Online mapping

[binka]

I'm just wanting something to save the hassle of having to go out and buy a new OS map everytime I visit a different area. I'm new to geocaching so at the moment I'm not too bothered about extra features such as route planning, etc. Though I guess they may be useful further down the line. I'm borrowing an old Garmin GPS at the moment but am going to buy a Garmin Legend. Not sure if any online mapping is cmpatible with sending maps to your GPS or not?

 

I've been having a look at Memory Map and it looks quite good, but a bit pricey. Is there anything similar but cheaper? Or is it worth splashing out on Memory Map?

 

Thanks.

[+minsterley]

Hi Binka! Welcome to geocaching.

 

In answer to your question, Memory Map is a powerful bit of kit although you won't be able to upload useable maps to your etrex legend.

 

Memory Map can run off a PC, or a PDA (for use in the field). PDAs also enable you to take with you the details of the cache to reduce the amount of paperwork you cart around.

 

There are some excellent OS map plugins for the Firefox Browser which would provide a map of the cache. The best one (IMHO) is Lordelph's excellent Firefox plugin which lets you view an OS map from a cache listing page

http://files.dixo.net/GeocachingMapLinker.user.js

 

I suppose if you use snippy you could copy n paste the bit of the page and print it out.

 

There are some gps units and smartphones which enable you to navigate off the map directly, although these are quite expensive.

 

Hope this is helpful

Edited August 31, 2008 by minsterley

[lakeuk]

Main sites are following but it's not ideal:-

 

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getamap/

http://www.multimap.com/

 

Best option is to book out a map from your local library

[+dino-irl]

Everyone's forgetting Mapsource. The basic maps come with all Garmins and you can pick up some decent bargains on eBay. Metroguide V8 or V9 is a good one to have and they're not expensive. Also in the UK there's a Topo version which some/many people find good.

 

Memory Map is obviously the best but will cost a lot of money unless you know a guy with a wooden leg and a parrot

[Edgemaster]

I'm just wanting something to save the hassle of having to go out and buy a new OS map everytime I visit a different area. I'm new to geocaching so at the moment I'm not too bothered about extra features such as route planning, etc. Though I guess they may be useful further down the line. I'm borrowing an old Garmin GPS at the moment but am going to buy a Garmin Legend. Not sure if any online mapping is cmpatible with sending maps to your GPS or not?

No online mapping (Google, OS GAM etc) is compatible with the Garmin GPS.

However, someone recently linked me to Moagu, which claims to be able to put raster images on Garmin GPSes - the possibility of OS maps. However, a review I read of it does criticise it's slowness.

 

I've been having a look at Memory Map and it looks quite good, but a bit pricey. Is there anything similar but cheaper? Or is it worth splashing out on Memory Map?

Memory map will not work on Garmin GPSes, yes it is pricey, but some live by it. I use it on my PC for planning cache hits occasionally, but I'll always use a paper OS Explorer map when out - they're much more reliable.

 

I've not personally used the Mapsource products, but people have criticised the accuracy of them. Talkytoaster produces Garmin compatible maps using OpenStreetMap data. This has both advantages and disadvantages, in some places, the coverage is absolutely excellent, almost as good as the OS, however there are also places with no data whatsoever. Ripon currently has a good contrasting view of the two extremes of OSM data. (Although, I may improve it a little using some of the traces I took around the mega event campsite).

As a counter to the noted greasemonkey extension, I've written a greasemonkey script that replaces the Google Map on cache pages with an OS map (only up to the landranger scale though).

Edited August 31, 2008 by Edgemaster

[+agentmancuso]

I use Anquet 1:50k on the PC at home have recently started using the Open Source mapping referred to above. The big advantages of this are that a ) it's free, and b ) if the coverage of an area you want isn't very good you can go out and improve it yourself!

 

I also have a full set of paper Landrangers, but that's mainly because I used to run a bookshop with an OS agency.

Edited August 31, 2008 by agentmancuso

[binka]

Thanks, thats all been very helpful. I think for now I'll mainly stick to OS maps and a Garmin. Will have a look at the OpenSource though. Maybe when I'm a bit more hooked I'll get Memory Map and a PDA.

[+Scoff Cruddle]

Hope this works

 

Anybody tries Tracklogs? Seems good value, don't suppose it works on a GPS, but I'm wondering whether it's a good (and cheaper) altenative to Memory Map.

 

Tracklogs

[+drdick&vick]

Have got Memory Map V5 for Southern England, was going to buy the DVD for the complete UK but then thought WHY? so will buy the different regions as and when I want them. I always print out an A4 map of the area I want and once I park take it with me for reference.

[+agentmancuso]

I always print out an A4 map of the area I want and once I park take it with me for reference.

 

I used to do that too, but eventually realised that buying printer ink was less economical than replacing Landrangers!

[+Guanajuato]

A few years back I downloaded some open source contour maps of the UK that were in the Garmin format. I think they were from the Scottish Mountaineering group. Would that be useful? Editted to add that I've found them again HERE

 

If you go down the Pcoket PC + GPS route, there's some fairly cheap (a few £, rather than £100+) software (Geoscout) that I use which grabs the tiles off streetmap.co.uk to use as a background for the GPS output. Specifically designed for geocaching, so will also show the cache details from GPX files.

Edited September 2, 2008 by Guanajuato

[+Primitive Person]

I've not tried it because I generally use CacheMate or Memory Map when I'm out and about, but if you have a GPS-enabled, internet-connected phone or PDA, it's possible (at least in theory) to use the Google Maps application to find caches. You can put in GPS co-ordinates and it will direct you towards them. Not perfect by any means, but it's become a favourite for iPhone 3G users, and it seems to work OK on my own Windows Mobile device.

 

It's free, but very data-hungry, so get an unlimited data tariff if you plan to use regularly.

 

Lee

[+agentmancuso]

A few years back I downloaded some open source contour maps of the UK that were in the Garmin format. I think they were from the Scottish Mountaineering group. Would that be useful? Editted to add that I've found them again HERE

 

I believe that's the same contour files that have been incorporated in the Open Source mapping. Very similar anyway.