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RouteBuddy - UK National Park Maps for iPhone now available
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fabster
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 10:40 am    Post subject: lake district Reply with quote

i bought a map of the scawfell massif area of the lake district to use on my iphone recently

got a bit lost in very heavy mist in hollow stones on scafell pike but this app worked really well for me and confirmed that i had taken a wrong path (as suspected)

only needed a couple of times to confirm my point on the map (weather conditions meant i wasnt willing to mess about with just a map)
but i was very happy with it

will def buy the maps that cover snowdon and ben nevis when the time comes
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Darren
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 12:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

NickG wrote:
Unfortunately though, it seems to be the only device in the world which actually does what I want. Does anybody have any figures for "real world" battery life for this device?

Perhaps you could post your query in the Satmap forum?
Quote:
OS's pricing and availability is the second evilness the map-data world after Royal Mail postcodes. They want us to use postcodes, to make their life easier, but then charge a fortune to license the data! Sad

Yup. Which answers your question about why the map data is so expensive = OS Licence Fees.
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Darren
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 12:13 pm    Post subject: Re: Garmin vs SatMap Reply with quote

mdalgleish wrote:
If you walk overseas, then the Garmin is a much better buy. SatMap only had maps for the UK when I last looked. I've used both and whilst Garmin has its faults, I'd chose it ahead of SatMap for overall use even in the UK. You can get free (user generated) maps for Garmin if you look around on the web. (e.g. Teneriffe is very well covered.) You can always buy a paper OS map if you like that format.

Sorry but there are quite a few of us who'd disagree with you there.
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RouteBuddy
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 12:47 pm    Post subject: Ordnance Survey: Satmap and RouteBuddy map prices Reply with quote

NickG wrote:
I looked into Satmaps last night and it seems that the OSMaps for the prohibitively expensive. Just to buy the new forest alone would be £100 and then you'd also need to buy 1:50K resolution maps for the general area in case you want to use it outside the New Forest. I don't see why it's so incredibly expensive when the cost of paper maps, which contain the same data and have a higher distribution cost, is reasonable. It's around 10 times more expensive than buying the paper maps for the same area. You'd need to spend well over £500 to get a Satmap with a couple of local walking maps on it, and there seems to be no fallback ability to upload custom maps (eg OpenStreetMap) like you can with a Garmin?

OS's pricing and availability is the second evilness the map-data world after Royal Mail postcodes. They want us to use postcodes, to make their life easier, but then charge a fortune to license the data! Sad


Hi Nick,

forget about paper maps when it comes to a comparison, they are just different products. If you think about it, paper maps are really limited in what they offer you; Yes they are a large sheet, which aids planning, but they cannot give you any information in the way that they can if linked to a GPS. IMHO - the use of paper maps is a truly skilled art when it comes to navigation.

Digital maps are maps that have added value. FWIW - engineering has to be done to the raw data to make it work properly and relate to modern hardware and software; which in our case is for the maps to run on the iPhone and in our desktop application RouteBuddy. (Buxton spa water is free, you can go get it yourself, but to get it from source to factory, adhere to health standards, bottle it, package it up, market it and get it to retailers isn't.)

Yes, like the other developers, big and small, we do pay for the raw map data from the Ordnance Survey; but why do people bang on about the OS when the retail figures speak for themselves?

Satmap retail a National Park map of the New Forest, as you say, for £100.00 (Garmin charge £130.00); but RouteBuddy sell the same map of the New Forest for only £19.99.

Same map, same release date and same contract.

So who is taking your money? The Ordnance Survey or Satmap and Garmin?


Neil
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chrissimonmacd
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 5:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

NickG wrote:
Would you choose a Satmap over say, a Garmin 60csx? I'm getting so many conflicting reports that's hard to know what to go for. All I know is that the iPhone's poor GPS and lack of "Garmin" type apps means means a proper GPS is still required for hobbies like hiking and geocaching.

I've just walked the first 100 miles of the Coast to Coast walk using a Garmin GPSMAP 60CSX and I was very very happy with it. I carry an iPhone but I wouldn't even bother switching it on if I had the Garmin with me. Having said that the RouteBuddy map is very well priced, doesn't require a network connection and I will probably buy it even if only for browsing in the pub or at home. There are a couple of big problems with the iPhone when hiking: 1) battery life and 2) it is useless in the wet because you will find that when you are wet you won't be able to operate the touchscreen.

