BajaNomad - "Offline" IPad maps?

"Offline" IPad maps?

JohnK - 4-1-2013 at 07:19 PM

I have one of the IPads with an internal GPS, one that doesn't need cellular or wifi. I have a bunch of "offline" maps, meaning you don't need an internet connection. I can see where I am on the moving map. Some are free like OpenStreetMap, some are not, like sectionals for flying. Does anybody know of any that cover Baja? Is it, are they, any good? Any input would be welcome.

willyAirstream - 4-2-2013 at 06:58 AM

I have been searching for baja online maps too. So far, none show much detail and i have to cross reference with Baha Almanac. Tom tom is supposed to have detailed baha maps, but i can`t verify. Anyone here using TomTom?

bajaguy - 4-2-2013 at 07:32 AM

Don't know about any specific Baja map apps for i-phones or androids.

My Garmin nuvi 2595LMT came pre-loaded with generic Baja road maps. Works great on the highway and around towns (Ensenada, Rosarito, TJ, GN). There are several Tom-Tom's that come with pre-loaded Baja road maps also.

cbuzzetti - 4-2-2013 at 07:47 AM

Try MotionX GPS. It is a free app and I used it while in Costa Rica. It does not require a cell signal and has all different types of maps.

Just a happy user, no connection to the company.

Jaybo - 4-2-2013 at 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by willyAirstream
I have been searching for baja online maps too. So far, none show much detail and i have to cross reference with Baha Almanac. Tom tom is supposed to have detailed baha maps, but i can`t verify. Anyone here using TomTom?

Yeah, We had a TomTom on our way down and they do have Baja maps. The problem is they are out of date by quite a bit. Not sure where they get their data.

bajaguy - 4-2-2013 at 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jaybo

Yeah, We had a TomTom on our way down and they do have Baja maps. The problem is they are out of date by quite a bit. Not sure where they get their data.

Both Tom-Tom and Garmin have on-line updates available. Some models of both have the free updates. I update my Garmin about every 6 months.

Sweetwater - 4-2-2013 at 09:24 AM

Big difference with road maps vs topo maps for any GPS system. I haven't been very impressed with any GPS data for Mexico. One of our group had an "E32" topo on the recent trip to the mainland. It worked but still had issues.

Jaybo - 4-2-2013 at 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajaguy
Both Tom-Tom and Garmin have on-line updates available. Some models of both have the free updates. I update my Garmin about every 6 months.

Yeah, I have lifetime free updates and did so right before we left. There was stuff that wasn't on there that was there back in 2007 in the Cabo area even.

David K - 4-2-2013 at 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cbuzzetti
Try MotionX GPS. It is a free app and I used it while in Costa Rica. It does not require a cell signal and has all different types of maps.

Just a happy user, no connection to the company.

This seems to be an exciting option! I went to the site, but could find no samples or listings that included Baja California, or how much the app costs, or how to use it? Perhaps because I am over 50, but appreciate any links to Baja maps that will go into the I-Phone (I hope that includes my Android). That it works without a cell or wifi signal seems too amazing to be true...?

JohnK - 4-2-2013 at 03:07 PM

I have the Garmin Nuvi. Works great for the US and Europe. Quite rudimentary for Baja, main roads and cities. I checked out the MotionX GPS site, couldn't really find anything for Baja. Some racing sites had their own maps for tracking. I wish I could scan the Almanac maps and geocode them, not to mention all those great maps DavidK posts (Thank You, David!).

BiciMapas

russchung - 4-2-2013 at 03:42 PM

I have used BiciMapas on my Garmin GPS for several years. Their web site says that they have versions for Symbian, Windows Mobile, and Android. An iOS version "will soon be released".

