Undecided Anyone use On-line OS Maps?

mickledore

mickledore

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Yes
I have the full set of OS maps on my PC, which is about to be replaced.
The maps I have are possibly not kosher, and they never update which is PIA for roads. They have seved me well for years but with the impending change I thought about taking out an OS Subscription. £20 for a full year seems reasonable enough to me.
https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/
The blurb says everything and nothing, so does anyone know what you get?
I use the 1:25,000 at lot and the 1:50,000 when I've no alternative. I presume all these are included for the full country; what else is in the package? Is it worth £20p.a?
 
Yes, there's a 7 day trial, but I'm a bit crazy and like to know what I'm getting in the trial before I start!!!
The main thing is 1:25,000 and 1:50,000. So long as I get all those that will do me.

ecoleman said:
For £20/month I think it's worth it
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It says £20 per annum or £3.99 per month. I hope you're not paying £20 per month!!!
 
mickledore said:
Yes, there's a 7 day trial, but I'm a bit crazy and like to know what I'm getting in the trial before I start!!!
The main thing is 1:25,000 and 1:50,000. So long as I get all those that will do me.


It says £20 per annum or £3.99 per month. I hope you're not paying £20 per month!!!
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Yep. £20/annum. My mistake

You can zoom into the maps and as you zoom so the map changes from basic to 1:50000 and then 1:25000. There are also maps specifically for the national parks. Route plotting, saving, send to GPS etc. And you can print map sections as you need them.
 
That zoom function sounds good. I do print mine out at present, at varying scales depending on what I need them for.
I have heard that OS are stopping producing ordinary 1:50,000 because most folk want maps on line nowadays. Looks like I can have these on my PC and on my phone at the same time.
Gets better and better.
 
I have it an use it a lot on my phone when we are out and about. It's godd because you can download the 25 and 50,000 maps for the area you are going to so if there is no signal you can still use it (it's a bugger when you forget or don't quite download the right bit though).

It's also worth noting that Bing maps has the OS maps for free and I use that more on my PC because the zoom and search are better. go to https://www.bing.com/maps click the drop-down top right that says "Road" and choose "Ordnance Survey" you only get the OS map if you are zoomed in far enough.
 
sirch said:
It's also worth noting that Bing maps has the OS maps for free and I use that more on my PC because the zoom and search are better. go to https://www.bing.com/maps click the drop-down top right that says "Road" and choose "Ordnance Survey" you only get the OS map if you are zoomed in far enough.
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That's worth knowing. Thank you. I'll have a little play. Presumably they are PC only.
 
mickledore said:
Presumably they are PC only.
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I guess it works on anything with Web access but it doesn't have the off-line save option. I guess you could faff about and save screenshots or somehting but at £20 the OS offer seems worth it to me and it feels like the OS is one of those organisations that deserves a bit of support.
 
Another vote for the free OS maps via Bing Maps.

Dave
 
Just had a play with the Bing maps.
Good. But a little bit slow and clunky on my present machine.
I'll have a look for an Android app and see how that fares.
sirch said:
I guess you could faff about and save screenshots or somehting but at £20 the OS offer seems worth it to me and it feels like the OS is one of those organisations that deserves a bit of support.
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OS is, of course, a private company nowadays, but they are of inestimable value to guys like us who really do rely on them out on the hills.
I believe that even though they will be stopping production of the paper based 1:50,000 they are, by law, obliged to keep production of the paper based 1:25,000 maps that cover National Parks and the like. This is for the Search and Rescue guys who simply must have paper maps.
 
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mickledore said:
OS is, of course, a private company nowadays, but they are of inestimable value to guys like us who really do rely on them out on the hills.
I believe that even though they will be stopping production of the paper based 1:50,000 they are, by law, obliged to keep production of the paper based 1:25,000 maps that cover National Parks and the like. This is for the Search and Rescue guys who simply must have paper maps.
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Can I ask where the source for your comment they will be stopping 1:50,000 maps is? Couldn't find anything googling quickly except for a 2014 statement (blog entry) that said they are committed to producing both 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 maps.

Oh and Ordinance Survey are 100% owned by the tax payer (though could be sold off at any time).

Ordnance Survey Limited (company number 9121572) is a limited company incorporated in England and Wales. Our shares are 100% owned by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). We are a public corporation, as defined in Managing Public Money as “a trading body controlled by central government... that has substantial day to day operating independence.”​
 
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Eloise said:
Can I ask where the source for your comment they will be stopping 1:50,000 maps is? Couldn't find anything googling quickly except for a 2014 statement (blog entry) that said they are committed to producing both 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 maps.
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There was a big piece in the news in the middle of last year. Caused a bit of a comment at the time. Of course, they may have rolled back on that, but their rationale was that the vast majority of map users nowadays rely on getting a signal to whatever hand held devices they rely on, and fewer and fewer were buying, or even able to read, paper maps.
 
I use two products for OS Maps.

1: OS Maps Online is good and they have an Android and IOS app. For £20 a year its excellent value for money. The phone app is ok, but a bit clunky would benefit from some refinement, such as the cursor pointing in the direction of travel.

