New to Exploroz and trying to plan a trip

Hi all,

all going well, a mate and I are planning a trip through the Gawler and Flinders Ranges in a couple of weeks.

I have been trying to plan routes on the Topo map through the desktop navigator app, but am tearing my hair out trying to get it to work.

We'd like to stay off major roads if possible, and there are numerous ways to travel through these regions. Is there a way to manually create a trek route rather than using the auto navigate function which is doing my head in eg. Mt Ive to Port Augusta is routing through Cowell rather than Iron Knob!!

Help please!! I've used the topo maps as a guide while driving and love it, would just like to pre-upload a route before we leave.

Thanks in advance,

Jordan
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Reply By: Member - Dick L - Monday, Aug 02, 2021 at 16:03

Monday, Aug 02, 2021 at 16:03
Go to the User Manual and read Pages 34 & 35 on using different Modes(walking or cycling) and insering extra Points and as a last resort use straight lines
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Reply By: Frank P (NSW) - Monday, Aug 02, 2021 at 16:46

Monday, Aug 02, 2021 at 16:46
Hehe, when I create that trek it routes through Kimba and Iron Knob.

In addition to what Dick L said ...

To force it to go the way you want, create a waypoint or a series of waypoints if necessary, somewhere along the desired route and add those in turn, or insert and re-arrange them in the correct order. (Takes a little bit of practice if the interweb is feeling a bit lazy but once you get the feel of it it's easy.)

I added one on the existing EO Trek shown by the dotted red and black line at one of the intersections and it worked perfectly, routing from Mt Ive to Iron Knob and then PA. When you do drop a pin to create a waypoint, zoom right in to the max and accurately position the cross hairs on the road. And remember to keep your waypoints PRIVATE.

If you want to route via those minor tracks in the Gawler Ranges, just use waypoints at intersections or Goto any of the destinations (campsites, POIs, etc) that take your fancy.

Once you're satisfied with your pre-planned trek, save it. Then on your mobile device update Places and Treks and in Map Layers, select Personal Treks. Your new Trek will be overlaid on the map screen. Tap it and you'll get voice guidance and written directions from start to finish (and also to the start if you want).

While on the learning curve it is well worthwhile printing the manual so you can have it at your side - much easier than switching screens. Many printers can print double-sided in A5 booklet format.
FrankP

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Reply By: Member - Paul K18 - Monday, Aug 02, 2021 at 18:36

Monday, Aug 02, 2021 at 18:36
I feel your pain, I too tried to plan a trip and following some advice because I didn’t want to follow sealed roads I selected cycling to achieve the outcome that I wanted. My biggest issue is why do I have to select cycling or walking to get secondary roads when as far as I’m concerned I purchased it because it seemed to be aimed at the off-road sector.
I’ve never used any other mapping app so I can’t compare but IMO it’s not very user friendly.
I still have a long way to go in trying to understand it.
Just my 2c worth.
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Follow Up By: Briste - Tuesday, Aug 03, 2021 at 09:11

Tuesday, Aug 03, 2021 at 09:11
I could have written this exact post. Ditto. I don't understand why it's so hard to plan certain routes.

Is this a limitation of the software, or of the underlying map data that the software relies on? Are any other mapping applications / devices any better at off-road route planning?
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Follow Up By: Member - Dick L - Tuesday, Aug 03, 2021 at 09:33

Tuesday, Aug 03, 2021 at 09:33
The others that I have used WikiCamps and Hema Explorer are the same. It is the underlying maps at fault as they do not have all routes set up for vehicular use.
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Follow Up By: Briste - Tuesday, Aug 03, 2021 at 09:43

Tuesday, Aug 03, 2021 at 09:43
I suspected that was the case. I've tried Frank's suggested workaround of forcing a particular route by adding way points, but it can still be the case that the underling mapping data fights you all the way as you add each waypoint, even with cycling enabled.
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Follow Up By: Member - wicket - Tuesday, Aug 03, 2021 at 10:26

Tuesday, Aug 03, 2021 at 10:26
Are any other mapping applications / devices any better at off-road route planning?

The easiest route planning app is one where you only need to tap the screen and or drag your finger or pointer along the proposed route, i use an app from the Appstore called Mapout, it is dead easy to use but the downside is that it doesn’t have all the very minor tracks that EO Traveller has and doesn't “ guide”’ you, the paid version is less tha $20 i think, there is a free version.
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Follow Up By: Member - Boobook - Tuesday, Aug 03, 2021 at 10:46

Tuesday, Aug 03, 2021 at 10:46
I have several mapping programs. I've tried to understand EO's products many times, asking how to use it or if it has x or y functionality. All I get is "read the manual"

Unfortunately, that is not simple. And EO refuses to allow a trial. I recommend Memory Map. It is simple, has lots of maps and they are a one off purchase.

The app is free and you can trial the maps for up to a week.

