HEMA Explorer North America

[shane4x4]

Well here they are in Electronic version!
http://usfs.maps.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?services=18de7e3f022a432f850c864ad4ba952d

Just zoom in on your state. I think an app called Offroad Atlas is using this data.

General information can be found here: https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/us-forest-service-motor-vehicle-use-map-roads-and-trails

I will keep digging and probably start a separate thread since the MVUM stuff is off topic from Hema at the moment. Interesting stuff.

That's really cool that Gaia supports vector, if they wanted to they could directly import the MVUM data into their system, then publish it via their vector layers.

I agree that MVUM is a major part of the puzzle, but the reality is normal people (trust me, I've talked with thousands) aren't interested in creating their own maps =). I also use MapTiler for custom tiles, but would much rather have a vector based system.

Offroad Atlas is using a copy of the available electronic, vector MVUM data. I also know from talking with the USFS that of the MVUM data that exists as PDFs, only about 75% is in the electronic format ArcGIS system. By next year it should be closer to 100%, for the forest service ranger districts that have published MVUM data.

I appreciate that you're a fan of Gaia, and by all means keep using it. I'm sure Gaia has a plan to increase their features & reach for both motorized & non-motorized users, so good luck to them.

Hema has a plan for vehicle based exploration, so good luck to us too =) Take a look at the Hema Explorer map for Australia:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHrMDt9YrVo

Maybe someday we'll have something similar to that for the rest of the world.

 

[1Louder]

I appreciate that you're a fan of Gaia, and by all means keep using it. I'm sure Gaia has a plan to increase their features & reach for both motorized & non-motorized users, so good luck to them.

It's a win win for all of us. Keep pushing the technology that is behind all of these applications. Remember I also bought Hema for comparison purposes. One thing they do well is the Hema Trails that are in the cloud. Good notes, photos, and of course the tracks.

 

[MountainBiker]

Android version you cannot move maps to the SD card to give you the ability to download a large amount of maps. Recording is only metric and cannot be change. So with regards to planning I would say it's the map storage issue.

You nailed it! The lack of SD card storage is my #1 issue with HE. In fact, I found it difficult to download a large enough offline map area for a couple of long weekends this summer, so this is a big deal for me. As I stated earlier, if I had realized how limiting this was, I wouldn't have purchased HE. And I'd prefer to have the $20 back in my wallet, although it is a small enough sum that it wouldn't even buy me a Benchmark state atlas!

Why do I need to download maps for offline use that are larger than the size of a county? My trips are always very freeform. I pick a general area to explore, and there is always at least 3 times as much stuff to see as I have time for. (In the case of the AZ/UT trip I'll be doing in a week, I have at least a year's worth of exploring to do, but only 10 days to do it!) Weather, curiosity and whim determine my actual path. That means that I need to download a reasonably large area of maps beforehand, since I can't count on WiFi being available in the middle of my trip.

BTW, now that I have both Gaia and HE apps (Android), I found out some things.
- HE has a better (larger) "arrow" showing your current position. The one in Gaia is way too small.
- Gaia user manual is quite good, and since HE and Gaia are so similar in how they operate, I've used the Gaia manual to make better use of HE! For comparison, there are HE user guides, but most of the time I use them, the instructions don't work. Not sure why, maybe the HE guide is for the Apple version, or for the AUS version.
- HE Cloud is really slow compared to Gaia, not sure why
- Gaia App is slow to show when I switch back to it from other apps, while HE is a lot faster. Perhaps this is something to do with my phone, Samsung Galaxy S5

It is fantastic to have two competing apps, which will hopefully improve the breed for all of us. And I love this community! Thanks for all the help!

 

[jwatts]

I'm having trouble getting any maps to load on the Hema Cloud. My waypoints I've previously created load but no map. I've tried in Safari and Firefox, its been this way for a week or so, any recommendations?

 

[shane4x4]

I'm having trouble getting any maps to load on the Hema Cloud. My waypoints I've previously created load but no map. I've tried in Safari and Firefox, its been this way for a week or so, any recommendations?

Can you post a screenshot? The other thing you can try is logging out of the cloud then logging back in, sometimes it's just a cache / cookies issue.

 

[shane4x4]

FWIW...one of the reasons we haven't seen much love for the NA apps:
https://www.hemamaps.com/navigate/hx-1

 

[Roger M.]

FWIW...one of the reasons we haven't seen much love for the NA apps:
https://www.hemamaps.com/navigate/hx-1

I think it's a hands-down given that, if Hema offered a unit like the hx-1 in North America, with its full feature set repurposed for North America, they'd sell one to each and every overlander in NA - I know I'd buy one as soon as they went on sale.

But the hx-1 and the NA app are like chalk and cheese.

