Using Viewranger App

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Wander

Native
Jan 6, 2017
1,418
1,983
Here There & Everywhere
I know others here use Viewranger on their phone, so I have a question I'd like to ask.
How do you get it to log on to your current position?
Whenever I open the app it just shows a map of the last place I looked at. Not where I currently am.
Is this a feature of Viewranger?
I was hoping that, like the Memory Map app, it would show my current location when I open the app.
Any help?
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,353
2,363
Bedfordshire
Open map. Tap on white compass at bottom. Should put a cross hair on where you are, which goes red when you have full satellite lock.

Yes, the default at open is to show the last place you used it, which is good, because it means it hasn't been using data to update itself when not in use. Just think how annoying it would be if you were using it to plan a route or check details for tomorrow's trip, closed it, then wanted to show a friend or make changes, opened it and it jumped to where you were right then, rather than where you had been looking at walking.
 
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Wander

Native
Jan 6, 2017
1,418
1,983
Here There & Everywhere
Lovely, cheers.
And I've also worked out how to display coordinates in a format I prefer.
I've used Memory Map up until now but heard good things about Viewranger so thought I'd give it a go.
It's just a matter of getting used to something new, I suppose. First impressions are very favourable.
I look forward to using it in the field.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,151
1,544
Cumbria
How did you get the coordinate format to change? I was sure I got it into OSGB 6,8 and 10 digit options before but today it wouldn't change from longitude and latitude. It just increased the digits for "accuracy " but not change. At first I thought it had but I was at about 46 76 square when it had me at 51 89 or so. The red arrow was right but the numbers could only be longitude and latitude.

Viewranger free base map running on Samsung galaxy A70. If that's relevant.

Does anyone use it with just the base map or do you but the OS maps for where you go? Basically how to use it to it's best in the UK? If after any advice from people in here and I still don't get in with it I'll have to buy a dedicated GPS instead. No issues doing that because a good unit could be used on the bike cycle touring too without needing any expensive waterproofing and mounting extras.
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,353
2,363
Bedfordshire
I have it on iPhone6, so may be different, but here goes.

three dots at top right
Settings
Map
Map Units
Coordinate Type - National Grid 8-digit
National grid - Great Britain.

I get the OS grid ref whether I have the OS map displayed or the View Ranger Landscape.

I tend to get the OS tiles for the area I am going, but I do use the free map also. The free map shows urban foot paths that the other maps do not. I like to have my map downloaded to my device, which you can do with the free map as well as the OS tiles, that way I can run navigation in Airplane mode and save battery life.
 

Laurentius

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 13, 2009
2,422
614
Knowhere
Viewranger has been taken over by outdooractive, and my subscription to the complete OS mapping has not been renewed, this is a backward step, I do not know where I can get the complete UK OS coverage from now.
 

Winnet

Forager
Oct 5, 2011
231
69
Aberdeen
Agreed, Outdoor Active is a backward step. The OS themselves do an app and you can download the tile to use offline I think. I need to look into it but think it is an annual subscription and at least you get up to date maps.

G

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
 

nigelp

Native
Jul 4, 2006
1,417
1,023
New Forest
newforestnavigation.co.uk
The OS app is quite poor compared to ViewRanger and TopoGPS. I also have an OS subscription but mainly use it to print off small map sections rather than route planning or when out. With Topo you can download sections of maps for offline viewing.
 
Last edited:

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,151
1,544
Cumbria
I have it on iPhone6, so may be different, but here goes.

three dots at top right
Settings
Map
Map Units
Coordinate Type - National Grid 8-digit
National grid - Great Britain.

I get the OS grid ref whether I have the OS map displayed or the View Ranger Landscape.

I tend to get the OS tiles for the area I am going, but I do use the free map also. The free map shows urban foot paths that the other maps do not. I like to have my map downloaded to my device, which you can do with the free map as well as the OS tiles, that way I can run navigation in Airplane mode and save battery life.
For some reason doing the android equivalent on my phone no longer works. It used to give OSGB grid references in 6, 8 and 10 digit form pls two letters of course. It could be a glitch on my phone due to an few updates. I think I might uninstall and reinstall or clear the cache perhaps. A clean install might make it work properly.

I looked at the OS app but thought it wasn't as good as viewranger. There's also avenza app which looks as good. Although viewranger is the best being the original app of this kind. I think you need to buy proper OS mapping for it to be tally useful.

I am not convinced I like it. I am thinking I'll get dedicated gps unit though. I've decided I can afford a really good one but the cheaper one I'm used to consider. If you use it there's no point getting something too cheap and it not performing as it should
 

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