Our cell & Smarthphone map series are available for Mexico as well as other latin American countries., has been developed thinking in the traveler, tourist, adventurer or explorer who would like to have a reliable and handy map suitable to be used in their cell phone without excessive roaming charges when traveling, as all the information needed is stored in the device. They are also fully functional where no cell phone coverage is available. The Navitel Navigation System offers a wide function selection and characteristics in a friendly, easy to use interface and is compatible with the most used cell phone operating systems such as Symbian, Windows Mobile and Android. An iPhone compatible version will soon be released as well.

web site: http://www.bicimapas.com.mx

English: http://www.bicimapas.com.mx/English.htm

mrfatboy - 4-2-2013 at 07:52 PM

Navigon (a garmin company) for iphone and android is decent mexico road maps. Turn by turn directions. I have only used it on my way to Gonzaga and back. Good detail in Mexicali and San Felipe. Navigon uses navteq map data. You can check navteq.com and see if its good enough for you.

Also try citymaps2go for you idevice.

What are you looking for? Driving directions or just general maps? It makes a difference.

cbuzzetti - 4-2-2013 at 10:36 PM

I just looked at my MotionX GPS maps, there are 11 different types of maps. google, Bing and even NOAA Marine. This includes road, terrain and sattelite maps. It has very detailed maps of towns and dirt roads in Baja.

I only used it in Costa Rica but I now see that it will be very good for Baja too.

David K - 4-3-2013 at 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mrfatboy
Navigon (a garmin company) for iphone and android is decent mexico road maps. Turn by turn directions. I have only used it on my way to Gonzaga and back. Good detail in Mexicali and San Felipe. Navigon uses navteq map data. You can check navteq.com and see if its good enough for you.

Also try citymaps2go for you idevice.

What are you looking for? Driving directions or just general maps? It makes a difference.

General Maps... to see where you are in relation to where you want to be. Don't need driving directions when there is only one road... the exception might be in cities getting to the border during their frequent construction periods.

I used my Garmin eTrex Legend (with Baja Norte topo maps loaded) last July when the road I was taken didn't end up in Pozo Aleman, but on the graded road that passes it. I wasn't sure if I was east or west of Pozo Aleman. As it turned out I was less than a mile east of it, so I made a left turn to see the ghost town before heading east to Punta San Francisquito. That was the blessing of the GPS that day... if I had turned right, I would have missed that cool place. :light:

tripledigitken - 4-3-2013 at 11:05 AM

I recently was turned on to this app for android phones.

http://dualsportmaps.com/

I met a group of dirt bike riders at Gonzaga Bay that were headed over La Turqueza and had a tract downloaded for that route. With notes from a previous rider that had taken the route. I haven't spent any time with it yet.

It might be something that would interest the MC riders here especially.

Ken

Alm - 4-3-2013 at 11:35 AM

I'm with David K. You don't need a road map when there is only one road. Used a base map on my 10-something years old Garmin Map60, entered GPS of campsites, clicked on "follow the road" option and it gave me beeping warning a hundred yards before the turn-off from Mex 1. It wasn't even a road map, just a base map, it only shows Mex 1 and a few main streets in Ensenada and Tijuana.

On my Android I am using free app Navfree, it has a voice guidance which is nice. It is based on Open Street Maps and has all the flaws of Open Street Maps. I appreciate people investing their time in developing new software, but it the US it works 50/50. It can take you you to dirt road with heavy trailer in rain, instead of paved road - doesn't matter whether you enter "the easiest route" or "the fastest". Or, it brings you to 4615 number instead of 1615, i.e. 30 blocks off, in the area where you can't go 30 blocks back because the street interrupts with hills etc, so you have to go through unfamiliar highways and exits - in rush hour in SoCal, can you imagine. Their database for POI like banks or stores works same bad as street numbers - chances are it won't find a Wallmart or Home Depot in a big US city. Once again - it works, and promptly guided me back to Interstate 5 when I took the wrong exit by mistake, but it doesn't always work. If you go faster than 40 mph it might not react in time to give you a warning of a turn or exit, so I slow down when going through cities or approaching exits - which is a reasonable thing to do anyway. Or it will tell you to keep left before the complicated triple exit, and then it won't tell you to take the middle lane in that triple exit.

I didn't download Navfree map for Mexico so can't say how good is Baja map.

I don't think there is any good offline satellite-based road map. There is nothing as good as Google Maps, which are unfortunately web-based.

