Piste maps on iPhone?

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  Thread Started By:   danmorgan   On:   Saturday 20/12/2008 @ 11:28 Show Newest First    
danmorgan
Posts: 1723
Advertising Partner
Kent
  #1  Piste maps on iPhone?  Posted 20/12/2008 @ 11:28
Has anyone got any recommendations for piste map applications for iPhone/iPod touch? I've found iTrailMap3D (£3) and Snocator (£1.80) so far. iTrailMap3D supports European resorts as well as the US ones and there's a free version (iTrailMap) which doesn't do the GPS side.

Any thoughts?
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brutalitarian
Posts: 170
London
  #2  Re: Piste maps on iPhone?  Posted 20/12/2008 @ 11:48
In reply to post #1 ...
iPhone piste maps are all well and good but you may need to be carefull if they need to download data on the fly. If you end up downloading stuff off the phone network abroard it will be mahoosivly expensive.
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ingo
Posts: 118
  #3  Re: Piste maps on iPhone?  Posted 20/12/2008 @ 11:54
Revision #1 (Last edited: 20/12/2008 @ 12:01)
In reply to post #2 ...
itrail 3d wont do this so no worries. The snocator app seems poorly reviewed i.e. sh1t but what a fantastic application of the technology!. Sure many of us using the iphone on piste had this stuff on the wish list.
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VjSno
Posts: 12
  #4  Re: Piste maps on iPhone?  Posted 20/12/2008 @ 20:48
In reply to post #1 ...
Turn the phone feature off dude, and use phone card or texts (they don't come out of your 750 texts or whatever) they get charged. IT IS SO FOOKING EXPENSIVE
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rog-g
Posts: 446
Republic of Ireland
  #5  Re: Piste maps on iPhone?  Posted 20/12/2008 @ 23:05
In reply to post #4 ...
i just downloaded iTrail 3d. 3d maps look good until you zoom in a bit. haven't tried the gps mapping bit (i'm at home in ireland!).

'paper' view piste maps are not really that good, if you zoom in close enough to see the piste/lift names the words pixcelate so you can hardly read them.

dunno if i'd bother. having seen it now........
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inactive_16115
Posts: 4226
  #6  Re: Piste maps on iPhone?  Posted 21/12/2008 @ 13:51
In reply to post #5 ...
you wait and see how much your bill is after using GPS while roaming abroad!
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DjGordo
Posts: 291
Austria
  #7  Re: Piste maps on iPhone?  Posted 21/12/2008 @ 14:04
Looking at the apps I have downloaded so far for my iPhone I think taking a good picture of the paper piste maps with the camera would be better than the piste plans on the apps! I can never seem to get the webcams to update either.

I have just noticed that with Snowcator you can only locate yourself on the mountains in North America and Canada. So even though I can use the gps (I live in Austria so no roaming charges for me) I can't use it!
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ingo
Posts: 118
  #8  Re: Piste maps on iPhone?  Posted 21/12/2008 @ 14:17
In reply to post #7 ...
I hope to report some live testing of a few of the Austrian maps on itrail next week, the developer tells me that more maps are on the way.
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DjGordo
Posts: 291
Austria
  #9  Re: Piste maps on iPhone?  Posted 21/12/2008 @ 14:23
Think the main thing to sort out with the piste maps is to make them clear enough to read. For example when I looked at the map for Obertauern the only word that I could make out was Obertauern.
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rog-g
Posts: 446
Republic of Ireland
  #10  Re: Piste maps on iPhone?  Posted 21/12/2008 @ 20:11
In reply to post #6 ...

QUOTE (inactive_16115 - 21/12/2008 @ 13:51)

you wait and see how much your bill is after using GPS while roaming abroad!

does gps cost when abroad? i know data costs when roaming - on my O2 irish phone it's €4.95 per Mb - but i can't see a fee for gps.........
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inactive_16115
Posts: 4226
  #11  Re: Piste maps on iPhone?  Posted 21/12/2008 @ 20:14
In reply to post #10 ...
i cant imagine it would be free........
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tekilla
Posts: 3161
Somerset
  #12  Re: Piste maps on iPhone?  Posted 21/12/2008 @ 20:16
In reply to post #10 ...
GPS is only the positioning. The Application will still need to download data over Edge/3G which will be £££ (O2 charged me £8 per MB in USA).
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Rob_Quads
Posts: 58
Hampshire
  #13  Re: Piste maps on iPhone?  Posted 21/12/2008 @ 20:26
In reply to post #12 ...

QUOTE (tekilla - 21/12/2008 @ 20:16)

GPS is only the positioning. The Application will still need to download data over Edge/3G which will be £££ (O2 charged me £8 per MB in USA).

Itrail3d allows you to download all the maps BEFORE you go over a free wifi connection thus when you are in resort you can turn off roaming i.e. you pre-load the app with the resorts you are visiting.

I downloaded iTrial3D and have also found the maps to be medioka. I'll be trying a few out when I go away in Jan. Snocater I have not seen many actual reviews, most are just the normal write-up of it. Shame it does not include europe.

There are other non-snowboard related tracking apps that may also work but they will mostly need data roaming. The ski/snowboard apps at least realise you are away and thus want to pre-download any maps etc
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inactive_16115
Posts: 4226
  #14  Re: Piste maps on iPhone?  Posted 21/12/2008 @ 21:17
Revision #1 (Last edited: 21/12/2008 @ 21:19)
In reply to post #13 ...
I cant really see the point of downloading a map to your phone when you can just pick up a paper one and then get another one when it gets wet or lost! Why anyone would want to be getting their iphone out over and over to check where they are while on the mountain is beyond me. I like the idea of the gps trackers that follow your decent and speed etc so you can see your movements later on but that is just way expensive, without using that feature all these applications for maps just seem like silly gimmicks imho
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Rob_Quads
Posts: 58
Hampshire
  #15  Re: Piste maps on iPhone?  Posted 21/12/2008 @ 21:34
In reply to post #14 ...
I agree in part but I know last year I ended up splitting from the main group and got lost. Visibility was down to 10m so trying to get back on track was pure luck. This for me just gives me that backup for if I don't have my map with me.
But the tracking features are what i am really looking to use them for i.e. see how long and what speeds I can do Peak to Creek in Whistler
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