Mapquest

December 16, 2003

I'm sure I was at mapquest.com yesterday or maybe friday for aerial photos. They're gone! There was a button to toggle back/forth between aerial and street map. Its been a great resource to checking undeveloped areas and hidden trails, then referenceing them to local streets. Bah.

What are some of the other aerial photo sources? Terraserver seems to be less bloated than the past. Perhaps.

21.9k · December 16, 2003

It looks like MapQuest just did a re-design of their website, and the aerial photos are no longer there. This is unfortunate, as they were easy to use and reasonably accurate. Cache reviewers made use of these to get an idea of the area where the cache was hidden; it's not obvious from a street map whether the posted coordinates put you in a wooded area, or were entered incorrectly and put you in someone's back yard.

The alternative that is linked to from each cache page is Terra Server, but I've found them hard to use. You are linked to a photo of the general area but it is not centered on the desired coordinates. The image quality is better, but that's of little consolation.

Any other alternatives?

5.3k · December 16, 2003

LostOutdoors.com is another alternative (for both topo and photos)

December 16, 2003

I'm sure I was at mapquest.com yesterday or maybe friday for aerial photos. They're gone! There was a button to toggle back/forth between aerial and street map. Its been a great resource to checking undeveloped areas and hidden trails, then referenceing them to local streets. Bah.

What are some of the other aerial photo sources? Terraserver seems to be less bloated than the past. Perhaps.

Well that just sucks. I checked mapquest.com and it sure looks like the aerials are no longer available. This is too bad because the mapquest.com aerials were of fairly recent vintage (>2002-3) compared to what's available at terraserver (usually <1994). I use both sites for work and play. Must investigate LostOutdoors.com.

December 16, 2003

Check out ExpertGPS.

December 16, 2003

Earthamaps.com has coordinate search capabilities, but it is a little lacking in controls and the map database.

2.6k · December 16, 2003

Earthamaps.com has coordinate search capabilities, but it is a little lacking in controls and the map database.

I don't see the Aerial maps. Are you missing the topic?

December 16, 2003

LostOutdoors.com very cool. Earthamaps.com and ExpertGPS - no free aerials that I can see.

Edited December 16, 2003 by astheravenflies

2k · December 16, 2003

My vote goes to lostoutdoors.com, they have a nice feature that lets you add waypoints to the map graphicaly then download the file. This is nice around here since the old mining roads can be like a maze.

December 16, 2003

I'm sure I was at mapquest.com yesterday or maybe friday for aerial photos. They're gone! There was a button to toggle back/forth between aerial and street map. Its been a great resource to checking undeveloped areas and hidden trails, then referenceing them to local streets. Bah.

What are some of the other aerial photo sources? Terraserver seems to be less bloated than the past. Perhaps.

Oh no! This is terrible. I used this all the time. Additionally, it looks like they eliminated the BIG MAP button.

1.3k · December 16, 2003

I think it actually depends on what server you end up on or some other oddity. I've been watching the big map and photos appear and disappear over the past couple weeks with no real predictability. There have been some other odd areas too, such as a detailed housing community in SW Omaha that only shows up when it's at the bottom edge of the map and disappears when you center on it.

2.3k · December 16, 2003

There have been some other odd areas too, such as a detailed housing community in SW Omaha that only shows up when it's at the bottom edge of the map and disappears when you center on it.

You saw that????

Please stay where you are. Someone will be over to chat with you about those houses you THINK you saw

5.7k · December 16, 2003

What the heck?!? Now there's no link on MapQuest to even enter coords in?!?!? I don't see myself hitting this site much in the future...

--Marky

5.3k · December 16, 2003

What the heck?!? Now there's no link on MapQuest to even enter coords in?!?!? I don't see myself hitting this site much in the future...

--Marky

You can still enter the coords on this page (no longer linked on the Mapquest site):

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/latlong.adp

2.3k · December 16, 2003

What the heck?!? Now there's no link on MapQuest to even enter coords in?!?!? I don't see myself hitting this site much in the future...

--Marky

the link is not there but the page still works for the time being

Edited December 16, 2003 by CO Admin

5.3k · December 16, 2003

Ha! The purple pony is a little slow today...

2.3k · December 16, 2003

Ha! The purple pony is a little slow today...

Look at the time stamp. I was being a gentleman and letting you go first.

Your Welcome

December 17, 2003

I just did some checking on terraserver for work stuff and it has newer 2002 aerials, at least for the Seattle area. These are extremely high quality and in color. You can zoom in very close. I could zoom in and see the table, chairs, and barbecue on my deck at home. I don't know how updated the coverage is for other areas.

1.3k · December 17, 2003

11500 harrison street in omaha

Zoom in full.

Scroll north until you see Tyler street. (a click or two).

Click on Tyler street.

