aerial maps?

[+EFLFT]

I find currently when I try to use my blackberry (blackstar or geocache navigator apps), I often am turning to google maps aerial view to pinpoint the location rather than trying to get the GPS to get me close enough.

 

So two questions ...

1. Is this just a symptom of needing to get a good outdoor GPS that has better accuracy? Is it reasonable to assume I'll still find the aerial photos helpful even with better GPS?

 

2. What GPS's support aerial satellite photos on the maps? I think I've seen a couple, but not sure if this a rare feature or not.

 

Thanks in advance!

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

Not sure I understand #1, but I can help with #2.

 

The DeLorme PN series and Garmin Colorado, Oregon, GPSMAP 62/78 series and the Dakota 10 support aerial imagery. Subscriptions cost $30 per year.

 

The aforementioned Garmin units allow you to upload limited aerial imagery as custom maps, without needing a subscription.

[+dfx]

1. Is this just a symptom of needing to get a good outdoor GPS that has better accuracy?

most likely yes. basically you're relying on the accuracy and detail of the aerial images when doing that, not on the accuracy of the GPS reception. now those aerial images may actually have higher accuracy than GPS can provide in some cases, but on average a good GPSr will have higher accuracy.

 

Is it reasonable to assume I'll still find the aerial photos helpful even with better GPS?

again, most likely yes, but i can't give a definitive answer, as i've never used aerial images to find a cache myself. i do have birdseye images on my oregon, but i never use them for locating a cache (although granted, birdseye images generally have much worse accuracy than google maps, and so usually aren't really usable for that anyway).

 

it probably depends on where you're doing your caching. aerial images are most useful in cities or other open areas with recognizable features. in the woords they're totally useless, as all you can see is treestops. so in the woods, a good GPSr wins hands down. on the other hand, in big cities with many tall buildings around you, i.e. urban canyons, GPS reception will quickly go to crpa and aerial images are likely to be much more useful there than even the best GPSr. in smaller cities (assuming there are no mountains around or anything) you can get similar results with both: on the maps you can see where GZ is, while the GPSr will lead you right to GZ with high accuracy. of course in that case you'd have to trust the accuracy of the aerial maps for that to work, which may or may not be a mistake - personally i'd put my trust on the GPSr and not on the maps.

[Grasscatcher]

Learn how to use, I mean REALLY LEARN how to use your GPS by turning off the maps or at least don't even look at the map page.

 

With all the hype about memory size.... to hold all the maps for the whole country or at least every area you can imagine, but have never been to and will never go to........maps are really totally unnecessary. Yes, they are convenient and "neat" and "awesome" but not required.

 

Learn to use your GPS by actually USING it. Play with it, learn what it can do and what it can't do , when to trust it and when not to, and why. Learn how YOUR actions can affect its accuracy.

 

Think about it, maps and aerial photos are just pictures. Maps have limited actual usefulness (and errors also), and georeferencing errors in APs sometimes render them almost useless if coordinate accuracy is important to you.

 

What dfx said........... "personally I'd put my trust on the GPSr and not on the maps"...............100% correct !

[+ecanderson]

....maps are really totally unnecessary. Yes, they are convenient and "neat" and "awesome" but not required.

A decent set of 24K maps is really nice when trying to avoid winding up on the wrong side of a creek or small river -- something that otherwise happens to me all too often! I've had a lot less errors with geolocation of those features with the maps I've picked up at gpsfiledepot than I used to have with the 24K Garmin maps.

 

While not "required", life can certainly be a lot easier with good ones than none at all if it saves a lot of backtracking or getting soaked! Geocaches are very frequently located near trails along the banks. Get the wrong side, and ...

[+TotemLake]

Learn how to use, I mean REALLY LEARN how to use your GPS by turning off the maps or at least don't even look at the map page.

 

With all the hype about memory size.... to hold all the maps for the whole country or at least every area you can imagine, but have never been to and will never go to........maps are really totally unnecessary. Yes, they are convenient and "neat" and "awesome" but not required.

 

Learn to use your GPS by actually USING it. Play with it, learn what it can do and what it can't do , when to trust it and when not to, and why. Learn how YOUR actions can affect its accuracy.

 

Think about it, maps and aerial photos are just pictures. Maps have limited actual usefulness (and errors also), and georeferencing errors in APs sometimes render them almost useless if coordinate accuracy is important to you.

 

What dfx said........... "personally I'd put my trust on the GPSr and not on the maps"...............100% correct !

I can't stress your general statement any stronger than the way you put it. This is a must. Learn to use the GPS and really learn what the numbers really mean to you.

 

Beyond that, everything else is information you can use to help your decision process. Necessary? No. Convenient tools to have on hand? Yes.

 

Now, there are pros and cons to having aerials. Some folks look at a bunch of tree tops and that's all they see. I look for breaks in an otherwise massive sea of canopies. This indicates ravines with possible water sources, possibly trails or a service road. Clearings become very evident which is something typical cartography may not clearly show. These are tools of information that each layer can provide when taken in the right context.

[+EScout]

If you want the least expensive option, get the PN-30 for $99.93 at REI. It comes with Topo maps of USA, and you can get the unlimited one year of downloads of aerial maps for $30.

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

I don't see that at REI.com.

[+EScout]

I don't see that at REI.com.

I saw it on a tag in the store in Manhattan Beach.