GAIA navigation app - get additional custom map layers, higher res satellite images

[John E Davies]

This is pretty cool. Google does not allow GAIA to access their data, so you have to use some less than ideal sources. This is for the premium membership only, and I use an iPad Mini 4 with all IOS updates….

https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/gaia-gps-adding-google-earth-imagery.158189/

I was able to get the Google Earth layer to load and function, then it mysteriously vanished a couple of minutes later. The same with Google Terrain. However there are a several sources that do work correctly, Google Roads, Google Terrain Hybrid (won’t zoom in very far) and Google Satellite Hybrid. So it is worth trying this with your device to see what happens. I had to restart the app to see the new layers.

Here is the default Mapbox satellite image:

And the Google Satellite Hybrid one, which adds lables.

There is a pretty obvious difference in sharpness. Here is a shot of some remote logging roads. Satellite default:

And Google Satellite Hybrid:

Interesting. I know which image I would rather use if I were trying to see small details, like a camp site….

John Davies

Spokane WA

[John E Davies]

A couple of more, this is Kettle River CG, a Corps of Engineers facility, sort of, maybe….. You sure can’t see anything. There is a boat dock, at the bottom right. In theory.

Google Satellite Hybrid shows lots of detail, even through fairly heavy tree cover. You can see foot trails easily, and small vegetation.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[John E Davies]

And some more. This is my house, under construction in late Fall 2016, with the standard GAIA Satellite view.

And the Google Satellite Hybrid version, 

It is about three years more recent, but still nowhere near current. And yes I have two dogs, that is obvious from the back yard…. So the Google images get you more recent data. I’ll stop now.

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

[John E Davies]

Oops, I learned that you can see the image date, but only when using the desktop version of Google Earth. So that pic of my house is from July 2019:

And that recently logged forest pic is really old, from 2017,

So one would expect there to be a whole lot more new vegetation, and hopefully no logging truck traffic. This was a big burn in 2015 - and reforestation typically happens within two years. The burn boundaries and some other information shows up on the Hstoric Wildfires layer of GAIA. You can also use the Public Lands and Private Lands layers to see where the land is free to access and hopefully to camp or target shoot.... That particular area is a" checkerboard" of state DNR and BLM lands, mixed with privately owned timber lands. You can usually drive through the private sections to access the public ones, but not always, sometimes you find a locked gate that post-dates the sat images! ;(

I wish you could see this date information from a mobile app. I don't carry a computer when traveling. You really need to scout out places like this before bringing in the trailer.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[Ray and Susan Huff]

Is anyone out there currently using GAIA maps?  Mine is currently unresponsive . . . . when I open the map, it comes  up to the last map viewed, but I can't make changes, such as add or delete layers.

I guess I'll check. . . . . maybe my premium subscription has expired?

Tech can be infuriating at times 😠

I checked . . . . premium subscription is good thru June 2022

[John E Davies]

1 hour ago, Ray and Susan Huff said:

Is anyone out there currently using GAIA maps?  Mine is currently unresponsive . . . . when I open the map, it comes  up to the last map viewed, but I can't make changes, such as add or delete layers.

I guess I'll check. . . . . maybe my premium subscription has expired?

Tech can be infuriating at times 😠

I checked . . . . premium subscription is good thru June 2022

What OS?  My iPad has a known bug, if the temporary map file cache gets too large, you cannot delete it and eventually the entire app bogs down, big time. It also clogs up the storage on your phone or tablet. This has been going on for over a year and GAIA support still doesn’t know when they will have a fix. Go to Settings/ Storage and look at the Storage/ Storage Use section, scroll down to Tile Cache.

 

If it is huge (over a few hundred MB) then try clearing it. Go to Storage/ Clear Cache. If that doesn’t work, try it ten times. If the files still don’t go away, you will have to delete the app entirely, reinstall it, login and sync to your GAIA online account. (You must use a desktop or laptop computer for this, synccing won’t work with another portable device.) That will download all your personal waypoints, routes, tracks, etc, but you will have to decide and then select which map folders you want, (look in the Archive section for more choices) and ALL those individual file tiles will have to download again, over a strong wifi connection. It may take a full day or more, depending on how big they are. I have over 40 GB😳

I have had to do this twice, once I had over 20 GB of temporary file cache ! If it gets over about 2 GB you are headed for trouble. If this is your problem, be sure to open a service ticket from within your app, and complain to them about it, the more people who complain, the quicker it will get resolved. I actually told them that I could no longer recommend GAIA for overlanding travel (out of cell coverage) and they refunded an entire year’s fee.

I try to remember to clear the cache manually very often, and on this trip it seems to be working fine.

Good luck, and please post a followup.

John Davies

Spokane WA