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jfitzpat

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Posts posted by jfitzpat

  1. Virtually all street map programs and online mapping services are based on what is called Tiger Line data. It is data generated by the US Census Bureau. My understanding is that the Bureau, in turn, relies on each state to provide certain information. So, data for a particular area can be older than the Tiger date.

     

    According to the online reviews (Joe M., etc.), and the vendor sites themselves, Metroguide USA is based on the newest line data of any Garmin or Magellan product.

     

    The reason that the product is a hundred bucks instead of ten seems pretty clear, higher development costs (prep for tiny memory footprint and limited display), lower volume (hardware specific products always are), and higher per incident support cost (Garmin does not get to leverage the support infrastructure over hundreds of titles, and there titles all link to hardware, which, by nature, incurs more 'failure' calls).

     

    But, even if we put aside economics, you won't get much sympathy for me.

     

    First, you can preview the maps online using the Map Source Viewer before you buy:

     

    http://www.garmin.com/cartography/mapSource/

     

    Second, Garmin has a liberal return policy with its distribution channels, so if you buy from a decent dealer, you should have a reasonable return/exchange policy available to you.

     

    Third, you are not bothering to compare apples to apples. MapSource is not a great product, but it is above average for a hardware vendor, and Garmin has continued to lead the pack in this area. Both in terms of getting bugs fixed and data updated, and in terms of adding more features (points of interest, turn by turn info, etc.)

     

    I would hope that IdahoMan would at least confirm what he "knows" before spreading the word...

     

    -jjf

  2. Big or small:

     

    PROPER FIT!!!

     

    Most online stores and manufacturer's websites will have measuring/fitting instructions. It is worth the time. Riding an inch or two high or low can make a big difference in terms of comfort for even a short outing.

     

    Personally, I like a day/overnight pack of about 2700-3200 cubic inches. It is a little big for short day hikes, but with three kids, it is still nice to have room for sweaters, extra water and snacks, and so on. In winter, when extra clothes get bigger, the pack is almost too small.

     

    But, I also use the pack for day trips climbing, and short backpacking trips - both of which involve more stuff. If I just did hiking day trips, I might consider a fanny pack or bicycling pack. But, I do like the comfort you get from a padded belt, internal frame, and sternum strap - which you normally only get on a bit larger packs.

     

    Good Luck,

    -jjf

  3. quote:
    Originally posted by markusby:

    Whoever wrote it is right...


     

    Well, it was a little bit of sales BS. Statements like "because the government publishes the data in unique formats that only a handful of privileged inside contractors can utilize..." makes it sound like the formats are secret. That just isn't so.

     

    I know it isn't a fair comparison, but the quote reminds me a bit of the guy that wears the 'Riddler' tights and sells the 'get money from Uncle Sam' book on TV...

     

    -jjf

  4. quote:
    Originally posted by markusby:

    I'm fairly confident you cannot do this with JPG files inless you register it first, which is a pain in the butt.


     

    Well, you can do it right online at http://www.lostoutdoors.com (pull up the topo or NAPP image as a JPEG, click on it, get coordinates, download them directly to your GPS, etc.), then print it out with markers in place icon_wink.gif

     

    Seriously, many good apps take 'world files' for registration. Also, a lot of sources like Terraserver, Toporama, etc., already deliver the data aligned to a known scale (ex. Terraserver delivers tiles aligned on 200 meter UTM boundaries).

     

    I'm glad you mentioned printing though. Most people don't realize that consumer grade printers and drivers are a little loose when it comes to preserving aspect ratio. Worse, many apps under Windows either ignore printer w:h aspect deviation, or use the fast, but not so precise, GDI scaling to correct.

     

    Also, a lot of people don't realize that the spiffy waterproof papers you can buy don't magically provide the printer with waterproof ink. You can get good inks, but not for all printers. And, of course, there is the whole question of paper size. 8.5 x 11 might be nice for a modest day hike, but it is a little constraining for a full day or overnighter...

