Electronic Maps etc

[el10t]

Hi everyone,

 

I am looking to getting some electronic OS-style maps for my pocket-PC so that:

- I don't have to learn how to refold the paper ones, and

- they can be read safely by a passenger in my MR2 Roadster on the motorway with the roof off (ask jeremyp)

 

Can anybody recommend anything decent? I was thinking of something along the lines of the Livingstone guides (NB I am not advertising and I have absolutely no connection with this company). Has anybody had any dealings with these or any others? Which are good? What should I look out for?

 

Thanks for any advice.

 

Rich

mobilis in mobili

[+dylanhayes]

After a similar question I tried Memory Map, and was very impressed, but as yet I have not splashed out and bought any, although the price is reasonable considering the amount of mapping you get for each section, compared to paper copies, a luddite part of me still likes 'real' maps even if they are a pain to use in a car and the feature of interest seems to be on the fold. Also, I would never go hillwalking without a paper map for the same reason I would also carry a magnetic compass as well as a GPS on a hill. I must admit it's pretty cool to 'know' where you are but depending on something with batteries and sensitive electronic innards is asking for trouble.

 

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Don't mention the mushrooms

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[+Icenians]

Hi Rich

 

I use maps on an iPaq in the car, and to get me near to caches. Very handy for locating footpaths and routes in.

 

I've used Livingstone and Memory map. Software is free with Livingstone and you pay for the maps. Not sure if you can scan maps into Livingstone.

 

Memory Map you pay for the software, quite steep £100 but you can add your own maps as jpegs and it is quite easy to georefrence them. You can also buy the maps on cd but again that cost around £250 for the country at 1:50k OS.

 

I use Memory map and own a few areas of the country, mostly the lumpy bits, on CD but I have also scanned some in and used some from Streetmap.co.uk.

 

Statistics show that those with the most birthdays live longest.

[+jeremyp]

For the in-car part you could always take your laptop with Autoroute on it. I think the latest version will even allow downloads to Pocket PCs.

 

Personnally, I'd rather have the large size of a real map and put up with the problems of using it in an open top sports car travelling at 90... err 70 miles per hour. If we'd actually planned a route that day and put it in the Vista, none of these problems would have arisen.

 

-------

jeremyp

The second ten million caches were the worst too.

http://www.jeremyp.net/geocaching

[+Icenians]

quote:

---

Originally posted by jeremyp:

For the in-car part you could always take your laptop with Autoroute on it. I think the latest version will even allow downloads to Pocket PCs.

 

Personnally, I'd rather have the large size of a real map and put up with the problems of using it in an open top sports car travelling at 90... err 70 miles per hour. If we'd actually planned a route that day and put it in the Vista, none of these problems would have arisen.

 

-------

 

---

What problems?

 

I'd rather carry a 5X3 inch computer than lug my laptop around when caching. Certainly not leaving it in the car!

 

I have a Navman gps sleeve so it keeps me in the center of the map at all times. The map scrolls around and Memory map have a little app that stichs maps together. I have almost the whole of England in one map. If I'm going to another area I just add the maps I need. I don't even need to turn the page []

 

Kev

 

Statistics show that those with the most birthdays live longest.

[+Icenians]

quote:

---

Originally posted by jeremyp:

For the in-car part you could always take your laptop with Autoroute on it. I think the latest version will even allow downloads to Pocket PCs.

 

Personnally, I'd rather have the large size of a real map and put up with the problems of using it in an open top sports car travelling at 90... err 70 miles per hour. If we'd actually planned a route that day and put it in the Vista, none of these problems would have arisen.

 

-------

 

---

What problems?

 

I'd rather carry a 5X3 inch computer than lug my laptop around when caching. Certainly not leaving it in the car!

 

I have a Navman gps sleeve so it keeps me in the center of the map at all times. The map scrolls around and Memory map have a little app that stichs maps together. I have almost the whole of England in one map. If I'm going to another area I just add the maps I need. I don't even need to turn the page []

 

Kev

 

Statistics show that those with the most birthdays live longest.

[el10t]

Jeremyp is referring to the problems of folding and unfolding an old fashioned paper map while travelling along at speed in an open top car - its not easy

 

Thanks for your input everyone. It was very useful to hear your experiences with the Ipaq, Kev.

 

Autoroute on a laptop is not really what I want. I want to get the same quality of maps as the OS ones (in terms of detail, contours etc) which AR doesn't offer.

 

Even the functions of connecting to GPSr and plotting where I am on the maps is not necessary for my purposes - I just want to be able to scroll round a detailed map on-screen to look at paths, roads etc.

 

Rich

mobilis in mobili

[el10t]

Jeremyp is referring to the problems of folding and unfolding an old fashioned paper map while travelling along at speed in an open top car - its not easy

 

Thanks for your input everyone. It was very useful to hear your experiences with the Ipaq, Kev.

 

Autoroute on a laptop is not really what I want. I want to get the same quality of maps as the OS ones (in terms of detail, contours etc) which AR doesn't offer.

