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USGS TOPO maps for FREE!


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Most people don't know this, but digital USGS topo maps are free. Someone in another post that I wrote about my Navitrak wondered where you would get digitized USGS topo maps and stated that they must be expensive. I wrote him back and decided it was a great topic for geocachers that like TOPO maps they can print themselves. Sorry if this is repetitive in the postings but I felt it was worthy of its own topic. If you feel like something is missing, view the whole post - go to http://opentopic.Groundspeak.com/0/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=1750973553&f=5740990093&m=4070937914

 

But here is a part of my post:

 

posted April 08, 2002 03:39 PM

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Hey Harrkev... The answer to your question will amaze you. Your question is:

>Where would you get maps for such a beast?

>I thought that buying scanned USGS topo maps was expensive.

 

The correct answer is:

 

http://data.geocomm.com/dem/demdownload.html

 

Yes, you can download all the digitized USGS topo maps (saved in a Tiff format, or a GeoTiff... if you use a GIS program like Manifold, it automatically knows all of the coordinates of anywhere on the map) you want for FREE! Yes, for free. Try it.

 

Go to that link, select a state and select a county. If you just want a digitized Topo map, pick Digital Raster Graphics - 24K (if you want 24k scale). You will then have to click the Quad you want. If you go to Toposource, it will tell you the name of the quad at the top when you are at the area you want.

 

You can open this file up in just about any image program you wish, but to make full use of it, spend a couple of bucks and get Manifold - it's the least inexpensive and very comprehensive GIS program available. The link is www.manifold.net

 

Anyway, once you open it in Manifold, you can import waypoints and they will be automatically positioned on the USGS image.

 

You are probably wondering what the other things on that page are other than the Digital Raster Graphics (DRG) files. You can only open the DRG file in any image program... the rest you need a GOS program. The others are:

 

Hydrography is a list of all of the waterways, lakes and rivers in that area. If you had something like Manifold, you could import this, make your own (you can do that anyway), change it, or whatever you want.

 

Landuse - shows all of the folliage and other pertenant things that hapens on land except for roads, pipelines, hydrographyn railroads and wetlands.

 

These I've named have their own files. You can build your own maps to suit your own needs. A USGS topo map is a combination of all of these things. Oh yeah... you can also get DEM's of elevation, too.

 

The purpose of having a USGS topomap in Florida is the same as having one anywhere. THere is a LOT more information on a USGS TOPO map than merely elevation. Plus, I can make my own maps for various things. I can add buildings, bounderies or whatever I want. If someone came up to me and told me he wanted to divide 500 acres into six zones, I could do it on the computer, download it to my GPS and go out and show him how it would look instead of having an expensive surveyer come out and do the work. Sure it might be a meter or two off, but for a visual, it doesn't matter.

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Just be forewarned that the free downloads are intentionally rate restricted. I'm seeing < 4K a second over a T3 connection off peak hours. There are also size limits, so not all USGS digital data is available.

 

It seems that the really slow downloads can be circumvented one of two ways. You can order the data up on a custom CD (about $5 per map) and have it sent to you, or you can buy high speed bandwidth in 'chunks' for aobut $25, $100, and $500.

 

Also, FWIW, you can download newer Tiger line data (also shown on the site) directly from Tiger.census.gov (except for some urban areas). If you download off peak times, the speed is much faster.

 

-jjf

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I wouldn't know about the speed thing... I have a 56k modem anyway. And while you might be able to download the Ortho satellite imagery (nothing over 30 megs unless you pay), you can download all of the Digital Raster Graphic (TIFF's) you want because they are all under 30 megs. So if you don't mind waiting a little longer, pick a bunch of quads, start up the download manager and go to sleep. they are free - And free is still free. icon_wink.gif

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I wouldn't know about the speed thing... I have a 56k modem anyway. And while you might be able to download the Ortho satellite imagery (nothing over 30 megs unless you pay), you can download all of the Digital Raster Graphic (TIFF's) you want because they are all under 30 megs. So if you don't mind waiting a little longer, pick a bunch of quads, start up the download manager and go to sleep. they are free - And free is still free. icon_wink.gif

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DRGs are also available from the USGS page as well (www.usgs.gov) it takes some looking around to find the right link to them. They also have a viewer available for download. Been awhile sense Ive been there though. In Az they are available from the ASU web site. With my broadband connection it has never taken me longer a min. or two to D/L any of them.

 

"You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there." Yogi Berra

JeepNAz@aol.com

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quote:
Originally posted by JeepNAz:

DRGs are also available from the USGS page as well (http://www.usgs.gov) it takes some looking around to find the right link to them. They also have a viewer available for download. Been awhile sense Ive been there though.


