No GPS maps in country - How to?

[neelusb]

Dear Geocaching Community,

 

I live in the African country if Zambia, where Garmin maps are unavailable. Can the Geocaching App for Android use GPS instead of Data, so that we can have it for offline use?

 

Thanks in advance,

neelusb

[+Red90]

I believe that these: https://tracks4africa.co.za/shop/category/t4a-gps-maps/ are the best African maps.

[+AnnaMoritz]

Dear Geocaching Community,

 

I live in the African country if Zambia, where Garmin maps are unavailable. Can the Geocaching App for Android use GPS instead of Data, so that we can have it for offline use?

 

 

I don't use this app, but there are other apps that allow the use of offline maps. One example (that also is officially allowed to use the live-api of Groundspeak) is Locus (free and paid version) both for geocaching and offline maps. http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Locus http://www.locusmap.eu/

 

You can use it with online maps (downloaded tiles can be stored for most maps) and/or with offline maps like the ones from openandromaps http://www.openandromaps.org/en/downloads/africa The Zambia map there is made from openstreetmap data from 2014-NOV-05, which is very fresh. Best used with the Element Style showing "everything". Maps of african countries aren't updated very often. If you happen to be an openstreetmap contributor you could ask the person who runs the site for an update after you added a lot of streets etc. to openstreetmap.

 

Locus is especially convenient (if you are a premium member) for downloading pocket queries within the app if there is wifi/cell reception or for using downloaded pocket queries and for various geocaching tools.

 

http://download.mapsforge.org has an all-africa map that seems to be from June.

Edited November 20, 2014 by AnnaMoritz

[+splashy]

Who's talking about an app??

 

He/she is talking about Zambia, don't think an app is the solution here.

Edited November 20, 2014 by splashy

[+AnnaMoritz]

Sorry, I was mislead by "Can the Geocaching App for Android", so I thought there is an android smartphone involved in the question. And most android smartphones have built-in GPS.

Edited November 20, 2014 by AnnaMoritz

[+splashy]

Sorry, you are completely right.

[cleo43]

Try OsmAnd, free version - you have 10 free downloads (I saw Zambia, 6.7MB). Make GPX file of your caches, then copy it to sdcard/osmand. Then use ES File Explorer to open the GPX, when asked, choose the App to use.

I have both OsmAnd and MapFactor Navigator installed, so it popped 2 choices for me.

Edited November 22, 2014 by cleo43

[neelusb]

Thank you; this really helped me! I had a GPS left after living in South Africa, and couldn't use it till now. Thanks Again!

You don't need maps to cache with, although they are useful if available. You can get free maps though for Zambia from here http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/

[neelusb]

Thank you! Just one question though: The MapsForge link with the All-Africa map, how can I open it with Locus?

 

Dear Geocaching Community,

 

I live in the African country if Zambia, where Garmin maps are unavailable. Can the Geocaching App for Android use GPS instead of Data, so that we can have it for offline use?

 

 

I don't use this app, but there are other apps that allow the use of offline maps. One example (that also is officially allowed to use the live-api of Groundspeak) is Locus (free and paid version) both for geocaching and offline maps. http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Locus http://www.locusmap.eu/

 

You can use it with online maps (downloaded tiles can be stored for most maps) and/or with offline maps like the ones from openandromaps http://www.openandromaps.org/en/downloads/africa The Zambia map there is made from openstreetmap data from 2014-NOV-05, which is very fresh. Best used with the Element Style showing "everything". Maps of african countries aren't updated very often. If you happen to be an openstreetmap contributor you could ask the person who runs the site for an update after you added a lot of streets etc. to openstreetmap.

 

Locus is especially convenient (if you are a premium member) for downloading pocket queries within the app if there is wifi/cell reception or for using downloaded pocket queries and for various geocaching tools.

 

http://download.mapsforge.org has an all-africa map that seems to be from June.

[neelusb]

Thank you! From what I understand, ES File Explorer is a separate app, right?

 

Try OsmAnd, free version - you have 10 free downloads (I saw Zambia, 6.7MB). Make GPX file of your caches, then copy it to sdcard/osmand. Then use ES File Explorer to open the GPX, when asked, choose the App to use.

I have both OsmAnd and MapFactor Navigator installed, so it popped 2 choices for me.

[+Viajero Perdido]

For Locus, use .MAP format maps such as from openandromaps; see link above. Those are good maps, OSM-based. Place the map in Locus/mapsVector (or a subfolder) and it'll see them.

 

The all-Africa map at the MapsForge link is a bit huge, 1.5GB. The openandromaps site has maps by country, 135MB for Zambia.

 

ES File Explorer is a separate app, right.

Edited January 7, 2015 by Viajero Perdido