+Milbank Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 (edited) Here is my small collection of mapping software. Garmin United States TOPO Garmin MetroGuide North America v6 Magellan Topo Expertgps.com GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife) The Magellan is the first mapping software I ever tried for my gps. I no longer use it as I have a Legend C now, but I still think it was the best software. The Magellan topo would still show the roads (with name) around this area along with all the topo info. It was less money then any other software I bought and it all fit on one disk. To get the road and topo info on my Legend I had to buy two diffent sets of software and spend a whole lot more money. I would like to try the new Magellan Topo with a explorist someday. I would also like to try some of the PC mapping software that is out there, just to play around with it. Edited October 1, 2005 by Milbank Quote Link to comment
+JohnnyVegas Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 My main software now is Magellan Topo 3D for my Explorist, I do not use my Exp. 500 while driving so I have no reason to load direct route into it. I agree that the Magellan Topo having street names included is a big plus. Magellan Direct route for my Meridian Gold for the auto routing to the cache area Natiional Geographic Topo California when I want to carry a real USGS printed map showing caches in an area. Micro soft streets and trips, I use this when I want to have a map of caches in an urban area loaded into my pocket PC. I have some Garmin software someplace but I have not need for it now becasue I do not own any Garmion GPS products now. Quote Link to comment
+embra Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 I always get a little embarrassed when I list my inventory. I obviously have a problem. ExpertGPS MapSend DirectRoute MapSend Topo3D MapSource City Select 7 Natl Geographic Topo Delorme TopoUSA 5 MS Streets & Trips 2003 They all have their specialties, so I use them all for different kinds of things, though there has been an evolution in my use (if my computer burned up or something and I had to replace them, I'd only get City Select and Topo3D...and maybe one or two more...or three. Maaaaybe four. Definetly not all of them, though. I can stop whenever I want. Yup. Quote Link to comment
+Milbank Posted October 1, 2005 Author Share Posted October 1, 2005 (edited) Natiional Geographic Topo California when I want to carry a real USGS printed map showing caches in an area. I would really like to try the national geographic software, but I see you have to buy it for each state. I'm on the Mn/Sd boarder and I just can't get myself to pay $100 for one state or the other and end up with something that only covers have the area I run around in. This part of South Dakota is preaty flat so if I did decide to by one I would probly try the minnesota topo. Edited to add: Doing a quick search on ebay I see you can get NG topo for around $70, a little better then the $99 I was looking at on the national geographic site. Edited October 1, 2005 by Milbank Quote Link to comment
+hardwire Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 GSAK for managing Geocache waypoints. Mapsource for managing all other waypoints. TopoFusion for tracks and 3D trail planning and PhotoFusion. Quote Link to comment
+Old Sailor Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 Mapsend Topo Canada Mapsend Direct NA Mapsend Bluenav NA Mapsend S&D Canada Sttreets & Trips 2005 Mapsource Topo Canada Mapsource Metro Guide Canada Digital Ocean NW2,3,4,5,7.........use with my laptop at work running Off-Shore Navigator and Holux GPS. I tthink I've got all I want.... Quote Link to comment
+EScout Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 If my wife sees this, some of these are for business, and tax deductable.....really. Street Atlas Handheld 2004 (for Palm OS) Streets and Trips 2003 Natl Geo Topo Los Angeles. Sta Barbara Natl Geo Topo Calif. (has GPS interface) Thomas Guide (Rand MCNally) (for census Tract overlay-truly work related) Google Earth Metroguide USA v 1.0 Mapsource US Topo v 1.0 Mapsend Streets 1.0 Mapsend Topo Mapsend Streets and Destinations Mapsend Direct Route Mapsend Topo 3d The GPS programs are used in Legend, Meridian and Explorist. I use the Thomas Guide and S&T on my company laptop. I use the Natl Geographic Topo on PC and when printing maps. (I like the zoom and print better on the older LA/SB Topo.) Street Atlas is used on my Sony Clie. I just started using Google Earth. Quote Link to comment