 

How long a while? I saw something yesterday on the USGS site that said they stopped making DRGs available for direct download in August '98.

 

DOQs and DRGs can also be had from Terraserver for free, as long as you're okay with JPG (and there's really no reason not to be; USGS actually puts JPG versions on their DOQ CDs.) With a little work, you can even figure out the parameters the Terraserver script takes and coax it to give you larger images than the UI allows.

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Just checked usgs...appears they dont anymore...but I know it was more recent then 98...yhe entire state of Az is available at ARAI

I think they have most of the western states as well.

 

"You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there." Yogi Berra

JeepNAz@aol.com

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quote:
Originally posted by markusby:

I wouldn't know about the speed thing... I have a 56k modem anyway. And while you might be able to download the Ortho satellite imagery (nothing over 30 megs unless you pay), you can download all of the Digital Raster Graphic (TIFF's) you want because they are all under 30 megs. So if you don't mind waiting a little longer, pick a bunch of quads, start up the download manager and go to sleep. they are free - And free is still free. icon_wink.gif


 

I pointed it out because many people's 'pipe' is not free. Hours of download time might be more expensive than just ordering the data on CD, either from the site or the USGS.

 

Also, as I pointed out, the data sets are not always the newest. It might have just been bad luck, but the two I tried are from the older DRG sets.

 

-jjf

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quote:
Originally posted by markusby:

I wouldn't know about the speed thing... I have a 56k modem anyway. And while you might be able to download the Ortho satellite imagery (nothing over 30 megs unless you pay), you can download all of the Digital Raster Graphic (TIFF's) you want because they are all under 30 megs. So if you don't mind waiting a little longer, pick a bunch of quads, start up the download manager and go to sleep. they are free - And free is still free. icon_wink.gif


 

I pointed it out because many people's 'pipe' is not free. Hours of download time might be more expensive than just ordering the data on CD, either from the site or the USGS.

 

Also, as I pointed out, the data sets are not always the newest. It might have just been bad luck, but the two I tried are from the older DRG sets.

 

-jjf

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quote:
Originally posted by JeepNAz:

Just checked usgs...appears they dont anymore...but I know it was more recent then 98...yhe entire state of Az is available at http://aria.arizona.edu/images/

I think they have most of the western states as well.


 

Yeah, I was confused on the whole '98 thing. They stopped selling DRGs in whole-degree blocks in October of '98, and I got the two notions conflated (as well as confusing August and October, as I am wont to do.)

 

That said, they do have a page of free DRG sources for some states (including ARIA) at http://mcmcweb.er.usgs.gov/drg/free_drg.html

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J-Pegs are great if all you want to do is to print them. But if you want to use them and add GIS data, you need then in a Geotiff file. When I import a map into Manifold, the map is already registered and in the proprt location and projection. If I import a waypoint list, they will be located in the correct place on the map. If I record a track and want to save it as a boundery, lake, road or anything else, all I have to do is to import the track and it is all where it is supposed to be in the map. I'm fairly confident you cannot do this with JPG files inless you register it first, which is a pain in the butt.

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quote:
Originally posted by markusby:

I'm fairly confident you cannot do this with JPG files inless you register it first, which is a pain in the butt.


 

Fortunately, the ones from Terraserver come complete with world files as used by finer GIS software everywhere (or at least as used by ArcView and Arc/Info.)

 

I am actively using Terraserver as a source for imagery for a script I have written to automatically generate imagery for my Palm running GPSPilot Tracker. The imagery I get is easily registered (in my case, even without the world file.)

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quote:
Originally posted by markusby:

I'm fairly confident you cannot do this with JPG files inless you register it first, which is a pain in the butt.


 

Well, you can do it right online at http://www.lostoutdoors.com (pull up the topo or NAPP image as a JPEG, click on it, get coordinates, download them directly to your GPS, etc.), then print it out with markers in place icon_wink.gif

 

Seriously, many good apps take 'world files' for registration. Also, a lot of sources like Terraserver, Toporama, etc., already deliver the data aligned to a known scale (ex. Terraserver delivers tiles aligned on 200 meter UTM boundaries).

 

I'm glad you mentioned printing though. Most people don't realize that consumer grade printers and drivers are a little loose when it comes to preserving aspect ratio. Worse, many apps under Windows either ignore printer w:h aspect deviation, or use the fast, but not so precise, GDI scaling to correct.

 

Also, a lot of people don't realize that the spiffy waterproof papers you can buy don't magically provide the printer with waterproof ink. You can get good inks, but not for all printers. And, of course, there is the whole question of paper size. 8.5 x 11 might be nice for a modest day hike, but it is a little constraining for a full day or overnighter...

 

I guess I'm just saying, unless you think things through, a person may find themselves spending quite a bit of money to use 'free' maps, but still be worse off than a they would be with a $5 printed topo and a $0.10 ziplock bag when things get dicey.

