Is my current navigation technology sufficient (and how do I use it)?
 

I would really appreciate a sense check and some guidance on my navigation technology for my forthcoming Cape to Cairo (by motorbike).

I already have:
Whatever the latest iPhone is (6s?)
An old Garmin eTrex Legend HCx i'v hardly ever used
Two Michelin paper maps as recommended by Chris Scott for Africa
An new ASUS transformer T100HA

I have mapped my route in Google maps and noted down GPS points along the route.

I am intending (subject to comments below) to get an up to date Africa map for my eTrex which I will bar mount and use for directional navigation to my GPS points (assume this will not be route guidance, just "head north east" style).

All the advice seems to be to get the Tracks4Africa maps. I suspect i cannot run this on the eTrex (as it is too old - T4A state their maps cant be used with certain eTrex units). Is there an iPhone app that I can use without having to buy SIM cards etc on route? If so that might be my best option?

There seems to be some talk of Mapsource on the T4A. I recall that this relates to being able to create custom maps to follow and upload to the eTrex or equivalent. I never really got my head around that, hence the limited use i have made of the eTrex. Anything i do I will need to do with the ASUS since that's all i am taking computerwise.

I was also thinking of getting a satellite phone since i am travelling solo. However comments on the HUBB have made me consider the Delorme Inreach Explorer instead. If I go for this I assume i can then dispense with the eTrex altogether and use this as the basic GPS Navigator?

If someone can gently explain the best way to get myself around Africa using this technology i'd be VERY grateful. If you are tech savvy please do it in an way that feels like you are patronising me and that will be perfect :-)

Cheers
Andy

Hi Andy, I'm by no means an expert; however brought myself a Garmin Montana and getting to grips with it, I can normally figure things like that out, plus have few mates that are in to their Garmins!

I note you're from Bristol way, snap so if you need a hand figuring things out happy to catch up over a brew or a pint.

Kelvin


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Forgot to mention my girlfriend and I are in the early stages of planning a year out on the bikes, looking to head off April 17.


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It depends, a lot, on your philosophy toward navigation.
There is some discussion about that aspect in the sticky thread about using smart phones for navigation purposes.

As far as your OP is concerned, no modern smart phone needs a SIM card in order to be used as a navigation device via a multitude of apps that are on the market.
I believe you are right in your assessment about your Etrex; they are pretty much lacking in memory capacity for the current range of maps on offer is my understanding of the products - just one reason why the models are updated at regular intervals.

Paper Maps... Good. Expect to make many markings on these .. so keep a pencil and pencil eraser handy. And a pencil sharpener.

Iphone + GPS ... + mapsource + laptop...

Ok. Free... apart from your time and internet connection!
There is a thing called "Open Street Map" (OSM) that has inputs from people, like you, that documents the world in a format that says not only what but where. Then people make maps from this data ... that you can use on your phone and GPS... The data source is the same for all these maps .. but they don't use all of the data and they don't all draw it the same - roads in different colours that kind of thing.

Iphone .. apps ... MapOut ... and OSMAnd are two you should try. Both are 'offline' so you won't need an internet connection to use them ... just to download them.

GPS ... download ... there a whole thread here on this. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...eet-maps-64135 Basically down load the stuff. Get mapsource sorted on the laptop and then transfer the map and any waypoints/routes you make and use it.

--------- What to do first !
Best if you do this for your home location so you can see what it looks like on the maps and can relate reality to the map easily. Your best off with the GPS/mapsource stuff as there is no limit on the number of downloads there. OSMAnd is limited to 7 maps .. so best to limit yourself there. So download the GPS OSM map stuff for your home location and play with it on both the laptop and GPS. YOU may note some errors and omissions. You can correct these by registering with OSM and correcting them yourself - that is the power of OSM. Will take some time for the corrections to go through to the GPS map stuff .. say a month. You will probably find more errors in less populated places .. it takes people to enter the data and make corrections .. less people = less data and less corrections. Having said that ... you will find it fairly good.

Enough to get started. Go!

------------
Other GPS maps .. some are 'better' than OSM .. better in that they have more cafes etc .. possibly they have more roads. Usually they cost more. Play with the OSM stuff first .. it is free so you can use it and see what you can do. Then take a look at the others. T4A has more detail in the south .. but I suspect less in the north.

Many will say. "You don't need a GPS".

They're right. But it makes it easier and less stressful. I don't go anywhere without one.


A perfect combination for this trip would be a Garmin Montana 600 with T4A maps (tracks for Africa).

If you don't want to pay for T4A then OSM maps are free and almost as good.

Inreach explorer is useless for maps.

I've got to Libreville using two Michelin paper maps and my iPhone. In Ghana I got hold of a handlebar mount for the iPhone and it's been invaluable for navigating cities.

Download maps.me and when you have wifi download the countries that you need. Can then navigate without using any data.

Most of the things you need (embassies etc) are on there and accurate. App is completely free and I can't recommend it enough. Not once have I felt I needed a proper satnav.