 

Even the functions of connecting to GPSr and plotting where I am on the maps is not necessary for my purposes - I just want to be able to scroll round a detailed map on-screen to look at paths, roads etc.

 

Rich

mobilis in mobili

[+jeremyp]

quote:

---

Originally posted by el10t:

Jeremyp is referring to the problems of folding and unfolding an old fashioned paper map while travelling along at speed in an open top car - its not easy

---

And not having it sucked out of the car.

 

It probably says as much about the practicality of using an MR2 to geocache in as about the usability of maps. It was fun though!

 

-------

jeremyp

The second ten million caches were the worst too.

http://www.jeremyp.net/geocaching

[+jeremyp]

quote:

---

Originally posted by el10t:

Jeremyp is referring to the problems of folding and unfolding an old fashioned paper map while travelling along at speed in an open top car - its not easy

---

And not having it sucked out of the car.

 

It probably says as much about the practicality of using an MR2 to geocache in as about the usability of maps. It was fun though!

 

-------

jeremyp

The second ten million caches were the worst too.

http://www.jeremyp.net/geocaching

[+The Hornet]

My kit consists of MGF, Laptop running Memory Map with the OS map set installed and Magellan Platinum. I've just added a Palm M125 for holding all the downloaded cache sheets.

 

Great for getting to the best parking spot, full detail OS maps but suffers a bit when driving at speed with the sun shining. I find the car wanders a bit as I'm bent over the screen trying to see the map whilst travelling at 70mph but it all adds to the excitement ;-)

 

Seriously though Memory map is very good and you can download full detail OS 1:50K maps onto a Pocket PC. The laptop version also supports GPS and will scroll automatically as you move around. You can download a trial version free from their website.

 

If you need any more info please feel free to e-mail me.

 

Peter

 

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It is better to regret something you did, rather than to regret something you didn't do.

[+David & Di]

"For the in-car part you could always take your laptop with Autoroute on it. I think the latest version will even allow downloads to Pocket PCs"

 

I have used the pocket maps that comes with autoroute on my handheld. The maps are OK for road detail but don't go down to a great deal of detail for footpaths, bridleways etc.

 

However nowadays I don't go anywhere without my Garmin street pilot 3, you just can’t beat it for road travel.

 

David

[dougandsonia]

I saw someone advertising mini-maps with a viewer. I think the map was about post card size, with a small folding magnifier / viewer. Designed for hill walking etc., it may not cover the whole of Britain (and probably not the boring bits ), but it might be of interest - low-tech(ish), but portable. If I remember who makes them, I'll ket you know.

 

Doug

 

The nearer your destination, the more you keep slip sliding away.

[dougandsonia]

I saw someone advertising mini-maps with a viewer. I think the map was about post card size, with a small folding magnifier / viewer. Designed for hill walking etc., it may not cover the whole of Britain (and probably not the boring bits ), but it might be of interest - low-tech(ish), but portable. If I remember who makes them, I'll ket you know.

 

Doug

 

The nearer your destination, the more you keep slip sliding away.

[+Sue and Bernie]

...you refer to is MicroMap and you can buy them from www.7dayshop.com - I have checked and they still sell 'em. The basic maps are v. low scale though and show only the major roads. There are several add-on packs available for cities, cycle rides etc.

 

For our mapping needs, I use a Garmin Legend along with Metroguide software (Version 4.1, Europe with autorouting). Usually, I pre-plan our route to a cache for the wife & I to cycle to. The GPS is nailed to the handlebars of my bike and, providing I've done a good job planting waypoints at each change of direction, it steers us effortlessly to our destination. We take the MicroMap as a back up

 

We also use the Legend in the car when the weather is poor!

 

For more distant locations (greater than 20 miles) we usually cart the bikes on the back of the car, park somewhere (supermarket car park..) and cycle off into the distance.

 

[This message was edited by berniekennedy on October 06, 2002 at 05:19 AM.]

 

[This message was edited by BernieKennedy on October 06, 2002 at 09:42 AM.]

 

[This message was edited by BernieKennedy on October 06, 2002 at 09:44 AM.]

[+Sue and Bernie]

...you refer to is MicroMap and you can buy them from www.7dayshop.com - I have checked and they still sell 'em. The basic maps are v. low scale though and show only the major roads. There are several add-on packs available for cities, cycle rides etc.

 

For our mapping needs, I use a Garmin Legend along with Metroguide software (Version 4.1, Europe with autorouting). Usually, I pre-plan our route to a cache for the wife & I to cycle to. The GPS is nailed to the handlebars of my bike and, providing I've done a good job planting waypoints at each change of direction, it steers us effortlessly to our destination. We take the MicroMap as a back up

 

We also use the Legend in the car when the weather is poor!

 

For more distant locations (greater than 20 miles) we usually cart the bikes on the back of the car, park somewhere (supermarket car park..) and cycle off into the distance.

 

[This message was edited by berniekennedy on October 06, 2002 at 05:19 AM.]

 

[This message was edited by BernieKennedy on October 06, 2002 at 09:42 AM.]

 

[This message was edited by BernieKennedy on October 06, 2002 at 09:44 AM.]