Just back from our first trip to Morocco, and took both Garmin with Olaf and OSM in my cheap tablet. Didn't use either very much when on tarmac, but of the 2 we found OSM far better for pistes and general off-road stuff. The detail was greater, most of the visible tracks (on the ground) were in the database and made detailed navigation very easy. The downside of this is that you have to be zoomed in quite a bit to get the track displayed, so it's easy to lose the "big picture" and focus too close to the vehicle. Our technique was to rely on the (old fashioned) compass and odometer for general progress and check the electronics when we reached critical points or had to divert because of washouts or other barriers. Like Tim and Bertrand above, we went for the views and the ability to go where we liked, so knowing where we were all the time wasn't a priority.

Maybe people could look in the Navigation Forum and particularly this thread

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...rsus-osm-73220

Nav and mapping has been regularly discussed as Bertrand mentions above, and the search function might help find an answer that has already been addressed or even just looking in the right section

Hi Tim:

You are correct, that is the map that I purchased. I used it for the first time today, for guidance on a ride from Chefchaouen to Ifrane. So far, I'm very happy with the routing performance, especially through the city of Fes. But, it's still too early to provide a carefully thought out evaluation of City Navigator Morocco.

Bertrand:

I must respectfully disagree with you. I spent 40 years working as an aircraft pilot, most recently delivering new production aircraft from the factory to all 7 continents (including Antarctica). To heck with 'waypoint' navigation, that went out of fashion in the aviation world years ago. Contemporary aircraft nav systems allow the pilot to enter the origin & destination, then select the desired airways to follow... the FMS then populates the flight plan with all the waypoints along the selected airways.

One of the most significant safety problems the aviation world faces today is fixation on navigation system displays (vs. having one's head up and looking out the window). I spent years trying to minimize this risk in aircraft, including one in which I did the design and specification of the flight compartment (photo below). The last thing I want to do is put myself at risk when riding the moto as a result of needing to spend time 'head down' monitoring a HSI-like CDI on a motorcycle (HSI = Horizontal Situation Indicator, CDI = Course Deviation Indication)

Exactly. I much prefer to keep my head UP, looking at the scenery and watching out for other traffic, than keeping my head DOWN looking at a navigation screen.

Voice navigation guidance is a significant safety benefit, because it eliminates the need to have to look down and monitor the GPS screen. When a turn or course change is needed, it is annunciated via the Bluetooth connection to the helmet speakers.

I retired to get away from this, not to spend more time looking at similar displays on a moto:

Series 400 Twin Otter Flight Compartment

Perhaps, but this discussion here is specific to navigation in Morocco (as opposed to navigation in general), and the title of the discussion you cited, which is "Olaf versus OSM" doesn't exactly lend itself to easily figuring out that that discussion addresses electronic cartography for Morocco.

Michael

In that case how about the MOROCCO forum? Not trying to be a pain but these issues are discussed regularly in both the Nav and Morocco forums.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Michael I do get voice and tones as my Monterra is wired to my helmet. I can but offer what works for me.

Waypoint nav maybe old hat, ( just like using a silva compass is considered daft by some now that we have sat navs but I still always use mine) but knowing what direction I need to go, working with a reducing odometer and cdi has always got me through bar a few human error moments resulting in a few 'temporarily uncertain of position' moments! With as good mapping as I can buy, voice turn-by-turn is indeed priceless in unknown cities and more importantly, as you say, the safest option.
I do find though that people do obsess far too much about mapping and get very upset at the slightest guided wrong turn. Total reliance on guided navigation without real understanding has been the subject of many a rant, people getting lost and....blaming their sat navs!

I also carry a lighter but I still maintain my old fashioned fire lighting skills using an Indian violin or a fire piston! As the French say ' a chacun son truc'
Oldies can be gooddies!! but we've slightly gone !

Hi Bertrand:

It might be that our needs are very different. I ride exclusively on paved roads (a necessity, given the type of motorcycle I have), and I think - after having re-read your posts carefully - that you might do some of your riding off-road.

For off-road riding, an activity for which 'routable roads' don't exist, I do appreciate that your waypoint navigation strategy would work well and would probably be the most appropriate method of navigation.

Michael

OSM can do turn by turn navigation off road and on piste!

