Gps and Mapping software

[kelpfer]

Hello all,

 

I run a environmental education non-profit and we just took control of a 100 acre estate. I need to establish trails on site and thus need to map it all. I am used to using GPS for geo-cashing but now that I need to map the trails i hope to create I need new GPS units and mapping software. My location of the trails on a map need to be perfect so that my permits are granted I am running mostly macs but have PC as well.

So any help with what to buy would br GREAT!!!!! there are too many options for me to pick from and I would hate to pick the wrong one...... THANK YOU

[topografix]

On the Mac, try http://www.macgpspro.com/

 

For Windows mapping of your estate trails, try ExpertGPS or GeoBuddy: http://www.geobuddy.com

 

I use a Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx with an external antenna from Gilsson mounted on a frame backpack to record high-accuracy trail data, and then quality-check it by overlaying it on the aerial photos in ExpertGPS.

 

Both programs have a Project Waypoint feature that you can use to enter the property boundary description from your deed, and help you find corner posts if your surveyor already hasn't located them for you.

[Hiker2008]

Turn on Tracks | Logging in you gps and start walking. You can download the tracks into mapsource and print out the map. Later you can join/edit the tracks as you see fit. You can also export them into google earth. See your manual for track setup/config.

[GeoidPS]

If your talking about actually making a gpsr map your trails. then you can do this. If you have current gpsr topo maps like Garmin USTopo, you can do this without too much effort. Is this what you want to do?

[kelpfer]

If your talking about actually making a gpsr map your trails. then you can do this. If you have current gpsr topo maps like Garmin USTopo, you can do this without too much effort. Is this what you want to do?

I want to be able to walk the woods and salt marshes while tracking it and then go back and down load it and turn it into a map that I can print and over lay it on aerial photos and topo maps. I then need to send all this info off to the state to be able to get build permits.

[+RRLover]

Hello all,

 

I run a environmental education non-profit and we just took control of a 100 acre estate. I need to establish trails on site and thus need to map it all. I am used to using GPS for geo-cashing but now that I need to map the trails i hope to create I need new GPS units and mapping software. My location of the trails on a map need to be perfect so that my permits are granted I am running mostly macs but have PC as well.

So any help with what to buy would br GREAT!!!!! there are too many options for me to pick from and I would hate to pick the wrong one...... THANK YOU

Depending on the 'retentiveness' of the bureaucracy involved, "Post Processing" may be involved,

might be cheaper to hire it out than investing in equipment for a "one shot deal".

You're next step would be to find out just how accurate "perfect" is. The powers that be should be able

to specify that.

 

I think Magellan's map making hand held unit w/post processing software is around 2K$$ + learning

curve. MMO X.XX is P.C. only (Mobile Map Office version#).

Edited August 11, 2007 by RRLover

[+imajeep]

I use a Garmin 60 CSx for hiking, and I make tracks with it all the time. You will get good results with the unit alone, but if your conditions are particularly challenging, you might use an external antenna. As the previous poster noted, Gillson makes good ones. But try without it first--you may not need it.

 

Once you have recorded your tracks, you can either load them into a mapping product like Garmin's US Topo 2008. Garmin's PC software (MapSource) has a feature that will let you open your track in Google Earth. If you're running an Intel Mac, MapSource will run under Parallels or Boot Camp.

[kelpfer]

I use a Garmin 60 CSx for hiking, and I make tracks with it all the time. You will get good results with the unit alone, but if your conditions are particularly challenging, you might use an external antenna. As the previous poster noted, Gillson makes good ones. But try without it first--you may not need it.

 

Once you have recorded your tracks, you can either load them into a mapping product like Garmin's US Topo 2008. Garmin's PC software (MapSource) has a feature that will let you open your track in Google Earth. If you're running an Intel Mac, MapSource will run under Parallels or Boot Camp.

 

Thank you for the help.

[DogFleazJR]

I use a Garmin 60 CSx for hiking, and I make tracks with it all the time. You will get good results with the unit alone, but if your conditions are particularly challenging, you might use an external antenna. As the previous poster noted, Gillson makes good ones. But try without it first--you may not need it.

 

Once you have recorded your tracks, you can either load them into a mapping product like Garmin's US Topo 2008. Garmin's PC software (MapSource) has a feature that will let you open your track in Google Earth. If you're running an Intel Mac, MapSource will run under Parallels or Boot Camp.

 

Thank you for the help.

 

I use TopoFusion for recording and mapping trails. TP runs on Windows platform only I believe. It links to USGS maps via Terraserver and Nasa's OnEarth photo maps including LandSat. 2m USGS topographic maps are available for most areas. Maps can be printed or exported as .jpg.

 

One great feature of TopoFusion is the trail network feature which averages out mulitple tracks to give you a more accurate representation of the trail (essentially averages out the position errors). The more times you log tracks for a trail, the more accurate the final "reported" track will be.

 

You can also create 3D renditions of maps and tracks and also complete climb and profile analyses.

 

All tracks and waypoints are saved in .gpx format so they can be used by other programs including MapSource. Maps can not be exported (without additional means). You can import data directly from your GPSr or import it from MapSource once you save it as a .gpx file.

 

They offer a free demo version that has all the functionality, it just doesn't download all the map tiles. You can play around with it to see if meets your purposes and then buy the full version.

 

Good luck!

[Hiker2008]

See post #3