General | Whatever you want to say that doesn't fit under the comments about places or another forum. |
Post details | Post (Contract pics) | ||
march-fixer 2021-02-06 13:34:04 |
Map, GPS and tracker app?
PatrickKinsella asked about a replacement for the iOS version of MotionX. I am presuming that since the query was posted on MountainViews that he requires a robust app that can track his GPX on open terrain rather that in an urban location.GPS tracker apps are used for any number of applications. Mostly they are used in city and urban locations to find directions. Using them out in open countryside is quite another matter. Here you are at the mercy of the map terrain quality so as to reference your location on the ground. There are a number of GPS Tracker apps on iOS. However, getting a good one is more difficult than for Android users. Many use standard maps that have scant open terrain detail. Downloading other maps can cost you. Good apps that use the facilities of OpenStreetMap are free and up-to-date. Proprietary apps have the nasty habit of harvesting your data! As I am not an iOS user it is difficult to give a solid user view of these apps. However, having researched a number of them and surveyed user reviews it can give a reasonable appreciation of their usefulness. I personally prefer open source applications to the proprietary ones. Apple Maps - In June 2020, Apple announced that the UK, Ireland, and Canada would be the first places outside of the US to receive updated maps. In September 2020 Apple updated these areas to include their new maps detail. Like Google Maps it is more urban related. Google Maps - This is probably the most widely used and has good detail but is more urban related. Its use in open countryside is difficult due to lack of ground terrain detail. Scout GPS Navigation - This tends to be more focused on social connection tracking rather than remote outdoor track recording. Maps.Me - This was a promising contender until recently. The new version 11.0.0 released in December 2020 has changed the app significantly and removed what made this app interesting and worth using. GPX Track recording is not simple and outputs a .dat file which needs converting to .gpx using a convertor. Waze - Waze is owned and operated by Google but it does not allow you to download maps on your phone. It tends to be orientated towards traffic management much like Google Maps. OsmAnd - Provides optional offline maps and turn by turn directions. OsmAnd is a collaborative, open source (GPL) software project that incorporates the 100% free OpenStreetMap data to deliver a complete, user-friendly, mobile GPS solution. Frequently updated map and POI data are typically downloaded beforehand and stored on the navigation device. OsmAnd+ is the pay-version of the app (EUR 14.99) and supports the project and development of new features. OsmAnd is a large software project with millions of users worldwide. Guru Maps - (formerly known as Galileo Offline Maps) for Offline Maps & Navigation. Vector Maps are based on OpenStreetMap data (up-to-date and accurate). There is no limit on the number of countries/regions you can download. Record your trips and export them as KML/GPX files. Monitor your real-time speed, distance and time traveled, as well as altitude right on the map during the trip. Beautiful gradients to visualize altitude and speed changes. Changeable size of labels - large labels on maps is extremely useful depending on the quality of your eyesight. Takes up less space than most others and works really fast - the app uses GPUs in addition to CPUs to render the vector maps. My final opinion would favour both OsmAnd+ and Guru Maps. Best to read their respective web sites and see which best suits your needs! |
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melohara 2021-02-04 18:35:09 |
Farmers ask hillwalkers to leave dogs at home
https://www.rte.ie/news/munster/2021/0204/1195088-sheep-farmers-kerry/Link above to farmers appeal to hillwalkers to leave their dogs at home. Anyone who has seen sheep after they had been worried by dogs or anyone who has seen a dog after it was shot with a shotgun will not need this reminder but others may. |
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PatrickKinsella 2021-02-04 03:55:14 |
Map, GPS and tracker app?
UPDATED 15 February 2021I have now tried out both Guru Maps and OsmAnd Maps on my iPhone. My preference is for Guru: the interface suits me better, and seems more straightforward, while OsmAnd's is less intuitive and the help pages are complicated. Also OsmAnd stopped recording for 300m in the middle of one walk. My thanks again to march-fixer for his suggestions. Note: both apps are quite power-hungry, so I strongly advise carrying a good top-up battery. I will probable keep both apps, so I can check where they have different depth of local detail. Originally: I am looking for advice, please. MotionX GPS is an iPhone app that shows your location on a simple map, and (importantly for me) records your track for sharing later with friends. Thanks again to march-fixer for pointing me in the right direction. Unfortunately it no longer functions fully and is not being supported by the developer. So I've looked at possible alternatives including AllTrails and Outdoor GPS etc. They mostly seem to be very USA focused. Has anybody got any experience or advice they can share about an alternative app that works well? (I apologise if this has been covered before, I cannot find a way to search the forum.) |
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Colin Murphy 2021-02-01 11:48:13 |
Grandmother, 81, bags all of Scotland's Munro
Grandmother, 81, bags all of Scotland's Munroes. |
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BleckCra 2021-01-29 17:00:43 |
Hill Suited?
