[Closed] Ordnance Survey maps on Android phones

It looks like it uses the OSs online mapping API, so does that mean it doesn't store map tiles?

Just thinking that as an app its great if your within signal range, but a bit "not very great" if you happen not to have signal

Out of interest, are you paying OS for this? If so, I'd be really interested in knowing how much you're paying.

If you're not, I'd worry a bit that you're blatantly breaking their terms and conditions (the bit that says 'For example, you may not charge the end-user for the use of your application.') and that if they pull your API key, everyone using your application will be buggered?

It does look pretty neat though.

Joe

Looks Great, if Joe marshalls point is addressed I'll be buying that. Good work!

Joe - the commercial aspect is something that's being discussed with Ordnance Survey at the moment. Chap called David Ball is supposed to deal with it but trying to reach him by phone is a complete nightmare.

It's a bit complicated because they only mention web applications in their terms and conditions, and the web component of my app is free. The Android part is essentially a web browser which passes the grid reference to a web page that asks for it.

The web application I wrote is publicly available and could easily be adapted to work on iPhones, or any system capable of loading a webpage and passing the location in through Javascript.

However, it's set up in such a way that an end user could register for their own API key (for example, if they wanted to modify the web application), at which point they'd be using the app for private use anyway. 🙂

Without wanting to sound too negative shouldn't the legal aspect of whether this product breaks OS's terms and conditions be cleared up before you tout for business?

There already is an app for the iPhone that does the same thing, using the same source. It's also fundamentally useless, as it takes forever to download the map, as 3G coverage in the countryside is almost nonexistent, and there are plenty of places I ride, like the Marlborough Downs, where there's no signal at all. There [i]is[/i] an app that puts up an OS grid with your position marked, which can overlay on top of Google Maps, [b]if[/b] there's a signal. The only practical solution for GPS with OS mapping is an app that allows maps to be native to the phone, like ViewRanger, Memory Map, Tracklogs, etc. Someone like ViewRanger, who sell maps online, would be ideal, as they could sell an app with say the whole UK at1:250000 for a fiver, then you could buy individual map areas via in-app purchasing for the same price as a paper map.

sootyandjim - probably! To be honest, I reasoned that it didn't break their terms and conditions (and I wasn't going to pay thousands to a lawyer to look at it given it's likely to make less than £100 on the Android Market), and Ordnance Survey have already said that at the worst, they'll let me keep the API key provided I make the application free.

So we wait and see what they say. I wouldn't do anything to disadvantage anyone that's already bought it, even if it meant giving them all a refund.

Flaperon - OS map is great, I had it on my HTC Hero. However my phone has been replaced as it developed a fault, now I can't find OS map in market search on the new phone to install it. Any suggestions, can I install from another source. Curiously it doesn't come up with a result for maverick either ❓

Ok....

Now i'm a complete technophobe but i'm looking at buying a new android phone & the one app i really want is a reliable, usable-in-the-real-world GPS system based on OS maps.
Is this app such a thing?

Only if you can guarantee that you have good phone coverage wherever you go.

Basically this app downloads maps from a web page on the go. To do so even when the phone signal is not good requires offline mapping.

I use OruxMaps for this. But the process of making an offline map is a bit involved for a newbie (I want to make a guide for this )

i use trekbuddy on my Blackberry, the maps are stored locally which gets round the need for a continous connection. I believe Trekbuddy is a Java app so should be fine on other phones.

Have a look at AlpineQuest as well.
Getting the maps in is a faff, but it's possible.

Viewranger is the dogs danglies, and only costs £25 for all the national parks at 1:25k

Just use oruxmaps, you can create your own offline maps and its free.

Rmaps is also good but its only online mapping

Hi,

Second shout for Alpine Quest. If you spend a wee bit of time on the PC you can have both 1:25 and 1:50 maps offline for all of GB for free.

Works very well on my HTC Desire.

I had a play with OS Maps when I first got my Desire and found it a faff to use. AQ is much better IMO. You can pay for the full app if you want tracking and routes. The free one just gives you the maps and GPS location, but does fine for "where am I" moments.

I use RunGPS for tracking/bike computer duties. It has a beta PC program for creating offline maps too but can't get it to work with OS Maps yet.

Viewranger is good too, but is expensive for the maps which you get free with AQ. That said downloading the maps is very easy.

Regards

MM Tracker seems really good if you already have maps for Memory Map

stuart i have the maps - what do i do with em?

sorted 🙂

Does it do anything that MyTrails doesn't?