The map that comes with the Garmin is hopelessly basic but if you download the free contour maps from the Scottish Mountaineering Society website and install (either manually or from the Internet) some routes and waypoints/POIs onto the Garmin it is an excellent hiking tool. Oh and it's waterproof to 1 metre depth of water, it's GPS is considerably more accurate than an iPhone and having it on continuously for 100 miles of walking it only got through 4 AA batteries.

I'd rather have the combination of a paper map in a waterproof case (or one of those waterproof laminated ones) and a handheld GPS than risk having my map in the GPS. At least then if the device fails you still have a map (and, it goes without saying, a compass). The Garmin will give you a very accurate grid reference to read off on the map.

My advice is stick to the right tool for the job: iPhone for indoors, Garmin GPS60CSX for outdoor on foot and a TomTom (or similar) for the car. I don't think any of the devices work well in the wrong environment.
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RouteBuddy
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 10:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
There are a couple of big problems with the iPhone when hiking: 1) battery life and 2) it is useless in the wet because you will find that when you are wet you won't be able to operate the touchscreen.


You are right about the battery life in comparison, but only to a point, because the maps on the iPhone are far richer in colour and detail; Plus you are then carrying two sets of batteries (as you'll take your phone as a safety device anyway).

For really good waterproofing, whilst still being able to maintain full use of my iPhone, I can't recommend the Aquapac system enough.

Consider this and the PowerMonkey battery system, which I understand have both been reviewed on www.pocketgpsworld.com - after all if you have to carry an extra set of batteries in your Garmin (and mine run down at a reasonable speed in the same Garmin device) then you could just as well swap for the PowerMonkey ones?

Neil
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Darren
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 10:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

RouteBuddy wrote:
Consider this and the PowerMonkey battery system, which I understand have both been reviewed on www.pocketgpsworld.com - after all if you have to carry an extra set of batteries in your Garmin (and mine run down at a reasonable speed in the same Garmin device) then you could just as well swap for the PowerMonkey ones?

Or the Mophie Juice Pack.

Got both and whilst the PowerMonkey has the option of solar charging, the Juice Pack works well as a case and so stays on my phone all the time.

PowerMonkey review here, Mophie here.
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RouteBuddy
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 10:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Darren wrote:
Or the Mophie Juice Pack.

Got both and whilst the PowerMonkey has the option of solar charging, the Juice Pack works well as a case and so stays on my phone all the time.


Ah yes, I'd forgotten the Mophie Juice Pack. Looking at it I would suspect that it would fit into an Aquapac case http://tinyurl.com/AquapacCase

Have you tried this combo out Darren? I'd also be interested in what sort of extended battery life you get with the Juice Pack?

Neil
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Darren
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 10:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's my review on Wired4iPhone. I have a Mophie permanently attached now. It's great as it's little bigger than a normal case and gives me a backup that is available as and when I need it.

The battery is almost the same as the 3G/3GS so effectively doubles the run time.

It should easily fit in the Aquapac.

There is also this one that MikeB has reviewed.
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fabster
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 11:09 am    Post subject: waterproof your iphone Reply with quote

i used routebuddy on a recent trip up scafell pike in horrible weather
a freezer bag protected it nicely for about 1p and the touch screen was usable :oP
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RouteBuddy
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 11:31 am    Post subject: Re: waterproof your iphone Reply with quote

fabster wrote:
i used routebuddy on a recent trip up scafell pike in horrible weather
a freezer bag protected it nicely for about 1p and the touch screen was usable :oP


Excellent! Laughing Out Loud

And for battery life? A PP9 and a couple of paper clips?! ;-))

Neil
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FredColon
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 5:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not much of a computer whizz but an experienced mountaineer and member of my local rescue team.

I bought the I-phone specifically beacause it was a large/bright touch screen unit that had GPS funcionality and I was told OS national park maps available shortly.

I duly purchased routebuddy from the app store and website.
I think there are many flaws to the set up and one bit I found misleading on the website, I could be just not up to the job though.

misleading (or me not being up to it) bit first. on the website it says that tracks can be downloaded to the atlas or googlemaps. My Iphone says it has route buddy atlas on it, however the site refers ( I guess) to the Mac computer version of "atlas", so actually no, I cant view it in Atlas, and I certainly cannot see my tracks on the phone based route buddy.
The track icon has a line with dots on it, most people will assume that this is a reference to waypoints. (If it is I cant work out how to activate it)

This product simply puts a dot on the map where you happen to be, no waypoint function, no visible back trail.

