Looking for a Handheld GPS unit with mapping upload feature.

[TechBill]

I am just starting to research this and wanted to be pointed in the right direction in where to narrow my research in selecting the handheld GPS and mapping software.


What I am basically looking for

A map viewer/editing program that could edit 1:24k topo maps allowing me to add things to it like old road that no longer there or outline or a marker with a text explaining what they are etc. and be able to upload it to a handheld GPS.

I research civil war camp sites and need to be able to draw wire roads into topo maps on my laptop tracing it from old 1800's maps and save them.

I am looking at http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap60cs/ which seem like a nice unit but wanted to see if there was a simlar one out there to compare it with.


Bill

 

[Andrew Kalinowski]

Garmin receivers are nice and their maps are fairly good but I don

 

[Guvner]

Incidentally I edited out a typo on your post... (You didn't have the word "at" after the word "had" so I added it when you said the software could be had..)

TTQV and PathAway can be had at my http://www.canadianmaps.ca (You have to put the http in front of it..) That part won't display when posted but it gets it done..

Anyway... Please push your software here. I use Fugawi but only because I started with it. I don't use it that often so if something is better or does something I need I'd move in a second.

Thanks for all the information... Tell us more about what your stuff does.. Guvner..

 

[Andrew Kalinowski]

Ah, English is my third language so I err often... To top it off, I don't always remember to use "preview" and end up with a bunch of spelling errors. Thanks for the fix.

I'll try watching for correct URL format here - in most places www is enough to flag a shortcut.

 

[Guvner]

Didn't want you wondering what I added to your post. Third language huh? That's impressive. What else do you speak? The Chinese gals at a restaurant I go to are working on me being able to survive in a chinese airport. Hello, goodbye, hungry, restroom, etc. are words and phrases I'm a bit better at now... <g> Nothing like a second language though...

zi gin... Guvner..

 

[Andrew Kalinowski]

Not that impressive. My native language is Polish.
Growing up in Poland... Russian was mandatory in schools. I didn't think I learn it until I worked for a russian. Than, I learned passable Italian. Mostly forgotten now as I haven't used it in over 20 years. Well, so is the Russian.
I know some basic words in several other languages but there are only two words that are universal through out the world and these words will get you food and drink. The are: "Coca-cola" and "McDonald"

 

[Guvner]

n/t

 

[TechBill]

Thank you for the detail information and I will have to research into this iFinder or a PDA GPS units and see which path I want to take or maybe just get a cheaper garmin and find a topo map program that allow me to save and edit map then add it as a waypoint only in garmin handheld units. I recalled my friend could initial waypoint in garmin units and he would look at the initial and then go to his laptop and bring up a list of initial with description or research information for that waypoint or something to that effect.

Basically I wanted to be able to edit or save all information on a topo map at 1:24K scale on my laptop because hill slopes are important in my research and I know it best to load 1:100K scale topo into GPS units because of size of the data and resoultioin on the screen size on GPS handheld units so I was having a hard time trying to research if this can be done or not.


I do know everyone is out to make a buck and only wanted you to use "thier" maps or products not allowing you to use a "standard" map or format in thier units but I was hoping there was such a unit or manfacture that will accept standard format and I could do what I need to do.


I kinda like the idea of putting an old map in PDA GPS units and how would one do that? Is there a software that scan old map and convert it into a scalable map for GPS PDA and rescale it to match the new topo map?


Thank you
Bill


P.S. Edited to correct spelling error .. oops!

 

[TechBill]

The software like PathAway and TTQV, are they just a GPS software or topo map editing software?

Is there a 24k topo map editing software that will allow me to edit away to anything I want to put on it and also add waypoints on the topo map that can be uploaded to unit like Garmin handheld (waypoint only as I know the map cannot be uploaded).

Thank you for your help explaining all this to me!

Bill

 

[Andrew Kalinowski]

Don

 

[TechBill]

So I could use any editing program like photoshop or photo editing program to edit raster maps but use TTQV or Oziexplorer to scale the map then add waypoint and track into the map and have it uploaded to the GPS unit (not the map image unless I am using the PDA software, this I understoood).

I am understanding what your saying now.

I saw another post about "Metal Detecting and GPS" and what they are talking about is exactly what I wanted to do but there one other thing I wanted to do is to be able to scan an old map and scale it to the newer 7.5 minute raster topo map then do some tracing on the topo map from the old map ie adding civil war road or etc.

