Best Nav app?

[SoCoRuss]

Is there really any just 0ne best nav app? I mean does it depend on if you are a beginner or experienced OL?
Is there 1 app that would be best for a beginner but a totally different app for someone very experienced that may want more options than a beginner?
Do OL's really use ALL the options and layers that in a lot of circumstances just clutter up the use of the Nav gear and force you to upgrade other items like high power I-pads or laptops just to use the functions?

It seems like today everything MUST have more and more options and abilities but do folks really need or use them?
Seems ,like its just a sales POV so folks can say my Nav app is the most expensive and complicated thing designed since the Space Shuttle. But I only had to install a deep blue NSA level super computer and 70 inch 4K screen to use in my vehicle

 

[Ubiety]

No, yes, yes, maybe. ;)

I think you nailed it - different strokes for different folks. Some folks are nav geeks and want (and know how to use) all of the bells and whistles. Some folks just want to get from point A to point B and don’t really care about the nav software outside of a few key features. Some folks are happy using a mobile phone and others want a bigger screen, still others like a dedicated GPS device.

Kind of up to the individual to “interview” the different options and see what fits them the best.

 

[pluton]

You can get a mapping app, and only use the functions you want.
I, for example, 1)want to see where I am on a map, 2)be able to mark and name waypoints, and 3)occasionally record where I go as a track line on the map. That's it...that's all I need. The other functions are there for those users that might want to play with them. I have the Gaia app because I like the selection of maps they offer.

 

[SoCoRuss]

But wouldn't it make more sense to charge different dollar amounts for each levels for the amount of bells and whistles people actually use?

 

[pluton]

But wouldn't it make more sense to charge different dollar amounts for each levels for the amount of bells and whistles people actually use?

Gaia seems to still offer their "regular" mambership at $20/year. That's pretty cheap.

 

[Ubiety]

But wouldn't it make more sense to charge different dollar amounts for each levels for the amount of bells and whistles people actually use?

Maybe. It takes program management and development and testing time ($$$) to implement segregated features - that expense may not be worth it in the end. Then you have customers who will complain that you grouped the pay for features incorrectly (support $$$) and the loss of potential customers who will feel they are being nickel and dimed and will move on to pay for something else because of that. An app developer will never be able to please everybody, and besides, most nav apps have a limited functionality free version so you kind of already get what you are asking for. Nav apps are not that expensive, find one that works for you and forego a latte or two to get the app that works the best for you.

 

[Old Tanker]

Gaia seems to still offer their "regular" mambership at $20/year. That's pretty cheap.

And they offer their "Premium" membership at a discount for OB members: Gaia GPS: Navigate, Track, and Explore

 

[SoCoRuss]

How do you get the OB discount?

 

[Old Tanker]

How do you get the OB discount?

The deal may have been trimmed a little over the last couple years. I used it in Spring of 2021 to get a five year premium membership for $120. Now, that link shows on my screen as a discounted price from $39.99 to $29.99.

I think there was a code "OBMEMBER" perhaps.

 

[SoCoRuss]

Thanks for the info.

 

[lowrider]

My recently deceased wife (know as CP, short for Copilot and she was a "nonflying" pilot) and I played with GAIA for a several long distance mostly on hard road trips to MT, WY, SD, OR, WA, AZ, NV and UT and were mostly happy with the results but it seemed to closely follow my Garmin GPS. We also played with using an app that was GPS driven airplane style but didn't really provide any additional info unless you were in need of airport info, frequencies of NAVAIDS and so on. We found for on paved road travel was mostly covered by GAIA and Garmin gave better info if you wanted breakfast or a steak for dinner. I also used GAIA on my DRZ 400 on sections of the IDBDR and on highway travel on other motorcycles. Road closures due to smoke/wildfire issues was not particularly helpful but I could get some data from ID, MT, OR and WA sources...not thru GPS.

We switched to OnX and I bought a tablet that was supposed to have GPS installed which it did not so we used my Iphone as a hot spot for the tablet to get position info. That app provides at least as good info as GAIA for off road travel. We used mostly in our Honda Pioneer 700 which was usually trailered to places beyond 25 miles from home. We live just to the West of the Cabinet Mountains that run along the ID/MT border and put hundreds of miles on back road trails and OnX did a fine job identifying everything we needed for that purpose. We also used it on Lake Ponderay in boats and it was handy there too.

