Shop Comment: ExplorOz Traveller Premium Offline Maps

Yep it hasn't been re-released for a number of years so there are quite a few updates required.
I think there is supposed to be an update "soon".

ExplorOz, is there any news on a new release?

Hi Al and Rod

Yes David has mentioned that he is working on an updated version of EOTOPO.

As for a few issues Rod, that is a very far from right answer, there are hundreds.

This reply is in no way aimed at put down David and Michelle,but to try to help them, as to do the updated version, it MUST be done accurately and that is where a major overhaul is urgently needed.

I have sent private emails to David in the past and I will now post my thoughts here, so the so called experts can try to shoot me down...but good luck as I know what I am talking about and have done freelance outback mapping updates for Hema in the past and still offer my services.

First of all David needs to ( and knowing David personally he would have done it ) overlay his maps with the latest Hema 150k which when used as real time mapping is spot on, no questions asked with the very few exception on minor road changes.

Next David needs to supply regular users of real time mapping a list of areas that he needs field checking. Field checking is critical to the accuracy of any map, weather it is city freeways or outback tracks.

Those that agree to help field check must follow strict criteria and make sure that it is done at a very accurate fashion. This is an area that I am well aware of, as behind the scenes I have on many times been asked by Hema to field check and record track files for certain areas that we have travelled and to which Hema rewards you well well...thanks Hema.

Some areas will change slightly over the years and these changes can not be helped. I like countless hundreds of other real time map users originally used the old Natmap series which we know is now well out of date and the Government would never update it, so it is now down to maps like EOTOPO and Hema to keep us going in the right direction.

I know it is a very big job to undertake, but if you start it, it needs to be done right and not just rushed out to make it look good. Those that travel using moving maps know just how great a feature it is, but if they are like me, get disappointed to see roads on maps not in the right place or track condition. Here are a few prime example that must be addressed on future updates:

The main road between Gregory and Burketown is shown on EPTOPO as dirt, again being bitumen for years.

The Main Road into Lawn Hill from Gregory has over 70 kilometres of bitumen, EOTOPO all dirt.

Many sections of the Birdsville Track are well off track and should not be and have not changed for over 10 years when I look back on my personal track files.

The main road into Nhulunbuy is so far out.....have a look:



The Above map is the new Hema 150K maps which is spot on with the blue line my track file overlaid. Here you can see there is no variation of my quality recorded track file to what Hema say is the correct position.

This is the EOTOPO which shows the old road from decades ago, showing the Main Road in red and well east of where the correct position is and shown with my blue line my actual track file that I record while travelling:


While on the Central Arnhem Highway, there were over $40 million dollars spent between 20012 and 2014 on major road and bridge upgrade and this now does not reflect on any maps as yet, but I know that it will, as the biggest change was the new Goyder River road and bridge, that again takes you many kilometres north of the old road:



I love the personal touches with EOTOPO, the colour shading is great, those important little features like old gravel pit are a wealth of knowledge if looking for a bush camp, and the extra features that do not show on the Hema 150K map.

As I must say again, we want David to produce a fantastic product that has accuracy and up to date, and not decades behind.

All the best David and please ask for help on track details, and you then can have field checking for you without having to leave the office.

Now waiting for the flack.



Cheers


Stephen

Al&Donna, I can't see a "sample" image of that area of map given in our shop product but when I refer to EOTopo online I can see the Hunter Expressway NSW is indeed missing so it must have been missed in our 2014 roads update on the EOTopo map for some reason - perhaps it wasn't quite open when we did our main roads update but it certainly does appear in our "in development" version - which we are working on. However I do urge people to not get too hung up over main roads - as when travelling through these areas using the ExplorOz Traveller app you have access to switch your map layers to the most appropriate for the terrain/speed of travel - in areas like this you would probably find the Streets & Paths map to be more serviceable - and the Hunter Expressway for example is shown on that so you do get access to it within the app.

Here is a snip I just took from online Places (using the website) of the Kurri Kurri round-about where I've switched the map layer view to Streets & Paths as you can do in the app. The second picture is a screen shot from in the app of the same.





Does this make sense?

I must clarify that we most certainly acknowledge that there will always be roads data that changes and needs updating however it is important to understand that EOTopo is a "topopgraphic" map, which by definition means it is a FACTUAL representation of all visible elements on the earth's surface - so it is not appropriate to suggest the removal of roads that are in fact there. Topographic maps have many applications and we don't restrict our map only to the recreational tourist, although some publishers do indeed but that then makes the map a "Touring Map" and not a "Topographic" map. This might just seem like terminology but it is important to get clear what the issue is here.

With EOTopo production, it is made as a series of data overlays. The roads overlay is just one of about 50 data overlays. In some of our updates we don't even touch the roads layer (see EOTopo History & Updates).

What we have planned (dreamed) for the roads update is quite a progressive technological feat. It's not access to the roads data that is the issue as we have that sorted already, its the delivery protocols and methodologies .... and the cost.

The cost/time factor is what's holding us back. As the ExplorOz Traveller app is the core platform for our map usage, it has been of upmost important to ensure that that the app is viable in our business. Releasing the Windows version has the next step to ensuring we reach the entire market (yes a Mac version is also needed) and then we can assess if market interest is there and sufficient to invest in this big update.

If you'd like to support the cause for the EOTopo map update project, the most useful thing you could do is keep your Membership subscription ongoing, purchase the ExplorOz Traveller app, and if you've done that, then post reviews to the app stores, and all the webpages, facebooks pages and groups that you use because let's face it, increasing our app sales is going to help our bottom line and that's going to ensure the viability of investing in the map development project.