topo maps

[iwanceri]

i have been looking at topo maps i have found 1 for wales and the south at £60 and another that covers all of the uk (version 2) for £64 is there any difference in the maps? ie less detail on the uk one perhaps and what kind of detail can i expect, their is nowhere around where i live that i can take a look at one,thanks in advance.

[+Steve&GeoCarolyn]

Hi,

 

Here's the deal with topo maps and detail: What you are looking for is the scale. The scale is what determines the level of detail of the topo map itself. US topo maps are commonly available in 1:24,000 and 1:100,000. The 1:24,000 zooms in more and you get more detail. (Just remember that the lower the second number in the ratio, the more detail the map has.)

 

Topo software (which is what I suspect you are really pricing) takes the topo maps created by governments and adds features to them. In the US the maps created by the US government surveyers are available free to the public or for a small charge if you want the map printed on paper. From what I can tell, all the programmers of topo mapping software do is take the free government maps, scan them, and then wrap them with a set of features. So the question you need to ask is what sort of features are you looking for? Pictures of the area? Aerial photos? 3-D renditions? Ability to load to your GPS? ??? Once you decide on your features, combine the list with the best scale you can find and you're good to go!

 

Here's the link to free USGS maps. There may be something similar available for free from the UK government.

 

Carolyn

 

Updated to add: It looks like you have an equivalent of the USGS called the UK Ordnance Survey. Here is the link to their maps.

Edited June 20, 2009 by Steve&GeoCarolyn

[iwanceri]

Hi,

 

Here's the deal with topo maps and detail: What you are looking for is the scale. The scale is what determines the level of detail of the topo map itself. US topo maps are commonly available in 1:24,000 and 1:100,000. The 1:24,000 zooms in more and you get more detail. (Just remember that the lower the second number in the ratio, the more detail the map has.)

 

Topo software (which is what I suspect you are really pricing) takes the topo maps created by governments and adds features to them. In the US the maps created by the US government surveyers are available free to the public or for a small charge if you want the map printed on paper. From what I can tell, all the programmers of topo mapping software do is take the free government maps, scan them, and then wrap them with a set of features. So the question you need to ask is what sort of features are you looking for? Pictures of the area? Aerial photos? 3-D renditions? Ability to load to your GPS? ??? Once you decide on your features, combine the list with the best scale you can find and you're good to go!

 

Here's the link to free USGS maps. There may be something similar available for free from the UK government.

 

Carolyn

 

Updated to add: It looks like you have an equivalent of the USGS called the UK Ordnance Survey. Here is the link to their maps.

hi no i am looking at sd memory cards plug ins what scale are they ,thanks

[+Steve&GeoCarolyn]

Are you looking at Garmin's products or some other company? What kind of device do you have?

 

Here is Garmin's answer to that question for the UK maps:

 

Question: What scale is Topo Great Britain?

Answer:

Scaling of TOPO GB

 

We do not make any reference to this because it is an entirely different product to the OSGB maps. This product does not contain material from the 1:25,000 Explorer charts and it does not contain material from the 1:50,000 Landranger maps by OSGB. It contains a totally different database, a vector database, which is a compilation of sources, some very detailed, even more detailed than 1:25,000 (1:10,000 or even 1:5,000 somewhere) and some other data might be from 1:50,000 comparable data. Therefore we cannot make any reference to any scale. We can state that we offer the best vector data that we could get for any area. It is a completely different product from any available OSGB charts; therefore the content will vary sometimes greatly from the OSGB charts.

Edited June 20, 2009 by Steve&GeoCarolyn

[iwanceri]

Are you looking at Garmin's products or some other company? What kind of device do you have?

 

Here is Garmin's answer to that question for the UK maps:

 

Question: What scale is Topo Great Britain?

