Free version or Osmand+

[Lukas]

Hey guys

I'm a cyclist and currently looking for the perfect route planer AND navigator while on the road. I'm planning on doing big tours for up to 10 days on my road bike. Some people recommended Osmand so I'm looking into that now. First of all: Do you guys think this is the BEST application for my needs on the market right now? What other do you recommend?

Then I figured that there's a free app and a paid one. The only big difference I saw until now was that there's unlimited map downloads in the paid version. What are the other differences? Do you think it's worth it to buy the full one?

Any other hints how to get started etc. are highly appreciated.

Thank you so much for your support.

Cheers,

Lukas

[Martin Trautmann]

The great thing about osmand: it's based on the OpenStreetMap. Thus you can fix errors on your own. Each improvement you find will help all others.

However, bicycle routing is based on a single set of rules. You may compare with other bicycle routing, based on osm, which do provide different setups for shortest or fastest track. You may use OsmAnd here but should check with other tools whether there may be a better route.

Do you have
* an excellent screen, which is bright enough for direct sunlight? Mine isn't, but navigation by speech helps.
* hub generator and USB charger? Otherwise you may run out of battery within days or even hours.
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[Lukas]

Thanks for your answer.

I do have a good screen. I do not have a hub generator though, but I would use my powerbank which allows me to charge my phone like 4 times. I can put the powerbank in a little bag beneath my phone case on the bicycle.

[Xavier]

On Wed, Jul 03, 2019 at 07:36:28AM -0700, Lukas wrote:
>I'm a cyclist and currently looking for the perfect route planer AND
>navigator while on the road. I'm planning on doing big tours for up to 10
>days on my road bike.

>Some people recommended Osmand so I'm looking into that now. First of
>all: Do you guys think this is the BEST application for my needs on
>the market right now? What other do you recommend?

Well, "best" is subjective, everyone will have a different definition.
Note, also, you are asking an OsmAnd group if they believe it is best,
if we did not, we might not be subscribed here... :)

>Then I figured that there's a free app and a paid one.

Which means you can download the free version first, and
experiment/test yourself in your environment and for your use to see if
it works adequately for you. In the end, only you can ultimately
answer this question.

>Any other hints how to get started etc. are highly appreciated.

OsmAnd uses OpenStreetMap (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenStreetMap,
https://www.openstreetmap.org/) data for its maps, which is a Wikipedia
like map of the world.

What this means is that the detail level of the data you find is
dependent upon someone having added the data to OpenStreetMap at some
point. You may find that some of your routes are perfect, others have
some issues, and still others are missing.

But, because OsmAnd is based on OpenStreetMap, this also means that you
can contribute data you find to be missing or correct data that is in
error while you are proceeding on your travels. And if you do so,
those routes/corrections will be present for both yourself, and
everyone else, to enjoy later.

OsmAnd allows for some minor editing of OpenStreetMap (OSM) data, but
editing OSM data is not its intended use case, so there is a limited
amount you can do. If you do want to contribute data you find along
your travels that is missing or in error, you can also install Vespucci
(Android only, https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Vespucci,
https://vespucci.io/) which would allow you to make full OSM edits as
you go to enhance the data for everyone.

[Lukas]

Thanks so much for your detailed answer. That helped a lot.

[Rob Woodall]

Interesting to read of the Vespucci app - thanks

I suspect there are better apps if you primarily want navigation. OsmAnd's routing can be flaky. And as others have said, it tends to use a lot of power in navigation mode - too colourful/complex perhaps.

I primarily use it overseas as, can download a whole country, including contours, all within the one-off payment (6 GBP was it?)

It is also good for handling very large datasets in GPX files, 100,000 or more points, which I find very useful.

Only displaying in Lat/Long can be a limitation if you're also using local maps.

Anyway, try out the free copy and see for yourself :-)

Rob

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[Tom Norton]

Lukas, get the paid version if for no other reason than to support Osmand. Their product is fantastic!
We are currently on a 3 month cycling tour across Europe and Osmand has been absolutely great!

[P Wat]

FWIW.  Last year we cycled every day for 14 days touring in Netherlands.

We used an Android phone with OsmAnd+ all the way.

Each night it was re-charged on mains at B&Bs.  You can also top up at cafes etc en-route if necessary.

On longer days, and if the phone was used for other purposes during the day (email, web browsing, phone calls, etc.) we were able to keep it running with a power pack which is combined with a solar panel.  This unit is about the same size as the phone.  I hang it on the cross-bar or handlebars, facing the (usually by then) setting sun.

Power is saved by switching the screen off most of the time, ie using the vocal turn-by-turn instructions.

Last summer "Screen auto-on-off" was available on Osmand.  It is currently not available but we understand it will soon be available again.  It is (was/will-be) a system which turns the screen on for just a few seconds each time there is a turn to do, then off again - An excellent benefit in terms of power-saving!

Note, you can select (in settings) Flat/Less hilly/Hilly, and various categories of things to avoid (eg unpaved/stairs/etc), and other things in "Driving style".

As a further extension, you can combine OsmAnd with Brouter which has several profiles from which to choose, though I often just stick to Osmand's own routing.

As for Free version Vs OsmAnd+ (paid).  What does it cost?  A couple of beers?  Good value for money, a VERY small proportion of your holiday cost, and it supports the valuable work done for us users.

Good luck

Paul W

[Lukas]

Cool, thanks very much!

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[Lukas]

Good point :-) did it! Have fun on the rest of your trip.

[Lukas]

Thank you so much for your detailed answer. Very grateful for that. I bought Osmand+ now and I'm very content. Just did a 75 miles tour yesterday and it worked well.