GPS and mapping data

In article <[email hidden]>, P.R.Brady
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I'm thinking of getting a new GPS. Things have come on in the 10 or so
years since I bought my old Garmin 38 such as 12 channel receivers,
WAAS, integrated altimeters and compass, but what is the value of
integrated mapping if my primary concern is walking in the UK?

Not much :-(

Quoted message said:

Can you get 50,000 or 25,000 databases

Magellan do a product for the UK

http://www.magellangps.com/en/products/product.asp?PRODID=1026

Some users have been a bit disappointed by the level of detail offered.
It can be previewed via a link in the top right of that page.

Garmin are supposedly working on one too.

Quoted message said:

or can data be created from mapping packages such as Anquet or by
scanning?

Not really without a lot of manual intervention.

Having used Garmin's 1:100k topo product in the US on an eMap I am not
overly convinced of the use other than to aid pinpointing on a paper
map. The screens are so small on receivers that you either have to zoom
out and loose detail or you have detail but a very small area displayed.

For off road nav I have a Garmin Geko 201 which is a capable and cheap
option but does not do maps.

--

Dominic Sexton

Just some quick thoughts, which will no doubt be elaborated on by others.
WAAS is not yet enabled, but any decent GPS will have the facility built in
for when this goes live.
Integrated altimeters, if barometric, use a lot of battery power, and
generally are not thought to be worth the expense. You will be given a grid
ref, so a quick look at the map will tell you your height.
Integrated mapping IMHO is not worth using on the hills. Not detailed
enough. Get Anquet or Memory Map (seems to be better for Garmin users), plot
your route, and download it to the GPS. You won't get the map, but you will
get directions as to how to follow the route you've plotted. Take a print of
the map on waterproof paper if you like. Don't buy the paper that is
recommended by the map people - too expensive. Comercially available paper
is relatively cheap, and is just as good.
If you can afford it get one of the colour units. It will have a lot of
features you don't need, but is well worth the money for the clarity of
dsiplay.

"P.R.Brady" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm thinking of getting a new GPS. Things have come on in the 10 or so
years since I bought my old Garmin 38 such as 12 channel receivers, WAAS,
integrated altimeters and compass, but what is the value of integrated
mapping if my primary concern is walking in the UK?

Can you get 50,000 or 25,000 databases or can data be created from mapping
packages such as Anquet or by scanning?

Regards
Phil

P.R.Brady said:

Can you get 50,000 or 25,000 databases or can data be created from
mapping packages such as Anquet or by scanning?

Not sure if it is legal BUT once you've purchased your GPS (I won't
sing the praises of a Geko 201 again!!!) you can get by with zero
outlay, as long as you don't mind the labour.

[1] Go to an online mapping site, press print screen.

[2] Paste into a graphic package, even Paint, so you can size as
required, or tile (repeat stage [1] as required) for a really long
walk.

[3] Import into GPSU - free.

[4] Create route and download to GPS (I skip this).

[5] Import actual route walked from GPS.

Alternatively buy MemoryMap and it's all easy with little labour.

David.

Get the MIO 168 pda with flip up GPS Ariel. 210inc vat.
Have either 1;50K or 1;25k map and live update as you walk.

Quoted message said:

Can you get 50,000 or 25,000 databases or can data be created from mapping
packages such as Anquet or by scanning?

You can buy 1;25k OS maps but you can get free NASA contour
maps download via the link on the www.smc.org.uk website.

Nick

Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the
wonderful person "Nick (Scots)" <[email hidden]> said

Quoted message said:

Get the MIO 168 pda with flip up GPS Ariel. 210inc vat.
Have either 1;50K or 1;25k map and live update as you walk.

Quoted message said:

Can you get 50,000 or 25,000 databases or can data be created from mapping
packages such as Anquet or by scanning?

You can buy 1;25k OS maps

But not in a format suitable for loading into a GPS handset..

Quoted message said:

but you can get free NASA contour
maps download via the link on the www.smc.org.uk website.

Those are. 8>. At least they better be - but only for Garmin handsets.

Would also be good if the OP =read= all the detailed replies in the
thread called 'GPS', which is, iirc, only about a week old.

