GPS- what are you folks using.

Lyndon
I am puzzled as to why you are considering one of those as the reviews are saying to avoid it.

I read similar comments a while ago. I liked the idea of a Hema unit but not that one.

For on road I use the factory GPS provided with my vehicle.
For off-road I use oziexplorer on my Samsung tablet.

Works well. Also a lot cheaper to put oziexplorer on my tablet than to buy a GPS such as Hema HX-1 which basically does the same thing.

Hi Lyndon

The Hema HX 1 uses its own system and you can not add third party maps or transfer files from it like the old HN7.

The HX1 is a good unit, very different from past Hema Navigators, but you will find some people that do not like it.

Unlike the older units, that would start recording your track file the moment that you started moving, with the new HX1 you have to tell it to start recording if you want to keep a track file, that will then be uploaded the the Hema Cloud, and unfortunately can not be viewed on OziExplorer.

One good thing with this new idea, if you swap from off road to street mode, say comping into a large town into the normal street view, which I feel is as good as anything else at the moment, you do not lose any of the track file that you are recording, and then when you want to continue using the Off Road Tracks, it is a matter of just tapping the "H" Hema logo and then you have not lost any track recording.

Having said that, I still use a small SSD 11" computer to record all my track files on Ozi that I keep for every trip that we do, in conjunction with the HX1 for viewing as you drive.


Cheers



Stephen

I use Hema Explorer and EOTopo both on mobile devices.

Being a Mac user getting anything which uses Ozzie Explorer was of little use to me. We have used a Hema HX-1 for around 25,000kms so far & wouldn't want to be without it. It's not as 'state of the art' as I think it should be for the price but I think it's hard to beat it with anything else on the market. We did have a few issues with it intially but these seem to have been resolved by a software update late last year. We also find placing a heat shield around the back of it where it is mounted at the bottom of the windscreen helps reliability in hot weather.

It's internal battery life is only a couple of hours so using it for walking is less than ideal. We have a $200 hand held Garmin for that.

Hello

I use a TwoNav Aventura (dicontinued model).



I convert all my maps (topo, air, satellite, geology, vegetation, historic..etc etc) to ecw and load up (bit of messing around sometimes to calibrate but easy enough when you know how). ECW is a good universal format that can also be used in OziExplorer, ArcView, Global Mappper and a range of other rmapping programs.

Data (waypoints and tracks) can be loaded and saved in the universal GPX format. You can load multiple track and waypoint files (no restricition).
Great battery life (8 hrs plus...largely dependant on screen brightness and time on)

Some people would probably find the screen a bit small for in car use but good size for also throwing in your pocket and walking which is where I use it most. Also has street mapping but generally use my phone/google maps for that these days.

Best GPS I have ever owned and I have had a few. I dont like the new range of units (purpose built in car units generally speaking - which I dont bother with) or programs that restrict the maps you can use to the ones you have to buy off them.

I can load just about any map that can be calibrated and is not some proprietary format which cant be viewed, calibrated or converted.

They have just release a new range of Aventura units

New Aventuras

with more bells and whistles but will stick with the old one for time being.

Cheers
Greg

I'm using a Samsung tablet running EO Traveller and its premium map pack and also Ozi Explorer with a bucket full of maps. I run them simultaneously and swap between the two depending on what maps best cover the area I'm in and what level of detail I want.

We also carry a second tablet set up the same way as a backup.

I use my iPad (sim+wifi) with the Exploroz EOTopo app in the car. At home I have computer with Ozi Explorer for more detailed trek manipulation and trip planning.

I also have Memory Maps on my iPad with the WA 100k map series ($99), which are great for me as the have the old Goldfields woodline alignments on them (many long since overgrown) but as that’s my patch that’s real handy. Also other historical info as well as better contour info.

But my go-to generally is EOTopo.

My iPad is mounted on an Arkon floor mount and is very elegant in it’s simplicity and lack of wires. I often toss a Garmin eTrex gps on the dash just to record a track in case there is a failure elsewhere but rarely need to go back and look at it.

I just use medium priced Garmin GPS, for in town Nav, and as speedo.

Use an iPad with Hema 4WD maps for remote areas, and logging trips and POI's.
Works well for me,

Bob

Gday Lyndon : as you say the reviews are very interesting you do not see many good reviews for this unit ( hx1) but I have one and think it is very good .... i don't have any the problems you read about . Overheating and lost GPS etc are probably the most common complaints , but in my opinion if you keep your updates up to date the unit works exceptionally well.
Has Good battery life a very sturdy mounting bracket for the windscreen . And obviously Hema Maps are very good .

OT Lyndon but I like your thoughts. A poetic take on " Get off ya arse "
Dave.

Just another perspective and opinion....Have tried everything from Garmins, Hema Navigators etc have finally settled on what is FOR ME the simplest most generally useful solution- iPad mounted on a Tabtite cradle With an iPhone 7+ with the same apps for handheld or in the car. I run EOTraveller and Memory map.

I just find that with the iPhone/iPad setup I need to carry less gear and have fewer headaches keeping up with instructions and learning curves.

The tablet/phone combo also lets you use community based traffic congestion beating apps like WAZE when navigating through cities.
Also if I go overseas I use maps.me which even displays roads, walking tracks etc globally. (We recently trekked through Torres del Paine in Patagonia and the walking tracks and GPS navigation were spot on...)

In the bush I use Google maps' satellite imagery as a visual reference for my intended destination. If there is no data reception where I am heading, prior to departure I zoom into the area I intend to visit and I have an overhead view of the landscape tracks and features, then I shut it down till I get there. Most devices will store a limited portion of the last satellite images viewed and I can use this to assist to a limited degree.

My two bobs worth...

Hi Lyndon,

I have a Hema HX-1, bought early last year, and have only had one problem with it. The problem I have had is that the unit "stalled" twice. The first time was near Surveyor Generals Corner in WA, and the second time was on my way home from our last trip to the Simpson Desert. From what I have been lead to believe, most of the problems that others have had were caused by the first software update that was issued in the middle of last year. I understand that the second software update that was issued late last year has resolved most of the issues. Unfortunately, I have a Mac, and the Hema Software is not supported by Mac, so I cannot download the upgrades.

Macca.

I use Hema phone app and EOtopo. Both great but the EO topo is really great and has so much detail.

I use the Hema HX1 and found it easy. Everything done online, and far less cumbersome than H7 which wasn’t too shabby in its day. However planning your own routes, uploading third party route ,recording a route for future use and uploading to the cloud is miles ahead of the old technology. Read all the negative reviews: mostly unfounded and written by techno immigrants. It just takes a bit of reading , watch a few youtube videos and you’ll not regret buying this model ! Cheers Mike

For on road i use my Garmin Nuvi top of the line one not sure of the model number 3795LMT or similar. and for off road i use Hema maps on iPad mini. Just remember the majority of your trip will be on road.

Thanks for everyone's input, much appreciated.

Plenty of food for thought.

Regards

Lyndon

Lyndon NT,


Zenec (https://zenec.com.au/product-category/universal/z-n626/) make a replacement head unit with the Hema HN-7 already installed. It is a digital radio, so you will also need a Digital Aerial as well. Not cheap, around $1,700 from memory, but this is an option for a complete built in unit.

Macca.

Hi Lyndon

I use a Panasonic Toughbook (purchased refurbished unit) with Oziexplorer.

It is as described "tough", holds up to the corrugations, and doubles as my computer on the road.

You can read more about it in a blog I wrote, Panasonic Toughbook.

Good luck with your deliberations.

Cheers, Baz - The Landy