Huh?

Start moving the map and zooming in and out and ask yourself if Brookhaven Park is really there or not.

9.5k · December 17, 2003

I just did some checking on terraserver for work stuff and it has newer 2002 aerials, at least for the Seattle area. These are extremely high quality and in color. You can zoom in very close. I could zoom in and see the table, chairs, and barbecue on my deck at home. I don't know how updated the coverage is for other areas.

Bummer - Kirkland/Woodinville area still shows 1990 shots.

9.5k · December 17, 2003

I take that back. There is a tiny little link to the side that updates it to July 2002. Cool.

December 17, 2003

It looks like MapQuest just did a re-design of their website, and the aerial photos are no longer there.

[...snip, snip...]

Add the text "&dtype=a" (without the quotes) to the Mapquest URL and the photos will usually come back. That is an old trick the conspiracy theorists found when looking for areas that Mapquest chose to censor (such as Groom Lake, NV, aka Area 51).

Regards...

3.8k · December 17, 2003

I could zoom in and see the table, chairs, and barbecue on my deck at home.

Watch what you do out there. Obviously someone else is watching, too. :lol:

December 17, 2003

USAPhotoMaps is my favorite. Here is the link... http://www.jdmcox.com/

It is free. Both topo and aerial. And it allows you to upload/download tracks, routes, and waypoints from/to your GPSr and view them on a topo or aerial. Another really cool feature is that you can copy your topo/aerial that you see on your screen to a jpeg. Great for printouts. I always download my track after a hike to both aerial and topo, copy to jpeg. and include them in a folder with the pictures I took on the hike.

Edited December 17, 2003 by Warriorrider

1.2k · December 17, 2003

I'm sure I was at mapquest.com yesterday or maybe friday for aerial photos. They're gone! There was a button to toggle back/forth between aerial and street map. Its been a great resource to checking undeveloped areas and hidden trails, then referenceing them to local streets. Bah.

What are some of the other aerial photo sources? Terraserver seems to be less bloated than the past. Perhaps.

Oh no! This is terrible. I used this all the time. Additionally, it looks like they eliminated the BIG MAP button.

With both those features lost, it's definiteley time to switch to Mappoint, which has niver and larger maps anyway. The only disadvantqge of Mappoint is that it doesn't remember previously visited locations, which requires you to reenter them every time again. Very annoying when you're asking it for directions.

December 17, 2003

11500 harrison street in omaha
Zoom in full.

Scroll north until you see Tyler street. (a click or two).

Click on Tyler street.

Huh?

Start moving the map and zooming in and out and ask yourself if Brookhaven Park is really there or not.

Wow. Kind of neat! Maybe this is like an Area 51 or something.... :lol:

December 17, 2003

I could zoom in and see the table, chairs, and barbecue on my deck at home.

Watch what you do out there. Obviously someone else is watching, too.

This might be a good opportunity then to caution my neighbor about that nude sunbathing.

2.1k · December 17, 2003

Wow, the new mapquest sucks.

I just wrote them a very uncomplementary letter using their feedback link to see if these items are temporary or permanent changes in their website design.

Not only am I not pleased with the limited number of ways I can map things from their site now (not just geocaching/latlong/aerial) but I am also not happy about the percentage of advertising that now fills each page (the large google-like link bar on the right for "nearby services" is very annoying).

I'll let you know what I find out when they mail me back.

2.1k · December 18, 2003

I'll let you know what I find out when they mail me back.

First response:

To gather information as quickly as possible, this email is an

auto-reply from MapQuest. In your reply, **Please Change** the subject

line to Attn: Support. Thank you for your help.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

Aerial or satellite photographs are not currently available on the

MapQuest Web site at www.mapquest.com. We have forwarded your comments

about the value of these images to your MapQuest user experience to the

Web site producers.

GlobeXplorer, the company that provides and maintains the aerial images,

sells complete image tiles of select locations for business use. You

may wish to contact GlobeXplorer through their Web site at

www.globexplorer.com.

Best regards,

MapQuest Consumer Customer Support

www.mapquest.com

5.7k · December 18, 2003

I don't think I will ever click on a link to MapQuest again. Jeremy, you have my permission to remove it from the cache page template. :lol:

--Marky

1.2k · December 18, 2003

If they would be told that Groundspeak hosts a half million pages (caches and benchmarks), that each of them has a frequently used link to their site, and that these links will be removed, and may be returned when their site returns the satellite images and/or payment of a proper fee, they'll probably be less contemptuous.

Jeremy, this may make you a nice buck. Does this earn me a lifetime premium membership?

December 19, 2003

Not to worry...I just sent mapquest an email requesting they restore the aerial photos feature. I'm sure they'll be back on line any minute now. :mad:

Mapquest

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Join the conversation