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Can you suggest me a power-user GPS application for Android?
I've recently switched from my Sony Ericsson K800 to Android and really miss MapNav. Most of the android apps I've tried are really naive - there is a map, and there is a dot representing your position, and this is all. Some of them have online routing via Cloudmade or other service. Not something really impressive.

There are two cases I'll be using that app for:
A) collect data for OSM
B) when on a trip - checking and correcting OSM data
For A) - I don't want anything with a embedded OSM editor! I like to make marks (in the app), take photos and then later enter all data in JOSM.

I'm often in regions with no access to Internet. So I need all maps to be prepared before and use them offline. Preferably use vector maps because of the scaling and routing.
Also if using routing (and it is new to me and I don't find it really "a-must") it should be offline routing.
About tracks - I keep lots of tracks, some of them with 5k+ nodes. I need to be able to easily tell which track is what.

MapNav was a perfect app with tons of options, but it won't run on Android. There are certain emulators but none of them get to run it smoothly. That's why I search for something that is android-native, but so far I haven't hit anything worthy. I've checked OsmAnd and it has troubles saving tracks. I've checked Maverick and it has troubles saving POIs.

I've created a list of features that I need and a list of features that it will be nice to have but not mandatory.

MUST HAVES

  • Tracks
    -- record track points by distance traveled (for example "every 50 m") or by time (for example "every 10 s"). Combination of two can be possible with AND or OR.
    -- save and load tracks
    -- view saved tracks in list select active track
    -- export/import track formats - at least GPX
    -- display and update active track on the map
    -- ability to easily pause track recording (for example when you are standing still at one place)

  • Marks
    -- ability to quickly add new mark (or call it POI if you like) around my current location
    -- ability to add new mark with specific coordinates (useful for geocaching)
    -- easily export and import marks

  • Main display
    -- display current speed
    -- display distance between current position and a selected target position
    -- display distance between random two points

  • Map sources
    -- offline maps easily created
    -- OSM
    -- downloading Google Earth (or other sources) tiles from Internet

OPTIONALS

  • Tracks
    -- show altitude and speed profiling of a track
    -- edit track nodes (for example cut nodes out of the track, or split track in two)
    -- rename saved tracks
    -- list saved tracks with details (like length, timestamp of first node, timestamp of last node) and sorting
    -- display more than one track over the map at once

  • Marks
    -- ability to take photo and geotag/add it to a mark

  • Main display
    -- display current coordinates and altitude
    -- number of points in active track
    -- ability to show a "ruler" on the map
    -- display satelite status

  • Navigation
    -- ability to calculate route from point A to point B w/o Internet

asked 15 Feb '11, 09:54

ivanatora's gravatar image

ivanatora
2.7k355568
accept rate: 7%


The best I've seen, and what I use on my Droid X for OSM work and general navigation, is OruxMaps. It meets most of your criteria--though it uses raster maps, not vector. You can select two (but not more) tracks for display--GPX and KML. I've found it generally more capable, with a far better display, than my Garmin Oregon 450. It's free. No advertising. Donation-worthy.

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answered 15 Feb '11, 12:18

barte's gravatar image

barte
45951017
accept rate: 16%

OruxMaps seems galaxies away in features compared to other apps. I like it!

(22 Feb '11, 06:37) ivanatora

This is interesting news, I'll have to investigate it. I have a dream: The perfect OSM hardware device. All of the above plus synchronized time stamps (to the second) for pics and voice recording with built-in distance measuring device (to measure street width, etc.)

(22 Feb '11, 06:56) dcp
1

cool. I'll give it a try too. There's some basic details here: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OruxMaps If you know more, feel free to expand upon that.

(22 Feb '11, 11:26) Harry Wood

One obvious addition: OrixMaps allow you to directly download Mapnik, Cyclemap, OpenSeaMap and OpenPisteMap (among other data sources). If you have a data connection, you can do this in the field. You can also import maps via Mobile Atlas Creator.

(23 Feb '11, 02:45) barte

Yep, OruxMaps pretty much covers all of my requests.

(23 Feb '11, 09:30) ivanatora
19

I don't understand why nobody is writing about OsmAnd. I'm personally working for it for a long while and it seems to have all features that a OSM Power mapper would like to have.

The biggest plus is that you can use the map and just click somewhere to add a note / POI or Bug in offline and online mode.

You have to try it !

You find it in Android Market

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answered 18 Nov '11, 11:55

Mr_Israel's gravatar image

Mr_Israel
330237
accept rate: 0%

edited 18 Nov '11, 12:42

Gnonthgol's gravatar image

Gnonthgol ♦
13.8k16103198

1

... but instead of downloading the outdated for-free-app, everybody should consider do choose the OsmAnd+ version for a little price, or try the latest development version via http://www.osmand.net

(18 Nov '11, 14:23) stephan75

It seems to just record everything, or nothing, selectable from the options. I usually want to manually start and stop recording into different tracks, to keep my OSM-relevant tracks organized. Awesome app, nonetheless, just not very nice for collecting data in my case.

