-for app from my first phone to my second phone because that's the one I will use when I next go hiking.

I've never noticed the differences before, well spotted.

ninthace

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Re: Viewranger replacement
« Reply #9 on: 15:59:50, 02/04/21 »
For information - I have asked the folks at OA about off track alarms in case they are as good at hiding functionality as the VR used to be in its early days.

I have already had a reply from Lisa at OA.

"thank you for your message.
 The audio output of the navigation informs you when you leave the route: https://www.outdooractive.com/en/k/navigation-made-simple/44983809/"


I have sent a supplementary asking for confirmation that unlike VeiwRanger, the error cannot be set and asking what the default value is.
 
Solvitur Ambulando

jimbob

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Re: Viewranger replacement
« Reply #10 on: 16:18:35, 02/04/21 »
I do doubt if OA can actually give a consistant off course alarm.
It actually states that if the phone is on sleep mode, I e. In your pocket? When your screen turns off, it stops using the GPS signals and that when you revive the phone it may take a small while to capture an accurate position. That being the case it wouldn't know to warn you when off track except if its in your hand and activated.
Which also means that the tracks created from a walk could just be a series of huge crows lines drawn between activations rather than the tiny ones used in most decent trackers.??
??


Or am I misunderstanding something.
P.s. My grandson has told me he hasn't enough life left to look into the OA problems after having had a couple of hours looking at it.😁
Too little, too late, too bad......

ninthace

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Re: Viewranger replacement
« Reply #11 on: 18:10:43, 02/04/21 »
Well I had a route in mind for my nest walk so I planned it in OA.  I used the website to do it and by and large it was very easy.  The walk is entirely on road and OA plotted it by clicking half a dozen waypoints.  Exporting the gpx file was a bit of a faff, apparently download gpx when in the planning mode means export, resulting gpx appears in download file on laptop.

The route appeared on my phone once I hit synchronise and looks good.  The route appears on an OS map which I think I have aved for offline use.  Will let you know how it turns out in due course.
Solvitur Ambulando

Dread

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Re: Viewranger replacement
« Reply #12 on: 22:12:06, 02/04/21 »
I'm going to continue using Viewranger until the end. I can't see any reason to jump ship yet, I've never subscribed anyway and I have OS map tiles for most of the areas I walk. All other functionality seems as normal so far. You can still get new map tiles but I'm less inclined to spend money if they are going to disappear in a year or so. Do the VR tiles transfer over to Outdooractive anyone know?

ninthace

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Re: Viewranger replacement
« Reply #13 on: 22:22:19, 02/04/21 »
............................ Do the VR tiles transfer over to Outdooractive anyone know?
I do not know but the route I plotted came up on OS mapping on my phone even though I plotted it on the mapping on the OA website (ViewRabger Landscape equivalent).   I do not have an OS subscriotion to VR as I already have the OS app.  I have been given a free Pro+ subscription to OA so it may be a feature of that.
Incidentally the off course alarm works.  When I looked at the route on my phone and selected navigation a disembodied voice informed me I was 5.4km West of my start point.
Solvitur Ambulando

jimbob

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Re: Viewranger replacement
« Reply #14 on: 11:22:06, 03/04/21 »

Incidentally the off course alarm works.  When I looked at the route on my phone and selected navigation a disembodied voice informed me I was 5.4km West of my start point.
Are you saying that the alarm was correct or having a poke at the innacuracy?

With VR as long as the app is running on your phone with GPS etc all enabled you can put the phone away and the off course alarm works fine and you can see the track it has created whilst safely tucked away. OA state that if you put the phone away it stops tracking the GPS signals until you open the phone again at which point they say it can take a while to reestablish GPS positioning. Hardly likely to allow for true off course alarms. To me it also raises the question of how it actually creates tracks. Oh and though it may be able to calculate the speed between points it doesn't show time spent admiring the View whilst stationary, so elapsed journey time rather than actual walking speed.

I did write to them but all I got was a template reply stating thanks for informing them of a bug. Don't reply to this email etc. They will be working on the background and I may not hear back from them.......
Too little, too late, too bad......

 

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