Answer:

Scaling of TOPO GB

 

We do not make any reference to this because it is an entirely different product to the OSGB maps. This product does not contain material from the 1:25,000 Explorer charts and it does not contain material from the 1:50,000 Landranger maps by OSGB. It contains a totally different database, a vector database, which is a compilation of sources, some very detailed, even more detailed than 1:25,000 (1:10,000 or even 1:5,000 somewhere) and some other data might be from 1:50,000 comparable data. Therefore we cannot make any reference to any scale. We can state that we offer the best vector data that we could get for any area. It is a completely different product from any available OSGB charts; therefore the content will vary sometimes greatly from the OSGB charts.

hi again, it is garmin its details are, garmin topo great britain(all regions)v2 micro sd/sd adapter,my device is garmin vista hcx ,thanks

[+Steve&GeoCarolyn]

Are you looking at Garmin's products or some other company? What kind of device do you have?

 

Here is Garmin's answer to that question for the UK maps:

 

Question: What scale is Topo Great Britain?

Answer:

Scaling of TOPO GB

 

We do not make any reference to this because it is an entirely different product to the OSGB maps. This product does not contain material from the 1:25,000 Explorer charts and it does not contain material from the 1:50,000 Landranger maps by OSGB. It contains a totally different database, a vector database, which is a compilation of sources, some very detailed, even more detailed than 1:25,000 (1:10,000 or even 1:5,000 somewhere) and some other data might be from 1:50,000 comparable data. Therefore we cannot make any reference to any scale. We can state that we offer the best vector data that we could get for any area. It is a completely different product from any available OSGB charts; therefore the content will vary sometimes greatly from the OSGB charts.

hi again, it is garmin its details are, garmin topo great britain(all regions)v2 micro sd/sd adapter,my device is garmin vista hcx ,thanks

 

Well, that's the answer above then. Garmin is saying that they can't give you a scale for that product but that they double-promise-with-whipped-cream-and-cherries-on-top that they're giving you the best detail available.

 

Carolyn

[iwanceri]

Are you looking at Garmin's products or some other company? What kind of device do you have?

 

Here is Garmin's answer to that question for the UK maps:

 

Question: What scale is Topo Great Britain?

Answer:

Scaling of TOPO GB

 

We do not make any reference to this because it is an entirely different product to the OSGB maps. This product does not contain material from the 1:25,000 Explorer charts and it does not contain material from the 1:50,000 Landranger maps by OSGB. It contains a totally different database, a vector database, which is a compilation of sources, some very detailed, even more detailed than 1:25,000 (1:10,000 or even 1:5,000 somewhere) and some other data might be from 1:50,000 comparable data. Therefore we cannot make any reference to any scale. We can state that we offer the best vector data that we could get for any area. It is a completely different product from any available OSGB charts; therefore the content will vary sometimes greatly from the OSGB charts.

thanks carolyn, your up early in the day.

hi again, it is garmin its details are, garmin topo great britain(all regions)v2 micro sd/sd adapter,my device is garmin vista hcx ,thanks

 

Well, that's the answer above then. Garmin is saying that they can't give you a scale for that product but that they double-promise-with-whipped-cream-and-cherries-on-top that they're giving you the best detail available.

 

Carolyn

[+Steve&GeoCarolyn]

thanks carolyn, your up early in the day.

 

 

Happy to help. We're up early to get a jump on the 97 degree temperature. We bravely head back into the swamp today to find the second stage of the cache we tried to find last weekend and we want to give ourselves the best chance of not dying of heat stroke.

 

Now I am off to the swamp. Wish me luck!

 

Carolyn

[JM Chicago]

In my camera forums I am always saying how glad I am to be in Chicago where camera stores, service techs, and labs are still fairly easy to find. And this topic makes me glad to be in the USA what with the USGS as a resource to keep my map addiction well fed.

But in the UK and other regions there are resource holders that may be able to help.

Orienteering clubs are quite involved with high definition topo maps and may be able to point you in the right direction for GPS friendly software for a variety of mfg's and info on specific existing software.

Jeff

The Chicagoan