What I am not sure is about the scale part, I know I need raster topo maps and I am sure there 7.5 minutes raster topo maps out there on the internet I can get but my quesiton are is there a "certain" format for those software so you don't have to scale those new raster topo maps but the old scanned map I understand will need to be scaled in or out to match the topo maps and also is there a software that you can trace the outline from old map into the topo map after you scale the old map to match the topo raster map but I wanted the raster topo map to be already perfectly scaled for the TTQV or Oziexplorer softwares so I don't have to scale it.


Thanks for your inputs, I am learning more everyday!

Bill

 

[Andrew Kalinowski]

No need to scale. No need to edit in photoshop.
You just scan your old map, open it in (say) TTQV, calibrate it (set coordinates for few points of known location) and the software will know where in the world the map is. It will know it

 

[TechBill]

I understand what your saying but I wanted to take my old map and scan it then trace the old road onto the new raster topo maps. I know it not really GPS related but I wanted to keep hard copy of new topo raster map on my computer with old map roads or markings traced onto it.

Basically I was wondering if there was a software where I can scan old map and scale it to match the new topo maps and select pen then start tracing along the old map and a line will start being drawn in the topo map following where I am moving the mouse cursor on the old map.


Or does program like TTQV allow me to draw lines on top of the old map (its not merged into the old map) then I unload the old map and load the topo map (sorta like keeping the line in place but switching map in the background) however I wanted to be able to save the topo map with the lines merged into it so I can view it again with lines intacted I traced on the topo in any viewers. And still can mark waypoints or track to tranfer them to GPS units.


I like keeping records on my computer and I have gigbytes of history records in text but I am trying to learn how to start making records from old map onto the new map and save them on the computer because I used to have over 300 sheet of those topo maps with road or markers from old maps traced into them by my hand and it got destory by a basement flood so I rather start using computer where I can save copies of same thing on 10 cd discs and have 10 backups that I can just print out the partial of map and use GPS along with it where I am going to go hunting then throw the map away when I am done for the day.


Does TTQV or Oziexplorer have a drawing program in it where I can do some freehand drawing but keep it intact and load and unload different maps in the background but I still want to be able to merge what I draw into the new topo map and save it is what I am looking for.



Thank You for your patience answering my questions!
Bill

 

[Andrew Kalinowski]

See within:
CBiLL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>>>snip>>>
>
>
> Or does program like TTQV allow me to draw lines
> on top of the old map (its not merged into the old
> map) then I unload the old map and load the topo
> map (sorta like keeping the line in place but
> switching map in the background)

YES

> however I wanted
> to be able to save the topo map with the lines
> merged into it so I can view it again with lines
> intacted I traced on the topo in any viewers.

YES you can. You can save the map image with whatever data you displayed over it into a new image but, you don't have to. You can use TTQV for the viewer and call saved track of the road to be displayed or not. Doing that, lets you edit that track of the road at later time.
You can also print with data overlaid if you like to.

> And
> still can mark waypoints or track to tranfer them
> to GPS units.
>

Yup. You could even transfer that track record of the road right into your GPS unit (need one that can store more than one track) and have it with you, in the field. Than, on the plotter screen, your position would be visually displayed in the relation to that track = road.


>
> I like keeping records on my computer and I have
> gigbytes of history records in text but I am
> trying to learn how to start making records from
> old map onto the new map and save them on the
> computer because I used to have over 300 sheet of
> those topo maps with road or markers from old maps
> traced into them by my hand and it got destory by
> a basement flood so I rather start using computer
> where I can save copies of same thing on 10 cd
> discs and have 10 backups that I can just print
> out the partial of map and use GPS along with it
> where I am going to go hunting then throw the map
> away when I am done for the day.
>

YUP that's perfect application for mapping software. Your notes can be done as comments to waypoints and than they have a location attached to them. You can split these comments into various databases of TTQV. Than, you display a map. Click on the map and pick search within (say) 5 kilometers in all databases and all these comments appear. Or you just mark some databases for search or... possibilities are virtually endless.

>
> Does TTQV or Oziexplorer have a drawing program in
> it where I can do some freehand drawing but keep
> it intact and load and unload different maps in
> the background but I still want to be able to
> merge what I draw into the new topo map and save
> it is what I am looking for.

Not sure about Ozi - never looked for it in there. TTQV does have freehand drawing and the drawings are location aware. You can save them, edit them, display or not and you can save or print the map as an image with whatever data displayed. Again, you don't have to save that as a separate image. Just put the drawings for that map in a separate database so they are easily grouped and displayed at will over any map.
>
>
>
> Thank You for your patience answering my
> questions!
> Bill
>
>

BTW you can download Ozi and TTQV for free and try and see if it is what you want.

 

[TechBill]

Thank you very much for your explaination.

I understand now and going to check and compare the mapping programs to see which one to get.


Bill