Storage
App itself is less than 15MB. Offline content and maps that you will download in-app is approx 5GB. SD card storage is an option when downloading maps. The offline map download covers the whole of Australia and can be saved on your device for as long as you require.
GPS Requirements
Whilst you can use online location
services via Wifi and mobile data you will also need to ensure your device has a GPS chip built in or an external GPS otherwise the app will not be able to show where you are when you are offline. All phones have built in GPS and are a good choice of device. Most Android tablets will also have built in GPS. Some iPads will require an external GPS as the Wifi only models do not have a built in GPS chip. Windows laptops used for navigation will require an external GPS plus installation of GPS Complete software. Using your phone as a Hotspot will not work when offline so this method is not a solution for offline tracking. By default, when the app cannot detect a GPS, it will assign
Alice Springs as your location.
What is the Best Device to Use?
Traveller is not a “light app” so you should avoid using "budget" model devices that are only designed for general everyday use. The mapping engine and GPS tracking features require a lot of processing power and is not suitable for use on low spec tablets and the larger the screen the more important these issues become. When selecting a tablet, you should select a high-end model to ensure you have the best quality hardware as CPU and GPU processors are inferior in the "budget" models.
If you are looking at Android tablets, then be careful to avoid the entry level range of "Budget" tablets eg. Samsung make budget tablets in the Tab A series. The older versions of these tablets (prior to the Tab A7) were not designed for apps that require complex background processing and should be avoided due to poor performance. These older Tab A devices were only designed for people that wish to use the device for everyday functions - such as web browsing, watching videos, YouTube, Facebook, playing games and other light apps. The Tab A7 2021 series however was the first Tab A to have increased RAM and storage options, and faster CPU so Tab A7 (10" not the 8" A7 Lite) and the latest generation Tab A8 (2022) are the only Samsung Tab A tablets that we would recommend if you are expecting good performance. On the other hand, the Samsung Tab S series is better suited than the Tab A series overall. Models such as the Tab S6, Tab S7, and latest Tab S8 are all very good choices.
If you are looking at Apple iPads, none of these issues apply when buying a NEW Apple device. Apple iPads (Air, Pro) have good hardware and don't have a "budget" line of devices. The iPad Pro is the most powerful in the iPad line-up so is the best choice. Older model iPad mini's (2,3,4,5) should be avoided due to slower CPUs but the latest iPad mini 6 is a great choice if you want something smaller. The iPad mini 6 is the only small tablet to consider now that Android have moved to 10" tablets. The quality of the hardware inside your device will have a very big effect on your satisfaction with the user experience due to more powerful processor and faster speed so don't fall into the trap of buying cheap - you get what you pay for.
Keep in mind however, that generally, today's phones are more powerful than tablets. That is because there's more choice and more demand and they are built with high screen resolution, faster processing speeds, and built in GPS so phones are still very much ideal for using
ExplorOz Traveller for either your main or 2nd device.
Obviously many people expect a larger device to be better to display the maps - but check that the tablet doesn't have low screen resolution. Some tablets will actually show less map area than a phone due to the difference in screen resolution. Devices with lower resolution will oversize the app layout - which might sound good at first, but you actually get less information on the screen as a result. iPad Pro offers 2388x1668 Retina display and a Samsung S7+ has 2800x1752 but compare to some Android head units and you might only get 800x400 although most are around 1280x720 - still a far cry from the flagship portable tablets. The bottom line is "you get what you pay for" with tablets.
External GPS Receivers
These are very simple to use with Apple and Android devices and a little more complex to setup with Windows devices. To setup a GPS for use with an app that has been downloaded from the Microsoft App Store requires installation of additional software to configure the GPS sensor as a Windows sensor. If you need to purchase an external GPS receiver, the following are popular options – Garmin Glo 2, BadElf, Dual XGPS, Globalstat BU-353, but there are also many others that you can use. Please do your own research.
Platform Specific Requirements (Minimum)
ExplorOz Traveller is available for use on the 3 major operating systems - iOS, Android and Windows 10/11. Your purchase from an app store is a licence to download the app multiple times and to multiple devices supported by that store, however cross-platform licensing is not available.
Apple
Compatible Apple devices are iPad and iPhone only (not iMac or MacBook). Must have iOS12 or above.
Android
There is a wide range of suitable brands of Android devices to choose from. Must have Android 7 or above.
InDash Head Units
ExplorOz Traveller can be installed directly via the Google Playstore to an Android headunit if that headunit permits full access to the Playstore. Android Auto/CarPlay NOT available.
Windows
Traveller is compatible with the Windows 10/11 operating system and must be downloaded from the Windows app store. If you have a Windows laptop or Surface Pro tablet you will also need an external GPS and because Windows Apps don't recognise GPS hardware automatically you will need to install a program called GPS Complete (this is free). Go to
https://www.gpssensordrivers.com/ to download this program. This is a specific requirement for using GPS with a Windows APP rather than general Windows software programs. We also recommend that you check/adjust your System Display Graphics settings to ensure that you configure Windows to use the "High Performance" graphics option when running
ExplorOz Traveller. Some Windows devices that don't have large GPU may not need this but if you experience slow map tile rendering then you may find your Graphics setting is configured by default to use "Let Windows Decide", or "Power Saving". This setting affects the speed with which the Windows operating system loads the map tiles.
Web-App for Desktop Computers (PC/MAC)
If you want to use the Traveller app on a second device for planning trips (but not moving), such as a home/work desktop computer (either PC or MAC) then the best solution is to upgrade your free user account to a Member account which provides access to our Web-App version of Traveller. This app does not require downloading and is not found in the app stores. Simply log into the Traveller webpage with your Member account and go to the My App Control Panel to launch the Traveller App (Web-Version). NOTE: this web-app is only compatible with the following web browsers - Chrome, Edge, & Opera.
Offline Map Requirements
EOTopo 2021 is the exclusive offline map source used in the Traveller app. The LoRes map pack is included with the app purchase but must be downloaded before using the app offline. The LoRes map pack covers the whole of Australia but at low detail (ie. maximum map detail/zoom is Level 9). For more offline map detail you will need to purchase an
EOTopo 2021 licence ($49.99). This purchase is a licence per user (not per device). This means the map licence is cross-platform compatible. This licence permits unlimited downloads of the 2021 HiRes & XHiRes map packs to all your devices (requires Traveller app installed). When the HiRes/XHiRes maps are installed the offline map detail will be the same as the available
EOTopo online map detail with maximum map detail/zoom to Level 18 - a map scale of 1:2,000 - otherwise referred to as 2K. The
EOTopo 2021 licence is specific to one edition of the map set (2021 edition). If future editions of the mapset are released, there is no free upgrade pathway or discount offered but there is no obligation to buy either as the Traveller app provides back edition support for 2 editions of
EOTopo (ie. currently supporting
EOTopo 2019 &
EOTopo 2021).