+apsyrtes Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 GSAK for managing just about everything MS Streets and Trips for planning caches along a route, and mapping out rough location of caches National Geographic TOPO! for getting in and seeing what's *really* there that Streets and Trips didn't bother to tell me. Backroads Explorer edition is great, as it overlays street data (better street data than MS S&T). Backroads Explorer + the 1:24,000 scale topos from the "State Series" is perfect for anything. Quote Link to comment
+Sputnik 57 Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 I have all of my map software shortcuts in a folder labeled "Maps" on my desktop. It includes: Google Earth (freeware) GSAK (the greatest software bargain around) MapSource, from which I load City Select ver. 6 Topo USA NG Topo!, for which I have Back RoadsExplorer (100K topo maps of the US) Texas 24K Topo maps USAPhotomaps (donationware) Worldwind (freeware from NASA) The freeware and donationware are great if you've got the bandwidth for them. Quote Link to comment
+Indotguy Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 Lowrance MapCreate topo 6 for the H20 Magellan Mapsend topo for the Merigold MS Streets and Trips on the PC Pocket Streets on the PDA Outdoor Navigator for USGS topos on the PDA Topozone for USGS topos on the PC ...and yes I use GSAK also, but I don't consider it mapping software. Quote Link to comment
+GOT GPS? Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 Street Atlas 6 City Select 5 Metroguide 5(Got before I had the 60C) Magellan Topo version 4.20 National Geographic TOPO! Michigan. ver 3.4.3 USAPhotoMaps 2.75 Google Earth Quote Link to comment
CenTexDodger Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 Does Google Earth count? It is free after all! Lets see: Mapsource City Select V5 and V6 Mapsource Topo Mapsource Metroguide V4 Quote Link to comment
+ClydeE Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 Don't forget OziExplorer (or perhaps I am just biased because of where I hail from) Quote Link to comment
+apsyrtes Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 Don't forget OziExplorer (or perhaps I am just biased because of where I hail from) I checked out the trial - I really like the software, but I've looked just about everywhere I can think of and can't for the life of me figure out where I would get useful maps for it. The site is not much help; it does have links to possible map sources but I can't figure out what I am supposed to be looking for when following those links. I certainly don't have a scanner big enough to handle any topos. Quote Link to comment
+Redwoods Mtn Biker Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 I checked out the trial - I really like the software, but I've looked just about everywhere I can think of and can't for the life of me figure out where I would get useful maps for it. If you're in the US, this is a great place to look... http://home.pacbell.net/lgalvin/drgnotes.htm Rich Owings www.MakeYourOwnMaps.com www.GPStracklog.com "We were desert mystics, my friends and I, poring over our maps as others do their holy books." - Edward Abbey Quote Link to comment
+JohnnyVegas Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 I forgot I also have National Geographic Back Streets Explorer. While it is not as detailed as the Topo state series, it does have better road information and it cover the entire US. Quote Link to comment
+Jerry_cds.com Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 Google Earth GSAK Streets & Trips 2005 iGuidance They each have their features that I like. Google Earth is fun for looking at images. I've not really used it as a way to get from point A to point B. GSAK has obvious importance to anyone into Geocaching. How can a person survive without it? Streets & Trips does the best job of finding the best route from point A to point B (and C and D). The only things I don't like about it are that it doesn't keep the current location centered on the screen and of course you have to look at it. It's hard to see the screen on a bright summer day in the car. Best to keep the eyes on the road instead so for driving, it's a mixed blessing. I also like to import all the area caches into Streets and Trips from GSAK because it makes it very easy to decide which caches are close enough to my route to set as a target. iGuidance (or "Tracy" as I call mine when I talk to it) is the best program I've found for driving. It's verbal directions mean I don't need to take my eyes off the road. Two disadvantages of the software are major however. 1) It doesn't tell you when it's lost the GPS signal. If your GPS come unplugged or the batteries die you can drive for many miles before you know you're driving blind. 