Just had a wee butchers at alpine quest

Looks really good

RR, how did you do it then?

plus1 for MM Tracker.

AFAIK I just copied the qct files from memory map to the dir pointed to on the phone and everything worked?

Beware free version has limited functionality. Full version is quite cheap though, esp. if you want to get utility out of collecting mmap discs over the years.

ok, how do I build maps for orux?

Mm tracker is great I've full uk on my phone now 😉

Another vote for Alpine Quest. Making the maps is a bit of a faff, but it's all free and stored on the SD card. An evening on the pc and a big SD card would get the whole UK at 1:50k and 1:25k on the phone, and available regardless of connection.

This is the guide I used to build maps for oruxmaps, works a treat!
[url= http://www.oruxmaps.com/oruxmapsdesktop_quick.pdf ]Oruxmaps help.[/url]

Ace, I'll give it a go, Thanks

Also mappping fans, maps.bing.com will provide you pinchy-zoomy, clicky-draggy OS mapping up to 1:25k free in your browser.

hmmm im confused. ive got RMaps on my desire, and thought thatd do me for peaks etc. id have a map with me anyway, but good for those 'lost' moments where you just want to see where you are. i was thinking i could download the map with wifi, and then bring it up later. is this not the case?

if not, then do any of the above do that? MM Tracker or Alpine Quest? dont mind spending a bit of time on pc or phone the night before, but i dont want it to be downloading fresh data all the time on a ride.

i know RMaps was free, but are the others, or do you need to buy OS maps first or owt?

cheers

Rmaps is online only, so if you dont have signal, you dont have maps

Ok, so I've created some maps and successfully loaded them onto my phone.

2 questions

A) How do I select a bigger zone?

B) maps seem to zoom digitaly despite saving loads of layers, is there any way to zoom from the biggest scale to the smallest scale without loading different layers manually?

AlpineQuest is good, but TrekBuddy is effectively the same program and is completely free for the free version. Slightly nicer to use aswell, although it doesn't have the ability to download maps on the go. AlpineQuest has the ability to download maps from a database on the go which can be useful if you have forgotten to put a map on your phone. Both programs are best used if the maps are downloaded via a PC using the Mobile Atlas Creator program (AlpineQuest uses a dedicated version of this program). As has been said it is a little bit of a faff and takes a few minutes to get used to for the first maps. The Mobile Atlas Program allows you to download maps at any scale. Not just OS Maps but other maps covering most of the world. All maps are free to download= good!

AlpineQuest comes in two version, free and full. When I used to use it you couldn't track routes, and there was a limit of 3 maps stored on your SD card. This was the main reason I looked elsewhere. TrekBuddy is completely free and allows you to store routes in .gpx format for viewing later with no restrictions on the number of maps you can store. With a little bit of extra work you can add something called a CMS which is basically a graphical output of your route as you move:

[img] [/img]

If anybody is struggling finding the information to install a CMS let me know and I can try and help out (it's a little fiddly but worth it!). There is also the only version of an off-road verbal directions I have found so far. It is very limited in that it will only give a direction based on following a previous route- if you go off route it doesn't have the ability to re-route you, but shows what the program is capable of.

Have tried Maverick but didn't like it, only looked at the other Android GPS programs out there.
These Android phones are great! 😀

The full version of Alpinequest lets you store as many maps as you like, and tracks your routes too. Only the free one has the limitations you've stated.

Yep, sorry should have clarified that.
There are still the other benefits, but both programs will basically do the same if you are wanting offline GPS maps and location.

Also try gvsig mini maps. Free app, free OS mapping.

Is it me or is Trek Buddy useless on touchscreen phones?

thepodge - Member

Rmaps is online only, so if you dont have signal, you dont have maps

That's true by default, but it is also possible to use user-created maps in Rmaps. And if you create your maps using Mobile Atlas Creator and the Multimap OS tiles you can make your own custom OS maps that will work even when you haven't got a data connection.

I use MM Tracker as I can use my Memory Map Maps as I don't have my own MM Device I can now use my Desire HD just need to download some routes as well as plot my regular rides.

Is it me or is Trek Buddy useless on touchscreen phones?

Runs fine here on HTC legend. touchscreen is set out the same way it would be on a phone with a physical keyboard

On my HTC Desire I just get a map - the 'Info' option lists the numeric keys I'm supposed to press in order for it to do anything useful.

Have you taken a look at the user guide?

