Gaia GPS Navigation

[goinoregon]

The latest. As I mentioned, I decided to give Gaia a good try. Since there were battery issues with with our older Samsung tablet (with an older Android OS), we bought a new 8" tablet and I've put the time in setting up and getting it operational as a replacement.

And then I ran into a problem getting the Gaia GPS app to sync with the web. And then, we all know the drill, countless hours down a rabbit hole; an endless time sink to try to resolve the issue. I've read every article the "Gaia Help" points to. In regards to "Gaia Help" I found this on a Gaia Help forum from 10 months ago -


"For those wondering where "support" is beyond the new chatbot that simply points to support articles, the last trace of Gaia staff participating in these forums that I can find is 7 months ago (July?) in this article:
https://help.gaiagps.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/6801910807575-Maps-Will-Not-Download-on-IOS
Anyone see anything more recent?
Folks keep asking where help is but it seems to have been cut. It's likely a new policy resulting from the extensive cost cutting measures implemented by the CEO (possibly to support their critical metaverse initiative. ahem.). Anyway, it's up to members now since it seems to, sadly, be a skeleton crew left which is too bad as in the old days, this forum was very active with helpful, friendly Gaia staff helping users out but again, they likely cannot do so anymore."

I put in a support request to Gaia. Their response thus far -


Hey there,
Thank you for contacting Gaia GPS Support.
We have received your email and will get back to you shortly. Your ticket reference number is: 953645

This is exactly what I never want to spend time on. I'll give it several more hours. Who knows, this might be a good day to burn pine needles and toss a few more items on the pile................

good luck monte. i put in a call to my trusty IT bud, and he recommended the samsung 8" .... but have not pulled trigger on any gps sofware....

 

[ski3pin]

The latest. As I mentioned, I decided to give Gaia a good try. Since there were battery issues with with our older Samsung tablet (with an older Android OS), we bought a new 8" tablet and I've put the time in setting up and getting it operational as a replacement.

And then I ran into a problem getting the Gaia GPS app to sync with the web. And then, we all know the drill, countless hours down a rabbit hole; an endless time sink to try to resolve the issue. I've read every article the "Gaia Help" points to. In regards to "Gaia Help" I found this on a Gaia Help forum from 10 months ago -


"For those wondering where "support" is beyond the new chatbot that simply points to support articles, the last trace of Gaia staff participating in these forums that I can find is 7 months ago (July?) in this article:
https://help.gaiagps.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/6801910807575-Maps-Will-Not-Download-on-IOS
Anyone see anything more recent?
Folks keep asking where help is but it seems to have been cut. It's likely a new policy resulting from the extensive cost cutting measures implemented by the CEO (possibly to support their critical metaverse initiative. ahem.). Anyway, it's up to members now since it seems to, sadly, be a skeleton crew left which is too bad as in the old days, this forum was very active with helpful, friendly Gaia staff helping users out but again, they likely cannot do so anymore."

I put in a support request to Gaia. Their response thus far -


Hey there,
Thank you for contacting Gaia GPS Support.
We have received your email and will get back to you shortly. Your ticket reference number is: 953645

This is exactly what I never want to spend time on. I'll give it several more hours. Who knows, this might be a good day to burn pine needles and toss a few more items on the pile................

I put in several more hours. I believe I may have figured out the issue and the app finally synced with the web after hours and hours. I then downloaded maps packages that cover all of California and Nevada - hours, but I was expecting that. Julie and I went out on local USFS backcountry roads today. All went well with good practice using Gaia.

Now, here at home, it only takes a few seconds to sync the app at start up.

As you can tell, I'm happier.

The new Android tablet is an 8" Samsung Active 3. Specs say it will take rugged use, the battery is replaceable (you can carry spares). When plugged in the power can be set to directly power the unit and bypass the battery. It has a decent processor, 128GB of internal memory and it can run a micro sd card up to 1 TB. I have a 512 GB installed.

 

[AWG_Pics]

Congratulations on a good outcome through a fraught process. I hope it serves you well for years to come!

 

[ski3pin]

<snip>

And then I ran into a problem getting the Gaia GPS app to sync with the web. And then, we all know the drill, countless hours down a rabbit hole; an endless time sink to try to resolve the issue. I've read every article the "Gaia Help" points to. In regards to "Gaia Help" I found this on a Gaia Help forum from 10 months ago -


"For those wondering where "support" is beyond the new chatbot that simply points to support articles, the last trace of Gaia staff participating in these forums that I can find is 7 months ago (July?) in this article:
https://help.gaiagps.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/6801910807575-Maps-Will-Not-Download-on-IOS
Anyone see anything more recent?
Folks keep asking where help is but it seems to have been cut. It's likely a new policy resulting from the extensive cost cutting measures implemented by the CEO (possibly to support their critical metaverse initiative. ahem.). Anyway, it's up to members now since it seems to, sadly, be a skeleton crew left which is too bad as in the old days, this forum was very active with helpful, friendly Gaia staff helping users out but again, they likely cannot do so anymore."

