UKC

Having finally got a phone which has the capability to download an app without self-destructing, I'm thinking some sort of GPS/mapping type app might be interesting.

Can anyone make any recommendations of good apps or ones to avoid.

BTW I am perfectly capable with a map and compass, I just fancy a play around with some gadgetry for a change.

In reply to Sealwife:

I use view ranger which I find really good, but being a member of search and rescue, we get all the maps for free so i maybe a little biased.

In reply to Wsdconst:

Another vote for Viewranger. And the maps are virtually free anyway. Not sure I've spent £10 yet and I have most of the Highlands and all the English and Welsh NPs on my phone.

In reply to Sealwife:

And another vote for view ranger here, download a large area, and it keeps is safe in your phone so you can use it anytime, tracks the walks really well, much better than the OS software, I used OS maps for a while but there is a bug with the tracking side of it, it crashes more often than it saves your walks, plus with the viewranger, you can pause the track when you stop for breaks etc, then unpause it when you start walking again, that way you get an acurate length of walk and time taken etc, make sure you save the cycle / ski and sat maps to get great paths etc

In reply to Sealwife:

Another one for viewranger. You can use it on up to 3 different devices so can have it on your laptop, mobile and one spare for when you get to the carpark and realise you haven't charged your phone, but your mate has

In reply to Sealwife:

In addition to your mapping app, download the 'GPS Status' app so you can see how well your GPS functionality is working.

In reply to Sealwife:

I use the OS app and i paid the yearly subscription. You can download offline maps for later use . I stick my phone on flight mode when out so the battery lasts for days. I like the route planning options too.

In reply to Sealwife:

I gave you a like purely because you put the word "please" at the end of your "recommend me" request!
Nobody else seems to..

In reply to AG:

I have the OS app and yearly subscription account also. Have you had any issues with it? Mine failed for the first time over the weekend.

I had downloaded both OS 1:25K and 1:50k maps on to my phone like I have many times. Out on the hill the maps just disappeared the red location arrow was still there but sitting on a grey screen. I turned the phone on and off but nothing same issues. The map is viewable again now, so I have no idea what went wrong over the weekend.

Have you ever had any similar issues?

In reply to Alan M:

I have lost count of the amount of times mine has failed, when you buy maps you also get the scratch code for the OS maps, dont get me wrong the maps are great for seeing details that are on the paper map, but trying to record your route is plainly crap, it fails more than it records, hence why I use viewranger for recoding routes, plus with the viewranger you can plan your routes on the pc, and sync with your mobile, and you get your waypoints along the way, and its free

In reply to marra:

What phone are you using? Are you running in Airplane Mode, or just normal? How about your battery life? Any good for multi day walks?

Sorry for the Spanish inquisition, but I haven't had much luck recording routes so far and I'm thinking about giving up on the phone and buying a GPS!

In reply to ScottTalbot:

I use android sony experia z3 compact, dont bother with flight mode, but I do turn off the bluetooth and wifi, my battery lasts the full day and night, I normally charge the phone at night with my pocket powerbank thingy me jiggy, to be fair in the lakes its very hit and miss with signals, but the GPS works a treat, I also have a garmin sat nav that I bought off the bay, but to be honest my phone is better, lighter, good battery, multi function, good for tracking routes, so long as you dont try and track them using OS maps, have I mentioned that before
just give it a whirl, I saved a load of tiles for the lake district, so I have all the maps there that I need, cycle routes, ski routes and sat views, most of the paths are on there, its free, and also if like me, you go off piste and free style it, the viewranger is fantastic for telling you where you have been and where you are going, invaluble for when the clag comes in !!keeps your bearing to hand without having to get the map and compass out

In reply to marra:

That might be worth a punt. I have OS Maps at the moment, although hadn't attempted to use it yet. Shame, as I've already bought the paper maps, so would've been handy to have the digital 1:25,000 included in the price...

Thanks a lot for the help.

In reply to Alan M:

Not had any problems. I use it to plot a route just to get an idea of the time ( I never record a route) and to double check my position occasionally. I always stick the phone in flight mode on the hill.
I've had the grey screen with the red dot but I just had to zoom in to get the map back.

In reply to marra:


Thanks, I have now downloaded ViewRanger. It looks good with the basic/base maps not being overly cluttered. Will give it test and compare it to the OS app when I am up in Scotland in a couple of weeks time.

In reply to AG:



I tried zooming but still never got the map back. It seems to be working fine now as if I access the saved maps they are all there. I have also downloaded the map for the area I live in, turned off all mobile data/wifi/put in flight mode turned on the GPS and pressed the locate button red arrow pops up on the map. I went for a walk around the block and it followed my route with no problems. Still none the wiser why I had issues last weekend. Downloaded ViewRanger as a backup.