GPS for OS maps

[+McDeHack]

I am trying to make a comeback into the hobby. Being retired it will give me something to do when it is non model flying days. (Like this week)

I still have my faithfull Etrex (Yellow) and a Tomtom. But I would like to get another bit of kit that I can load OS maps onto and add the waypoints as well.

Not being in touch with what is out there at the moment. I wonder if anyone could recomend a unit that would do this. Garmin portable of course.

[+PSHAX]

I am trying to make a comeback into the hobby. Being retired it will give me something to do when it is non model flying days. (Like this week)

I still have my faithfull Etrex (Yellow) and a Tomtom. But I would like to get another bit of kit that I can load OS maps onto and add the waypoints as well.

Not being in touch with what is out there at the moment. I wonder if anyone could recomend a unit that would do this. Garmin portable of course.

 

If its gotta be Garmin, I think your choices for OS mappery capable devices are the Colorado or the Oregon.. The maps aint cheap though, and from what I have read, they are quite limited in scope.

 

Have a mooch at the Satmap Active 10.. This one also uses OS mappery.

[+Primitive Person]

I am trying to make a comeback into the hobby. Being retired it will give me something to do when it is non model flying days. (Like this week)

I still have my faithfull Etrex (Yellow) and a Tomtom. But I would like to get another bit of kit that I can load OS maps onto and add the waypoints as well.

Not being in touch with what is out there at the moment. I wonder if anyone could recomend a unit that would do this. Garmin portable of course.

 

I use OS Maps on my GPS-enabled phone, which runs Memory Map. It works very well, but has the drawbacks of any non-dedicated GPS, which are poor weather resistance and lousy battery life. It does the job, though - Memory Map is a superb bit of software, and with Lordelph's Lovely Icons, it's a very effective paperless caching tool.

 

Any portable device that runs Windows Mobile with built-in GPS should be suitable for your needs here.

 

Lee

[+McDeHack]

I should have added that I have a large selection of Memory maps.

I have just been looking at the Oregon and Coloraldo looks a nice bit of kit.

So now I have to look for a bargain..

[+Amberel]

I should have added that I have a large selection of Memory maps.

I have just been looking at the Oregon and Coloraldo looks a nice bit of kit.

So now I have to look for a bargain..

Before you spend a lot of money on Oregon or Colorado, make quite sure your Memory Map runs on them, I'm not saying it definitely doesn't but nor am I at all sure it does.

 

Rgds, Andy

[+rutson]

I am 100% sure that Memory Map maps cannot be installed on a Colorado or Oregon.

[+The Blorenges]

To echo Rutson, no, Memory Map that you have cannot be installed on the Garmin Oregon or Colorado. Nor can it be installed on the Satmap. You have to buy the maps again pre-loaded on memory cards for those units. You can however use your copy of Memory Map and load the maps onto a Windows PDA with built in GPS - I use a Mio P550 (as do many others). Newer unit is the P560 (or P360 if you don't want wifi/bluetooth).

As someone has said they are not weather proof (so I keep mine in a purpose made clear pouch) and the battery life is pretty poor at only 3 hours or less (so I have a USB battery box containing 4xAA batteries. Keeps it going for hours).

 

Chris (MrB)

[+*mouse*]

As Mr B says, you can't download memory map onto either the colorado or oregon. You can buy topo maps for these units, but these are not to the same standard as OS maps.

 

You'll find some cachers recommend a dedecated GPS with the topo maps, others will use a mobile phone with mapping, some will recommend a PDA / Palm which you can load memory map to.

There are pros and cons to each, so really I guess it will depend on which suits your lifestyle and needs better.

[+lordelph]

You can load OpenStreetMap data onto many Garmin models, see talkytoaster's posts on the subject. His website includes compatibility details too.

 

With contour lines they aren't too bad on my 60CSx. I do use a Mio with Memory Map, but I'm steadily weaning myself off it by writing some new software using OpenStreetMap derived maps.

[+McDeHack]

I have already been down that road with an Ipaq and an external blue tooth GPS, with MM loaded. I found that in sunlight it was hard to see the screen. Also at times it took ages to get it set up whilst on the move. Sometimes I found it easyer to use the bulky Tomtom that I had the caches loaded on. But it always came back to old faithful Yellow Etrex. It just seems that the technology has improved in the last few years.

[+burtsbodgers]

I have already been down that road with an Ipaq and an external blue tooth GPS, with MM loaded. I found that in sunlight it was hard to see the screen. Also at times it took ages to get it set up whilst on the move. Sometimes I found it easyer to use the bulky Tomtom that I had the caches loaded on. But it always came back to old faithful Yellow Etrex. It just seems that the technology has improved in the last few years.

 

Hi i thought i would stick my two peneth worth in.

both the Gramin colorado and oregon are very good units, however the topo gb maps are not as good as the maps on the Active sat map, but the satmap is not currently recognised by GC. com.

Both Garmin units are paperless which is great and can via the use of Pocket Queries hold thousands of caches.

If finances are not a problem then i would look at buying the oregon 400t european model as this has the standard topo maps for the whole of the UK/ Europe as standard but you can now purchase the new garmin explorer maps and these are O/S quality but pricey. around £129 per Region and there are a few regions.

you can pick up an Oregon 400t for around £300.