I put in a support request to Gaia. Their response thus far -


Hey there,
Thank you for contacting Gaia GPS Support.
We have received your email and will get back to you shortly. Your ticket reference number is: 953645

<snip>

An update:

I received a reply from gaia support via email. This is how support plays out.


Jules S. (Gaia GPS)
Nov 27, 2023, 12:30 PST
Hi there,

Sorry for the trouble syncing and downloading maps.

From your device, please open this email and tap on the following link:

https://www.gaiagps.com/open/sync.forceallpush

It should launch Gaia GPS and start a sync. When finished, it should show the current time next to Last Sync, but depending on how much data is syncing, it could take several minutes:

• Backup, Sync and Transfer Your Data

If the issue persists after that, please try force-closing the app, re-launching it, and then following the same steps.

If that still doesn't work, would you mind sending me your device logs so I can take a closer look at this issue for you? Here's how to do that:

• Please open Gaia GPS > Settings > Help > Send Logs and mention my name in the message so it gets routed back to me.

Regarding the situation with downloading maps:

Will you try the steps in this article and let me know if that resolves this issue for you?

• Troubleshooting Map Downloads

Additionally, please try these things:

• Map downloads will be paused on Android if the app is fully closed. Make sure the app is running in the background. For a large download, try leaving it connected to wifi and plugged in overnight.
• Turn on auto-resume so that map downloads will automatically resume if app is closed. Tap Settings > Performance > Under Map Downloads, toggle on Auto-resume

If you continue to have any issues, please send me the following information so I can take a close look:

• Are you receiving any sort of error message when you try to download a map?
• Can you send me a screenshot of the Downloads screen (tap Saved > select Downloads from the Saved menu filter)?

Let me know if you have any questions.

Jules | Gaia GPS Customer Success
Outside Inc. Team



Jules,

I resolved the sync issue on my own over the weekend. I have successfully downloaded maps now but my main issue continues to be downloading MVUM maps. They download about halfway and then start over, this continues and the download does not complete. I have given up on MVUM, but MVUM is one reason I went with Gaia, so I am disappointed with this issue. No error messages.

Monte

Jules S. (Gaia GPS)
Nov 30, 2023, 14:58 PST
Hi Monte,

That's great to hear that the sync issue is resolved!

Sorry for the continued trouble with the MVUM downloads.

You can cancel the downloads by deleting the maps from your Saved items.

To do so, follow these steps:
1. Tap on the Saved icon in the app
2. Tap on the filter at the top and choose Maps (the filter looks a little different between iOS and Android)
3. Locate the partially downloaded map
4. On Android, click on the map name to open the options for that map.
5. Choose Delete

That should both delete the maps and cancel the downloads. I would also recommend force closing and re-opening the app as a final step.
• Closing apps on Android

Once the maps have been deleted you can restart the download to see if it works.

If the issue persists, please let me know.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

It’s nice they’re being responsive.

 

[rubberlegs]

Sorry to hear Gaia has been such a hassle, and support slow and complicated. The MVUM is a really nice thing to have downloaded, once you get it working.

Will Gaia have the ability to create a route along roads from point A to point B? As far as I can tell, CalTopo doesn't do that on a handheld device.

 

[Vic Harder]

Will Gaia have the ability to create a route along roads from point A to point B? As far as I can tell, CalTopo doesn't do that on a handheld device.


I use Gaia for that, but on my windows laptop or iPad.

 

[ski3pin]

Sorry to hear Gaia has been such a hassle, and support slow and complicated. The MVUM is a really nice thing to have downloaded, once you get it working.

Will Gaia have the ability to create a route along roads from point A to point B? As far as I can tell, CalTopo doesn't do that on a handheld device.

Will Gaia have the ability to create a route along roads from point A to point B? As far as I can tell, CalTopo doesn't do that on a handheld device.


I use Gaia for that, but on my windows laptop or iPad.

Yes it does. It also will "snap" to a road or a trail to put a route exactly along either. It will also go point to point, along the lines of what you can do on Google Earth. This, I find, is one of the best features as now my navigator will have a route line to follow as I drive instead of a bread crumb trail of waypoints to hit. As Vic points out, it is easy to do on the big screen desktop. The app syncs with the website. You can do it also on the tablet but I've not worked with that yet.

