Mac and iPhone navigation software advice sought.

[tuftywhite]

I'm fairly 'old school' when it comes to navigation. I know where I want to go so I'll head in that direction.

If I need to get to a specific place within a certain timescale then I have apps-a-plenty to run on my phone to take me from A to B via other points. So no problems so far.

What I'm after is an application to run on the Mac, where I can build a route, with minimal intervention so I can plan days out, mainly for green lane purposes. Essentially I want some software that allows me to draw a line on a map, that I can export to my iPhone using Maps.Me or something similar so I can follow the line when I'm on the bike.

I don't want software that suggests routes, or wants to save my route for the rest of the world to use. I just need to draw a line on a map. I was using GPX Editor successfully until they've updated the app, now I can't get it to work.

I don't mind paying for it. however, I would like to know that it's easy to use and does what I want before stumping up for something.

So, collective, what suggestions to you have?

 

[Wapping]

BaseCamp.

See Berlin’s posts where he digs through lots of different applications.

 

[cookie]

I use Outdooractive app with the OS maps option on my Mac to plan routes and create Track. I export that to Dropbox and download to my (Android) phone and into OSMand app for actual navigation. The subscription to Outdooractive includes use of their app on my phone but I don't like it so use OSMand, which IMO is a lot better and very customisable. It's available on iOS as well as Android.

I use a rugged Android phone for nav as it is cheap and won't disintegrate on the bars from vibration. I keep my iPhone in my pocket.

This has been my system for a few years and have not seen better for what I want.

 

[tuftywhite]

Thanks for this Cookie, your offering has worked a treat.

Just been on to the site, created quite a complex route, mixed, with road and tracks. Really easy to use and done in half the time I'd spent doing this in GPX Editor. I'm sure it will only get easier with further use.

Downloaded in GPX and KML Top work!!!

Thanks again for your suggestion.

 

[simondippenhall]

Surprised no one suggested MRA whose merits I am starting to explore

 

[Wapping]

Surprised no one suggested MRA whose merits I am starting to explore

Not so good when it comes to creating ‘off-road’ routes, though it can be done, using the ‘straight lines between A, B, C and Z’ method.

 

[jasp]

Thanks for the info Cookie, saved for my next bike...

 

[filbe]

This is excellent (although annual subscription for all features), very easy to plan custom routes and an easy iPhone app as well as web based

REVER | Motorcycle Trip Planner, GPS Route Tracking App & Riding Maps

Download the REVER app today! Plan out your next motorcycle or snowmobile trip, discover new routes, track your rides & connect with riders around the world.

www.rever.co

 

[er-minio]

What I'm after is an application to run on the Mac, where I can build a route, with minimal intervention so I can plan days out, mainly for green lane purposes. Essentially I want some software that allows me to draw a line on a map, that I can export to my iPhone using Maps.Me or something similar so I can follow the line when I'm on the bike.

I use Basecamp for this, paired with some OSM maps that have Rights of Way embedded in, so I can see where I can go or not.

I have an older Mac mini that I can keep using for Basecamp, as it it becoming fairly unstable on my newer Macs (still works, but just).
Hopefully custom mapping will become available on the more "modern" route planners at some point.

 

[Kritou]

Pocket Earth Pro is good for this if you use the walking or hiking mode of travel and obviously ignore the proffered duration. Pocket Earth has that essential rubber banding option that is the golden bullet of planning. Sadly there is no mac or web option but the iPad/iPhone does it all and tracks can be exported in GPX format

 

[cookie]

I should add that I use the TRF Green Road Map to find the trails in the first place and ascertain Right of Way. The OS maps are little more than a guide and can't be relied on to be accurate.

 

[er-minio]

The ones I use above are updated one a year or even more than that.
I found them to be fairly accurate so far.
Any TROs are generally posted, so you can check on location.

I tried to access the GRM from TRF when first launched, but seemed overly laborious and gave up.
I suppose it improved over time.