[Edited on 4-3-2013 by Alm]

mrfatboy - 4-3-2013 at 12:38 PM

I believe google maps allows you to cache the maps offline. I'm not sure how big an area they let you store at once but I know my friend uses it when we go down to Gonzaga. He uses an android phone. I thought I read the new google maps for the iphone allows you to cache maps also but I have not verified it.

tripledigitken - 4-3-2013 at 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mrfatboy
I believe google maps allows you to cache the maps offline. I'm not sure how big an area they let you store at once but I know my friend uses it when we go down to Gonzaga. He uses an android phone. I thought I read the new google maps for the iphone allows you to cache maps also but I have not verified it.

The app I mentioned above uses many map sources that are downloaded into your phone memory and then with their program you overlay routes on top of the cached maps. It is very cool.

Alm - 4-3-2013 at 10:35 PM

Quote:

Poorly. I would say - it doesn't store them. At least, this has been my experience with Android HTC 1V. It stores one tile of Google Map, then small details disappear after you go offline, and then the whole tile disappears when you shut the phone off. Not worth the trouble, just use Navfree or any other Open Street app.

Though I'm cheap and using 'droid without any memory card, maybe with SD card it would store it better than in the onboard memory. This would be weird, since HTC 1V has over 1GB of onboard memory (on top of all the pre-loaded crapware that it came with), and I don't store videos and music. 1GB should be plenty for one map tile.

[Edited on 4-4-2013 by Alm]

mrfatboy - 4-4-2013 at 04:06 AM

Check out MOUNTAIN BIKE and TRAIL TRACKER for the iphone. Very similar to motionx GPS. I'm not sure if on android tho.

willyAirstream - 4-4-2013 at 05:22 AM

Sadly neither motionx nor mountain bike and trail are available on droid.

Alm - with an sd card you can store a google map area of 60Mb, from Mulege to Loreto to the Pacific, forexample.

I`m testing 3 apps now and so far, dualsports app, link from ken above, is the most powerful, letting you overlay a google earth file, kzl . You can store the file for offline use. The tracks can be shared with notes and photos added too, or you can keep your tracks private , surfers option. Presently, there are mostly tracks in SoCal, with only one in BCS, mulege to SJ. You can also import other google earth files, like the baja mil course file. Still playing with it, there is a demo on the site above, log in to use it, so far it seems the best for offroad use in BCS. This is overkill for street navigation where Map It, works great, based on google maps.

Nikson - 5-13-2013 at 01:18 AM

I've successfully used GaiaGPS offline topo maps, only thing I'm not sure if it works in Mexico.

One way would be is to simply see if it will upload maps of the Baja locations you need while on Wi-Fi, and go from there.

Pescador - 5-13-2013 at 07:19 AM

Because the maps that are used for GPS systems are mostly outdated, everything, including the Garmin download of BiCimaps, is not very accurate or current. I have had to go to Navionics to get anything that is close but there are still some limitations to that.

But now comes along the Motion X GPS system for I-pads which uses Google earth satellite photos and this is amazingly accurate. If they keep on improving this system, it may well become the system of choice for the Baja area. The weakness is that you need an I-pad that has GPS reception. If you use the app with I-phone, it will only work when you have 3-G or wireless connection. I have a partner on a cruising boat who has this system and I was nothing short of amazed at the accuracy for our area. Some of the pictures which were zoomed in on were maybe 1 or 2 years old so there could always be some change in terms of a road or washout that would not show, but it is certainly more accurate than any of the map or cartography.

On BiCiMaps, for example, the entrance to Mulege does not show and yet that road has been there for quite some time, but on Motion X the new structure on the entrance actually shows and you can clearly see the Y. I have not had a chance to check out streets and that kind of thing yet in places like La Paz, but the streets of Santa Rosalia were clearly marked and pretty accurate.

So, if you are lucky enough to have an i-pad you might want to check out this Motion X application, which I think is on sale right now for 99 cents. By spending some time on their website, I also found that you can do the same thing as SPOT and give your key to any friends who would like to follow your trail and locations. So it is instant connection to where someone might be travelling and is constant instead of beeps when someone hits the SPOT. We use this function on the boat and I know where the boat is located at any time as long as I have a computer connection.

