I was asked today "what is the difference between
EOTopo Premium and
ExplorOz Traveller Premium Offline Maps"?
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ANSWER: Both contain the same map data and the offline map scale is the same detail at 144K but are supplied in different formats for compatibility to the navigation program. Different navigation programs will display and use the map data differently and this is what can be a big factor in your choice of purchase. See below:-
In our app (
ExplorOz Traveller) things like campsites, and POIs for roadhouses, towns, landmarks, natural features etc are all active clickable icons on the map - they appear all over the map and there are over 90,000 of them - they have symbols so you know what's what. If you click these icons, you see the name, and 2 options, either See More (a page with description, reviews, photos), OR a GoTo button to start navigation to that point.
These Place icons are not fixed to the base map data when you use our app
ExplorOz Traveller, instead they are managed separately in a database of overlay data so you can filter on/off what type of
Places you want to see on the map, and these
Places are are available as free updates through the app as often as you like (our server is live and this means you get all the updates to your maps to keep it current as soon as we get the data).
In contrast to how the
EOTopo map is formatted for use in other navigation programs (like OziExplorer), you get the map with the POIs fixed in place on the map and not clickable/not updateable. ie. The latest/current version of
EOTopo was created in January 2018 using the extract from
Places as at that date.
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QUESTION: Would I get the same detail or better with
ExplorOz Traveller and what does it do that OziExplorer can't?"
ANSWER:
Now we are talking about the navigation software, not the map. Both OziExplorer (not our program) and our app (
ExplorOz Traveller) can be used OFFLINE/ without internet, but ONLY
ExplorOz Traveller can be used ONLINE. The app will automatically switch maps between online or offline based on what service is available.
When online (wifi or 3/4G) you can click the online map option in our app
ExplorOz Traveller to instantly view
EOTopo maps at up to 18K detail - highly detailed!! In fact you also get Streets & Paths and satellite maps - no downloading fast and instant. If you are using OziExplorer you cannot get to those maps. Whilst you might not think you will be online when travelling you can do a lot of useful trip planning via Wifi at
home and most towns throughout Australia do have 3G service which you will find very handy.
Private
Treks: Building your route plans is very easy and will provide a route line following the path of the road (not straight line), as
well as turn-by-turn driving notes, and even voice guidance. (Just like Google maps). The driving directions calculator can only extract this info when you are online but the app lets you save it (is stored as a Private Trek), so for areas where you know you will have no service you do this before you travel. You just open up your saved Private
Treks when you are out bush, click GoTo and you'll get guided navigation from anywhere you are to the first point in your trek plan and then point to point along your trek.
Of course,
ExplorOz Traveller is designed for offline use but brings you the advantage of the best bits of being online - updates, higher detail maps, driving calculator, and auto-syncing to your account.
OFFLINE MAPS: If you have bought the license for offline maps you get the whole of Australia coverage in the one purchase. The maps are downloaded from within the app in 5 smaller files as there is a lot of map data. The app sorts out all the map config for you - all you do is click the download buttons. Offline maps can be zoomed to 144K scale (level 13/14).
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QUESTION: What else can
ExplorOz Traveller do better than OziExplorer or other programs?
ExplorOz Traveller records and stores position data automatically as you travel. You can use this to create routes to download or share. These are your User
Treks and these are built in the app using the Positions Manager.
Track Logging: also, if you are a Member the app can automatically sync your position data recordings (via EOTrackMe) live as you travel to a private webpage for your family/friends to follow your trip progress on a map. You can save/store/delete this map. If you save then you can embed the map into ExplorOz
blogs to embelish your travel journals. User
Treks can also be shared (download as GPX).
ExplorOz Traveller also comes with pre-routed offline
Treks for all the iconic 4WD destinations and many lesser known but equally worthwhile explorations - these include the
Simpson Desert (3 different options being French LIne, WAAA line,
Rig Road), the
Canning Stock Route, the
Gibb River Road, the Tanami, each of the routes up through
Cape York, many of the good tracks through the
Vic High Country, and many great trails in the National Parks and state forests. These
Treks including the navigation data so you'll get driving time and distance between points, as
well as view the route line on the map (not straight line), and we include all the trip planning and description, history info for each trek. There are 189 ExplorOz
Treks - you can view these on the website but only in the app can you use them for active navigation. In the app you can also easily modify these to customise to you needs, eg. reverse direction, add extra side trips, bypass/delete some
Places etc. You do the customised edits whilst online then save again as a Private Place.
Finally,
ExplorOz Traveller will automatically sync your Private
Treks and Private
Places you make to your online ExplorOz account so you can easily download the data from your account to any other device you have (it just has to have the app on it).
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What else do I need to know?
It doesn't matter whether you have an Android, Apple or Windows device - you buy the same app and it costs the same. You just have to go to the app store that is provided for your device. Just look up
ExplorOz Traveller in your app store. It will cost $59.99 AU.
Maps - again it doesn't make any different which device you use. If you have the app, you just need the
ExplorOz Traveller Premium Offline Maps license which you buy from our
shop for $49.99. When you log into the app, your license will be validated and you will use the download buttons in the app to install the 5 map packs (covers the whole of Australia in the one purchase). You only install what you need can delete and reinstall etc. SD card storage option provided.
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PURCHASE TIPS FOR OZIEXPLORER USERS
Some people want to use the
ExplorOz Traveller app and also the OziExplorer program and want to know what they need to buy. This advise is for people that have not previously purchased
EOTopo maps and want to know what is the most cost-effective way to purchase the map to use in both programs:
This is easy - buy the app $59.99 and buy the $99
EOTopo Premium dual map license. After payment you will select the OZF4 and .map files from the
EOTopo download page - these you will only use in OziExplorer. For our app
ExplorOz Traveller you will log in and download the map pack files from within the app the same as any other app user.
Hope this helps,
any more questions just ask.