2: Satmap have an excellent OS online mapping system for £20 per year, in my view it is a lot better than OS's own online system, better zoom range, route planning is easier etc. The downside is that Satmap do not have a phone app, instead they have a device called Satmap Active 12, which is excellent and better than the phone app in every way, apart from cost. The Active 12 is about £360 (including UK 50k OS map). I have the previous version, the Active 10 and for mapping it is far better than a phone app, better route planning, battery life is good too. The screen on the Active 10 is not as good as a decent smartphone, but I believe it is better on the current Active 12 model. I find it is useful not being reliant on having a phone signal to have the map available, but you do have to buy the map card in the first place!

Chris
 
I have Memory Map Navigator, but my version of OS maps is getting old too.

I've recently installed the GeoGPS app on my windows phone which utilises and caches the latest free Bing OS maps at various scales and with excellent scalable zoom, and provides great functionality. Cost about £6 for the app. A seven day trial is available. I think similar is available for iPhone and Android.
 
PS. I personally recon £20 a year for online maps (which you can also print out) is worth it especially to support Ordnance Survey.
 
I use them Frank, as does Dad through the Duke of Edinburgh scheme he runs. The website is frankly pants, logs you out all the time and you have to go through the same routine of logging in, enabling the actual OS maps BEFORE you look somewhere up because if you do it after going to a place it recentres somewhere n the Peak District - EVERY TIME! but if you do use maps a lot it's probably worth the money. The phone apps I find less useful as they require data connections and lets face if you're in need of an OS map to navigate where you're stood you can guarantee there's no phone signal. There are also issues with saving maps - it saves the view on your screen, but if there's one tile not loaded, you can't save it. Definitely needs a Wifi connection and a sit down and load maps to your phone before you head off if you plan on using your phone as your map.
 
Oh and just to add, i'm not sure how up to date they actually are. I did that ramblers big pathwatch thing last year and the map they provide was most definitely not the same as the paper map I have nor the online OS one. Looking at my local map the Online one seems current, but whether that's the case for everywhere I don't know.
 
Thanks Alan.
As I mentioned I have the full UK on 25,000 and 50,000 but they may be the wrong side of the tracks. Whilst they will be relatively unchanged for off road mapping the road network is becoming more and more out of date. I cannot update them. I'll explain better next time we meet.
The constant logging out will a pain. I've been looking at Bing maps and that constantly opens up based on Cardiff, then I have to recentre. That too is a pain.
I've downloaded the app and that will do for navigating to/from start locations.
£20 a year isn't too expensive, but once I leave here I will have the printed version with me. That will either be a shop bought map or one I've run off myself. I don't trust mapping on a handheld device. I'm from the old school who knows how to take a bearing and read a map (I've been doing it for forty years!); relying on a phone signal seems to be an invitation to trouble. Phone maps will be OK for navigating to and from a location, but once out of the car - forget it.

Has the weather relented enough for you to venture into Dinorwic?
 
I don't recall having the logging out issue.

The current version of the iOS app allows you to download for offline use.

Please note there are multiple OS apps including OS Maps which is for the £20 a year service (as well as any digital maps you buy) as well as OS MapFinder which is not.
 
sirch said:
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It's also worth noting that Bing maps has the OS maps for free and I use that more on my PC because the zoom and search are better. go to https://www.bing.com/maps click the drop-down top right that says "Road" and choose "Ordnance Survey" you only get the OS map if you are zoomed in far enough.
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Thanks for that. The OS maps used to be available in MultiMap but when that was bought by Bing we lost the OS maps -- despite complaints from me and others no answer was forthcoming as usual. Sounds like they eventually got the message.
 
When I was doing a lot of mountain biking I had the Talky Toaster maps downloaded onto my GPS unit. No way of getting OS back then. They were OK, just lacking fine detail for off road use but they were good for fell side tracks where bikes would be going.
Still got the GPS somewhere and they will be on it. Might be usable if the batteries haven't exploded. Must have a look see.
 
ooh just reminded me that I had a present at Christmas- code for 12 month O/S maps and a water proof phone case thing
 
mickledore said:
Has the weather relented enough for you to venture into Dinorwic?
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Nope, been miserable all week! It would have been quite nice in the snow last week but as I was picking up my phone and heading out the door I got called into work!

Maybe next week.
 
Down here by the coast we got 6 sided hail, but the mountains were whitened with snow, mild disruption caused out and about. Typically today is clear and crisp, a lovely winter's day as I begin my stint at work! I can actually see the mountains today and there's no snow left sadly.
 
Every cloud.....the sun is shining at last and I'd be peed off if there was snow around. I'm booked into a walk and talk fell runners reunion tomorrow so no togging for me.
Will there be much snow all this winter?
The potential for a meet in Cwmorthin is still on the cards. I presume @Mr Perceptive is still interested, but I'm waiting for a good day so that we can get to the upper levels.
Might be short notice but I'll keep you posted.
 
mickledore said:
Every cloud.....the sun is shining at last and I'd be peed off if there was snow around. I'm booked into a walk and talk fell runners reunion tomorrow so no togging for me.
Will there be much snow all this winter?
The potential for a meet in Cwmorthin is still on the cards. I presume @Mr Perceptive is still interested, but I'm waiting for a good day so that we can get to the upper levels.
Might be short notice but I'll keep you posted.
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Yes still interested, should be available for a fogging day next week (not Monday)
 
Will need to work on that. Having some work done here and will have to juggle things. Weds is deffo out of bounds.
 
Probably worth mentioning you can use Tesco clubcard points to pay.
 
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