[Edited on 5-13-2013 by Pescador]

Bruce R Leech - 5-13-2013 at 08:05 AM

Quote:

I use the tom tom and Garmin and I can tell you that the Tom Tom maps are the best in Mexico. I was surprised. at the detail in places like Mulege and they are constantly improving them.

but anyone wanting to buy a Tom Tom device beware. some are god and some are rotten do your research.

I had a XL and loved it. I have a Villa and don't recommend it

mtgoat666 - 5-13-2013 at 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JohnK
I have one of the IPads with an internal GPS, one that doesn't need cellular or wifi. I have a bunch of "offline" maps, meaning you don't need an internet connection. I can see where I am on the moving map. Some are free like OpenStreetMap, some are not, like sectionals for flying. Does anybody know of any that cover Baja? Is it, are they, any good? Any input would be welcome.

products like tomtom are good for cities/towns. for boondocking the paper almanac or mex govt topos are king.

geoffff - 5-14-2013 at 08:58 PM

For iPhone and iPad, I really like Pocket Earth. It's an offline OpenStreetMaps app.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pocket-earth-offline-maps/id481679745?mt=8

It can download ALL of Mexico into very little memory -- it downloads the actual map vectors, rather than the map images (needs lots of memory) like most apps do.

Install it and see what you think. It has all the roads and features of major cities, all the major highways, but only limited amount of backroads and small Baja towns. Check it out to see if it suits your needs before you go out there!

And make sure your iPad has GPS turned on (not Airplane Mode).

This will also work on iPads that don't have GPS -- using WiFi mode -- but only in urban areas where there are WiFi hotspots to triangulate off of.

-- Geoff

DavidT - 5-20-2013 at 10:25 AM

NOAA tests app for Android tablets
Posted on 20 May 2013
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is testing MyNOAACharts, a new mobile app that allows users to download NOAA nautical charts and editions of the U.S. Coast Pilot.

The app, which is only designed for Android tablets for the testing period, will be released today, NOAA announced.

MyNOAACharts, which can be used on land and on the water, has built-in GPS capabilities that allow users to find their position on a NOAA nautical chart. Users can zoom in on any specific location or zoom out for the big picture to plan their route.

The Coast Pilot has "geotagged" some of the major locations — embedding geographical information, such as latitude and longitude, directly into the chart so it is readable in the app — and provides links to appropriate federal regulations. The app can be downloaded from the Google Play app store.

"Easy and workable access to nautical charts is important for boating safety," NOAA Office of Coast Survey director Rear Adm. Gerd Glang said in a statement.

The beta test for MyNOAACharts will expire on Labor Day, which is Sept. 2. Coast Survey will then evaluate usage and user feedback to decide whether to release a finished version of the app.

"Expanding the app across a multitude of platforms, ensuring easy accessibility to over a thousand charts and nearly 5,000 pages of U.S. Coast Pilot, will take considerable resources," Glang said. "We can do it if the boating community likes the app. We truly want the users to let us know if the app meets their needs."

Bajamatic - 5-21-2013 at 08:40 AM

I use GPSHD. you can download satellite maps for offline use. You USED to be able to get google earth imagery but google stopped that - I think BING! is still an option. You can download NOAA data and TOPO data. They use openstreetmap.org data for their "motion-x" maps. All are free. And its very easy to trace routes from google earth and import them into your ipad. Email me offline for help if you want.

Google Earth images can be downloaded from a combination of products from Gaia GPS. Once you upgrade from their basic product you can download and store google maps for your destination, at whatever detail you choose/have space for.

If you happen to have an old Ipad w/o an internal GPS, you can buy a bluetooth GPS server that will stream coordinates to your ipad (@$70). Works like a charm right out of the box.

The only time I get out my Alamanac is when we are stopped and more than one person wants to study the map at once (or the ipad runs out of juice). These apps are just so easy and as detailed as you want to make them. And more accurate.

[Edited on 5-21-2013 by Bajamatic]