 

But if there are budget restraints i would go the way of the Mio as you already have most of the maps you would need.

hope this helps

Peter

[+Mustards]

Does Quo maps work on the Oregon as you do not have to buy all the maps all at once, as you can but them tile by tile at £1.99 per tile.

[+talkytoaster]

Does Quo maps work on the Oregon as you do not have to buy all the maps all at once, as you can but them tile by tile at £1.99 per tile.

Quo works with the Oregon, but you currently can't load the OS maps from Quo on the Oregon, or indeed any Garmin or other dedicated GPSr. You can, like Memory Map load the maps onto a Windows based PDA (with or without a GPS receiver).

 

I have already requested that Mapyx (the creators of Quo) look into adding the ability to allow OS map tiles to be used on the Oregon, as that would make it a very cost efective alternate to SatMap Active 10.

 

BTW the 1:50,000 tiles are 99p each, only the 1:25,000 tiles are 1.99.

 

I do hope that Mapyx add this as I already have most of the South East covered by maps I have bought from them.

 

Otherwise I suppose I'll have to look into getting the Garmin GB Discoverer 1:50K National Park SD/MicroSD solution at the RRP of about 80 Quid, to use with the OSM maps that I compile.

 

Regards,

Martin

[+Mustards]

I have to admit, the reason I downloaded Quo was to use it in conjuction with GSAK, not to import it as I am sure can't, it's for when we are on the road in our motorhome and don't want to be downloaded with lots of paper maps.

[+11011100]

 

I have already requested that Mapyx (the creators of Quo) look into adding the ability to allow OS map tiles to be used on the Oregon, as that would make it a very cost efective alternate to SatMap Active 10

 

 

How cool would that be!!!

 

Lets hope they do it eh!

[+Stokesy]

I've recently took the plunge and bought the Garmin OS maps for the National Parks at 1:50,000 for about £75.

 

Took it down to the Cotswolds last weekend to try it out, and it's way better than the Topo maps, sadly I don't live that close to a National Park, so most of the time I rely on Topo GB.

 

Any cost effective solution to bring OS maps for all areas to the Oregon is a good thing.

 

I'm not sure when all of the UK OS Maps will be available, or how much it will cost (horrendously expensive no doubt)....

[+Moote]

same standard as OS maps.

 

 

Actually the data used is under license from the OS, the Garmin Topo Maps are OS just not Land Ranger or Explorer 1:25, the data is good and worth the purchase,

[+Moote]

 

I have already requested that Mapyx (the creators of Quo) look into adding the ability to allow OS map tiles to be used on the Oregon, as that would make it a very cost efective alternate to SatMap Active 10

 

 

How cool would that be!!!

 

Lets hope they do it eh!

 

 

I think the Garmin Unit uses Vector graphics, and the Quo mapping is raster based, so it would be impossible to impliment without Garmin rewriting their Firmware

[+Jonovich]

 

I have already requested that Mapyx (the creators of Quo) look into adding the ability to allow OS map tiles to be used on the Oregon, as that would make it a very cost efective alternate to SatMap Active 10

 

 

How cool would that be!!!

 

Lets hope they do it eh!

 

 

I think the Garmin Unit uses Vector graphics, and the Quo mapping is raster based, so it would be impossible to impliment without Garmin rewriting their Firmware

 

I fell foul of that little gem some time ago... Both the Oregon & Colorado support both vector and raster based mapping, they even layer vectors on top of Raster maps!

 

J

[+talkytoaster]

I think the Garmin Unit uses Vector graphics, and the Quo mapping is raster based, so it would be impossible to impliment without Garmin rewriting their Firmware

They do, but they also support Raster on the Oregon, Nuvi and Colorado models, how else could they offer real OS maps on these devices, unless you are trying to tell me that the Garmin GB Explorer and other offered OS maps have been converted by Garmin to Vector graphics?

 

I'd be rather surprised if that is the case...

 

Regards,

Martin

Edited May 13, 2009 by talkytoaster

[+Happy Humphrey]

MOAGU can convert OS maps so they can be used on the standard Garmin Etrex (mapping) models. I just haven't worked out how to do it, though. You have to create Geotiffs, but that's easier said than done...

Apparently these Garmin units do support raster graphics.

Edited May 13, 2009 by Happy Humphrey

[+Handsyhands]

I too have a stack of Memory Maps and didn't want to waste them. I eventually purchased a Mitac Mio P550 which works great and I have the whole of southern UK @ OS 25k on a 4gb card with room to spare. It did take a bit of setting up and the battery life is poor but with the aid of an extender it's now unlimited and I wouldn't be withoutr it.

[+Inukshuk and Arwen]

i too have recently been doing a bit more caching.

i've been trying geoscout recently on a windows mobile device and i have to say its very impressive. i especially like the facility to connect directly to Groundspeak and import cache details including logs, extra waypoints etc and best of all you get the option to download various forms of map like googlemaps or virtual earth tiles into the software and the maps then integrate seamlessly into the software so you can switch between compass, description and map without changing application - awesome bit of ware.

my trial just ran out....might have to buy it now