Tracks for Africa costs money and I'm not convinced that outside of Southern Africa it has any edge over maps.me


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We drove around West Africa with the original Etrex (with no mapping) some Michelin and topo maps, a marine compass mounted on the dash of the Landy and a hand bearing compass, that was it.
Definitely use a gps, but be realistic, they do fail, so don't put all your eggs in one basket with one, have good paper maps and have sat imagery on your Asus and iPhone as a backup. We used OSM in South America and it was pretty good, as Ted says use T4A, probably the best mapping out there for your route. Where they are really helpful is navigating through cities to find accommodation, embassies etc etc.
The Etrex is not a bad unit, but id avoid any gps with the controller/buttons above the screen as when you use it with your left hand you will cover the screen, also the display is quite small.
I have used several of the Garmin 60 series for the last 12 odd years and it has reliable buttons mounted under the slightly bigger display, no single joystick to go wrong, the latest 64 unit has much more memory and a better antenna than the Etrex, overall it is the best gps I have used.
Id like to try the Montana, but am hesitant about using a touch screen in very wet, humid or hot sandy/dusty locations, I have heard of a few failures.
I must say the iPhone navigation has really improved lately, but I still prefer having a dedicated gps unit personally.

You need a sim in the phone for maps.me but it doesn't charge you anything. I've had my uk sim and not used a single MB of data whilst navigating.


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You don't say how long you have for the trip and how stressy you get when " lost"

Keep the morning sun on your left and/or the sea on the right side and you are going south. The rest is more about timing or passing through specific points.

Your kit list reads well to me.

Andy

Some really helpful stuff here - thank you!

Garmin do full a Africa (minus Sudan) 'topo light' map for my eTrex for £20. Given the thumbs down for the Delorme's GPS capability i'll get that. At £20, if helps great, if not i can ditch the eTrex on route without shedding tears. I did use it last year in Europe when my TomTom threw a wobbly and it was ok to follow as long as i set it and then left well alone. The eTrex uses microSD and the Africa map needs 2GB of storage.

A decent iPhone mount is £20-£30 so I'll order that too. The comments regarding using that in cities resonated with me - again i have used my iphone to navigate European cities to find my hotel successfully.

I will download the mapping apps - I have just downloaded osmAnd and maps.me so far (and have Galileo on my phone already). I'll have a play with these as suggested. I am happy to pay for T4A if they will be useful. Can i use this on my iPhone or do i need to buy a new Garmin device?

I can then look at other units when i know the gap i need to fill.

I'm not sure where Mapsource then fits in? Is the idea that i program route points and somehow upload these to the iphone and/or gps?

Time wise i'm on a pretty tight schedule - i have about 100 days so am riding to a daily plan (and accepting it will inevitably change as i go along).

Cheers
Andy

Mapsource and Basecamp are Garmin Programmes that allow you to manage your routes, waypoints etc on your computer and then you can transfer them to your device. I myself use the Garmin Montana 600 and OSM maps.
First pick the maps you want from OSM, place an order as such, you will then receive an email with a link for you to download your chosen maps.
Once downloaded to then can place your map on to your SD card (depending on what size your device takes), before placing the map on the sd card make a folder called Garmin on the card and place the map in the folder. This enables the device and laptop to read it easily. To use on the device ensure your setup is done to enable the reading (some may do it automatically) To use on the laptop (and I can only speak for basecamp here, mapsource my be the same) place the SD card in the slot (you may need to use a SD card size converter if using micro) and then open the programme.
On Basecamp it will read the card because I put the map in a folder named Garmin on the SD card. I then select OSM map from the drop down and it will read the card further and bring the maps on to Basecamp. I can then so all my routes, planning, waypoints direct on to the card. Then card can then be placed in to your device and you are good to go.

With the Montana you can leave the card in the device, plug the device into your laptop, open Basecamp (it will read the device and card)and work direct to the device.

Thats how I use it anyway, others may do it differently

Wayne

I don't think Africa will be 2GB. That is probably the card size they sell it on.

Mapsource runs on PCs/laptops ...
It is a Garmin thing that will talk to your GPS if you have a connection for it.
It can download maps to your GPS. It can up and down load waypoints/tracks/routes to/from your gps. The bigger screen helps for planing. It will not communicate with your phone in anyway.

Basecamp is a more current Garmin program that does the same kind of thing as mapsource, with the added advantage that it will take maps off your GPS for use on the PC/laptop. The commands and structure between mapsource and basecamp are different .. I and others learnt mapsource when basecamp was not around, and have not changed over to basecamp.

Is my current navigation technology sufficient (and how do I use it)?
 

Thanks again - love this forum!

Ive downloaded all the maps I needed into maps.me (since all free) and am going to use that on my phone around the UK for a bit to get used to it. Hopefully that sorts the iphone half of the deal. Apparently i can load kml bookmarks which (i think?) means i can load the waypoints i've marked in google maps.

For the GPS I'll get onto mapsource this week and have a play around (have confirmed on garmin website i cant use basecamp with my eTrex). Hopefully that will help me to decide whether to shell out for a Montana. Happy to do this if needed but I dont like throwing away last generation stuff that still works (from a eco viewpoint) if i dont need to.

Pm sent Kelvin