Hema app enquiry

Hema Explorer gives you the whole lot including The High country, Fraser Island, The Kimberly, Cape York and the Great Deserts

We purchased Hema Explorer for $49.95 (basic mapping, not detailed like their dearer mapping). But it would not run on our tablet - operating system not up to date so it was no good. Hema said they would refund our payment if we sent them the Google Apps receipt number - but we never got one so that failed.

it covers the whole country and the $49 mean she you own the app.you subscribe to much more detailed maps for about $60 per year

Deejay,

Get the Hema 4WD maps app for about $99. Lots of Australia wide maps and you can track progress, fix weigh points etc.

Been using it for some years with no dramas.

Bob

This site offers a great mapping app which runs on the iPad

ExplorOz traveler app .

Click on the menu and have a read.

Just note that not all iPads have a built-in GPS. The "WiFi Only" ones don't, but you can add an external GPS to these.
Barry

The accuracy of Hema maps in the Vic high country isn't the best. If you plan on any serious offroad navigation there look elsewhere.

You can pay a recurring subscription to get access via Explorer to the very good Vicmap topos but there are cheaper ways of doing this.

NSW topos in geoPDF format can be downloaded free in one of several scales from http://maps.six.nsw.gov.au/etopo.html

Before you spend too much do yourself a favour and download a copy of Pocket Earth Pro to yor device , less than $20 from memory and you might be surprised how good it is .

What we call GPS for road use is a system of 3 components: the hardware, the software to record tracks and waypoints, follow routes etc, and the maps.

The maps are the guts of the system and just as with paper maps they vary a good deal.

1. Accuracy
2. Detail: scale and amount of information
3. Readability
4. Cost

It pays to be clear on your needs so that you can decide how the mapset should perform on these dimensions.

If we take 2, when you are doing close navigation through tracks where signposting is unreliable, you need a scale that's informative. In my book when up in the mountains that's no more than 50K. Out in the desert often 250K is enough.

In the Alps you need info on track status and seasonal closures (ie. gates). Outback you might need to know whether a permit is needed.

Contours are useful for estimating how passable a track might be in the wet or how hard it might be to tow a camper trailer.

If you're touring reliable POIs listing servos or camps would be useful.

When choosing between alternatives you will get a lot out of requesting a sample of the mapset you're considering to see how it represents an area you know well.