I have all of the West now downloaded on the micro sd card for off line use. We need a trip to see how it does for us in the field.

 

[rubberlegs]

I've been using Caltopo on the computer in a similar way, and it sure makes driving easier. I find navigating in a car more difficult than bushwacking through the North Cascades. I'll see if this is possible in the field on a handheld device.

Lately I've been drawing the driving routes in the thickest line possible (size 8) and making them 50% transparent. I can see them without reading glasses, and see through them with reading glasses.

You'll need a trip throughout all of California to fully test your new system. It reminds me of "testing" cookies. Yeah, that first one passed the test... better have another to make sure... well, a third would help with statistical sampling... better try a fourth... so far all samples are good, better make sure there's no bad ones... oops, all the cookies are gone!

 

[ski3pin]

I've been using Caltopo on the computer in a similar way, and it sure makes driving easier. I find navigating in a car more difficult than bushwacking through the North Cascades. I'll see if this is possible in the field on a handheld device.

Lately I've been drawing the driving routes in the thickest line possible (size 8) and making them 50% transparent. I can see them without reading glasses, and see through them with reading glasses.

You'll need a trip throughout all of California to fully test your new system. It reminds me of "testing" cookies. Yeah, that first one passed the test... better have another to make sure... well, a third would help with statistical sampling... better try a fourth... so far all samples are good, better make sure there's no bad ones... oops, all the cookies are gone!

I was thinking throwing in Nevada, Utah, and half of Arizona. We'd need a lot, a lot of cookies for that.

And please, please do not bring up the issue with glasses.

 

[rubberlegs]

That sounds like a really long trip... hmmm... Let us know when to meet you!

Now that I think of it, we have made rough driving routes on our device out in the field. No need to follow the road curves exactly as long as the junctions are at vertices of the lines.

 

[Vic Harder]

I may have to change my endorsement of GaiaGps. I'm planning a long 7600+ mile trip for Q1 of 2024, and as usual I lay the whole thing out on my ancient copy of Microsoft Streets & Trips (I still have not found anything better...too bad they mothballed it) and Excel. Then I move it to GaiaGps so I can use it in the car and on my iPad/iPhone. Things have gone downhill since the last time I used this program extensively, likely 12+ months ago. My issue is with the "snap to trail/route" function. Long hours wasted.

I'm not alone - My love/hate relationship with GaiaGPS : GaiaGPS (reddit.com)

So, the question is, what to use instead?

Edit: I am still using Gaia. Frustrating when the snap to does not work, but I have found workarounds, like simply deleting the route and starting over.

 

[rubberlegs]

I used to use Gaia but a few years ago switched to CalTopo. Its really good for hiking and works ok for planning driving, but downloading Google Maps areas often works better for driving out of cell range.

 

[AWG_Pics]

There ain't no easy answers or one tool that does it all, all the time.

I have been working with geolocated data since the 1970's. In that time I have made many mistakes, poured lots of hours into dead-end organization efforts and software. I have developed an approach which is fairly simple based on a couple of rules or principles.

Think of software tools as a tree. Near the trunk are simple lists. Maybe in text, maybe in an excel database. These have high information content but are not very useful for finding your way around.

Continuing with the tree analogy, the major branches are tools such as google earth or google MyMaps. MyMaps is handy for building your own map based set of campsites, interesting locations, trailheads, water sources and such. You can include some notes about each point in your google map. This map is a great library, but it is nearly useless for route finding, and other on the go activity. However, you can always call it up on your smartphone and clunkily dig down to find information you may have plugged in a few years before. Not something you would want to do very often, but it is possible to extract information on the go.

Finally, the user friendly part of the tree analogy, which to me are like the leaves, fruit, flowers and such. This is where you find Gaia, garmin, CalTopo, Avenza, AllTrails, etc. The fundamental problem with all of these, some of which I use regularly, is they wax and wane in usefulness and even functionality. They are expensive to maintain and require concerted long term effort to keep them useful. And it is very frustrating when something you relied on and put a lot of effort into suddenly stops working.

My 50 years of experience with geolocated data boils down to: maintain your basic data in multiple copies of simple formats (the trunk of the tree), put a fair amount of effort into basic mapping tools (MyMaps) but export copies from time to time as csv files to Excel and then to text files. Finally, use the more user friendly software tools with the knowledge that any of them can, and at some time will, become useless. Like leaves and fruits, they come and go.

I carry hard copy printouts of the favored locations where I intend to go. Hopefully I never need to look at them. But I have on a few occasions.

