maps

Hi John,

Good choice!
Will come with everything you need for moving map display wherever you are traveling. OziExplorer, the app you run for "off road" travel is recognised by most ExplorOz folk as the best app and the included Hema Maps provide Nationwide coverage. With the addition of regional maps for specific areas, all is covered.
As an alternative, you can buy the ExplorOz OzTopo maps and load them on the Hema. I actually prefer the OzTopo Australia map to the Hema ones, but this is simply individual preference.
OziExplorer may need a learning curve for specific functions, but it works straight out of the box.
The Hema also comes with Street Navigation but because you can't run both apps simultaneously, I don't use the street navigation feature, preferring a separate device for this.

I run OziExplorer on the Hema while traveling, giving me a moving map display of where I am at any specific time and have enabled a daily autosave feature to keep as a series of tracks of our journey.
I also run a TomTom for street navigation and the latest high end model is excellent for planning routes from point A to B in most out of the way places throughout Australia. This device is also great when traveling through, or around towns and cities.
TomTom also has an excellent pre-planning feature, something you can't do automatically with OziExplorer.
TomTom's MyDrive enables me to plan a route from point A to point B and provide me with distance and approximate time for the journey. This can then be downloaded to the device for use.

I included my views on TomTom, mainly to highlight to you that the Hema can't do everything, but it is still a very good device for use when traveling and is excellent for showing on a moving map where you are.
Other folk may suggest alternatives for street navigation, but to me TomTom does much more. Since replacing my previous Garmin Nuvi with the TomTom Go 6100, I am very happy with its functionality.
I used it and the Online TomTom MyDrive app to plan a trip we are taking to the Pilbara and Kimberley regions beginning in April and it recognised all places of interest along the Gibb River Road. I plan the trip, broken up into daily treks and record it on a spreadsheet covering the whole trip. This data provides achievable daily distances and fuel stop requirements, which is very handy to know. I can call up the day's route and TomTom will show the estimated arrival time at the destination. Hema will show me where I am but it doesn't have predictive capabilities to tell me how far and at what time I am expected to arrive.

PS. As I haven't used the Hema iGo Street Navigation app, I cannot tell you how good or bad it is (previous versions have been poor) but the fact you cannot run both Street Navigation and Off Road navigation apps at the same time, limit functionality. If you load the Street Navigation function for a specific purpose, you will interrupt and maybe lose tracking data of your trip.

Save your money, if you have a tablet and it is gps enabled, download Memory Map and buy the map packeges, also gives you the versatility of tablet/ipad, plus a better size screen for veiwing.

I found Avenza Maps app. You can download most maps of the whole world, generally for free. I have downloaded the topographical Oz government maps, free to my iphone. It is just like looking over paper maps. Playing at downloading to Samsung pad, next. We are use to paper maps and don't need the bells and whistles (at least so far).

I just added the Hema map app to my iPad, John. Also added the cheaper Hema Explorer app, but have never used the latter.

Hema maps work well for me, as I can track any important trips, and also mark any good camps for next time. Gotta have the cellular/wifi model though.

Another thing with iPad they like to have a good power supply @ more than 2amps output, otherwise they'll flatten the internal battery before you finish a day's tracking.

Bob

I've got the older HN6 unit and take it everywhere. Comes with the 2 systems. A regular GPS with directions for driving on the blacktop and the OziExplorer system for offroad. The HN6 came with a PC application which uses the same map which is very useful during the pre-planning phase. (Particularly if you can patch your PC into a decent sized monitor/TV so everybody in the room can see it)

The HN7 won't do you wrong but like other have suggested there are other options depending on how you travel.

Personally I'm not a big fan of using tablets because the screen size is just too big for the front of the Pajero but they're useful if planning the next days travel while sitting around the campfire at night.

Simon

Hi john
Don't know where you are but theRAA in Adelaide are clearing the hn7 out for $449
Might go pretty quick though

I am running the ExplorOz traveller app now on iPhone and iPad mini
Which has excellent maps and all the 80000 poi from here
Cheers
Mike

The only thing I found annoying with the Hema maps, is there are not all the same.
We did most of our planning on the Ipad and used mainly the Hema 4WD App and the Australia topo 1:250,00. As we were always looking for unsealed roads to travel on my wife would set a route over every dirt road she could find.

She would then send it to the Hema Explorer App and if you looked at the 150k map, some of the roads she routed would show they were bitumen.
The state maps will show something slightly different again. (sometimes)

I still love the Hema hn6, both would rather a hn7 for the bigger screen on the dash, but can't justify $499.00 for an inch.

One thing they do all have in common is that they know exactly where you are at any given time.

For finding our way around towns etc, she does all that on her Ipad with voice commands that I can hear and follow accordingly.

Cheers

I use a Panasonic Toughbook that converts to a tablet and run Oziexplorer software. I find the larger screen more practical when touring, plus I use the Toughbook as my travelling computer.

It has a custom made cradle attached to the dash and is rock solid over all terrain.

Toughbooks don't come cheap, but there are a number of places in Melbourne that import reconditioned second hand units - worth a look at as an alternative.

You can read some more about mine on my blog.In-Vehicle Computer Mount (A Solution).

Cheers, Baz - The Landy