Does anyone have experience using Avenza maps on their phone or tablet for Baja? From the Avenza website it appears that the National Geographic maps
are used.
John Mmatthew_mangus - 2-1-2020 at 08:42 PM
I use Avenza on occasion. ....mostly for FS or BLM maps that are distributed through the Avenza platform. It's ok. Nothing special. If you are
serious about using digital maps, Gaia is a much more robust solution. JZ - 2-1-2020 at 08:49 PM
Use Back Country Navigator or Gaia with satellite imagery. Nothing better.
It's like having Google Earth on your phone/tablet w/o needing internet.
BCN is the best of them.
[Edited on 2-2-2020 by JZ]ReTire - 2-2-2020 at 10:55 AM
I use Avenza for my wildland firefighting activities in the Summer. Very pleased with its features. No cell service needed.
Would think it would be great for Baja. My next trip I will download the map set and use it.
The insanely long paper scroll of a map I bought on my last trip did serve me well too.
downloading into Gaia?
John M - 2-2-2020 at 11:19 AM
Often my way to utilize my current GPS is to make a track of where we think we will go using Google Earth and save it as either kml or kmz (or .usr
for our Lowrance).
So, whether Avenza or Gaia - I would want to download this (at home prepared track) into the tablet for use on the trip.
It appears that both apps can do this - but the instructions on the Avenza site didn't seem especially intuitive. Or, I'm overthinking it.
Experience and advice?
John MDavid K - 2-2-2020 at 03:17 PM
OK, so I downloaded the free Avenza app onto my Android phone and I see there is nothing detailed there until you buy maps to put into it, yes?
I go to Baja and click on the markers, and they have the Mexican Topos for $3.99 each. This will get very pricey if I download more than just an
defined area about 20 miles square. I hope to hear of other options.
So, does Avenza provide a live moving GPS point when you are in Baja, over these maps?
Cool app (I hope)!JZ - 2-2-2020 at 06:45 PM
BCN has free topo maps and satellite imagery for all of Baja.
When you are riding or driving you see yourself flying down the dry lake bed.
Not sure why ppl on here try to look anywhere else but Gaia and BCN. David K - 2-2-2020 at 06:49 PM
What is BCN? (other than Baja California Norte)DouglasP - 2-3-2020 at 08:51 AM
BCN= Back Country Navigator.David K - 2-3-2020 at 09:30 AM
Back Country Navigator Pro is the version I use. Android only.
They have a newer app that is iPhone and Android. Not sure it is fully released.
Well, the Demo version has amazing satellite detail in Baja... I will be surprised if it works in Baja, or anywhere offline! Seems to be way too much
data to store??JZ - 2-3-2020 at 01:08 PM
Well, the Demo version has amazing satellite detail in Baja... I will be surprised if it works in Baja, or anywhere offline! Seems to be way too much
data to store??
You download the sections you want. For example, if you are spending a week at the Seven Sisters, download that section. Might be 4G of data, give
or take. That doesn't take you long to download and will fit on phones pretty easily. This is what I use to do.
Do something different now. My Android phone and tablet support external micro-SD cards, with up to 512G capacities. I spent a couple days and
downloaded all of Baja onto a micro-SD. It's about 90GB and fits on a 128G card.
So I have all of Baja in super high quality satellite imagery. I can put it on any device just by copying the data to a different micro SD and
plugging it into the new device. Takes like 30mins now.
PM me if you want a link to download a zip file with all the satellite imagery. You will need a fairly fast internet connection, or it will time out.
Android only.
David K - 2-3-2020 at 01:30 PM
Thanks.. Can you just explain how to download just the area of interest in Baja?
Right now, the whole world is visible and I can zoom into Baja areas of interest...
How do you choose an area and what do you do to download that so it stays in my phone when offline? JZ - 2-3-2020 at 01:54 PM
The first 3 mins of this video show you how to do it. This is for BCN Pro, not for BCN XE.
