Is Mapping Software Needed

[The Band of Brothers]

I was looking into buying some sort of mapping software..

 

Is it needed?

 

Does it help at all?

 

Is it worth the price?

 

I'm pretty new to this so any ideas or thoughts are more than welcome

[+StarBrand]

needed? no

 

Nice to have? yes

 

No need to spend a lot of Money - you can buy Microsoft Streets and Trips for about $24. If you are a premium member, you can download pocket queries into GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife) and then send a file ovet to S&T and it will map out your selections.

 

S&T does nice routing too. The maps aren't always perfect or up-to-date but the price is right.

 

edit to add: I am assuming you mean for a PC and not for your GPS - although the answer for a GPS is still no - not necessary.

Edited May 5, 2005 by StarBrand

[+Mr. Fantastic]

I would be interested to know if anything like Streets and Trips exists for the Mac.

[+Team Benhamtroll]

I've never used any mapping software, and haven't had too much trouble.

 

I have used MapQuest, the Geocacging.com maps, and GPS Visualizer when I've REALLY wanted get more specific locations.

 

I imagine it would be nice, but since I'm a Mac user my options are limited. . .

[+Miragee]

I got the Mapsource maps for my Garmin eTrex Vista and I've installed the Roads and Recreation ones on the GPSr.

 

They come in very handy for me when I'm out trying to find the route to the cache.

 

I also have the Topo maps installed on my computer so if there is a cache in a rural area, I can look at its placement, and print out a map if necessary, on the computer before I head out.

[+briansnat]

Are you talking about general mapping software for the PC like Streets and Trips or National Geographic Topo! or are you referring to mapping software for your GPS? If you are referring to the latter the answers are:

 

No

 

A lot

 

Absolutely.

 

Actually the answers are the same for PC mapping software.

[cexshun]

Personally, I use nothing more then the basemap. It's normally an adventure getting where we want to go, but that's part of the fun. It gives us the illusion that we are "roughing it".

 

There's been several times I arrived at a cache and said, "I could have just taken that highway right there." But to me, it's part of the experience.

[+Miragee]

I finally figured out I had maps on my GPSr, and thought it might be a good idea to refer to them after I parked about .2 miles from the cache location and walked down, down, down a very steep hill in an urban park.

 

At the bottom it was all soggy and swampy, but I was . . . following . . . the . . . . arrow.

 

Ultimately, 128 feet from the cache, I was stopped by an 8' fence.

 

It took me a few more weeks to get back to that part of town and take the nearly level, paved pathway to the cache.

 

Maps are good . . .

[+El Diablo]

I have Mapsource on my Garmin V...greatest thing since sliced bread. No more leaving the house and just following the arrow. It auto routes me and gives turn by turn directions.

 

There was one cache locally required a mile hike one way. The mapping software got me within .25 miles with only 100 foot of bush whacking before the trail.

 

El Diablo

[+Thot]

I have the Magellan’s MapSend Streets and have not found it very useful for geocaching. I’ve used it a couple of times on trips, but even then, unless the area is completely new to me, it didn’t seem particularly valuable.

 

When caching I try to reduce the amount of clutter on the screen as much as I can. Unfortunately it’s not possible on my unit to turn off all maps, but I turn off everything I can except the cache waypoint. The clutter just confuses me when I heading for a cache.

 

Different strokes, etc.

[+ZingerHead]

I got the Mapsource maps for my Garmin eTrex Vista and I've installed the Roads and Recreation ones on the GPSr.

 

They come in very handy for me when I'm out trying to find the route to the cache.

 

I also have the Topo maps installed on my computer so if there is a cache in a rural area, I can look at its placement, and print out a map if necessary, on the computer before I head out.

 

If you have the GARMIN topo maps, you can load them into the Vista right along side the street maps. You can then switch between them in the map Setup screen - so once you drive to a trailhead you can switch from streets to topos to navigate to the cache.

 

Forgive me if I made a bad assumption about the Garmin topos .

[+ricstone]

i use Easy gps with gpx spinner an plucker. is there any way to send PQs to streets an trips with this program with out using GSAK? thanks

ric

[+Alan2]

Do you own a mapping GPS? The answers might be different if we knew.

[+ricstone]

NO I DONT. just want it for reference.

[+WalruZ]

FWIW, I use Mapopolis on my palm and prefer it to a mapping GPS (which other cachers I know typically have). It's easier and much faster to manipulate the map and see what's what. True, it doesn't show me where I am, but I don't usually have a problem with that. $40 for the US, and with a 64M SD card I can hold a large number of counties. I spent more on mapbooks before I went with the palm. It won't run well on the cheapies though.

[+AtoZ]

If you do just tradational caches then NO. If you do puzzle caches maybe. If you do any thing that involves triangulation hummmm. Some time or other your need a map a paper map will work. I usually use my mapping software for doing triangulations and then seeing where a puzzle cache maybe if it such I can.

cheers

[+ricstone]

what im wanting to know is how to add PQs to MS&T with out GSAK? im using easy gps. i dont have a maping gps so im wanting to have paper maps with MS&T. can some one explain how to do this for me. thanks

ric

[+Alan2]

Do you own a mapping GPS? The answers might be different if we knew.

MY QUESTION IS FOR THE TOPIC STARTER.

[The Band of Brothers]

I have a garmin etrex legend... if that helps

[+Alan2]

I have a garmin etrex legend... if that helps

Yes that helps. You own a mapping GPS. The Legend comes with Base maps which shows the main roads such as you would see on a paper state map but not the individual streets. While there are many mapping programs to be used on your PC, only Garmin's can you actually transfer maps to your Legend. Also, note that the Legend can not auto-route so Garmin's programs that provide auto-reouting will not work in a Legend. Howwever, Garmin's Mapsource Metroguide will allow you to create routes on your PC for transfering to your Legend as well as showing the detailed street and points of information such as fast food places, restaurants, tourist spots, banks, etc.

 

Besdies the detailed streets type, there is also topographic maps (Mapsource Topo)that you would use "off road" in the woods to help you navigate around streams, hills, swamps, etc. and check elevations for your hikes.

 

I have found that both types are very useful although they are pricey.

 

There are many discussion reagrding the benefits of each of the types. Do a search to check it out. I'm sure others will also list many of the relative advantages here as well.

 

Good luck.

Edited May 7, 2005 by Alan2

[+Thot]

what im wanting to know is how to add PQs to MS&T with out GSAK? im using easy gps. i dont have a maping gps so im wanting to have paper maps with MS&T. can some one explain how to do this for me. thanks

ric

By "add PQs" I assume you mean add the waypoints.

 

You can do this with a free program named Gpsbable. I didn't find a link to it quickly but I'll look again. Meanwhile maybe somebody else know it. I thing GSAK uses Gpsbable for it's conversions.

 

You hand it the loc files you download directly from Groundspeak. If you have taken them into EasyGPS already save them out a gpx files -- EasyGPS uses a nonstandard loc file format.

 

Gpsbable can convert loc and gpx files to many formats, one is MS&T, so you can import them. I think you use the Data > Import Data Wizard in MS&T but it's been a while since I did it and can't be sure.

 

FOUND IT: http://gpsbabel.sourceforge.net/

Edited May 7, 2005 by Thot

[+ricstone]

thats what im looking for! thank you.