Mapsend Or Direct Route

[+RatFace]

I am still pretty new with my GPSr. I have a Meridian Gold but am thinking about getting more detail in my map. Is Mapsend for the trails and Direct Route for the Roads? Will either one help me get to a cache?

 

Also, if the Map has more detail, how will it look when I zoom out?

[+sledgehampster]

MapSend TOPO is the offroad/trails software. MapSend DirectRoute is the Turn-By-Turn on road routing software. MapSend Streets (SUCKS) and MapSend Streets and Destinations are the street maps but they DO NOT route turn-by-turn.

 

Streets and Streets & Destinations are no longer in production, AFAIK.

(The links in this post are for reference only and are NOT an endorsement of any particular company or vendor.)

[+leatherman]

FYI: Map Send TOPO does not have trail info. If it does it is usually an old railroad grade or old forestry roads. It doesn't show trails.

 

TOPO is most useful for the added visual reference off road. Say you're caching in a park. As soon as you leave the road or parking area, you lose all references. There is just a big blank area. TOPO gives you gradiant lines for hills and depressions, in adition to roads. Very useful, as soon as you get used to them.

 

Directroute has very detailed road maps. They are quite current.

 

I have both. However I use TOPO almost exclusively.

[+Night Stalker]

Mapsend Topo includes all the streets that you would see in Mapsend Streets so if you don't need auto-Routing that would be the way to go. It also displays the name of the road you are currently on and the next road you will come to so it can make traveling easier if you have some idea of which roads you need to be on.

 

[+JohnnyVegas]

I depends on were you are going to be using your GPS, I have all three of the softwares in question, Mapsend direct route is very good for urban geocaching,it will get to area of the cache without driving all over the place in areas you are no familiar with, I have Direct route load in my Meridian Gold which lives on my dash board. I use map send topo in my Sport track map for my non urban caching but have used it in my Meridian gold as well, map send topo also include streets as well as all the names of the streets, the points of interest in Map send topo are related to topographic feature. If you are on a budget and do not need turn by turn directions go with Map Send Topo, you can still set up a route on your computer and download it into the GPS. If you want turn by turn auto routing and can live without the Topo Map in the GPS go with Mapsend Direct route. OR you can treat yourself and got both Map Send topo and Map send direct route.

 

BTW I use Map send streets and destinations in my Sport Track color as a back up GPS.

[+Stunod]

I have both. However I use TOPO almost exclusively.

I also have both, but I use DirectRoute almost exclusively.

 

The road maps are more accurite on DirectRoute, and there really isn't too much info on TOPO for Northern Illinois. It's kinda flat around here...

[adampierson]

I have both the Topo and DirectRoute (DR). I have the DR maps loaded into my GPS. Turn by turn routing is very useful for getting to the cache via the car.

 

I use the DR on my desktop PC at home. DR has better street maps and hiking roads. The accuracy of the maps pretty good, in fact they are better than the Topo maps. The maps are cleaner, BUT you need the original CD for DR to run it (copy protection). I hate the fact that it has copy protection. If you loose or scratch your CD, you're up the creek.

 

I use the Topo maps on my laptop. It doesn't require the CD to in the CDROM (no copy protection). It is perfect for planning hikes. It has a neat feature of allowing you to see graphically how quickly the elevation will change as you move long a track/road.

 

Best of all, you can use EITHER software to upload tracks and waypoints.

 

I have a Meri-Green and a Meri-Gold. I use the Gold most of the time and have the DR maps loaded on this one. On the Green, I have the Topo maps loaded - you CAN'T load the DR maps into a Green. I use the Green for in areas where I don't need turn by turn routing (i.e. out of the country).

[+RatFace]

Thanks for the help. I think I will get the Mapsend Topo. Its nice having directions to a cache but as long as Topo has all of the streets on it, I am good to go. I didn't hear anything about the detail on a little screen. I am still a little concerned with the map being too busy with detail. Any thoughts here?

[+JohnnyVegas]

The small screen does have it's draw backs. When you zoom out to see a larger area you lose the deatail of the ap. When you soom in you lose a lot of the map. What soe people do is also print ot a paper map that will cover a larger area while retaining the map detail. I did not metion earlier that the Detail on the Map send Topop will not be as good as on a USGS topo map.

[+Warriorrider]

Thanks for the help. I think I will get the Mapsend Topo. Its nice having directions to a cache but as long as Topo has all of the streets on it, I am good to go. I didn't hear anything about the detail on a little screen. I am still a little concerned with the map being too busy with detail. Any thoughts here?

You can change the amount of detail that you see on your screen if it gets to busy for you. While on the map screen: Menu>Map Setup>Detail. There are five levels of detail to choose from. With the Gold you will be able to have both Mapsend Topo and Mapsend DirectRoute loaded on your memory card at the same time to choose from. I usually have DR loaded for driving around with, then switch to topo when I go on foot. It sounds like you made up your mind on which to buy. I would definitely buy DR too when you can. It is great software to use with your Magellan.

[+RatFace]

With the Gold you will be able to have both Mapsend Topo and Mapsend DirectRoute loaded on your memory card at the same time to choose from. I usually have DR loaded for driving around with, then switch to topo when I go on foot.

Thanks Warrior. I didn't know you could hold both maps on one card. I don't have a card yet but that that sounds like another item for the Christmas list. By the way, I checked out your gallery and you have lots of nice pictures in there. I am sure its not the camera alone, but what kind do you use?

[+Warriorrider]

Thanks Warrior. I didn't know you could hold both maps on one card. I don't have a card yet but that that sounds like another item for the Christmas list. By the way, I checked out your gallery and you have lots of nice pictures in there. I am sure its not the camera alone, but what kind do you use?

Thanks RatFace. Some of the pics in my gallery were taken with a Sony Cybershot. I slipped down a bank and into the river which killed that camera. Now I use a Fuji S5000 and I really like it much better.