     

    I guess I'm just saying, unless you think things through, a person may find themselves spending quite a bit of money to use 'free' maps, but still be worse off than a they would be with a $5 printed topo and a $0.10 ziplock bag when things get dicey.

     

    -jjf

  5. quote:
    Originally posted by markusby:

    I'm fairly confident you cannot do this with JPG files inless you register it first, which is a pain in the butt.


     

    Well, you can do it right online at http://www.lostoutdoors.com (pull up the topo or NAPP image as a JPEG, click on it, get coordinates, download them directly to your GPS, etc.), then print it out with markers in place icon_wink.gif

     

    Seriously, many good apps take 'world files' for registration. Also, a lot of sources like Terraserver, Toporama, etc., already deliver the data aligned to a known scale (ex. Terraserver delivers tiles aligned on 200 meter UTM boundaries).

     

    I'm glad you mentioned printing though. Most people don't realize that consumer grade printers and drivers are a little loose when it comes to preserving aspect ratio. Worse, many apps under Windows either ignore printer w:h aspect deviation, or use the fast, but not so precise, GDI scaling to correct.

     

    Also, a lot of people don't realize that the spiffy waterproof papers you can buy don't magically provide the printer with waterproof ink. You can get good inks, but not for all printers. And, of course, there is the whole question of paper size. 8.5 x 11 might be nice for a modest day hike, but it is a little constraining for a full day or overnighter...

     

    I guess I'm just saying, unless you think things through, a person may find themselves spending quite a bit of money to use 'free' maps, but still be worse off than a they would be with a $5 printed topo and a $0.10 ziplock bag when things get dicey.

     

    -jjf

  6. quote:
    Originally posted by markusby:

    I wouldn't know about the speed thing... I have a 56k modem anyway. And while you might be able to download the Ortho satellite imagery (nothing over 30 megs unless you pay), you can download all of the Digital Raster Graphic (TIFF's) you want because they are all under 30 megs. So if you don't mind waiting a little longer, pick a bunch of quads, start up the download manager and go to sleep. they are free - And free is still free. icon_wink.gif


     

    I pointed it out because many people's 'pipe' is not free. Hours of download time might be more expensive than just ordering the data on CD, either from the site or the USGS.

     

    Also, as I pointed out, the data sets are not always the newest. It might have just been bad luck, but the two I tried are from the older DRG sets.

     

    -jjf

  7. quote:
    Originally posted by markusby:

    I wouldn't know about the speed thing... I have a 56k modem anyway. And while you might be able to download the Ortho satellite imagery (nothing over 30 megs unless you pay), you can download all of the Digital Raster Graphic (TIFF's) you want because they are all under 30 megs. So if you don't mind waiting a little longer, pick a bunch of quads, start up the download manager and go to sleep. they are free - And free is still free. icon_wink.gif


     

    I pointed it out because many people's 'pipe' is not free. Hours of download time might be more expensive than just ordering the data on CD, either from the site or the USGS.

     

    Also, as I pointed out, the data sets are not always the newest. It might have just been bad luck, but the two I tried are from the older DRG sets.

     

    -jjf

  8. Just be forewarned that the free downloads are intentionally rate restricted. I'm seeing < 4K a second over a T3 connection off peak hours. There are also size limits, so not all USGS digital data is available.

     

    It seems that the really slow downloads can be circumvented one of two ways. You can order the data up on a custom CD (about $5 per map) and have it sent to you, or you can buy high speed bandwidth in 'chunks' for aobut $25, $100, and $500.

     

    Also, FWIW, you can download newer Tiger line data (also shown on the site) directly from Tiger.census.gov (except for some urban areas). If you download off peak times, the speed is much faster.

     

    -jjf

  9. quote:
    Originally posted by Atilla the Pun:

    Nothing personal, they're both just too close to the same size as a quarter. I don't make enough to had someone an SBA and not get change. icon_frown.gif

     

    The Sacajewa was better because of it's gold color, but still almost the same size as a quarter.

     

    Changing the size (or shape, hexagonal coins anyone?) is a must for a one dollar coin to be a success.