I'm sure it gets quite technical, and perhaps there are reasons Hema doesn't discuss it ... but one wonders if perhaps they made an error basing their North American app on a outside companies code - rather than coming into North America with their own dedicated software and hardware packages (as used in Oz), with all the bugs worked out.
I think this is what a lot of North American overlanders thought Hema might bring to the table in North America (something we know now they didn't bring to that table).

It's also difficult, if not impossible to offer a straight up software app and expect it to offer features of a dedicated hardware unit that can benefit from a serious amount of data being carried on dedicated ROM chips, and a hardware feature set purposefully designed to support the proprietary Hema software (not to mention processor and graphics hardware specifically tailored to the unit being offered)

In other words, step up to the North American plate Hema, and offer the same level of product ingenuity as you currently offer in Australia ... and you'll have customers lined up outside your door for blocks!

 

[shane4x4]

I think it's a hands-down given that, if Hema offered a unit like the hx-1 in North America, with its full feature set repurposed for North America, they'd sell one to each and every overlander in NA - I know I'd buy one as soon as they went on sale.

But the hx-1 and the NA app are like chalk and cheese.

I'm sure it gets quite technical, and perhaps there are reasons Hema doesn't discuss it ... but one wonders if perhaps they made an error basing their North American app on a outside companies code - rather than coming into North America with their own dedicated software and hardware packages (as used in Oz), with all the bugs worked out.
I think this is what a lot of North American overlanders thought Hema might bring to the table in North America (something we know now they didn't bring to that table).

It's also difficult, if not impossible to offer a straight up software app and expect it to offer features of a dedicated hardware unit that can benefit from a serious amount of data being carried on dedicated ROM chips, and a hardware feature set purposefully designed to support the proprietary Hema software (not to mention processor and graphics hardware specifically tailored to the unit being offered)

In other words, step up to the North American plate Hema, and offer the same level of product ingenuity as you currently offer in Australia ... and you'll have customers lined up outside your door for blocks!

PREACH! =)

 

[1Louder]

I think it's a hands-down given that, if Hema offered a unit like the hx-1 in North America, with its full feature set repurposed for North America, they'd sell one to each and every overlander in NA - I know I'd buy one as soon as they went on sale.

But the hx-1 and the NA app are like chalk and cheese.

Funny because I am the polar opposite. I see absolutely NO reason to own another piece of hardware. None, zilch, forgetaboutit!!! Why would I want to buy and maintain another device when Apple invented the iPad and Google has provided an operating system for countless other hardware manufacturers. I can run the apps of my choice all on one device. Stand alone GPS devices are future paperweights. I have a few myself.

To me this is very old school thinking. How many folks are running out and buying a stand alone Garmin GPS, Magellan, insert other manufacturer names for road maps? People don't. They use their smartphones. I guess it's too bad that Hema has given up on the NA app for the time being just to release another shiny object in time for Expo East.

I wouldn't buy it and if I was given one for free I would pass it along to someone else. I love my iPad, RAM Mount, and quality software like Gaia GPS, My Radar Pro, Avenza PDF Maps, Ultimate Campground, and a couple of others. At a price point at around $525.00 US forget it even more!!! Buy yourself a high end 7" tablet and some good software.

480p video vs 4K and a 5 megapixel camera? 1024x600 screen resolution is very low res and want can be found in $99 Android Tablets. Um no thanks, already way out of date.

What happens when Hema abandons the platform? Paperweight and lots of your money down the drain.

If you don't like the Hema app or any others you are only out $20 or less and can move on to something else.

I have nearly 20 years experience with various GPS devices. The only thing innovative with the HX-1 is their ability to bundle $200 worth hardware and software and then charge $699au for it.

Here's a $69 ASUS 7' Tablet with very similar specifications. Just a point of comparison to show how affordable the hardware offered on the HX-1 is.
ASUS MeMO Pad 7 7" IPS LTE QuadCore 1.33GHz 1GB 16GB WiFi Android Tablet-AT&T
by Asus
Link: https://amzn.com/B01FU4YAEW

I'm out like a PalmPilot!

 

[Roger M.]

Often, when a branded piece of hardware that does everything the "assemblage" can do (and perhaps much more with additional "branded only" features?) is offered, I'm interested in knowing more.

Sometimes, it's nice to just buy a box, unpack it, power the contents up, and use it ... foregoing all the downloading of software, learning to use said software, updating of operating systems, and visiting online forums to do a bit of complaining

In the absence of such a device for North America however, it becomes somewhat of a moot point ... leaving me to do exactly as you have done - which is assemble an iPad, Garmin Glo, RAM mount, and assorted downloaded apps to happily navigate away the hours.

 

[1Louder]

Often, when a branded piece of hardware that does everything the "assemblage" can do (and perhaps much more with additional "branded only" features?) is offered, I'm interested in knowing more.

