Mud-maps - how do you buy them & are they any good?
Submitted: Sunday, Feb 09, 2014 at 19:05
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Deejay
Is anyone familiar with Mud-maps.com? I've always used paper maps as those electronic ones (Hema & in-dash units like Polaris) are too expensive and too hard to read (old eyes). But now I've seen an ad for Mud-maps where you download an app into your iPad for about $150 and use it like, say a Garmin Nuvi street directory. I have an iPad sitting around (for which I've never found a practical use) and thought maybe I can now use it with these Mud-maps. Trouble is, I know very little about technology. So can anyone help me with my questions?
1. Do I log onto the Mud-maps website with the iPad, enter credit card details, purchase and download the maps and I'm done, or is there more to it?
2. Can I then copy the maps to my PC to be used as a master in case the iPad dies?
3. Does my purchase get me only a selected part of Australia or the whole country?
4. If it only gets me a selected part, do I have to go back on line and purchase new maps each time?
5. Is the detail good enough to show minor 4wd tracks (like side tracks off the Canning for example)?
6. The scale appears to be 1:250,000 - is that fine enough?
And lastly, if you've used these maps, what was your experience with them?
Hoping someone can help, DJ.
Reply By: Ross M - Sunday, Feb 09, 2014 at 19:28
Sunday, Feb 09, 2014 at 19:28
I suggest you read the info in the GPS section of another popular
forum, 4wdaction, where those issues have been HOTLY debated as to the Pros and the many CONS of MudMap. You should be totally aware of what you are going to get and future update issues covered before parting with your money.
Many people are very unhappy. "Just an observation".
Apparently some of their tracks have been missing and if you find that out when you get there then there is no road at all. Not on the screen anyway.
Updates meant you have to buy again for the next update etc. many issues.
Eyes open before entering.
AnswerID:
526080
Reply By: Member - Boobook - Monday, Feb 10, 2014 at 07:08
Monday, Feb 10, 2014 at 07:08
A big problem with Mud Mups is that it's based on the otherwise free
Open Street Maps, Mudmaps call it "The Project" and charge you for it. OSM is like a map equivalent of Wikipedia where everyday users make the map. The problem is that popular areas like cities and big town and europe and USA are
well documented by lots of users. However remote parts of Australia have many serious errors. It is made by non qualified users.
In one 10 minute session looking around the high country, I found about 50 errors in OSM ranging from rivers 50km from where they should be to, major dirt roads in the
Dargo,
Licola and Ensay areas missing or wrong. If you were caught in the
Licola fires last year and had that map, you would have been directed right into the fires instead of 3 alternate areas that would have been safe.
OSM is little more than a toy and should not be used for 4wding in areas you don't know. The OSM website even says this, but Mudmaps omit this from their use agreement. It's dangerous.
Get Memory Maps with the free 250K maps which are great, and you can buy Hema, 25K tiopo, westprint etc, or get the Hema app ( which is Memory Map anyway)
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: rocco2010 - Monday, Feb 10, 2014 at 15:11
Monday, Feb 10, 2014 at 15:11
Gidday
I share your
views on OSM but in fairness it should be said The mud map app also comes with a full set of the westprint 4wd maps and there are other maps that can be purchased.
I paid 99c for the Memory Map app which came with a basic 250k topo map which runs in my I pad and I can store tracks and few other things. It is a good starting point to find out if you really want all the bells and whistles the the more complicated, and expensive map programs offer
Cheers
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Boobook - Monday, Feb 10, 2014 at 16:40
Monday, Feb 10, 2014 at 16:40
Thanks, that's right. It looks like the number of Westprint maps has increased in Mudmap. As you say both would benefit from additional maps.
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808314
Reply By: get outmore - Monday, Feb 10, 2014 at 09:39
Monday, Feb 10, 2014 at 09:39
if your ipad is wifi only thers a good chance it wont have GPS and will be no good to you
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Member - PJR (NSW) - Monday, Feb 10, 2014 at 09:46
Monday, Feb 10, 2014 at 09:46
Same as Boobook above but I will recommend that you look at Oziexplorer. Same maps but a different program with slightly different capabilities to display the maps.
Phil
AnswerID:
526117
Follow Up By: mikehzz - Monday, Feb 10, 2014 at 14:33
Monday, Feb 10, 2014 at 14:33
Does Ozi run on ipads yet Phil? They have been developing for a long time but hadn't heard of a finished product yet. Works on Android.
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Follow Up By: Member - PJR (NSW) - Monday, Feb 10, 2014 at 15:00
Monday, Feb 10, 2014 at 15:00
I can't answer that one mate. I have it on a laptop and on a GPS/entertainment box installed in the dash. I don'i have an ipad. And in any even I prefer the smaller display in the dash for when we are on the move. I don't want to see all Australia when I am driving. Just the next few Kms up the track wll do me fine. The laptop is for planning and setting up a route to follow and for storing actual track files of where we went. And of course for photos, videos and any sat phone messages etc.
I hate the big displays. Too much detail when you just want to glance at it and then get the eyes back on the road.
Check Oziexplorer ipad compatability here:
Oziexplorer web site
Phill
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Echucan Bob - Monday, Feb 10, 2014 at 11:13
Monday, Feb 10, 2014 at 11:13
Deejay
Can I suggest you have a look at the Hema app for the iPad.
The other option is to use
EOTopo 2014 Maps with Memory Map
You can get 1:250,000 topo maps for free using Memory Map.
As GOM said, make sure you have a cellular iPad as the WiFi only does not have a GPS.
Bob
AnswerID:
526129
Follow Up By: Echucan Bob - Monday, Feb 10, 2014 at 11:16
Monday, Feb 10, 2014 at 11:16
If you lose/upgrade your iPad you can just download the Hema app again.
I've got it on my iPad and iPhone under one licence.
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Reply By: mikehzz - Monday, Feb 10, 2014 at 14:43
Monday, Feb 10, 2014 at 14:43
Memory Map works on PC, Android and Apple ithingys. The same maps work on all of them with the one licence. Ozi isn't cheap if you have to buy the app for every device and technically buy maps as
well. I have mudmap and don't use it.
AnswerID:
526140