Here in the North we have a 10 mile COVID thingy. Me, I'm so lucky to live exactly 10 miles from the Mournes. To the millimetre. Your Honour.So that's another day the weatherman is talking out of his hat. He averred it was to be cloudy/sunny, sunny/cloudy all day. As it was, vis was down to 40m on the tops and the air hung heavy with that atomised, aerosol water that's all the rage nowadays. Invisible though. The kind where no one needs a top layer until it is too late and pints of water cascade into one's underwear. Two thirds of the way off the Trassey Track and a third on - to them - three wee girls. Little of stature, puppy of build, huge of personality. Late teens. Three wee chickens. "Mister do you know the way to ... eh ...?" I waited - but nothing came ... ..."the way to ... eh ...?" "You could be in trouble," I said "if you don't know the way to it or what it is." They giggled. "Slieve Bearnagh!" and pronounced it like Armagh. I explained with some grandpaternal advice and knew they hadn't a notion. Not a one. But as the day was middling ordinary I doubted if they'd come to much harm, it was only mid day and there were a few others on the hill already. A coat, a hat and boots. Eyeliner applied with emulsion brushes and one with enough brown slap to sink a battleship. That was it. Not one thing more. No bags. Nuttin'. But they would ascend Slieve Bearnagh and descend it in much better form than I. I on the other hand had on Zamberlan boots, full length gaiters, Bridgedales, long johns, Ronhills, technical base, windproof middle and showerproof top, gloves and a 2' buff. In the bag I had a lightweight waterproof top layer, top layer trousers, a 4 season mountain jacket, winter gloves, 2 hats, goggles, spikes, a survival bag, a foil blanket, a first aid kit, and a thing for taking stones out of unicorns' hooves. I started this mountain lark when I was little older that these wee girls - with a pair of oxfam trousers, a jacket that couldn't breathe if you fed an airline into it and a bumbag free with after shave. What happened? It was always de trop to be over dressed and quite fashionable to be underdressed. Somewhere enroute I seem to have gone wrong. |
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liz50 2021-01-26 16:53:51 |
5km from home
What would you consider the top 5km radius from home to be for a hillwalker? I am quite happy with mine as I live at the bottom of the Brandon range near Dingle in Co Kerry. It has been particularly good recently due to the falls of snow. |
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Colin Murphy 2021-01-21 16:25:59 |
Vote for MV's Photo of the Year 2020!
Vote for MV's Photo of 2020! Despite a very restricted year in terms of hillwalking (and everything else), nevertheless many people did get to venture out and also take some fine pictures of the countryside.Take a look at two collections of photos via the links below, which were shortlisted from members’ photos during 2020. We request your help in choosing 2020 Pictures of the Year for International and Irish pictures. Copy and paste the links below to see the shortlists. Pictures of Ireland link: mountainviews.ie/poty/Irelandshortlist/ International Pictures link: mountainviews.ie/poty/Internationalshortlist/ Closing date for voting is January 28th, so no time to lose! Instructions for voting: The pictures in each collection are numbered. Send an email to: photoaward@mountainviews.ie Title: Photoaward Include something like this in the email body for your choices: Choice from John Smith: Irish Picture of the Year 2020: My choice. Picture Number XX International Picture of the Year 2020: My choice: Picture Number XX Happy voting ... MountainViews Committee |
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Onzy 2021-01-20 14:20:32 |
MountainViews Community - Awardees 2021
Vandeleur-Lynam:Eamonoc Geo Ilenia Millsd1 Mountainmike Arderin: Ilenia Arderin + Arderin Beg: Ilenia County Highpoints: Aidy Brendanbarrett Dergish Helenha Jasonmc Karoloconnor Kitchen Marty_47 MichaelG55 RockyCaver SenanFoley Sfoley Highest 100: Eamonoc Fergalh Geo Ilenia No1Grumbler Local 100: Eugeneryan959 Briankelly Abcd MichaelG55 Daingean Mountainmike As normal we want to acknowledge also a number of Special and Contributor awards: Special Awards: Declan Murphy of the Mi/MV Arderin group for getting the Arderins accepted in MI Grainne McLaughlin of the MI Hillwalking Committee for getting the Arderins accepted in MI Alan and Margaret Tees, for getting the Irish Peaks book out Helen Lawless, of the MI Staff for meticulous work in relation to the Irish Peaks book. Contributor Awards: Fergalh, articles and reports on UK summits Markmjcampion, completing the Highest Hundred Short Summaries, further work on these and many other contributions Paul Tempan, major revisions to the placename information Melohara, ongoing work to sort out the subareas Hopefully we will get to present these awards sometime in 2021. |
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Onzy 2021-01-20 11:59:02 |
MountainViews Community - Gathering 2021
Our annual gathering normally takes place in February each year. Last year around 100 of us were in attendance. Given the pandemic situation this will not happen this year.The MV Committee have been agonising as to how we could mark the 2020 walking year and celebrate the achievements of our members. We considered using Zoom or some similar technology, but felt that this removes the mixing and mingling that is an integral part of the event. Accordingly, we have decided to defer the Gathering until later in the year, at which stage we may be able to hold it in person. Obviously this will depend on how the pandemic and any control measures develop. The Committee will keep an eye on this and update you as necessary. In the meantime, congratulations to all those who completed lists in 2020 and thanks to all those who helped us with the site and contributed to the wider world of hillwalking in 2020. A list of Awardees for 2020 will follow. MV Committee January 2021 |
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madfrankie 2021-01-14 13:13:31 |
View across the Irish Sea
From @Sam_Greenwood_ on Twitter: Yesterday’s view from Howth in Dublin to a snow capped Snowdon in North Wales is just incredible. It’s 140 kilometres away. Photo by Niall O’Carrol |
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