[url= http://www.trekbuddy.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=22 ]Linky[/url]

Has a screenshot of how the buttons are positioned on touchscreen phones.
If you press the menu hard button on the phone, or press bottom left on your screen (there is no visible button but just press right in the corner) it brings up the menu. Press 'Start' to record a tracklog (gpx) of your routes. The info lists numbers as you would find them if the screen was a physical numberpad (i.e. 1 is top left, 3 is top right, 7 is bottom left, 9 is bottom right). Take a look at the link I have given and it should become much clearer!

Bloody hell...!

As a UI designer I'm torn between uninstalling it because it makes me want to cry, or keeping it in case I need an example of a horrific UI for a presentation.

Just got a Desire and started to look at GPS mapping.

It looks like MOBAC the software used to produce maps for alpinquest (and Others)has had OS maps taken off them.

If anyone has a set of UK OS maps I can "borrow" could you please PM me.

Paul

Just read this thread and realised it's a 3 months old!

Anyways to the OP, in case you re-read this, I'm pretty certain you are in breach of the OS Openspace T&C's in that anything you develop using the free version of openspace should be available for free.

You may find (depending on sales of your app) some unhappyish customers as there are limits to the number of tiles that can be displayed in any 24hr period depending on usage (60,000 I think)

If you want to sell your app you should really be looking to upgrade to the OS Openspace pro version.

If you want I can put you in touch with the OS product manager, let me know - email in my profile.

To prop - I'd recommend using opensource mapping, something like you can see on talkytoaster or similar sites. If you go round ripping off OS data you potentially put other fellow mountain bikers, like me, jobs at risk.

If you go around ripping off OS data you potentially put yourself in trouble too, they are pretty good at protecting their property, as the AA found out to the tune of £20 million a few years ago!

prop - OS explorer and multimap OS are still available on MOBAC for me. Is it something you've said?

Prop - I've recently downloaded MOBAC and I see no OS maps either.

The latest edition of MyTrails on the Android market has support for maps created from OS Opendata supplemented by Open Street Map data.

maverick for me.

it's free, does OS, google maps and OpenCycle map among others, and caches the maps on the phone.

For retro83 & others wanting a guide on how to get large areas of maps on to your phone I knocked this up.

http://owtbutwork.blogspot.com/2011/07/creating-storing-maps-on-your-phone.html

Hi,

Just got a new phone (Samsung Galaxy Ace) and am looking to put OS Mapping and route tracing software/apps on it. Would prefer to store the maps on the SD card.
Most of this thread is way out of date, can I have some updated recommendations please?

cheers

Hi, Me too. I have just got an Android phone and want to put the whole of the UK at 1:50,000 on the SD card (Ordnance Survey mapping). I've looked at Alpine Quest and the MOAC software, but I don't know which zoom level to use, and if I use the highest level, I think it would take me 3 weeks to download everything. Has anyone got a shared dropbox folder with all the downloaded files, or any clues as to how to do this in a reasonable time?
Thanks

Surely someone has some suggestions on this?

Do you really need OS - if you can live with OSM (which where I've ridden at least, is just as good) then there are plenty of cheap/free apps that will do what you want.

As a starter though, try this - it allows downloads though I don't know if that includes OS.

https://market.android.com/details?id=es.prodevelop.gvsig.mini&hl=en

I used Alpinequest, and found it pretty good, but more recently I bit the bullet and got Viewranger to replace it. It's not free, although it is a lot cheaper than a dedicated mapping gps, but it really is good. I took the view that I would have the 'phone with me anyway, and although I couldn't afford a new gps, I could get Viewranger and the relevant maps at reasonable cost.

Having used it for a while, I have to say it's great. The maps are very clear, you can use OS maps, OSM, OCM etc, upload gpx files, see all the track data and so on. Basically, if you want a proper, usable OS mapping gps on the (relatively) cheap, Viewranger's it.

Try OS atlas lite

I've got OS atlas lite and find that it can take forever to find a signal, load maps from cache and from the wonderweb. When it works its good but find it unreliable.

FWIW I have a Wildfire on Vodafone.

I find Backcountry Navigator works really well for me. Viewranger has some odd gaps and bits where bridleways are drawn as footpaths in my experience.

Back Country Navigator lets you cash unlimited maps at 1:50000 and 1:25000 at home via wi fi

I'm sure its a loop hole that'll be closed one day but for the moment its great

If you had a memory maps t directory of maps but not mm tracker, is there a free app that reads them? I use Oruxmaps for tracking a ride and HRM but it won't read the mm format.