--
GSV Three Minds in a Can
Contact recommends the use of Firefox; SC recommends it at gunpoint.

Quoted message said:

Alternatively buy MemoryMap and it's all easy with little labour.

Or Tracklogs, ANquet etc.,..

The Anquet Scotland with the good bits of Englandshire was a very good
buy indeed.

Well worth getting one of these products...

Richard Webb

Gordon Burns said:

Just some quick thoughts, which will no doubt be elaborated on by others.
WAAS is not yet enabled, but any decent GPS will have the facility built in
for when this goes live.
Integrated altimeters, if barometric, use a lot of battery power,

They use negligible battery power. You may be thinking of the
electronic compass which usually accompainies them, and which does use
a lot of power if you don't bother finding out how to turn it off when
you don't need it.

Quoted message said:

and
generally are not thought to be worth the expense. You will be given a grid
ref, so a quick look at the map will tell you your height.

You're quite right, there's no point in getting a barometric altimeter
if that's all you want it for.
--
Chris Malcolm [email hidden] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

"GSV Three Minds in a Can" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the
wonderful person "Nick (Scots)" <[email hidden]> said

Quoted message said:

Get the MIO 168 pda with flip up GPS Ariel. 210inc vat.
Have either 1;50K or 1;25k map and live update as you walk.

Quoted message said:

Can you get 50,000 or 25,000 databases or can data be created from
mapping
packages such as Anquet or by scanning?

You can buy 1;25k OS maps

But not in a format suitable for loading into a GPS handset..

I am talking about getting a PDA such as the one above, nearly
as small as 'handset' but a lot more functionality. AND mapping.
I use FUGAWI which isused with Palms, Pocket PCpda etc.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

but you can get free NASA contour
maps download via the link on the www.smc.org.uk website.

Those are. 8>. At least they better be - but only for Garmin handsets.

Sorry, don't understand the above.

Quoted message said:

Would also be good if the OP =read= all the detailed replies in the thread
called 'GPS', which is, iirc, only about a week old.

I think my post is relevant. I have a Gecko101 and it's grat but I'm
thinking of getting the Mio above so I have live mapping and GPS tracking
while MTBing and walking/climbing.

Nick

In article <[email hidden]>, "Nick (Scots)"
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

"GSV Three Minds in a Can" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the
wonderful person "Nick (Scots)" <[email hidden]> said

Quoted message said:

Get the MIO 168 pda with flip up GPS Ariel. 210inc vat.
Have either 1;50K or 1;25k map and live update as you walk.

> Can you get 50,000 or 25,000 databases or can data be created from
> mapping
> packages such as Anquet or by scanning?

You can buy 1;25k OS maps

But not in a format suitable for loading into a GPS handset..

I am talking about getting a PDA such as the one above, nearly
as small as 'handset' but a lot more functionality. AND mapping.
I use FUGAWI which isused with Palms, Pocket PCpda etc.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

but you can get free NASA contour
maps download via the link on the www.smc.org.uk website.

Those are. 8>. At least they better be - but only for Garmin handsets.

Sorry, don't understand the above.

Quoted message said:

Would also be good if the OP =read= all the detailed replies in the thread
called 'GPS', which is, iirc, only about a week old.

I think my post is relevant. I have a Gecko101 and it's grat but I'm
thinking of getting the Mio above so I have live mapping and GPS tracking
while MTBing and walking/climbing.

Nick

I have a Mio 168 for use in the car. It is a lot less robust than your
Geko and has a battery life of about 4 hours IIRC (and that may be with
the GPS part turned off). The battery is not user replaceable so you
can't slot in a spare if you run it down.

I would be very wary of carrying in on the hill unless it was in a case
with a hard side to protect the screen. I would not use the supplied
handlebar mount to put it on my MTB for riding anything but the
smoothest of trails.

On the other hand I find my Geko 201 great on the hill and on my MTB.

--

Dominic Sexton

Quoted message said:

I have a Mio 168 for use in the car. It is a lot less robust than your
Geko and has a battery life of about 4 hours IIRC (and that may be with
the GPS part turned off). The battery is not user replaceable so you can't
slot in a spare if you run it down.

At last a user ! Thanks for this info. I was going to buy a hard case for
it.
How robust is the flip hinge ?

