Digital Images of TASMAP Maps

[halls]

Gday,

I noticed that you can buy digital versions of the TASMAPS topographic (1:25000) maps, has anyone done this before?

Is it difficult/possible to load these maps onto a Garmin GPS?

If possible, how do they compare to free maps such as shonky maps?

Details of the TASMAPS I found available for purchase are here: https://www.tasmap.tas.gov.au/static/co ... rCosts.pdf

Cheers,

Dave

[flyfisher]

I have Memory Map Topo which has all 25k, 100k, 250k, and all Tassie towns street maps plus satelite photo of Tassie and maps of Australia in reasonable scale.
You can upload and download tracks,waypoints etc. to your map capable gps but you CANNOT load theae maps into your gps.This might seem like a waste of money at $299 but it is great to have all these maps on your screen so you can see where you want to go or where you've been.
I also have Shonky Maps and these are the ones that you can load into your gps,but the detail ,while quite good is not as workable as the topos.

FF

[sthughes]

I'm pretty sure you can't load the Tasmap toppos onto a Garmin GPS. The new 'Oregon' series might be an exception but I don't know. Shonky Maps are about the best you can get as far as I'm aware. Then you can add 'Contours Australia' for more contour info.
MemoryMap like FF said is a cheap way to get your hands on the full set of Tasmaps - however they do come in a proprietary format so you can't use them with other programs. I believe with that software you can get a GPS reciever and use your laptop like a GPS (albeit a big, heavy, clumbersome, water hating one - but with full 1:25000 Topo maps and loads of features).

[MJD]

The MemoryMap product is great. Good search function. And you can print whatever you need. It even has a 3D feature is great fun to use. But you can't use the maps on a gps. Same with TasMaps, you can't download them to a gps.

OzTopo is probably the best set of maps for Australia that can be loaded onto a Garmin (but check which models) and can also be used on a PC in a MapSource product. They are fairly expensive and you get all of Australia when you probably only want part thereof. Shonky maps aren't as good but they are free.

There's a new gps out (in the US) that looks interesting. The Delorme Earthmate PN-40. This looks like you can load (with the XMap software) scanned maps on it.

[craigw]

dave,
The TasMap digital product is a Raster Image, the Garmin GPSs display Vector Images on their screen. Waypoints, tracks and routes are all vector objects. I use a Garmin GPSMap 60cx for work and build vector base maps from sources such as aerials, topo maps, etc, using GIS software and a range of additional software which translates the GIS into Garmin format. Garmin seem particulary difficult to translate to, they have their proprietary format which can be difficult to translate between. The process Raster Map-Vector Map-into Garmin is laborious and difficult.

There is various software out there which you can build maps out of tracks/waypoints then import into the Garmin GPS, but these won't appear anything like the TasMap maps. You have to import your raster image in to the software then manually trace (sometimes automated) the required lines and other features before importing the vector data into the GPS.

Geoscience Australia produces a 1:250,000 vector product (GEODATA 1:250k) which has various layers such as transport, hydrography, terrain (contours are 100m interval only). I certainly wouldn't be using this data for trekking given its lack of precision/accuracy, but I do use it a lot for work. The complete Australia coverage costs $100. You have to have the GIS software to translate this into Garmin format however. If TAsMap were to provide a simiular product for smaller scale mapping (1:25000) this would make life easy.

Craig

[MJD]

There's also Tracks4Australia which are free...

[Ent]

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[tastrax]

...Has anyone struck an GPS suitable to achieve the above that can go swimming?

No - nothing in the price range of us mere mortals (unless you win tattslotto)

Basically you are after a PDA that is waterproof and there are not many of them in the under $2000 bracket. The next best thing is a PDA in an otter box, but they also have limitations. Then you need software like OziExplorer CE (which works with RASTER images)

Parks use Mio P550's and when required either place them in the plastic sleeves (like you are using) or a variety of otter boxes, depending on trip length.

http://www.otterbox.com/handheld-pda-cases/

PM me if you are after more info.

