Maps

[punchand]

i came across geocaching only a few days ago

 

and ive just purchased a etrex legend

ive done a couple of hikes and found the unit superb

 

ive also made a couple of car journeys to towns unknown to me and the mapping did assist once when i become lost

 

from experience what maps /cds would anyone suggest i purchase and how do i go about it

 

(im poor on technology---but like gadgets---kids have left home so i cant ask them for help)

 

thanks

[ClanWhippy]

hi punchand

 

welcome to the sport.

 

i'm sure you'll get plenty of advice and opinion with a question like that.

 

there's several packages you could use for mapping.

 

we use Garmin Mapsource Metroguide Europe for planning our cache expeditions. got it cheap off ebay. i've heard people say they prefer Garmin Roads and Recreations but i couldn't find one when i was buying.

 

we also have an Anquet map for the peak district, also bought off ebay.

 

and there's a free bit of software called GSAK you should check out for managing cache data.

 

you will find out that mapping software is not especially cheap. you can for example buy maps of the whole country from anquet but you'll pay a couple of hundred pounds. as i've said, many of these packages turn up on ebay and can be had a little cheaper.

 

i expect others will be along shortly with further suggestions, but these are worth a google to start with.

 

;-)

Edited May 10, 2005 by ClanWhippy

[NickPick]

For starters, Streetmap and Multimap are very useful, and both have multi-level mapping from "Road Atlas" down to street level, aswell as Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 mapping. The Ordnance Survey's Get a map gives 1:25,000 mapping aswell.

 

There are ways of linking your browser directly to these. One simple way is to use GeocacheUK.com to search for cache pages. This adds a streetmap link to the co-ordinates on the cache page.

 

You can use Greasemonkey to link to the Get-a-map 1:25k mapping ( see this thread for details)

 

I have an OS street atlas of my local area, which I use for driving to the cache location, then I either take a printed out page of the streetmap / get-a-map, or I just 'use the force' and follow the arrow.

 

A step 'up' would be to purchase digital maps like Memory Map or Fugawi. I personally don't have any of these, but I know that some people swear by them (others swear at them!). I'm sure they'll be along soon to detail their benefits.

[+Turkey Trotter]

Another plugin for greasemonkey Here. Just rightclick on the link and the option to install user script should be at the top of the menu. This script adds a link on Google Maps views to launch a window showing the nearest geocaches to the center of the map. Should work even if the map has been panned/zoomed dynamically.

[+Pharisee]

You don't say whether its the older blue Legend with the monochrome screen or the newer Legend C with the colour screen.

In either case, the pre-loaded 'basemap' is pretty rubbish. It's barely good enough to see where you are and no use what-so-ever for navigating.

Unfortunately, you can only load more detailed maps from one of Garmin's 'MapSource' products. Any of them will do but for the older blue Legend, you'll be able to load a bigger area into the limited 8MB of memory from the 'Roads and Recreation' version (if you can get hold of a copy). The colour Legend C has more memory so any version will do. I'm not sure if the Legend C has 'autorouting'... If it does, you'll need the 'City Select' version if you want to make use of it.