Transfering Memory Map on mobiles

[Little Jim]

I've recently changed mobiles.  I have Memory Map on the SD card which is supposed to make it easy to swap between phones, and I have managed to do this once before, although it did involve my usual technique of shouting at it.  This time is slightly different.  I have used a file manager programme to "point" at the .qct file, but when I try and open it the screen is black, something is happening as I can use the GPS location to show up the red circle indicating my current location.  I don't think that the file is corrupted because I can access it by plugging the phone into the computer and looking at the maps that way.  Any suggestions please?

[Biggsy]

(Please ignore my previous hasty replies if you saw them, sorry).

What exactly have you done so far?

[Little Jim]

You are safe I missed them!

So far I've downloaded the app and then used Astro file manager to "open" the qct file for the 1:50,000 maps.  I have also signed in to my Memory Map account from the phone too, which you need to do the first time.  The "free" road atlas map that comes with MM opens fine, but you should be able to zoom in and the 1:50,000 will then open automatically but it doesn't, the screen goes black.  The GPS location symbol (a red circle with cross hairs) will stay on the screen and move if you move the map around, but the screen is black.  I can plug the phone in to the PC and open MM on the phone via the PC so everything is there somewhere.  In the settings it is showing a licence for the Landranger 1:50,00 maps, and showing that I am signed in.

[Biggsy]

That should have worked, but try step 3 here and reboot:
    www.memory-map.co.uk/support/041755-Loading-maps-to-an-SD-card-on-Android

[Little Jim]

Thanks Biggsy I'll have a go at that.  Fingers crossed...

[frankly frankie]

MM map registrations just don't work well for me. I've paid multiple times over the years and have multiple unused and unusable licences.

[fuaran]

There are alternative apps that can use QCT maps. eg MM-Tracker or AlpineQuest.
They may work better, and avoid the hassle of licensing etc. Though they won't work with newer Memory Map files in QC3 format.

[robgul]

MM map registrations just don't work well for me. I've paid multiple times over the years and have multiple unused and unusable licences.

Me too     - the whole Memory Map licence system is totally flawed, especially when you want to use maps you've bought and paid for on a more recent device using their MM app . . . seems wrong to demand a "legacy licence" fee.

MM stomped on the MM Tracker app with loads of legal weight - and as stated by fuaran the Alpine Quest app doesn't handle later format maps - BUT if you have the older maps I've found AQ to be excellent.

For all its faults I have to say MM is head and shoulders above the other products like Quo, Tracklogs & Fugawi.

The slight upside is that whilst they stopped the Forum because they couldn't take criticism if you phone they are usually helpful, albeit in a "oh, another idiot calling" sort of attitude.

Rob

[fuaran]

MM stomped on the MM Tracker app with loads of legal weight

Its not officially available, but easy enough to find the APK to install it. And it works fine for me anyway.

I'm curious as to how Viewranger compares, it seems to be quite popular for Android. Though that would mean buying all of the maps again.

I think something based on OpenStreetMap is usually more useful anyway.

[Kim]

I'm quite liking Viewranger.  I needed to buy some proper maps anyway, and had got fed up with registration issues with Memory Map.  Admittedly I'm not doing anything particularly demanding: Mostly I just use it as a portable OS map with a 'you are here' arrow on it.  Occasionally overlay a GPX track.  Rarely use it for creating routes.  It seems to do most of the same stuff, with a somewhat more modern user interface.

Viewranger seems to like to think of itself as a social media platform for sharing routes.  A sort of Strava without the segment rubbish.  You can safely ignore that stuff.

I also have OSMAnd installed (flash memory is cheap, after all).  OSM is great for some things, but sometimes you really want a proper OS map.

[Little Jim]

Thank you all for your replies, especially Furan.  Having now had a proper look I've downloaded Alpine Quest as that does seem quite good, however my Memory Maps are in QC3 format so they won't work on Alpine Quest.  I've now resorted to using Memory Map's support service and have emailed them.

[Little Jim]

Well that was quick - MM have replied less than 2 hours after the question was submitted.

This is what they say:

Due to some of the changes within the Android operating systems the Memory-Map app may be unstable when trying to access older maps.
For some reason the new versions of the Android operating system doesn't like the format that we used to save our maps in (a single .qct file) which is why the app either crashes when attempting to open it or displays black tiles instead of mapping. All our current map products use a .qct and .qc3 file format which it doesn't appear to have any problems with.
 
Therefore you currently have the following options:

    Purchase mapping that uses the newer .qct and .qc3 format (Click here for the upgrade discounts we offer for existing customers).
    Send the map to the Android device in sections no greater than 1GB in size. The steps for doing this can be found here.
    Delete the maps that use the single .qct format from the device so the app doesn't try to access them.

In other words I'm stuffed.  The upgrade is either £60 for a download or £75 for a DVD version.  Given that I have found MM very hard to install before I think I'll give the download a miss, but I might think about the DVD as I do like OS mapping