 

[Berin]

Memory Map is also good, for creating trail and off road routes based on OS Maps. Memory Map can also be used on your phone.

Talky Toaster maps can also be used in Basecamp and on your phone. They are much cheaper than OS maps, but don’t provide the same level of details on the different off road paths and roads that the OS maps do.

Outdoor Active, as has been suggested above is good.

For route suggestions including lots of off road routes try Wikilocs.

 

[Wapping]

it it becoming fairly unstable on my newer Macs

It is very odd that the newer Mac machines struggle, whilst older ones are reasonably well behaved.

 

[Mzokk]

It is very odd that the newer Mac machines struggle, whilst older ones are reasonably well behaved.

RISC chips I'd guess v's Intel MACs

 

[Mzokk]

I think if I were a Mac user I'd keep an old Win 10 machine with Basecamp on it just for that purpose. Basecamp is not demanding in terms of computer resources. I regularly use this machine for Basecamp and general web surfing. Its 12 years old and is fast enough for those tasks. The Bios was updated in 2013 when it went from being a Win 7 machine to Win10 and 4GB of ram were added.

OS NameMicrosoft Windows 10 Home

Version10.0.19045 Build 19045

Other OS Description Not Available

OS ManufacturerMicrosoft Corporation

ProcessorIntel(R) Pentium(R) CPU B950 @ 2.10GHz, 2100 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)

BIOS Version/DateInsyde Corp. 6.80, 01/10/2013

Installed Physical Memory (RAM)8.00 GB

Total Physical Memory7.89 GB

Available Physical Memory4.91 GB

Total Virtual Memory9.14 GB

Available Virtual Memory6.43 GB

 

[cookie]

I used Basecamp on my apple silicone M2 mini the other day with no problem. I didn't create any routes/tracks with it but used the filter feature to reduce the waypoints on a track I imported so my ancient GPSmap60x would load it. It worked fine anyway.

 

[er-minio]

RISC chips I'd guess v's Intel MACs

RISC?
Long time since the PowerPC stuff (I still have a few of those)!
I think the Intel i5/i7 processors that are "standard" CISC stuff

@Wapping it's bound to happen, it's not a "power" issue, just software compatibility. The more the OS progresses, the more these older apps will die.

On my main Mac (an M1 Max Studio) I can still use Basecamp and upload data to the XT and 60cx, but Basecamp crashes often. Sometimes it crashes on launch. Restarting the Mac fixes that.
So far...

 

[Berin]

I should add that I use the TRF Green Road Map to find the trails in the first place and ascertain Right of Way. The OS maps are little more than a guide and can't be relied on to be accurate.

Yes, the OS maps are accurate but may not have the latest access and right of way information. Simply put, just because a road or path is shown as a BOAT on OS doesn’t mean it’s legal to ride it.

 

[Berin]

I think if I were a Mac user I'd keep an old Win 10 machine with Basecamp on it just for that purpose. Basecamp is not demanding in terms of computer resources. I regularly use this machine for Basecamp and general web surfing. Its 12 years old and is fast enough for those tasks. The Bios was updated in 2013 when it went from being a Win 7 machine to Win10 and 4GB of ram were added.

OS NameMicrosoft Windows 10 Home

Version10.0.19045 Build 19045

Other OS Description Not Available

OS ManufacturerMicrosoft Corporation

ProcessorIntel(R) Pentium(R) CPU B950 @ 2.10GHz, 2100 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)

BIOS Version/DateInsyde Corp. 6.80, 01/10/2013

Installed Physical Memory (RAM)8.00 GB

Total Physical Memory7.89 GB

Available Physical Memory4.91 GB

Total Virtual Memory9.14 GB

Available Virtual Memory6.43 GB

I use a Windows VM on my Mac to run various apps that don’t run well on newer Macs - the incredibly useful JaVaWa for one.

Having said that Basecamp runs fine on my 2019 iMac - Intel silicone.