     

    AtP


     

    I'd agree that the SBA's were a huge mistake. The reason that the new dollar coins stayed the same size and shape is that vending machines, etc. had already been updated to accept SBA's.

     

    I don't have any trouble distinguishing the dollar coins from the quarters, even fishing them out of my pocket (smooth edge on new dollar, serrated edge on quarter).

     

    I think the big difference is just conditioning, we are conditioned to think of coins as being worthless and bills of having value. After all, a $1 bill is the exact size, shape, and color of a $100 (well an older one), which is why we are generally uncomfortable with bills over $20 (much to most EU folks amazement). We don't mind looking at the weird picture of Henry Fonda (with big hair) to distinguish a new $20 from a $10, but we don't like looking to look to distinguish between $.25 and $1...

     

    Really, it is kind of silly. When the government sees fit to cut social services for budgetary reasons, replacing the $1 and $5 bill with coins makes a lot of sense. I'd rather adjust to a slight change in currency and put the millions (really!) of dollars saved each year into something worthwhile.

     

    Of course, I'd personally like to take a hammer to the bill slot on every vending machine in southern California! I can *never* get one to take a $1 or $5...

     

    -jjf

  10. quote:
    Originally posted by Atilla the Pun:

    Nothing personal, they're both just too close to the same size as a quarter. I don't make enough to had someone an SBA and not get change. icon_frown.gif

     

    The Sacajewa was better because of it's gold color, but still almost the same size as a quarter.

     

    Changing the size (or shape, hexagonal coins anyone?) is a must for a one dollar coin to be a success.

     

    AtP


     

    I'd agree that the SBA's were a huge mistake. The reason that the new dollar coins stayed the same size and shape is that vending machines, etc. had already been updated to accept SBA's.

     

    I don't have any trouble distinguishing the dollar coins from the quarters, even fishing them out of my pocket (smooth edge on new dollar, serrated edge on quarter).

     

    I think the big difference is just conditioning, we are conditioned to think of coins as being worthless and bills of having value. After all, a $1 bill is the exact size, shape, and color of a $100 (well an older one), which is why we are generally uncomfortable with bills over $20 (much to most EU folks amazement). We don't mind looking at the weird picture of Henry Fonda (with big hair) to distinguish a new $20 from a $10, but we don't like looking to look to distinguish between $.25 and $1...

     

    Really, it is kind of silly. When the government sees fit to cut social services for budgetary reasons, replacing the $1 and $5 bill with coins makes a lot of sense. I'd rather adjust to a slight change in currency and put the millions (really!) of dollars saved each year into something worthwhile.

     

    Of course, I'd personally like to take a hammer to the bill slot on every vending machine in southern California! I can *never* get one to take a $1 or $5...

     

    -jjf

  11. quote:
    Originally posted by Vertigo:

    The water doesn't "direct" the radio waves, it just basicaly absorbs it.

     

    Radio waves are just like light waves, nothing (aside from mass, i.e. a black hole) can bend or suck them towards it. The only way the tree can block the signal is if it's within the line of sight from you to the satellite.


     

    Sorry to be a stickler, but I wanted to point out that light and radio waves, both being forms of electromagnetic radiation, do "bend" for reasons other than gravity.

     

    Without going into quantum electro dynamics, EMR travels at different speeds through different media (ex. warm air vs. cold air, vacuum vs. atmosphere). And, for reasons we do not understand, photons, the quanta, or smallest divisable 'chunk', of EMR, seem to have the ability to sniff out the best route to a destination (sub atomic GPS units and cell phones?) Photons also, for lack of a better word, require 'elbow room'.

     

    We can predict these behaviors using a complicated system of probability summation, but the effect is not limited to some laboratory anomally. You can often see it in every day life.

     

    One of the best examples is the common road mirage often seen while driving in western states. It really does look like water on the road. This happens when the air just above the road is warm, but the surrounding air is cool. You are actually looking at part of the sky at road level. The photons take a curved path from the sky, down to the roadway, travel in the 'fast lane' (the warm air above the road), then curve back to your eye. Since we normally only see the sky from the ground as a reflection in water, our brain fills in the rest. The moving edges of the mirage are the moving air currents between the warm and cool air.