Quoted message said:

I would be very wary of carrying in on the hill unless it was in a case
with a hard side to protect the screen. I would not use the supplied
handlebar mount to put it on my MTB for riding anything but the smoothest
of trails.

In the pack would be safer I suspect.

Quoted message said:

On the other hand I find my Geko 201 great on the hill and on my MTB.

My 101 doesn't work in tree cover so don't take it MTBing. I tend to just
navigate via a map on the hbar.

Maybe a Garmin IQUE (i think) would be a better option.

Cheers

Nick

In article <[email hidden]>, "Nick (Scots)"
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have a Mio 168 for use in the car. It is a lot less robust than your
Geko and has a battery life of about 4 hours IIRC (and that may be with
the GPS part turned off). The battery is not user replaceable so you can't
slot in a spare if you run it down.

At last a user ! Thanks for this info. I was going to buy a hard case for
it.

The Otterbox cases appear to be very robust if a bit bulky / heavy.

Quoted message said:

How robust is the flip hinge ?

Not very but it hasn't given me any concerns for car / PDA use for the
last 10 months.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I would be very wary of carrying in on the hill unless it was in a case
with a hard side to protect the screen. I would not use the supplied
handlebar mount to put it on my MTB for riding anything but the smoothest
of trails.

In the pack would be safer I suspect.

Unless you land on it! To be honest if you keep it tucked away safe you
won't be looking at it much and I suspect it would turn out to be a bit
of a waste of money.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

On the other hand I find my Geko 201 great on the hill and on my MTB.

My 101 doesn't work in tree cover so don't take it MTBing. I tend to just
navigate via a map on the hbar.

Maybe a Garmin IQUE (i think) would be a better option.

Almost alll PDA type units are very fragile compared to the average
dedicated outdoor type GPS.

For me the limited screen size and the fact that you can't zoom in and
out on the maps without loss of detail (raster maps) does not make them
very useful. Cool toy / gadget but not of much practical use.

--

Dominic Sexton

Quoted message said:

For me the limited screen size and the fact that you can't zoom in and out
on the maps without loss of detail (raster maps) does not make them very
useful.

Panning is more what is useful on the PDA. And zooming into the equivalent
paper
map scale, 1;1, is the same quality as a paper map.

Nick

Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the
wonderful person "Nick (Scots)" <[email hidden]> said

Quoted message said:

"GSV Three Minds in a Can" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the
wonderful person "Nick (Scots)" <[email hidden]> said

Quoted message said:

Get the MIO 168 pda with flip up GPS Ariel. 210inc vat.
Have either 1;50K or 1;25k map and live update as you walk.

> Can you get 50,000 or 25,000 databases or can data be created from
> mapping
> packages such as Anquet or by scanning?

You can buy 1;25k OS maps

But not in a format suitable for loading into a GPS handset..

I am talking about getting a PDA such as the one above, nearly
as small as 'handset' but a lot more functionality. AND mapping.
I use FUGAWI which isused with Palms, Pocket PCpda etc.

Yep, as mentioned in the thread I referred you to, a PDA will work OK
with loaded raster maps. Trouble is they're relatively fragile, and eat
batteries,

--
GSV Three Minds in a Can
Contact recommends the use of Firefox; SC recommends it at gunpoint.

In article <[email hidden]>, "Nick (Scots)"
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

For me the limited screen size and the fact that you can't zoom in and out
on the maps without loss of detail (raster maps) does not make them very
useful.

Panning is more what is useful on the PDA. And zooming into the equivalent
paper
map scale, 1;1, is the same quality as a paper map.

That is right but the issue is that at 1:1 you only have a relatively
small area of the map on view at any one time. Having to pan about makes
it hard to see the big picture.

For example try taking a good look at an area with the OS Getamap
service - the limited area of view really is a pain.

--

Dominic Sexton

Quoted message said:

That is right but the issue is that at 1:1 you only have a relatively
small area of the map on view at any one time. Having to pan about makes
it hard to see the big picture.

For example try taking a good look at an area with the OS Getamap
service - the limited area of view really is a pain.

Yeah, but you have panned the route before you go on the hill,
that's the point.

Nick