What is my Location? Kit needed ...

OLDFLYBYNIGHT

JohnDough, I do like 'openstreetmap' as it gives a better definition on my monitor. Tried what you said, but haven't got the same results as you, but will keep trying. There is an edit button, that asks me to open an account which I'm hoping doesn't mean anything I do updates the actual system, as one could in wikipedia. So Thank you so far, I was unaware of so much of the advice that I've been given here ... off to try some more.

forgotmyname

Tarambor is correct, that was my idea of the smartphone.

As long as it has GPS and a screen big enough to be visible to yourself then no SIM is required. Your only using the GPS side of it.

Load maps at home. Anything from free to paid for ordnance survey at ££? And your good to go with no more charges.

were

OLDFLYBYNIGHT wrote: »

Thank you, Were, I've been looking at your links on my PC, and am really keen to get a decent smart phone to try your advice in 'anger'.

Does the OK Maps facility works for satellite views too? Because I can actually see the benches, so I'd just need to point to them in the maps.me app. That part of the job could be a simple desktop task, and other than putting numbers on each one of them & measuring the rails, it would save a lot of time.

Most phones will use some data even though you personally use non.

Maps.me is a tomtom like program. No 3d maps (on my phone). Supports downloadable maps, used when travelling from country to country and the offline maps are there so you do not get roaming charges, or a limited data plan on your phone. There is no live traffic info, so Waze is better locally (in a car). Selecting a spot will give you both a favourite and a longitude and latitude.

On google maps you can just use the longitude an latitude from above mapping data.

The satellite is just a 3d overlay, so just do the long left click again, and forget the Maps.me software.

With summer approaching would be nice to get out and walk around before we have those 3 days of heat, then cold again

glennevis

The mapping app I use on my android smartphone will display lots of maps: OS, Bing satellite, Mapnik, OpenMap, Historic OS maps (e.g. can show you the Good Fortune tin mines in 1895 at 25 inches to the mile!). Also gives both OS grid ref and lat/long coordinates simultaneously, saving a lot of time cross-referencing. Google for "AlpineQuest app".

OK the paid version of the app which supports OS maps cost a few pounds (£7 AFAIR) but it was worth it if you're serious about mapping.

My phone is a Samsung Galaxy S2 which is 5 years old so was only £30 on eBay, plus a tenner for a new battery. Works offline, so no data needed if you download map tiles beforehand as discussed by others. You can switch off the data connection to make sure you only use the offline maps if you have a PAYG SIM installed though free data SIMs are available.

Oh, and it has a built in FM Radio receiver if you want Radio 4.

esuhl

glennevis wrote: »

My phone is a Samsung Galaxy S2 which is 5 years old so was only £30 on eBay, plus a tenner for a new battery. Works offline, so no data needed if you download map tiles beforehand as discussed by others. You can switch off the data connection to make sure you only use the offline maps if you have a PAYG SIM installed though free data SIMs are available.

Oh, and it has a built in FM Radio receiver if you want Radio 4.

I have the same phone It's okay, but it takes so long to lock on to GPS signals. Sometimes it never does, and GPS really runs down the battery.

The great thing about smartphones is the huge range of apps you can install -- and there are some really good mapping apps available.

But if all you really need are co-ordinates... I reckon a dedicated GPS receiver would be much more reliable: far quicker to lock on to satellites and with much better battery life.

Having said that... smartphones are pretty handy. If you don't have one already, maybe you'd get a bit of other use out of it. And it might be cheaper than a GPS unit...?

I don't want to confuse you further, but the Samsung Galaxy SII is quite an old phone and hasn't received Android updates for some time. I installed Cyanogenmod on it (i.e. a different operating system), and it runs so much faster. Apparently Cyanogenmod has been replaced with Lineage OS now. Anyway, if you want to get the best performance out of an old phone (and you're up for a techie project) it might be worth considering.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CyanogenMod
http://lifehacker.com/cyanogenmod-is-dead-and-its-successor-is-lineage-os-1790554964

googler

agrinnall wrote: »

Ordnance survey map plus notepad and pencil - total cost, under £10.

Exactly. Doesn't need to be charged or fed with batteries, either.

Owain_Moneysaver

Another option is a camera with inbuilt GPS that saves the coordinates in the photo EXIF data (geotagging)

agrinnall

googler wrote: »

Exactly. Doesn't need to be charged or fed with batteries, either.

Although the OP rejected it I still think it can be as accurate as any other method if the map used is a large enough scale (might cost a bit more to buy the maps required to cover the area needed) in association with a tool at home to convert map reference to latitude/longitude such as http://www.nearby.org.uk/conversions.cgi

grumpycrab

agrinnall wrote: »

Ordnance survey map plus notepad and pencil - total cost, under £10.

Yep, Rule#1 when going out - have a map, compass AND KNOW HOW TO USE THEM.

buglawton

were wrote: »

You can now on mobile phones save the maps Google Maps locally so it does not use extra phone data.

Also zoom in to your google map and try this
https://www.wired.com/2014/02/offline-google-maps

Store Google maps off line, look at the links too
https://www.androidpit.com/use-your-google-maps-offline

Most phones have AGPS - Assisted GPS. My old Compaq phone took about 30 mis to find satellites without the sim or internet. Going under a bridge cause it to look for around another 3o mins
http://www.diffen.com/difference/A-GPS_vs_GPS

there is this for phones - never used it and it seems they want money
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cz.aponia.bor3.offlinemaps&hl=en

One good offline map program for phones is maps.me as it allows you to touch the screen and save that point as a bookmark like "park bench 2" and it give you the logitude and lattitude

A couple of days ago I checked Google Maps app just to see if finally UK rights of way/footpaths had been added. It seems they have. A test route plan from my home to the station now takes me on the more pleasant route with footpath included, instead of as before where it would have taken me (selecting walking mode of transport) along the main road.

Does anyone know where this development is officially confirmed/described?