 

-jjf

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quote:
Originally posted by markusby:

I'm fairly confident you cannot do this with JPG files inless you register it first, which is a pain in the butt.


 

Well, you can do it right online at http://www.lostoutdoors.com (pull up the topo or NAPP image as a JPEG, click on it, get coordinates, download them directly to your GPS, etc.), then print it out with markers in place icon_wink.gif

 

Seriously, many good apps take 'world files' for registration. Also, a lot of sources like Terraserver, Toporama, etc., already deliver the data aligned to a known scale (ex. Terraserver delivers tiles aligned on 200 meter UTM boundaries).

 

I'm glad you mentioned printing though. Most people don't realize that consumer grade printers and drivers are a little loose when it comes to preserving aspect ratio. Worse, many apps under Windows either ignore printer w:h aspect deviation, or use the fast, but not so precise, GDI scaling to correct.

 

Also, a lot of people don't realize that the spiffy waterproof papers you can buy don't magically provide the printer with waterproof ink. You can get good inks, but not for all printers. And, of course, there is the whole question of paper size. 8.5 x 11 might be nice for a modest day hike, but it is a little constraining for a full day or overnighter...

 

I guess I'm just saying, unless you think things through, a person may find themselves spending quite a bit of money to use 'free' maps, but still be worse off than a they would be with a $5 printed topo and a $0.10 ziplock bag when things get dicey.

 

-jjf

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quote:
Originally posted by JDMC:

My program USAPhotoMaps (http://jdmcox.com) downloads the jpeg aerial photos from the Terraserver Web site and makes scrollable, zoomable maps from them (also GPS enabled). If your GPS has a good signal it will show you at the exact location you're at.


 

Do you want info on what you need to export those maps so they're usable with GPSPilot Tracker for the Palm? I've recently reverse-engineered the format for that program's images for my own purposes, and I'd be happy to share.

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quote:
Originally posted by markusby:

Warm Fuzzies - you are indeed a God. Could you tell me how to do this? I would be in your debt forever. icon_razz.gif


 

Not really a god. Not even really a minor deity. Actually, this is something the program's author has to do for it to work; it's not something you can currently do just by pointing and clicking and typing a bit. I was offering to send him the file formats so he can add the functionality. Sorry for the misunderstanding. On the other hand, maybe you understood what I meant and you really want the file formats. In that case, drop me an email and I'll send you what I have.

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quote:
Originally posted by markusby:

Warm Fuzzies - you are indeed a God. Could you tell me how to do this? I would be in your debt forever. icon_razz.gif


 

Not really a god. Not even really a minor deity. Actually, this is something the program's author has to do for it to work; it's not something you can currently do just by pointing and clicking and typing a bit. I was offering to send him the file formats so he can add the functionality. Sorry for the misunderstanding. On the other hand, maybe you understood what I meant and you really want the file formats. In that case, drop me an email and I'll send you what I have.

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quote:
Originally posted by Warm Fuzzies - Fuzzy:

Do you want info on what you need to export those maps so they're usable with GPSPilot Tracker for the Palm? I've recently reverse-engineered the format for that program's images for my own purposes, and I'd be happy to share.


 

Sure, my e-mail is jdmcox@jdmcox.com.

I was thinking about trying to program a Palm, too.

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quote:
Originally posted by JDMC:

Sure, my e-mail is jdmcox@jdmcox.com.

I was thinking about trying to program a Palm, too.


 

Let me know offline if you need anything Palm related. We have a PalmOS guru here, and I've done a few projects that included a Palm component.

 

-jjf

 

Oh, almost forgot - finally bit the bullet and passed (IFR). At this pace, I'll be looking at a Commercial by the time I'm 137... icon_wink.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by JDMC:

Sure, my e-mail is jdmcox@jdmcox.com.

I was thinking about trying to program a Palm, too.


 

Let me know offline if you need anything Palm related. We have a PalmOS guru here, and I've done a few projects that included a Palm component.

 

-jjf

 

Oh, almost forgot - finally bit the bullet and passed (IFR). At this pace, I'll be looking at a Commercial by the time I'm 137... icon_wink.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by markusby:

Congrats on your IFR - I had no clue you were a pilot! Hey... you can load your own maps onto a Palm? Any special software required?


 

I do load aerial images into my IIIc and lay a 'you are here' mark from my Vista with a little app I wrote. Have been meaning to clean it up into something more user friendly, but neither I, or Iwao, have really had time.

 

Have actually had a certificate since '82, though my desire for an IFR rating kept getting derailed. Mr. Cox and I had shared a few annecdotes offline months back, which is why I thought of it.

 

-jjf

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