(30 May '12, 18:58) Ilari

@Ilari: OsmAnd has been in pretty rapid development and things may have changed since this comment. At least with the steps you can define how your tracks are recorded. 1) Activate "Logging services & Sleep Mode" plugin (at Settings > Plugins) 2) Add GPX recording button to map view screen (Map view: lower left corner menu button: Configure Screen, activate "GPX recording") 3) Tap the GPX button on top right corner to start/end track recording .. It's true that you can't force OsmAnd to start a new track. For such needs I still use OSMTracker.

(23 May '14, 18:31) jaakkoh

4) You can view, manage, upload GPX tracks via Settings menu > Data management > GPX Data -- or access the data directly through your phone memory or SD card (depending on which you've defined as your OsmAnd data storage location). In newest versions the place on SD is a bit long path: Android > data > net.osmand > files > osmand -- and tracks in that for the tracks data.

(23 May '14, 18:31) jaakkoh

Both OruxMaps and OsmAnd have tons of features, and both are best-in-class.

They are NOT direct competitors: While OruxMaps is best for outdoor (off-road, marine and aerial) use, OsmAnd is best for on-road use (POI search, turn-by-turn navigation for car, bicycle and pedestrian). Thus you could use BOTH, depending on your application.

(13 Mar '15, 08:27) NarayanAras

I also recommend Locus, it's comparable to OruxMaps in terms of functionality, but I somehow find it easier to work with. A matter of personal taste, I guess.

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answered 10 Mar '11, 15:39

Breki's gravatar image

Breki
2.0k51843
accept rate: 10%

Ivanatora has it right, my Qstarz 818XT 10Hz external gps receiver communicates with my archos70 (android tablet) via bluetooth. Haven't touched my Garmin since. Accuracy and time to acquire is no contest.

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answered 24 Mar '11, 06:18

pilastr's gravatar image

pilastr
161
accept rate: 0%

I have been using TrekBuddy for over one year and a half and it has all features that you've listed except: -- online maps -- edit track nodes But it has some other features MapNav doesn't have, although MapNav is very good software, too.

If you, like me, prepare your maps beforehand, TrekBuddy is perfect!

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answered 18 Sep '11, 14:10

cypriend's gravatar image

cypriend
36113
accept rate: 0%

edited 18 Sep '11, 14:12

Desired feature for a smart-phone / Garmin:

Record a movie, where each movie picture is tagged with a) the GPS-coordinates b) the point of the compass

Then the subsequent transferring of ways / marks / POI into OSM would be much more simple. The person recording the movie could even be different from the person transferring the data into OSM.

Prerequisites:

a) a standard format for recording the extra information in a movie b) JOSM can handle this format

Maybe the prerequisites are already fulfilled, I don´t know.

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answered 12 Jul '11, 18:47

lensitivity's gravatar image

lensitivity
1113
accept rate: 0%

1

That's a rather different question to "Can you suggest me a power-user GPS application for Android?" and is probably better suited to the mailing lists than here. If you've got a preferred smartphone platform I'd mention that there, too.

(12 Jul '11, 22:41) SomeoneElse ♦

for android: AndroSensor can save as csv the sensors you want, with the frequency yoo want (up to 0.1 second) For the format: best seems .srt (subtitles). If you write a script (a sed one-liner?!), I'll be your firsst tester for 80-day mapping party (www.outdoormaps.org).

(30 Apr '12, 21:49) Mayeul
-8

I can't help but to think you're actually wanting a Garmin Oregon 550.

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answered 23 Feb '11, 22:10

Baloo%20Uriza's gravatar image

Baloo Uriza
3.2k143061
accept rate: 9%

No, I don't want a Garmin device. This question is about Android.

(24 Feb '11, 10:55) ivanatora

I realize that, I'm just sayin, a purpose built device that already exists may be a better option than a smartphone with comparatively limited functionality.

(24 Feb '11, 14:30) Baloo Uriza
1

I agree with Paul Johnson. For data collection a special purpose device will be better (more accurate) than an multimedia telephone device. You cannot replace a good camera with an iPhone for example. Having said that a smartphone is a fun thing to have for OSM. I will buy a Samsung Galaxy just for (expensive) fun. It would be pretty useless as a tracking device as, so I have been told, the battery would not last long enough for a day of rambling. The perfect OSM dream device is not yet available. Maybe we should write a specification: Just for fun!

(24 Feb '11, 16:25) dcp
1

First - saying again - this question is not "what device should I be using". Arguing which device is better can turn into a flame - both options have their pros and cons. In generally my opinion is that a Garmin device is not superior to the "phone + external receiver" combination. However the character limit of this comment won't let me explain here. If you are interested, write me somewhere else and I will defend my thesis.

(10 Mar '11, 12:29) ivanatora

Then you're eliminating all reasonable options.

(10 Mar '11, 14:20) Baloo Uriza

Where I live, you can buy 4 Android phones for the price of a 550. So Ivan can have raster maps on one, vector maps on another and so on.

(12 Mar '11, 13:24) Nic Roets
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question asked: 15 Feb '11, 09:54

question was seen: 25,083 times

last updated: 13 Mar '15, 08:27

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