Recently our 3rd Hema HX1 got hot in the cab, whilst not in use, & the battery bulged so much it split the cases apart. This is my second HX1 to do this. The cab was hot but the HX1 wasn't in direct sunlight. Our first one had the screen delaminate in similar conditions.
Although the now taped together HX1 still works we decided a replacement navigator was probably a good idea whilst we are still somewhere with an address we can get it sent to, & where we have access to a workshop to use when installing it into the OKA.
I was not interested in getting a mapping system on a tablet - we already have that -
Exploroz Traveller on a 10" ipad mounted in front of the passenger
seat.
What I wanted was a 7" (or close) GPS Navigator which would fill the space that the HX1 takes. Of course it needs to be suitable for both on & off road as the HX1 was. Although not fantastic Hema maps have been 'good enough', particularly when used in conjunction with the 'navigator's' more detailed Exploroz maps.
Ozi Explorer would have been a contender, I know a number of folk who love it, but really I just didn't want the learning curve which appears to go with it. I know any new navigator/mapping system will have a learning curve, but Ozi Explorer just seemed bigger. I expect some Ozi Explorer die hards will tell me different.... but the decision was made & the purchase completed.
Mostly the EOTopo maps have been more detailed than the Hema, but last year we found one instance where the tracks shown on EOTopo were incorrect & the smudgy dotted line on the Hema correct. Mostly such differences over the years have been the other way around.
What the experience has taught me is that no mapping system is 100% accurate all of the time & that running more than one system is worthwhile for when there are these occasional discrepancies.
I ruled out another Hema navigator as although I have grown to like using the HX1 - I am not a fan of their hardware, & have always considered the software to be a bit clunky - even though long term familiarity had made this less of an issue.
Didn't leave much choice & only time will tell whether my choice, purchased online today has been a good choice or not. It certainly wasn't a cheap option. I've gone with the Garmin Tread 2 - Overland Edition. Took a while to get my head around several different Garmin off road navigators with similar names causing unnecesary confusion. I had hoped that as
well as the the Garmin TOPO maps that it might be possible to load
Exploroz Traveller onto the Garmin's Android system - but it isn't.
Instead I bought the Garmin from GPS OZ together with their latest version of their vector based OzTopo maps. Some examples of those maps did look a little 'busy' to me, but it is possible to turn layers (waterways & contours) at the press of a button on the screen to simplify the map when it is useful to do so.
The off road Garmin TOPO maps were a bit lacking in a few
places I had screenshots of familiar
places sent to me, but I expect them to be good on road & in towns.
It will be a month or so before we reach our friends in
Kununurra & get our hands on the Garmin, but I am quite looking forward to it.