Morocco-GPS Question ?

I have heard that you can get permission to use your C.B now in Morocco but you have to fill loads of forms in and pay 100 d !

Can't be bothered, will probably take it out !

A question about GPS and GOOGLE EARTH. I now have garman worldmap/mapsource and downloaded the German tracks. I can transfer the tracks/points I have made on this to Google Earth as there is a link on mapsource. However is it possible to transfer a route the other way as I want to track in detail through the big towns to get South using the detail on Google Earth. Hope someone can help

There is a way, Its not easy, its a little complicated. best explained here: GoogleEarth use offline? - Yes! - Horizons Unlimited

You basically save the cache data as tiles and use these.

To be honest, this part of the world is overkill for GE. Use Olaf's map and maybe look at openmapsource, there may be some extra detail on there. GE may also require a fair bit of disk space. what are you running it all on?

G

Hope this helps.

G

Hi,

As above, this link is also useful;
Google Earth: Advanced Tutorials

I used GE and mapsource, did all my planning and downloaded them to my garmin, worked very well. Olaf maps are also good, though dated in places because of the constant road building, but the POI detail is excellent.

Garmins new basemap software is excellent, use this with GE (version 6, is even better) along with Olaf maps.

I've got the new Garmin Montana 650t, it has 3.5GB memory and an expandable micro SD slot (up to 64GB), more than I need. so I won't be taking my laptop next time, just a smart phone.

Have a good trip, cheers Mark

Thanks Griffdowg and Onelife. Had a good look at your links and oh really a bit complicated for a duff like me, but yes am using Olaf and yes the Montana model is very tempting. Was going to take the cheapest GPS and buy a cheap laptop. Would prefer something like the Montana if only because the screen is larger but wary of having no backup, Though would have paper map and could printoff copies from computer of Olaf etc. and take cheap compass. Did see through my trawl this am that Garman do City Navigator Morocco and this might be the answer. Dont have a smart phone, just a cheap pay as you go. Would however rent a SAT phone as backup. This time dont want to worry about getting lost /where am I. Just want to do all the track routing in advance and enjoy the remoteness of the journey.
Thanks again.
Oldun.

Hi OLDUN,

Paper maps are good, along with the obvious michelin 742, look at the insight one it's 1:800,000, less terrain detailed but much better for road mapping, there's also a rough guide one.

Personally I wouldn't bother with Morocco maps from Garmin or TomTom, they just don't cover the bottom half of the Country well enough. A mapping gps and Olaf maps work well enough, plan through mapsource/basemap. You'll probably know to look at the Morocco Overland website for lots of info and upload tracks.

As phones signals are poor in the south of the Country, you could always buy a local pay as you go sim card, though signals can also be poor. Sat phones are great, just be wary, police are cracking on them due to high criminal usage.

"This time dont want to worry about getting lost /where am I. Just want to do all the track routing in advance and enjoy the remoteness of the journey."

Sounds great, have a good trip, Cheers Mark

Orange have an excellent network in Morocco and I dont remember ever loosing that much signal. Sat phone is a waste of money in Morocco, it populated enough that you dont need it. your only ever at most 1 day walkout.

G

Very helpful info again. Dont think I could walk out easily from my route - Assa - Smara - Laayoune. Want to go as remote and south as possible. Very interesting different views! Been in area before but not on own.

Agree G, O2 also has great coverage, but like all African roaming calls/data, still expensive, thankfully Euroland's changing.

Although I've met a guy that was solo in the South and Western Sahara for 8 days without meeting anyone apart from Bedu, mind he was on a push bike.

OLDUN said:

Very helpful info again. Dont think I could walk out easily from my route - Assa - Smara - Laayoune. Want to go as remote and south as possible. Very interesting different views! Been in area before but not on own.

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Assa is a well equiped little town. Smara I have heard is also and Layoune is bigger again. Even south of here, you will find someone who can get you back to Assa. Your not as far 'into the sticks' as you realise in Morocco. People are everywhere!

G

onelife said:

he was on a push bike.

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now THAT is the way to travel. If I didn't have a bird, the Landy would be sold and I would be doing my Trans-NorthAsia trip by pedal power.

Yer calls are expensive, Its quite funny because I just got a little blase and phoned my old man a lot as my folks were a little worried about us going on our own. Got back and my bill was a little large! Thing is though a SAT phone would be even more! You cant win.

Anyway, Ive said it before. You break down, you have an accident blah blah, who are you going to call?! If your remote your remote and only your skills and the kit you have packed will save you, simple as that.

G

Griffdowg said:

Your not as far 'into the sticks' as you realise in Morocco. People are everywhere!

G

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Ditto that, just when you think you are a million miles from everywhere and everyone, someone will come out from behind a bush and say, "hello my friend"

As long as you have a few dirhams and some patience, you will always find someone to help you.

I must admit I would prefer to use the SAT phone to ask the Landrover man in Zagora to come and get me.

OLDUN said:

I must admit I would prefer to use the SAT phone to ask the Landrover man in Zagora to come and get me.

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you could phone him on your orange phone or a man on a bike will be along shortly to aid you

It would have to be pretty catastrophic for you to not be able to limp back to some town or even Zagora itself. Most breakages are preventable and some spares and the knowledge to use/fix them far outweigh the adantages of a sat phone.

If you want to look like an 80s business man thats a differnet matter

G

110 in tip top condition and literally loads of spares, but the poor sod who is driving is useless no matter how hard he tries. Yes last resort only. Must admit the three days from Smara to Laayoune we did see one lad tend his goats and one old gent in his Santanna. Now you are putting me off by the last comment - chucked in a similar life style a good few years ago to just bum around.

"now THAT is the way to travel. If I didn't have a bird, the Landy would be sold and I would be doing my Trans-NorthAsia trip by pedal power."

Nice one, I get tried watching the tour de France.

Just got back this afternoon !

Wicked, mad,mind-blowing top bollix trip

The garmin maps worked brilliant for us, especialy in towns and cities, sometimes,a bit vague, like you have to zoom out on your GPS screen as you are not actualy on the road/track that you should be on but following it 200m's to the left or right!

As for it working in the south I don't know as we got a blow out (rock) on the piste between Merzouga & Zagora and with only one spare left, 52° C & 3 kids I bottled out and turned back.

When we eventualy got to a campsite in Zagora by road within minutes a little black head popped up over a wall !!!! it was yeh man Mohamed the Landy man ! (I have his mobile N° if you want it ? )

I will start another post with pics, updates etc....... as soon as I get my head together.

Thanks once again for all the help, Griff etc.... and especialy booger who's trip post got my arse in gear to do somthing that I have been wanting to do for years

Jason

excellent. glad your back in 1 piece. which site in Zagora? I think there are only 2. they came around asking if we wanted a service while we were there, they zip around on mopeds

G

Griffdowg said:

excellent. glad your back in 1 piece. which site in Zagora? I think there are only 2. they came around asking if we wanted a service while we were there, they zip around on mopeds

G

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There are actualy 4 campsites or should I say 4 places where they will take money off you for putting a tent up 2 down by the river and 2 up in town all 4 were empty.We stayed in what looked like the best up in the town with the cats

Sounds like you had a good trip. Too bad about the puncture. Did you pass todra gorge en route to Zagora by road?

Looking forward to seeing your report/pictures.