     

    At normal radio wavelengths bending and twisting due to atmospheric conditions can be quite severe.

     

    Again, sorry to be a stickler... icon_smile.gif

     

    -jjf

  12. quote:
    Originally posted by Vertigo:

    The water doesn't "direct" the radio waves, it just basicaly absorbs it.

     

    Radio waves are just like light waves, nothing (aside from mass, i.e. a black hole) can bend or suck them towards it. The only way the tree can block the signal is if it's within the line of sight from you to the satellite.


     

    Sorry to be a stickler, but I wanted to point out that light and radio waves, both being forms of electromagnetic radiation, do "bend" for reasons other than gravity.

     

    Without going into quantum electro dynamics, EMR travels at different speeds through different media (ex. warm air vs. cold air, vacuum vs. atmosphere). And, for reasons we do not understand, photons, the quanta, or smallest divisable 'chunk', of EMR, seem to have the ability to sniff out the best route to a destination (sub atomic GPS units and cell phones?) Photons also, for lack of a better word, require 'elbow room'.

     

    We can predict these behaviors using a complicated system of probability summation, but the effect is not limited to some laboratory anomally. You can often see it in every day life.

     

    One of the best examples is the common road mirage often seen while driving in western states. It really does look like water on the road. This happens when the air just above the road is warm, but the surrounding air is cool. You are actually looking at part of the sky at road level. The photons take a curved path from the sky, down to the roadway, travel in the 'fast lane' (the warm air above the road), then curve back to your eye. Since we normally only see the sky from the ground as a reflection in water, our brain fills in the rest. The moving edges of the mirage are the moving air currents between the warm and cool air.

     

    At normal radio wavelengths bending and twisting due to atmospheric conditions can be quite severe.

     

    Again, sorry to be a stickler... icon_smile.gif

     

    -jjf

  13. I think your best bet is going to be to plot your track on something like Mr. Coxs free USAPhotoMaps, or one of the commercial programs. Then take coordinates from the map and create a route.

     

    A track has gobs of coordinate pairs, but routes are pretty limited in terms of segments. Intelligently reducing down to 10 or 20 is a little tough for software.

     

    Also, plotting the route on a USGS NAPP image, then taking near coordinates will let you 'correct' a little. Tracks can vary a bit from the actual route because of accuracy and reception.

     

    Good Luck,

    -jjf

  14. I still get Susan B. Anthony coins out of the machine at the Post Office... icon_frown.gif

     

    But, I really liked the gold coins, pretty much every vending machine seemed to take them, and I really wanted them to catch on. Now, when I stick in a $5 bill in the ticket machine for the Metrorail Red Line, I get a mountain of quarters...

     

    Of course, the MTA ticket machines are so crappy it is rare to find one working and accepting bills, so I guess that it isn't *that* big a problem...

     

    -jjf

  15. I still get Susan B. Anthony coins out of the machine at the Post Office... icon_frown.gif

     

    But, I really liked the gold coins, pretty much every vending machine seemed to take them, and I really wanted them to catch on. Now, when I stick in a $5 bill in the ticket machine for the Metrorail Red Line, I get a mountain of quarters...

     

    Of course, the MTA ticket machines are so crappy it is rare to find one working and accepting bills, so I guess that it isn't *that* big a problem...

     

    -jjf

  16. Well, if battery saver mode is one, the GPS takes samples at a slower rate and will update displays more slowly as well.

     

    Also, the bearing indicator is inferred, based on position changes. Sat. recep. and geom. can conspire against you.

     

    Many geocachers experience the 'dancing bee' erratic arrow the last 60' or so, and use a regular compass. You might have just been very lucky in the past.

     

    Good Luck,

    -jjf

  17. You might check the laminate and vinyl books at Home Depot. There are a fair number of wood finishes. They don't look *that* good, but would probably be pretty convincing on a chunk of PVC laying in a heap with the real thing.