Right now I use a garmin on dash navigator and Avenza maps for realtime route assistance. I know the garmin is crap at times and the Avenza maps can be misleading at times, but they both usually work.

And paper maps for every area we will visit.

So far, so good.

 

[goinoregon]

There ain't no easy answers or one tool that does it all, all the time.

I have been working with geolocated data since the 1970's. In that time I have made many mistakes, poured lots of hours into dead-end organization efforts and software. I have developed an approach which is fairly simple based on a couple of rules or principles.

Think of software tools as a tree. Near the trunk are simple lists. Maybe in text, maybe in an excel database. These have high information content but are not very useful for finding your way around.

Continuing with the tree analogy, the major branches are tools such as google earth or google MyMaps. MyMaps is handy for building your own map based set of campsites, interesting locations, trailheads, water sources and such. You can include some notes about each point in your google map. This map is a great library, but it is nearly useless for route finding, and other on the go activity. However, you can always call it up on your smartphone and clunkily dig down to find information you may have plugged in a few years before. Not something you would want to do very often, but it is possible to extract information on the go.

Finally, the user friendly part of the tree analogy, which to me are like the leaves, fruit, flowers and such. This is where you find Gaia, garmin, CalTopo, Avenza, AllTrails, etc. The fundamental problem with all of these, some of which I use regularly, is they wax and wane in usefulness and even functionality. They are expensive to maintain and require concerted long term effort to keep them useful. And it is very frustrating when something you relied on and put a lot of effort into suddenly stops working.

My 50 years of experience with geolocated data boils down to: maintain your basic data in multiple copies of simple formats (the trunk of the tree), put a fair amount of effort into basic mapping tools (MyMaps) but export copies from time to time as csv files to Excel and then to text files. Finally, use the more user friendly software tools with the knowledge that any of them can, and at some time will, become useless. Like leaves and fruits, they come and go.

I carry hard copy printouts of the favored locations where I intend to go. Hopefully I never need to look at them. But I have on a few occasions.

Right now I use a garmin on dash navigator and Avenza maps for realtime route assistance. I know the garmin is crap at times and the Avenza maps can be misleading at times, but they both usually work.

And paper maps for every area we will visit.

So far, so good.

thx for your informative recap of what worx for you. geez.... i have a baja trip in feb/mar, and i have trouble dedicating time to the map work... ugh. bunch of irons in the fire lately.

 

[ntsqd]

If it's working well it doesn't have enough features.
-- code writers

As a species we never seem to learn to stop when we're done.

 

[ski3pin]

Julie and completed a recent trip where we put Gaia to the test. It worked well for us. Nothing is perfect, and at my age and experience level, I know that. Overall the base map was right on. The biggest surprise was was a missing 4 mile section of a National Backcountry byway.

For our needs, the biggest need is a solid application/device to hold all our personal data from research and such. Gaia is easy for that.

But, we still find that Backcountry Navigator Pro works best for us when on foot. Also, we already have a huge database of personal information already on it. We use caltopo usgs 7.5' as our base level as the old paper usgs 7.5's are second nature to us. The "Go to" function is better (for us) with the addition of a compass screen that provides bearing and distance. So we can put the tablet away and put the trusty handheld compass to work.

The biggest issue with Backcountry Navigator is their use of a propitiatory .bcn file system. Gaia is very easy importing/exporting .gpx, .kml, and other file systems used by other applications.

The new samsung 8" tablet works very well and is tough, albeit heavier. Both Gaia GPS and Backcountry Navigator work well on it.

Gaia while driving. Backcountry Navigator when hiking.

So, overall, I'm pleased. With the new tablet the cost came in at a little over half the price of the Garmin Overlander I was considering.

 

[ski3pin]

For basic needs around civilization with cell service we use google maps on Julie's smartphone to find gas, groceries, laundry, and such. I'd just like "Google Girl," as we call her, to have a sexier voice, then maybe I wouldn't argue with her so much.

 

[ntsqd]

IF 'she' had such a voice I'd likely argue with 'her' more. Just to hear 'her' talk.....

 

[rubberlegs]

For basic needs around civilization with cell service we use google maps on Julie's smartphone to find gas, groceries, laundry, and such. I'd just like "Google Girl," as we call her, to have a sexier voice, then maybe I wouldn't argue with her so much.

If you want to hear another voice, try changing the Google maps to UK English. Maybe that'll be sexier. Once I rented a car-drivin' GPS for a work trip to Australia. That one also had multiple voices, so to get used to it, I tried it at home for practice. I also wanted to get used to the accent there, so I changed to Aussie accent. But then for WA destinations, instead of Washington, it said Western Australia.