Trimble Nomad is on my wishlist

http://www.trimble.com/nomadg.shtml

[sthughes]

Perhaps one of these and a bluetooth GPS module? http://panasonic.com.au/products/details.cfm?objectID=4808 only 1kg and about $4000, but you could edit your photos on a rainy day in the tent

[Ent]

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[tastrax]

Brett,

If funds allow I would seriously look at a new PDA as many now have inbuilt Sirf3 gps's. That gets rid of the hassle with the CF GPS. Check out the Mio P350 which does not have WiFI or Bluetooth (cheapest Mio). As you already have OziCE thats about all you would need. Combine that with an otter box and its a great combination. A few camera stores have otter boxes - drop in and check them out but make sure you look at the PDA boxes as they are quite different to the usual otter boxes.

All the metre by metre track inventories on the Overland, Southcoast and Frenchmans Cap track have been done with this gear setup.

[photohiker]

The almost universal problems here are the lack of suitable hardware and the difficulty in loading maps into what is available.

Check this device out, it's very close:



TwoNav Aventura

It's comes from Spain, and the Aussie distributor is talking $999 for the unit with nav maps. The unit includes turn-by-turn navigation capabilities as well as topo mapping GPS features like a Garmin. It will accept the same maps as OziExplorer, which means you can scan, georeference and use just about anything on it.

Aussie Distributor

[tastrax]

Its a pity that there is not more information on the TwoNav...things like its IPXX ratings or the operating system? Is it windows mobile 6?

It certainly looks the part and if the price is $999 then its cheaper than many equivalent gadgets.

[photohiker]

Its a pity that there is not more information on the TwoNav...things like its IPXX ratings or the operating system? Is it windows mobile 6?

It certainly looks the part and if the price is $999 then its cheaper than many equivalent gadgets.

Hi. It's not IPXX rated. The website says 'Rainproof'. There is a video on youtube showing it being hosed with water: Prueba Resistencia al agua del TwoNav Aventura There is some stuff in spanish at the beginning of that video about IPXX, but I know no spanish...

The manual can be Downloaded

AFAIK the OS is WinCE 5.0

[Ent]

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[tastrax]

Yep - thats my last question as well. Some only run the CE core files not the full blown setup which then makes it hard to add other programs like OziExplorer or in my case GBM Mobile (for mapinfo). I cant see it written in the manual anywhere.

Let us know how you get on if you grab one. I think there is also another very similar unit for UK mapping but I cant find it in my bookmarks.

[photohiker]

Yep - thats my last question as well. Some only run the CE core files not the full blown setup which then makes it hard to add other programs like OziExplorer or in my case GBM Mobile (for mapinfo). I cant see it written in the manual anywhere.

Let us know how you get on if you grab one. I think there is also another very similar unit for UK mapping but I cant find it in my bookmarks.

My understanding is that there is no easy access to Windows on the device. If you read the manual previously linked, there are warranty exclusions for loading non-factory software, so doesn't sound real inviting on that front. As far as navigation facilities are concerned, the TwoNav software seems to be very comprehensive. If you have a winCE device there is a version you can load to check it out: TwoNav Pocket - just be aware it is a demo until you buy a license and the moving map will stop after a km or so (ask me how I know)

The UK device you are probably thinking about is the SatMap Active 10 It seems to be a pretty good device, but the mapping is totally locked down - and no Aussie maps. UK maps are pretty dear, but the same sort of money as just about any of the other digital map vendors over there.

[Liamy77]

hey folks... check out this one... it is supposed to be comming to Aus, - red tape with technical stuff... is already released in NZ. software is here already though.
http://memory-map.com.au/products/maps/ ... nia-1.html
might be great ? what do you folks think?
cheers, liam

[Son of a Beach]

I looked at this some time ago, thinking it would be great to have that collection of maps. It looks good. But can it export maps to standard image formats like JPG or PNG like OziExplprer can? It's occasionally very useful to be able to do other things with you map files apart from being stuck with only viewing thm in just one application.

Their iPhone app looks good too. If that was available six months ago, I never would have bothered developing Bit Map.

PS. Actually, come to think of it... After my aborted long painful saga of trying to buy digital image maps from Tasmap, I then went to Memory Map as the next best option. The price for the entire suite of Tasmanian maps looked good to me. So I wrote to them telling them that I wanted to buy this map suite from them, but that I wanted to be able to export the images to be used elsewhere also, and was this possible. They wrote back and asked, "why would you want to do that". I replied that I'd just written an iPhone mapping app that could use such images, and that there was NO other way at present to view such maps on the iPhone that I was aware of. The then wrote back and accused me of trying to promote piracy by encouraging people to pirate maps to use on my application, and also that their application could not export to standard image formats.