     

    -jjf

  18. quote:
    Originally posted by Laserman:

    Check this cache out, takes your idea to a different level.

     

    http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=16679

     

    I think that I like "Cache me if you can" better. The cache is moving, but at least can be tracked. Seems like you could do something similar with a GPSr and a Palm VII (or Omnisky). Though, I'm not sure if I like the idea of my car's position always posted on a website... icon_wink.gif

     

    -jjf

  19. quote:
    Originally posted by Laserman:

    Check this cache out, takes your idea to a different level.

     

    http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=16679

     

    I think that I like "Cache me if you can" better. The cache is moving, but at least can be tracked. Seems like you could do something similar with a GPSr and a Palm VII (or Omnisky). Though, I'm not sure if I like the idea of my car's position always posted on a website... icon_wink.gif

     

    -jjf

  20. You can probably find thousands of messages on this very subject in the message archives. Some of the threads sound like a holy war.

     

    Bottom line, both are fine units, neither is perfect. I have a Vista for reasons I have elaborated on before, in brief, I like the small size, light weight, and extended temperature range. Since I take an altimeter to the mountains anyway, the Vista's built-in barometric altimeter helps it 'earn its ounces'.

     

    That said, loading 24M of map memory via a serial cable is a 40 minute pain. If I did a lot of map swapping, SD cards (with a PC writer!), would be really nice. Also, the Vista's display is a lot higher resolution than the Meridian's, but it is physically smaller. A larger screen would be more practical in a car, and the Meridian's larger size and weight probably make it less prone to fly around during daredevil manuevers (which seem more common when you are watching a GPS instead of the road icon_wink.gif ).

     

    I'd suggest playing with both at a store. Pick the one that just seems 'right' for you, and know that, since they are both good units, you can't really go wrong.

     

    -jjf

  21. You can probably find thousands of messages on this very subject in the message archives. Some of the threads sound like a holy war.

     

    Bottom line, both are fine units, neither is perfect. I have a Vista for reasons I have elaborated on before, in brief, I like the small size, light weight, and extended temperature range. Since I take an altimeter to the mountains anyway, the Vista's built-in barometric altimeter helps it 'earn its ounces'.

     

    That said, loading 24M of map memory via a serial cable is a 40 minute pain. If I did a lot of map swapping, SD cards (with a PC writer!), would be really nice. Also, the Vista's display is a lot higher resolution than the Meridian's, but it is physically smaller. A larger screen would be more practical in a car, and the Meridian's larger size and weight probably make it less prone to fly around during daredevil manuevers (which seem more common when you are watching a GPS instead of the road icon_wink.gif ).

     

    I'd suggest playing with both at a store. Pick the one that just seems 'right' for you, and know that, since they are both good units, you can't really go wrong.

     

    -jjf

  22. quote:
    Originally posted by seige02:

    Hello! I have a question about the Etrex Vista's Electronic compass. Whenever I am in a car, the compass seems to be pointing in one direction unless I were to make a turn, Etc. When I am out geocaching, the compass appears to go crazy and the arrow on the GPS points every direction. I have find myself traveling around and about instead of traveling in a straight line. Any ideas? Thanks!


     

    When you are driving at car speeds, a Vista (by default) will switch from Magnetic compass to GPS data inferred bearing. At car speeds, this is pretty accurate and steady.

     

    At foot speed, if you have the magnetic compass off, it is common for the arrow to bounce around because a GPSr does not *know* what direction it is pointed, it infers it from position changes.

     

    With a Vista compass turned on, you should get a nice steady indication towards the cache, provided:

     

    #1: You have calibrated the compass (every time you change batteries)

     

    #2: You are holding the unit steady and level

     

    #3: There is no nearby metal (belt buckle, etc.) or EMI (2-way radio trasmitting) interferrence.

     

    The 'bee dance' near caches is a normal GPSr trait. The compass in a Vista and Mag. Platinum are intended to correct this, but both have the same limitations as a normal magnetic compass, and both require calibration.

     

    Good Luck,

    -jjf

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