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Which 4x4 GPS tracks4africa & OLAF Which 4x4 GPS tracks4africa & OLAF
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Navigation - Maps, Compass, GPS How to find your way - traditional map, compass and road signs, or GPS and more
Photo by Hendi Kaf, in Cambodia

I haven't been everywhere...
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Photo by Hendi Kaf,
in Cambodia




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  • 1 Post By EdoubleD

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  #1  
Old 29 Oct 2014
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Which 4x4 GPS tracks4africa & OLAF
I'm leaving for Morrocco, Western Sahara, Mauratania & Senegal in four weeks and am currently trying to work out which Sat Nav to buy. I'm looking at the Garmin Nuvi range and wanted to find out if anyone has any reccomendations of units to look at as well as those to avoid. I'm possibly thinking about purchasing secondhand so any reccomendations would be much appreciated.

In terms of spec all I need to be able to do is load OLAF maps for morroco via SD and then T4A on another SD when leaving Morrocco.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks
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  #2  
Old 30 Oct 2014
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I would suggest to use a smartphone instead of a classic garmin navigation unit.

You can buy the tracks4africa App for iPhone/Android, which is useful in africa. Too you can buy road Navigation Apps like TomTom Marocco or similar, depending on your destinations.

You can too download offline Satellite view with road overlay, what will help you much where T4A don't covers some areas. And you can download too Openstreetmaps. Too you can load OpenstreetmapTerrain view and Google Terrain Maps. I prefere the iPhone and MotionX, on Android an near similar App is called LocusPro.

A smartphone can give you also some more useful stuff:



English:
4x4tripping - the 10 most useful Apps for traveling abroad

German:
4x4tripping - the 10 besten Apps für Reisen als Overlander

If you travel by bike I would recommend a good case for protection, for traveling by car i would suggest a good mounting unit, to put it on the front screen.

Surfy
Last edited by Surfy; 30 Oct 2014 at 10:21.
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Old 30 Oct 2014
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Originally Posted by EdoubleD View Post
In terms of spec all I need to be able to do is load OLAF maps for morroco via SD and then T4A on another SD when leaving Morrocco.
Recommend the Open Street Map in Garmin format too .. as well as the others. You should be able to have all those maps on the one card. Take a second card with the maps on that too if you want.

An Android smart phone can have the Open Street Maps on it too .. off line. "OSMAND" and "Mapswithme" are 2 applications that you can download.
Last edited by Warin; 31 Oct 2014 at 00:14. Reason: correction
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Old 30 Oct 2014
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Thanks for the replies, there is something in me that just cannot use a smart phone as a sat nav. Having used on in the UK a fair ammount i know how hit and miss signal can be let alone what it's like in the desert!

I'm even wary of using a car style sat nav as opposed to a GPS but at the end of the day they really are the same thing. Whatever happens I will always back this up with a map and a compass as I'm more confident in my abilities using those than a sat nav...but saying that a sat nav is of course very useful when it works.

Would most people trust a car style sat nav say vs a montana or monterra style GPS?
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Old 30 Oct 2014
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We did cross africa with an iPad as Navigation Unit, and a iPhone as failover device.

They worked well for us. A failover we had not to use.

With an additional backup like map and a compass - you look well prepared

For shure, a cheap Garmin Nüvi with T4A and Openstreetmaps will also do his job, when you just need road orientation. Abroad and during offroad navigation, there is a Smartdevice with offline Satellite/Terrain Maps the strongest you can get.

Specially in Africa, wich arent good covered by alternative Maps.

Surfy
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Old 31 Oct 2014
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Originally Posted by EdoubleD View Post
I'm even wary of using a car style sat nav as opposed to a GPS but at the end of the day they really are the same thing.

Would most people trust a car style sat nav say vs a montana or monterra style GPS?
I think the car ones are less rugged than a hand held ones. I like the smaller ones - they may be more difficult to see but they are also easier to put in a safer place (less likley to be damaged in a fall).

----
The desert is actually a good place for a GPS - less interference from other electrical items, less reflections from large structures (buildings, valleys).
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Old 31 Oct 2014
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Originally Posted by Surfy View Post
We did cross africa with an iPad as Navigation Unit, and a iPhone as failover device.
Hey,
Sorry to barge into this thread and ask questions, but I'm going to Morocco in a few weeks and was thinking about using the iPhone/iPad combo you used.
Which app(s) did you use to display the maps?
... Did you go through Morocco and get Olaf on the iPad?

- Andreas
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Old 1 Nov 2014
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I did use MotionX for offline satellite view and offline Terrainmaps.

Too we had Openstreetmap downloaded in motionX.

I did use TomTom Marocco as Road Navigation App for Point to Point Navigation (Turn left in 50m), since MotionX is just for orientation during Track & offroad driving.

Dont think that Olafs Map give any additional informations.. It was the best what you can get, before you could download all the stuff named above...

Tracks4africa is also a nice App, but just for Marocco an expensive buy..
Last edited by Surfy; 1 Nov 2014 at 07:00.
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