Is there an Android phone App that is good as, say a Garmin, for use as an off-road GPS. With the ability to upload routes and follow on-screen topo maps. I dont mind paying for the right one.

Sony-ericsson have a waterproof, dusproof, shockproof, decent-sized screen Android phone which might just do the job. Better than carrying a phone and a GPS.

Better than carrying a phone and a GPS.

…until you wear out the battery using it as a GPS and want to call for help.

My plan was to carry a spare battery.

Viewranger will do what your asking, OS maps the lot. Garmin have their own app called Garmin Fit, but it uses google maps to view teh routes. Not sure how weel it works to navigate by, ive not used it in that manner.

Endomonodo will record and let you overlay a few maps but you can export the tracks and load them into any software you like.

MapDroid is a useful app too as the maps are stored on your phone you dont have to have a signal to see where you are.

The new Sony does look good. Also look at the Motorola Defy+ I use it with GPS and it will last 24 hours if you dont make too many phone calls. Without the GPS on will last 48 hours no probs.

Viewranger

http://www.viewranger.com/en-us

I’m just looking into something similar.
But I will carry 2 devices. Keep the phone in my bag for security. Buy a cheap secondhand smartphone with no sim to attach to the bars, so it doen’t matter if it gets trashed.

I think Memory Map is available as an android app. I’ve already got lots of maps, so that’s the way I’m going… Viewranger is supposed to be good though.

Motorola Defy is waterproof BTW

MM Tracker

Memory Map OS map tiles, GPS position and track/ route overlay on your phone.

If you are worried about battery life, turn the phone onto ‘Aeroplane’ mode (ensure GPS is active though) and your phone should be good for all but the very longest of rides. My HTC HD has survived a 6+ hour ride with MM tracker on for both route finding and recording.

EDIT:

Also look into GPSIES app.

I generally use wheres the path website to create routes using their full screen OS maps. I then upload the route for storage and sharing purposes on the GPSIES website. If you have this app on your phone, you can access all of your routes or browse for routes nearby when you are out and about.
You can then download a route that takes your fancy direct to your phone through the app and open in in MM Tracker so you can follow this on via OS mapping.

Seems a bit drawn out when written like that ^ but is very simple to actually do.

Android Market – Type MTB Routes – Look For App called (Move) use it all time pretty good.

Cheers for the headup about the Motorola Defy, my phone contract is up soon and I can get one of those for nowt if I renew.

+1 Defy, Have fully tested it’s waterproofness, but yeah a spare battery is a good idea. Turn wifi & bluetooth off when riding.

View ranger is probably the best app that allows you to follow a route.

Personnaly though I use maverick, IMHO it is the best mapping app to create & view a map & (bonus) it it’s free. Best of all it has OS to 1:25,000. To view the OS maps it is best to grab the maps while sat at home with wifi & then the phone will cache the maps. However it does not allow you to follow a route.

If abroad maverick can use opencyclemap. see here for creating large amounts of map data off line.

ooh, MM Tracker looks good.

I use Maverick and it’s great as a mapping tool with OS and tracker but you can’t upload routes.

ir_bandito – Member

ooh, MM Tracker looks good.

I keep banging the drum about this one (I don’t work for them or have anything to do with them!) but it really is a brilliant app.

MM Tracker is great. I even bought that pro version – not sure if it’s much better but I felt like giving the developer some money for doing such a good job.

So am I right in thinking I just need a GPS-enabled android phone, MMtracker and a SD card full of QCT files?

+1 on MM Tracker. No maps with it so you will need the OS map files but it does work very well.

Yes MMtracker and a load of QCT files and it works a treat.

Paid for version here as well. For the cost I reckon the VFM is excellent. Being able to use all my old MM files is great and I do not need to have a data signal to see the map. So turning of the data function on the phone will extend the battery life as well.

+999999 mm tracker

Hmmmm, reckon I could do with reading through this later. Hence this post….

Alpinequest is another really good one for mapping, you can use custom maps. I just load up the 50k or 25k maps I create using MOBAC, all OS mapping FOC all offline so no data charges etc.

Just google Alpinequest

Jas

MM tracker is really good. I’ve been using it for about 7 months. You will need to upload the maps, but I wanted this anyway, since anything adminstered wirelessly when you’re out and about on a bike is pretty unreliable.

The earlier versions were a bit laggy, but its pretty responsive now.

I run it on a Defy+, because, as has been said, its got a meaty battery, is slightly more robust than your typical fancy-fone and is water proof. I just wish the boot loader wasn’t locked.