OK, two paragraphs of mostly nonsense to ask the question...has anyone else used both GAIA and OnX and if so which do you prefer off road and why???

 

[SoCoRuss]

I would be interested in which of all these apps are the favorite also.

 

[Michael]

We are also working hard on our app Overland Bound One, adding features and improving with community feedback. All of the features mentioned are part of the Overland Bound One app - but...what would make OB1 your go-to app? As always, we love feedback! We are very much directly connected with the community to respond to requests and feedback.

 

[Old Tanker]

We are also working hard on our app Overland Bound One, adding features and improving with community feedback. All of the features mentioned are part of the Overland Bound One app - but...what would make OB1 your go-to app? As always, we love feedback! We are very much directly connected with the community to respond to requests and feedback.

A Team mode for members of a specific convoy. We gather within Bluetooth range and get a shared route and checkpoints from the Team leader. Ability to update during a trail stop (gather within Bluetooth). Tie into the "gather" the ability to share name/callsign/rig info so everyone has a convoy roster. Add flags for Lead/mid/tail/medic/whatever to the roster.

 

[Michael]

We are also working hard on our app Overland Bound One, adding features and improving with community feedback. All of the features mentioned are part of the Overland Bound One app - but...what would make OB1 your go-to app? As always, we love feedback! We are very much directly connected with the community to respond to requests and feedback.

A Team mode for members of a specific convoy. We gather within Bluetooth range and get a shared route and checkpoints from the Team leader. Ability to update during a trail stop (gather within Bluetooth). Tie into the "gather" the ability to share name/callsign/rig info so everyone has a convoy roster. Add flags for Lead/mid/tail/medic/whatever to the roster.

This is great. Good idea. We have a Crew feature on the roadmap and this will fit in nicely. Thank you!

 

[HighVoltOverland]

@Michael
I know this is a longer shot for me, but if you could get the OB One mapping as a native app for Rivian (or Tesla) I would give a spleen to whomever makes that happen.
or have it as an option for Carplay/Android Auto
(Gaia has Carplay support)
That would be a big reason for me to migrate over from Gaia
(Hard for me to justify migrating map software presently as I bought a 5 year subscription to Gaia and it meets my hermit/loaner needs)

 

[AHW]

My recently deceased wife (know as CP, short for Copilot and she was a "nonflying" pilot) and I played with GAIA for a several long distance mostly on hard road trips to MT, WY, SD, OR, WA, AZ, NV and UT and were mostly happy with the results but it seemed to closely follow my Garmin GPS. We also played with using an app that was GPS driven airplane style but didn't really provide any additional info unless you were in need of airport info, frequencies of NAVAIDS and so on. We found for on paved road travel was mostly covered by GAIA and Garmin gave better info if you wanted breakfast or a steak for dinner. I also used GAIA on my DRZ 400 on sections of the IDBDR and on highway travel on other motorcycles. Road closures due to smoke/wildfire issues was not particularly helpful but I could get some data from ID, MT, OR and WA sources...not thru GPS.

We switched to OnX and I bought a tablet that was supposed to have GPS installed which it did not so we used my Iphone as a hot spot for the tablet to get position info. That app provides at least as good info as GAIA for off road travel. We used mostly in our Honda Pioneer 700 which was usually trailered to places beyond 25 miles from home. We live just to the West of the Cabinet Mountains that run along the ID/MT border and put hundreds of miles on back road trails and OnX did a fine job identifying everything we needed for that purpose. We also used it on Lake Ponderay in boats and it was handy there too.

OK, two paragraphs of mostly nonsense to ask the question...has anyone else used both GAIA and OnX and if so which do you prefer off road and why???

I’m sorry for your loss.

Andrew

 

[BroncoTrail]

Gaia GPS + Trails Offroad

 

[SoCoRuss]

For Michael BTW, I'm not slamming OB1 at all. As a newbie, I'm just curious about what people use and why based on levels of experience. I will be trying out OB1 as soon as the snows lift some.

 

[Dilldog]

I use and really enjoy Gaia. This is primarily because it interfaces well with other programs I use for ham radio and environmental work. It was a game changer for me to have a mapping app that interfaced with the USGS for pulling stream gauge data. Not something most would ever even think of, but some of the layers that you can add on Gaia are game changers if you use it for anything other than navigating.