So it's interesting now to see that they've got their own iPhone application for viewing their maps.

[jcr_au]

When we were walking the Routeburn track in November 1 of the Kiwi walkers had a Garmin - Colorado model I think) with the full set of topos for NZ at 1:50000 loaded on an SD card. It seemed to work well. I checked it out on the internet when I got home & its sold by a christchurch company for approx $250. Maybe we need to get the Kiwi's to sort out Aus maps

[photohiker]

When we were walking the Routeburn track in November 1 of the Kiwi walkers had a Garmin - Colorado model I think) with the full set of topos for NZ at 1:50000 loaded on an SD card. It seemed to work well. I checked it out on the internet when I got home & its sold by a christchurch company for approx $250. Maybe we need to get the Kiwi's to sort out Aus maps

Difference is that NZ Land Information has released the 1:50k mapping data for the whole of NZ as a free download. If you have a suitable GPS or an effective method of converting the maps to your GPS format, then the costs are minimal.

http://www.linz.govt.nz/topography/topo ... index.aspx

Pity our mapping departments don't take heed.

[Son of a Beach]

Our government's mapping department seems to think that it is a very bad idea for the tax payers to have easy access to our maps.

[Ent]

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[Liamy77]

There is a new product from memorymap now in New Zealand and soon (hopefully) comming to Aus.... it works with thier map software



"The Memory-Map® Adventurer™ 2800 GPS

This ready to use touch screen GPS consistently outperforms its rivals making it the only real choice for anyone wanting fully detailed, colour
topographic maps in a handheld GPS.

• Weatherproof, rugged and lightweight
• Ultra-fast map zooming and scrolling
• 2.8" High resolution touchscreen
• High sensitivity GPS receiver
• Pre-Loaded maps PLUS maps on DVD for PC use
• Works with all other maps in the Memory-Map international range"



Unfortunately it has a built in lithium battery that recharges via a mini USB jack (not user changeable)- i like AA batteries as they are easier to recharge and change if flat... they state 8 hours life span so it is ok but might need some form of recharging on longer walks.(in comparison my Garmin Etrex H for $250 runs for ages on 2 AA batteries - but no mapping....)
After I contacted the Aus supplier the hold up on availability is due to government regualtions but they had no ETA at present. It is available in New Zealand packaged with the NZ maps so it might be possible to get it that way and buy the tasmanian maps separately - they are down to about $230 now and about $800 for the GPS unit
their website is:
http://memory-map.com.au/products/adventurer-gps.html
I'm not sure of the quality of the unit or its' sensitivity though or what file formats it can handle....
cheers, Liam

[tastrax]

Maybe we all need to join the new forum that TASMAP has just set up - we could then keep pushing the case for electronic mapping at sensible pricing

http://tasmap.proboards.com/

[Son of a Beach]

Thanks Phil! I've registered.

There were so many things I wanted to post to that site, especially for the guy trying to get Tasmanian maps to use in Bit Map. But in the end I had to keep restraining myself and have not yet posted anything, because I found it too difficult to come up with a constructive way of posting anything regarding TASMAP.

I might try again later.

[Son of a Beach]

OK, I've posted my rant on their forums. Well, not really a rant. I did try very hard to keep it positive and constructive, but it was soooooo hard considering the trouble I've had trying to get anything useful out of Tasmap in this regard.

I've also change the title of this topic to reflect the more general direction it has taken.

[Nuts]

And with only one edit,... well done When will the contract (and invoice) arrive for your forum posting?

[flatfoot]

OK, I've posted my rant on their forums. Well, not really a rant. I did try very hard to keep it positive and constructive, but it was soooooo hard considering the trouble I've had trying to get anything useful out of Tasmap in this regard.

I've also change the title of this topic to reflect the more general direction it has taken.

+1. You've got my support in this regard!

[Son of a Beach]

Tasmap have finally responded. Well, 'responded' is hardly the right word, but they've replied, at least.

They're working on a user survey!