Ioffer Uk 1:50,000 any good?

[padonbike]

Finally, got read of the Shatmap and gone with an Extrex 20x after the Garmin Edge Touring I got has been behaving well.
The feedback on the Ioffer Micro SD seems positive, although I've heard it can run a bit slowly.
Any advice before I click?
99% of use will be following pre-loaded gpx tracks.
Cheers

Philip

[Bearbonesnorm]

Just buy one Philip, you'll not go wrong. Mine has proved completely glitch free for the last few years.

[ianfitz]

I prefer the OSM based maps as they are clearer and more zoomable plus roads,paths and tracks are marked with a greater degree of accuracy than OS.

The dutch ones are good, the geeky german guys ones are excellent.

[padonbike]

Thanks Stuart - good enough for you, good enough for me!
Ian, the OSM pre-loaded map is good in habited areas but from limited experience it seems to show expanses of nothing off road and I'm looking for a bit more detail.

Thanks

[ianfitz]

Thanks Stuart - good enough for you, good enough for me!
Ian, the OSM pre-loaded map is good in habited areas but from limited experience it seems to show expanses of nothing off road and I'm looking for a bit more detail.

Thanks

Ayr, the pre-loaded maps aren't so good but there's plenty of detail on the specific MTB OSM maps. these images of the path up to Fealar Lodge.

OSM screen shots by Ian Fitz, on Flickr

and a closer one

OSM screen shots by Ian Fitz, on Flickr

although to be fair there is track missing from those maps from time to time, forest tracks etc.

[GregMay]

Felar Lodge

*shudders*

[Mike]

Those ioffer maps are spot on and 1:50 os works superb guess depends on your preferences to which maps u like reading though I guess. I like the Harvey maps but they aren't on gps units :(

[ianfitz]

Felar Lodge

*shudders*

*whistles*

[Pickers]

As above, the OS maps are very good. Being OS they show bridleways and footpaths in "the normal OS" way, assuming this is A. Something you're bothered about and B. You're not in Scotland.
They do go a bit pixelly as well if you zoom in hoping for more detail. The OSM maps are better in this respect. They're still very usable.

[ScotRoutes]

Both.

[slarge]

I'm being thick. Can someone point me at the ioffer maps and the osm mtb maps? The etrex 30x I have just bought doesn't recognise the sd card I have.

[ianfitz]

I'm being thick. Can someone point me at the ioffer maps and the osm mtb maps? The etrex 30x I have just bought doesn't recognise the sd card I have.

The Dutch maps are here http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl

Great for routable road use. Have used uk. France. Spain. Tenerife. All good.

The German Mtb ones are saved on my work PC. Have more detail, and better contour lines. I prefer them to OS mapping which I find less good as it's not so accurate and zoomable.

Also incredible poi data. Roll into a new village. Pull up data about drinking water, shops, shelter, bakery, etc. Then device will route you to it. Wow!

[JackT]

fwiw the iOffer maps are almost certainly pirate copies of the £199 version from OS. which may or may not be an ethical issue for you.

[Dave Barter]

I asked OS this very question. The iOffer guy *may* be legit but running a knife edge on margin. I'm not sure I can disclose the exact figures under my current contractual agreement with OS but I can say the Garmin mark-up is astronomical.

[JackT]

I asked OS this very question. The iOffer guy *may* be legit but running a knife edge on margin. I'm not sure I can disclose the exact figures under my current contractual agreement with OS but I can say the Garmin mark-up is astronomical.

You asked OS if the iOffer seller is legit? And OS couldn't say? They are Garmin branded in the iOffer listing, so how can he be selling them at 10% of the Garmin RRP, unless they're pirate copies?

[Bearbonesnorm]

You asked OS if the iOffer seller is legit? And OS couldn't say? They are Garmin branded in the iOffer listing, so how can he be selling them at 10% of the Garmin RRP, unless they're pirate copies?

Jack, I believe Dave's point was that the ioffer cards might be perfectly legit. In order to sell them at the price he / she does the amount of profit involved would be very small ... Garmin's on the other hand, is very large, very, very large.

[Chew]

I think Dave is saying that Garmin copy the files over, put a sticker on the card and charge a 1000% markup.
They could even be old copies which are outside of copywrite. I doubt that much has changed over the last 20 years.

If you don't like them, don't buy them, but it's hardly like mugging someone's granny.

[sean_iow]

I asked OS this very question. The iOffer guy *may* be legit but running a knife edge on margin. I'm not sure I can disclose the exact figures under my current contractual agreement with OS but I can say the Garmin mark-up is astronomical.

You asked OS if the iOffer seller is legit? And OS couldn't say? They are Garmin branded in the iOffer listing, so how can he be selling them at 10% of the Garmin RRP, unless they're pirate copies?

I think what Dave is saying but trying not to reveal is that £180 of Garnin's £199 is mark-up. The garmin mapping is very expensive. As an example of digital mapping licensed from the OS

https://www.anquet.com/products/outlet- ... anger-maps

That's on sale at £48 but is on sale most of the time and only £120 full price. Note, this mapping can only be used in their App but I'm using it as an example as they pay a licence to the OS. Even if the licence cost the full £120 a copy then Garmin have added £79 to theirs to get to £199 and I'm sure it is less per licence than that or at £48 a copy they are loosing money?

[Dave Barter]

I did. They made no comment on the brand I sent them the exact link. The question I asked was how can this possibly be legit?

Their response was that pricing wise it was possible. They don't care about the branding as that is between iOffer bloke and Garmin, but you are right he is clearly representing this as a Garmin product I haven't looked at the listing for a while. Looking today it is 100% a rip off.

[padonbike]

although to be fair there is track missing from those maps from time to time, forest tracks etc.

There's tracks, bothies and all mammer of other stuff missing from OS too!
Quite scary when you zoom on something like bing between 1:50 and 1:25 what appears and what suddenly disappears.

[padonbike]

The question I asked was how can this possibly be legit?

Looking today it is 100% a rip off.

Who cares? The day when I become morally concerned about OS and/or Garmin profit margins is still some considerable way off.

[JackT]

FWIW, for OS mapping I use my mobile phone with the Viewranger app, and a few of the regional Landranger 1:50k packages for £7.99 each. To buy that for the whole of UK is £90 and that's good for a few devices. Viewranger downloads the maps to the phone so you can see them on a much better screen than a GPS device and they work in battery saving airplane mode.

I've got a Wahoo Elemnt on trial at the moment and using the two devices together, Wahoo purely for track following, recording and ride data and Viewranger for the occasional look at the wider landscape for exploring & improvising works quite well. Downside is having to keep two devices charged.

[benp1]

Just to be clear, are we talking about this one? http://www.ioffer.com/i/gb-discoverer-p ... -619747999

I have an Oregon 550t with the Garmin 1:50k for Southern England. Does that map genuinely have the full UK at 1:50k and 1:25k in a small enough file format that the Oregon won't keel over?

[ScotRoutes]

Yes

[Bearbonesnorm]

Who cares? The day when I become morally concerned about OS and/or Garmin profit margins is still some considerable way off.

Philip please ... spare a thought for Garmin's shareholders.

Generally, I wouldn't endorse buying something which is 'dodgy' but I feel differently in this case. Firstly, I'll give the ioffer seller the benefit of the doubt and assume that it says Garmin on the packet so potential buyers know the card contained within will work in their Garmin device. Secondly, any company that views their customers as nothing more than a cash-cow probably deserves it ... what goes round, comes round and besides, it appears to be 'f*ck 'em Thursday'