2) I don't know how it calculates the "best" route sometimes but it clearly needs work. Just this weekend for example I told it where I wanted to go, and that I wanted to avoid a road due to construction. The software routed me six miles "around the block" and back to my end destination a couple of blocks away. Worse yet, instead of avoiding the road it was supposed to avoid it took me on that road for a long distance rather than taking the next road over. In fact, it had me spending much more time on the "avoided" road than I would have if I hadn't told it to avoid the road in the first place. I've seen many cases where the software will have me exit the highway then re-enter the highway on the other side of the exit ramp. Why? Because it was "shorter" to cut over the exit/entrance ramp than to stay on the Interstate. Even when in "fastest" or "major highway" mode I've seen it do the same thing. If I could somehow combine Streets and Trips with iGuidance I'd have the best driving software in the world. Quote Link to comment
+PDOP's Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 (edited) MapSource TOPO Canada FUGAWI SoftMap Topo50 maps for my area Spectrum Digital Imaging 1:50000 DRG maps for my area OziExplorer GPS TrackMaker Toporama maps for Canada MS Streets&Trips 2004 Google Earth GSAK www.gpsvisualizer.com online aite which has the best satellite coverage for my location in Canada Edited to add that I've just started using MapDekode to add my local trails to MapSource as transparent maps. Edited October 2, 2005 by PDOP's Quote Link to comment
+Pyewacket Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 I have Magellan's Streets and Destinations and GSAK (as well as other apps which can be used with it), but I'm looking for a program that will allow me to include the images on cache pages (sans maps) for uploading to my PDA. I've had DirectRoute on my wish list since I got my MeriGold, but something always comes up that keeps me from affording it. Quote Link to comment
Stepadery Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 MapSend DirectRoute MapSend Topo3D Canada I would like to find something that would cover lets say 10 to 20 miles of the U.S./ Canada border. Spend time fishing in the Boundery Waters area. Switching between detail maps is to much. Quote Link to comment
+Redwoods Mtn Biker Posted October 3, 2005 Share Posted October 3, 2005 MapSend DirectRouteMapSend Topo3D Canada I would like to find something that would cover lets say 10 to 20 miles of the U.S./ Canada border. Spend time fishing in the Boundery Waters area. Switching between detail maps is to much. Like this? Here's the coverage map. Sorry, I saw that you're a Magellan user. Just couldn't resist. Rich Owings www.MakeYourOwnMaps.com www.GPStracklog.com "We were desert mystics, my friends and I, poring over our maps as others do their holy books." - Edward Abbey Quote Link to comment
Stepadery Posted October 3, 2005 Share Posted October 3, 2005 Redwoods Mtn Biker Like this? Here's the coverage map. Sorry, I saw that you're a Magellan user. Just couldn't resist. Same issue with Garmin product! Does not cover the area I require. Checked into that when I first started looking to purchase a GPS. Quote Link to comment
+Redwoods Mtn Biker Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 Redwoods Mtn Biker Like this? Here's the coverage map. Sorry, I saw that you're a Magellan user. Just couldn't resist. Same issue with Garmin product! Does not cover the area I require. Checked into that when I first started looking to purchase a GPS. Too bad. You can make your own maps for many Magellan units using MobileMapper software. If its an area you frequent, it may be worth it. Rich Owings www.MakeYourOwnMaps.com www.GPStracklog.com "We were desert mystics, my friends and I, poring over our maps as others do their holy books." - Edward Abbey Quote Link to comment
+DashHammer Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 These days I use: Google Maps Google Earth GPSBabel GPX Spinner/Plucker Cachemate I now rarely use: Mapsend Topo Quote Link to comment
+Thrak Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 "FUGAWI"?????? OMG. This is from an old joke. Remember the pictures of the Indian (ok, Native American) with his hand up to his forehead peering into the distance? This was referred to as the FUGAWI tribe where the guy is thinking, "Where the FUGAWI?" "Where the F*** Are We?" Wow. I wonder who decide to use that name...... Quote Link to comment
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