Mapping

Wesley Best said:

Folks I'm looking for the best way to map ride routes. I
manage a shop and would like to post as many rides as
possible on our website. I'm planning on using a GPS unit
but know little about them or how the software works.I'll
be googling some info on the general stuff, but I'm
looking for suggestions on particular units that may be
most useful for this sort of thing. TIA. Wesley Best

Look into DeLorme digital maps - TopoZone 5.0 will provide
most mapping needs.

delorme.comdelorme.comOpen ↗

Almost any GPS that collects tacks and has an NMEA data
stream (pretty much any popular GPS made after 1998) will
work. You will also need a data cable, and either a USB or
serial port depending on the model you purchase. If you only
have USB, you can buy a USB - serial adapter for around $17.

I'm currently using a Garmin eTrex because it's low cost and
lightweight for backpacking. I'm partial to the eTrex series
and I think I'd get an eTrex Legend if I needed to purchase
another one. It has lots of room for maps. However, the
Garmin GPSMap60c and GPS V are two lower-priced models with
cool mapping capabilities.

(Wesley Best) said:

Folks I'm looking for the best way to map ride routes. I
manage a shop and would like to post as many rides as
possible on our website. I'm planning on using a GPS unit
but know little about them or how the software works.I'll
be googling some info on the general stuff, but I'm looking
for suggestions on particular units that may be most useful
for this sort of thing. TIA. Wesley Best

I use Gar min Vista. I am pretty new to this whole GPS
thing, so my opinions will probably change as I get more
familiar with it all. For software I have both Delorme Topo
5 and Garmin's Map Source.

DeLorme imports nicely from the GPS unit and it makes pretty
pictures and visually gives some good idea of the
topography. But it is a pain to try and manually enter a
route, particularly if it is a mountainous route using minor
roads. It can be done, but the magnification has to be close
in and the following the road is more difficult, and road
names are sometimes hard to discern. Uploading your route
from the GPS does eliminate the problem.

I think garmins mapsource is easier to use. I can draw a
route, see a profile of the route and spend a lot less time
doing so. Garmin also will give you locations of local
businesses... maybe your own, as well as where food
establishments are.

What I sometimes do its to draw a route in Garmin, download
it to the GPS, have to do that anyhow, then upload the route
into the DeLorme program and print the pretty route
map/picture.

However, if either program prints out a route guide, printed
directions, I can'r remember being successful at it, or if
it was only marginally useful.

Ultimately, if I am going on a ride in unfamiliar country I
want a set of printed directions that list both the total
milage from the starting point as well as distance from the
last turn. I really am not interested in maps or route
profiles because a good route sheet will include such detail
as big climb here or dangerous descent there...

Hi,
I'm writing an open-source software to map ride routes.
cycleatlas.sf.netcycleatlas.sf.netOpen ↗

You can use it to create rides maps and profiles. Moreover,
if you want some custom works for your websites, you can
contact me

Regards
Maner

[email hidden] (Wesley Best) wrote in message news:<20040626063405.11381.00000358@mb-
m23.aol.com>...

Quoted message said:

Folks I'm looking for the best way to map ride routes. I
manage a shop and would like to post as many rides as
possible on our website. I'm planning on using a GPS unit
but know little about them or how the software works.I'll
be googling some info on the general stuff, but I'm
looking for suggestions on particular units that may be
most useful for this sort of thing. TIA. Wesley Best

I recently started doing something like this. All I use is a
Garmin eTrex Vista with the included MapSource software.
After a ride (or hike, run, etc) I download the track to
MapSource, open up the track and perhaps make a few tweaks
(like killing non-moving track points). Then I take a
screenshot of the map & track properties and, if its the
first time I'm posting about the location, then perhaps I'll
write a summary. Without the summary it only takes about 5
minutes to download and post the data but, as you can see, I
don't do anything special other than posting the basics.

mindspring.comindex.htmOpen ↗

How about posting your site URL when you get it running?

[email hidden] (Wesley Best) wrote in news:20040626063405.11381.00000358@mb-
m23.aol.com:

Quoted message said:

Folks I'm looking for the best way to map ride routes. I
manage a shop and would like to post as many rides as
possible on our website. I'm planning on using a GPS unit
but know little about them or how the software works.I'll
be googling some info on the general stuff, but I'm
looking for suggestions on particular units that may be
most useful for this sort of thing. TIA. Wesley Best