There are some good and some bad reviews of EO. Unfortunately I will never get to find out unless the customer service is more friendly.
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Follow Up By: Rocket Rod - Tuesday, Aug 03, 2021 at 10:59

Tuesday, Aug 03, 2021 at 10:59
I asked about a point and click route creation function a year ago so hopefully it's on the way. I have around 60gb of mostly paid maps I use with OziExplorer which was a once off purchase 20 years ago. Moving to another app would probably cost me a quite a few dollars in lost map investment as the apps nowadays tend to dictate the maps you use.

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Follow Up By: Member - Paul K18 - Tuesday, Aug 03, 2021 at 14:44

Tuesday, Aug 03, 2021 at 14:44
Well put Tony, that’s my experience too. I will have a look at Memory Map. Thanks Paul.
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Follow Up By: ExplorOz - David & Michelle - Wednesday, Aug 04, 2021 at 12:03

Wednesday, Aug 04, 2021 at 12:03
Memory Map does not support auto routing so if you are happy with this option then simply turn the router off and select Straight line routing.

I do not understand the pre conception that auto routing is mandatory. There are a great number of roads that we exclude from auto routing as in some cases and at some times of the year the ability to use this roads is limited or impossible for vehicle travel or the conditions are unknown. Yes it seems weird that forcing cycling or walking works but minor roads are generally never closed to walkers or cyclists.

Anyway just use straight line and add 20% to the distance and times if the routing is causing a problem in a certain area. We are always working on it but there is no easy answer to handling the conditions and road data for our country when we cannot even get cross the board Government agreement on anything.

Just keep giving us the feedback and we will do our best to solve it, as unlike some app providers we provide free and ongoing updates and are listening and trying to move the product forward.

David
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Reply By: ExplorOz - David & Michelle - Wednesday, Aug 04, 2021 at 12:07

Wednesday, Aug 04, 2021 at 12:07
Jordan,

The easiest way if the set the Direction Mode to Straight - this way the auto router is disabled and you will get point to point routing - just add 20% to the distance and times and you will still get a very good answer, then when you are out there and following the roads using the map the system will provide distance and direction to your next waypoint. You are then free to use any road in the area that heads in the right direction and use the map and the app to get you there.

David
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Follow Up By: Briste - Wednesday, Aug 04, 2021 at 21:30

Wednesday, Aug 04, 2021 at 21:30
The "straight line + 20%" principle will work for some people / some of the time. It may give a reasonable approximation for time and distance in many situations. But don't think it deals with the OP's question and it doesn't really help me.

Some of us are starting out with exploring the more remote parts of oz in ways discussed on this forum. Our main interest in route planning. The problems with the app discussed in this thread make it difficult to identify candidate routes. It can be very difficult to plan using the app, and the multiple waypoints work-around just makes it more work and annoying.

Re "There are a great number of roads that we exclude from auto routing as in some cases and at some times of the year the ability to use this roads is limited or impossible for vehicle travel or the conditions are unknown" - I appreciate the concern and it's hard to know which ones and how many, but I honestly think that this should be an option that the user could turn on, possibly with a warning. That said, I doubt that the problems that I've had with trip planning and route selection can all be explained by this.

Something else would assist trip planning - more route options. Multiple options are not that common, and when there are multiples it's mostly two. Can't we get more please?

I'm generally happy with the app when on the road, but it's annoying as a planning tool.
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Reply By: RobMac (QLD_Member) - Saturday, Aug 07, 2021 at 21:23

Saturday, Aug 07, 2021 at 21:23
Been Interesting reading...
Re: Mapout: This is a great little App that I also use but I don't believe it will auto-route when there is no cell service (I think). I also use PocketEarth and it too is a great App (both are very flexible and easy to use). I know PocketEarth will not Auto-route with no Cell Signal.

I've never come across any Apps that work the same and as simple as a dedicated GPS device. I've been using Garmin for the past 15yrs and I do ALL my Trip Planning via Garmin BaseCamp. BaseCamp would have to be the easiest way to plan your trips - easier than Ozi. U can create/add Tracklogs/Waypoints, use Autoroute easily, even on those minor tracks and dirt roads... It's simply brilliant once u know how to use it. Once I've completed all my trip planning and have created my final GPX file containing my tracklogs and waypoints, I simply upload it into my GPS's and ALSO send it to my iPad where it is displayed on a larger screen, making it easier to view. As previously mentioned - I use the following Apps - PocketEarth / Map out & also OSMAnd to follow my planned route (ie: Tracklogs & Waypoints) as well as recording the actual Trip itself. I don't bother using the Auto-Route on any App as they mainly only work when there is cell service. If I wanted to know how far (Distance & Time) to the next town, then I simply use my Garmin GPS to obtain this info if I'm not in a cell service area - Simple...

All the Apps are really user friendly to use - For Example: If I found that any of the Waypoints that I had previously loaded were not exactly in the right location, I could easily click on the Waypoint and move it to the correct location (Same as my Garmin GPS device). This is a lot easier than having to delete and create a new waypoint, especially if u had important info attached to the waypoint...

Been doing it this way for years and it's worked fine for me... and at the end of my Trips, I can easily delete any unused waypoints/tracklogs quick and simple in a bulk way, not individually which can take hours...
Cheers..... RobM
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