I dont see how you are supposed to use it for navigation and I dont see what other purpose it can have been sold for.

It is not possible to experiment with this functionality before purchasing the maps unless you happen to visit yosemite or the Affon valley which are included in the atlas programme. so what other choice to people have than to read reviews.

The brass hat that wobbles atop the utter redundancy of this product is surely the inability to give you a grid reference compatable with the maps thatyou have just paid for.

This is such a sledgehamer blow to the functionality of a GPS mapping system that it stuns me they omit to warn people. This product isnt half finished, they haven't even got started on it.
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RouteBuddy
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 6:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

FredColon wrote:
Not much of a computer whizz but an experienced mountaineer and member of my local rescue team.

I bought the I-phone specifically beacause it was a large/bright touch screen unit that had GPS funcionality and I was told OS national park maps available shortly.

I duly purchased routebuddy from the app store and website.
I think there are many flaws to the set up and one bit I found misleading on the website, I could be just not up to the job though.

I suspect this comment may allude to set up via a PC?
- Unfortunately Apple do not allow third parties to load files via the USB cable onto an iPhone and so we have to load them over WiFi; Now for Mac users this is pretty easy as OS X just opens up a folder on request for the iPhone (with URL) and allows simple drag and drop of map files into the iPhone.
- But for PC users then Microsoft make this a little more painful, firstly for WiFi connection, they insist their software is 'just-so' - which we do manage to figure out on the odd blip. Now PCs can't use large file .dmg's so we had to change-build for the PC with .iso files (as Microsoft use for their updates) however Microsoft don't offer an .iso file opener - so we had to get around that one as well!
- Rather than boring you all it's easier to say that if you do have an issue then contact us at support and we'll get you set up as swiftly as possible. :-)


Quote:
misleading (or me not being up to it) bit first. on the website it says that tracks can be downloaded to the atlas or googlemaps. My Iphone says it has route buddy atlas on it, however the site refers ( I guess) to the Mac computer version of "atlas", so actually no, I cant view it in Atlas, and I certainly cannot see my tracks on the phone based route buddy.

- Here you were reading about RouteBuddy for Mac OS X. Let us know where the confusion lies in our text and we'll look at it and if a problem exists, then we'll change it.



Quote:
The track icon has a line with dots on it, most people will assume that this is a reference to waypoints. (If it is I cant work out how to activate it)

This product simply puts a dot on the map where you happen to be, no waypoint function, no visible back trail.

I dont see how you are supposed to use it for navigation and I dont see what other purpose it can have been sold for.

- As with all software you either continue to work for the perfect version before first release (there's no such thing) or get it out on the market and iterate and, as we offer free updates, it's only a matter of time. If you check the latest update you'll see it contains features for Waypoints and Track overlay. (The next version is currently being built.)



Quote:
It is not possible to experiment with this functionality before purchasing the maps unless you happen to visit yosemite or the Affon valley which are included in the atlas programme. so what other choice to people have than to read reviews.

- Not so. All you have to do is use one of the installed online maps (where you have a 3G signal) and you can then test the features with these maps.



Quote:
The brass hat that wobbles atop the utter redundancy of this product is surely the inability to give you a grid reference compatable with the maps thatyou have just paid for.

- We've been asked for a lot (I mean a 'LOT') of features for this product; judging when to build them in and how they work within the software, and with other software, is quite a process. The feature you want is high on the list and it will certainly be offered for free at a later date.



Quote:
This is such a sledgehamer blow to the functionality of a GPS mapping system that it stuns me they omit to warn people. This product isnt half finished, they haven't even got started on it.

- I think that as the product can be tested before purchase of any maps and the key element is covered viz. Ordnance Survey Maps on the iPhone, then that's perhaps a little hard? 'Wink'

As always though, you'll get the best and fastest response by contacting us via support@routebuddy.com (rather than us coming across a post by chance) and, as we are in the UK, we are well-placed to sort any issue out in a timely manner. Thanks for reading.


neil
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