Sometimes, it's nice to just buy a box, unpack it, power the contents up, and use it ... foregoing all the downloading of software, learning to use said software, updating of operating systems, and visiting online forums to do a bit of complaining

Nothing wrong with that. In that case they have the data albeit POI's in Australia but that could easily be incorporated into their apps. I just think the dev team would get more bang for the buck and of course greater satisfaction in the US if they focused on their apps vs hardware/dedicated devices.

 

[Rando]

Funny because I am the polar opposite. I see absolutely NO reason to own another piece of hardware. None, zilch, forgetaboutit!!! Why would I want to buy and maintain another device when Apple invented the iPad and Google has provided an operating system for countless other hardware manufacturers. I can run the apps of my choice all on one device. Stand alone GPS devices are future paperweights. I have a few myself.

To me this is very old school thinking. How many folks are running out and buying a stand alone Garmin GPS, Magellan, insert other manufacturer names for road maps? People don't. They use their smartphones. I guess it's too bad that Hema has given up on the NA app for the time being just to release another shiny object in time for Expo East.

I wouldn't buy it and if I was given one for free I would pass it along to someone else. I love my iPad, RAM Mount, and quality software like Gaia GPS, My Radar Pro, Avenza PDF Maps, Ultimate Campground, and a couple of others. At a price point at around $525.00 US forget it even more!!! Buy yourself a high end 7" tablet and some good software.

480p video vs 4K and a 5 megapixel camera? 1024x600 screen resolution is very low res and want can be found in $99 Android Tablets. Um no thanks, already way out of date.

What happens when Hema abandons the platform? Paperweight and lots of your money down the drain.

If you don't like the Hema app or any others you are only out $20 or less and can move on to something else.

I have nearly 20 years experience with various GPS devices. The only thing innovative with the HX-1 is their ability to bundle $200 worth hardware and software and then charge $699au for it.

Here's a $69 ASUS 7' Tablet with very similar specifications. Just a point of comparison to show how affordable the hardware offered on the HX-1 is.
ASUS MeMO Pad 7 7" IPS LTE QuadCore 1.33GHz 1GB 16GB WiFi Android Tablet-AT&T
by Asus
Link: https://amzn.com/B01FU4YAEW

I'm out like a PalmPilot!

Very well said. As an aussie ex-pat I was excited to see Hema release a new app for NA (I also have the HEMA NA road atlas for IOS which is a solid but basic app), but am sorely disappointed in what it turned out to be. I understand the profit motive in rebranding a $100 tablet into a $600 device, but I hope they put their effort into getting the software right and not taking this path in the NA market.

 

[1Louder]

Very well said. As an aussie ex-pat I was excited to see Hema release a new app for NA (I also have the HEMA NA road atlas for IOS which is a solid but basic app), but am sorely disappointed in what it turned out to be. I understand the profit motive in rebranding a $100 tablet into a $600 device, but I hope they put their effort into getting the software right and not taking this path in the NA market.

Great feedback and thanks for the compliment. If I was in the boardroom when that decision was being made I would have said hell no! In my circles we have a joke about items being "Overland Approved" they are generally unnecessary, expensive, and shout status symbol. There is so much great stuff out there but there are a lot of "Overland Approved" items as well. Caveat Emptor......

 

[ChadHahn]

Here's a $69 ASUS 7' Tablet with very similar specifications. Just a point of comparison to show how affordable the hardware offered on the HX-1 is.
ASUS MeMO Pad 7 7" IPS LTE QuadCore 1.33GHz 1GB 16GB WiFi Android Tablet-AT&T
by Asus
Link: https://amzn.com/B01FU4YAEW

I'm out like a PalmPilot!

If you get the unupdated version of this tablet, it comes with Android KitKat which allows you to save apps to the SD card.

Chad

 

[jwatts]

Can you post a screenshot? The other thing you can try is logging out of the cloud then logging back in, sometimes it's just a cache / cookies issue.

Sorry, been out on a trip the last 2 weeks. So here is a screenshot of my screen on Hema Cloud.

I've tried to reset the cache on safari, I've logged in and out, I've tried other browsers. I'm about to try another computer. Note that the cluster of waypoints are in WA and the single is in NM, so This is a very zoomed out view.

Also on my trip this last two weeks I noticed that the App on my iPad Mini 2 Cellular running iOS 10.0.2 will not sync, it just continually says "In Progress" while my iPhone 6 running iOS 9.3.5 will sync almost instantly. This also makes sense of why my newly created, as of 3 weeks ago, waypoints are not showing up on any other devices (cloud or iPhone) than on the device on which I created them, my iPad mini. It would seem as iOS 10 broke the sync feature for me, not sure if anyone else is experiencing this as well?