Magic Earth sat nav app (Android and iOS)

I set the Magic Earth app some proper tests today on the bike. (check out the cracking ride out thread) All over the Exmoor coast, well out of signal a lot of the time, proper goat tracks, toll road even and it was spot on. Used Google maps to get back and again it gave up. Thankfully once I knew where I was going. I just wish Magic Earth was as easy to find places on the map to Navigate to as Google Maps is or to be able to just hit directions from a google search. Will look at that in more detail when I next have a few hours to spare (probably when it starts raining again) :D
 
Positive report from today.

There was an accident blocking the A487 south of Aberystwyth which was reported by Magic Earth and a rerouting option offered. I didn't take it since I was still some way from the accident, Magic Earth tells you how far away the blockage is, and I hoped it would clear which it did.

I confirmed the information using Google Maps by enabling the traffic layer.

The rerouting option appears as a circle with the estimated time saving in minutes. This appears in the top right corner below the current speed limit box. It is shown as a negative amount, in my case -60, which confused me initially.

The blockage information disappeared whist I was a few miles away so I carried on and found the road to be clear.

I stopped a little while later and Google Maps was still showing the road as closed...

Good performance.
 
Over the last week or so i have been testing others, but they all require data on ph to work, magic earth does not and is always spot on for me.
 
barryd said:
So far as mentioned Magic Earth appears to be advert free. Wonder how they are making money out of it or intend to? Presumably it wont be free for ever.
Click to expand...
Copilot was free I am sure they will charge. I have a lifetime with copilot had to fight for my rights but it doesn’t update anymore sneaky barstewards ;)
 
barryd said:
I just wish Magic Earth was as easy to find places on the map to Navigate to as Google Maps
Click to expand...
I've been testing it out and it does seem pretty good and I find the search for places okay but I haven't been able get a Google maps route to open in it yet, but a work around is to use the what3words app, it's pretty much the same as Google maps for finding places and you don't have to type a ///what.three.words address in you can also search coordinates and just plain old addresses :) then when you tap on navigate you can choose Magic Earth from the list of available apps, I hope this helps (y)

Regards,
Del
 
Last edited:
alwaysared said:
I've been testing it out and it does seem pretty good and I find the search for places okay but I haven't been able get a Google maps route to open in it yet, but a work around is to use the what3words app, it's pretty much the same as Google maps for finding places and you don't have to type a ///what.three.words address in you can also search coordinates and just plain old addresses :) then when you tap on navigate you can choose Magic Earth from the list of available apps, I hope this helps (y)

Regards,
Del
Click to expand...

Ooooh yes! Well done you. I dont use what three words really but you are indeed correct. Dead easy to search (which I didnt know about) and navigate in Magic earth. Thanks for that.
 
Incidentally, given that I spend most of my year travelling, I am now correcting errors in OpenStreetMap on a regular basis so these changes will be reflected in Magic Earth in due course.

I am paying particular attention to incorrect or missing speed limits and bridge heights!

I have noted one 'bug' in Magic Earth and reported it. Mini roundabouts just instruct you to turn left or right rather than give an exit number.
 
Yep, it works with Android auto so I gave it a test today
One thing I noticed immediately as mentioned above, is it got the speed limits totally wrong on multiple occasions

Other than that it worked as expected
 
Thistle said:
Yep, it works with Android auto so I gave it a test today
One thing I noticed immediately as mentioned above, is it got the speed limits totally wrong on multiple occasions

Other than that it worked as expected
Click to expand...
I've found the speed limits to be correct in the main except for Wales where the 20mph zones have not been applied in quite a few places.

More frequently the speed limits are absent especially on national speed limit sections on minor roads.

If you should wish to PM me with any glaring errors I'll update OpenStreetMap.
 
Canalsman said:
I've found the speed limits to be correct in the main except for Wales where the 20mph zones have not been applied in quite a few places.

More frequently the speed limits are absent especially on national speed limit sections on minor roads.

If you should wish to PM me with any glaring errors I'll update OpenStreetMap.
Click to expand...
I just had a play around with open street map, I hadn’t realised the backend data was so complex I can see now why info can be out of date and hence inaccurate.

For some reason I was assuming stuff like that would be linked to a live source of data assuming things like speed limit data, gps coordinates of signs etc is a nationally published thing?

I must keep an army of people busy to be as comprehensive as it actually is!
 
I’ve been a contributor to Openstreetmap for a number of years. When I started there were no field boundaries on the map and quite a few footpaths were missing, so I spent quite a bit of time adding them to the Peak District to make it more usable for walkers.

Sadly, there isn’t much of a UK “army” when it comes to contributors as the UK has very good map coverage with OS. That said some organisations, such as Amazon have employed people to improve the road mapping as I assume they use Openstreetmap road data in their own software for organising deliveries. It’s free for them to use!!

The other problem with OS is its copyright licensing. Most public body information datasets (road signs, footpaths etc) is mapped onto an OS map background and OS copyright means you cannot use the data, even if it is published on a website, to add information to Openstreetmap. OS have relaxed some of there copyright restrictions for datasets over the years but the don’t make it easy.
 
Thistle said:
I just had a play around with open street map, I hadn’t realised the backend data was so complex I can see now why info can be out of date and hence inaccurate.

For some reason I was assuming stuff like that would be linked to a live source of data assuming things like speed limit data, gps coordinates of signs etc is a nationally published thing?

I must keep an army of people busy to be as comprehensive as it actually is!
Click to expand...
The reason the mapping is free to use is because the data are sourced entirely from the input of contributors worldwide. There are some data elements which are imported from open sources e.g. the UK coastline which I think is sourced from the Ordnance Survey open data project.

I've become quite hooked on it. Because I travel throughout the UK and also into Europe I can amend data that's incorrect as I progress. I've taken to having a notebook next to me as I drive and jotting things down as I go when stopped at lights etc.

The project was started by a Brit! In 2004! Apparently there in excess of 10m contributors as of January 2023. So presumably many more now...

History of OpenStreetMap - OpenStreetMap Wiki

wiki.openstreetmap.org wiki.openstreetmap.org
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:41)

Back
Top