But it gets very annoying as the pistes in most cases wont be exactly where the map shows due to the way the posistions slowly shift with time/erosion etc.

Hi Michael.
Indeed they are! and yes I do (both).
With safety in mind you are 100% correct.
It is safer to go down a wrong turn when 'the Garmin voice' tells you to do so rather than plough into an oncoming vehicle when you have your head down!!

I've learned how to 'snatch info' from devices without staring at them so it is all good for me either way, trails or tarmac
Nice cockpit lay out btw.
HUD are bound to soon be available for moto helmets. That would be nice but...maybe too fragile. Time will tell.

Yes, I agree, it does get a bit boring having the same thing said over and over.
I guess the corollary of this is how many more times are we going to be asked why didn't you use the search function.

Several good reasons to ask the question afresh.

*Search facilities are great if you ask the right questions, but often quite useless. Too many key words and you get no results, too few and you end up with heaps of drivel.

*New question gives all the experts who have come across their expertise at great expense or hardship to get the satisfaction of passing it on to someone who appreciates it.

* there is always the possibility of learning a new twist to an old problem or a completely different solution may be proposed that takes into account new circumstances

*Questioner gets up to date information that in a "rapidly changing world" may actually be critical to his safety.

*Questioner straight away is able to start networking with the responders and that can be worth heaps down the road.

And as stated, it gives people yet another chance to complain that newbies are using the forum to interact with people instead of using the search feature.

Forget the search engines, ask away.

__________________
Tony
Click here for Travel Photos & Travel Map

Yes Tony - true - but I would also add to your list:
Search and ye shall find - not just the Hubb but Google etc
.
There are few questions which have not already been asked on the web. So I'd say use the search engines and do some work!

It should be remembered that 'spoon feeding' is normally reserved for babies
(Nothing to do with newbies or oldies!)

Hi Bertrand:

Personally, I don't think we will see a genuinely useful HUD for motorcyclists in our lifetimes, unless someone comes up with a display that can be projected onto the inside (aft) surface of a motorcycle windscreen. But, even that would not be a true HUD (with emphasis on the 'U') - more of a 'Head Halfway Up' display.

There are many, many technical obstacles to be overcome before we will see an on-helmet HUD. The biggest problem is collimation (superimposing the image onto the external view of the user). Solutions such as Google Glass and battlefield viewfinders used on infantry helmets require too much diversion of attention from the primary field of view to be safely used by the operator of fast-moving vehicles.

On a different topic - by coincidence, today I read an article in the current issue of Boeing's AERO magazine in which Boeing announced that their new aircraft will now provide voice guidance (in addition to visual guidance) when urgent manouvering is necessary. Fascinating. Let's just hope the aircraft doesn't learn the word 'recalculating'.

Michael

...And (sorry for the thread resurrection) Googling brought me to this one on the forum first...which seems to contain more than its fair share of (yawn) "Y u no search?!"

Asking a question on a forum is a form of searching because some people are excellent knowledge bases, even if that's just a tip for where on the forum to read.

My Google search pulls 241,000 results - does anybody seriously expect that I should read each one prior to asking a damn question on a forum I infrequently visit?

Don't worry, Betrand - I'll not be asking you for advice on what is the best sat nav for Morocco.

__________________

I was going to say 'Welcome to the Hubb' but I note your acerbic post and I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.

I respect your point of view, Mawsley, it should be said that there is a wealth of information and 'how to' on this site. This has been provided by well meaning people who already have knowledge or pertinent information to offer to others out of the kindness of their heart.

When I and others suggest people search, it is done to avoid repetition and clutter too- not to mention your imposing on other people, often the same, to spoon feed you an answer you need- even more so when you state "prior to asking a damn question on a forum I infrequently visit?"

I've never understood why it is some individuals, without a hello or a how are you, just roll in, demand answers to a problem they have through a lack of knowledge then get the hump when it is suggested that the information is already available for anyone who simply works just a bit to search the Hubb.

And as for your last 'volley' - from your post, it is clear that you have not taken the time either to read the many informative posts on here comparing the various merits of different sat. navs as well as smart phones as possible alternatives.

The 'you catch more 'flies', Mawsley, with honey' adage still holds true.
Posts such as yours, imho and alas, are the kind which do not encourage more experienced members of Horizons to give of their time, knowledge and valuable information. - Au contraire -