Maps or GPS?

[andym]

'tilt comp. compass' ???? Tilt-compatible?

 

[Auntie Helen]

For those of you toying with the idea of a GPS. I'd been trying to get a Garmin Oregon 300 for the last few weeks, but most of the cheaper sources have ben out of stock. I now see why, they replaced it with the 450 which has a couple of improvements:

Better screen for use in direct sunlight
More Waypoint - 1000 up from 500
and tilt comp. compass

Will give a couple of weeks before I order mine - just to see what reviews show up on the Internet. Release date is tomorrow (Sunday) 14 Feb, acording to the 'big river' site.

I've got an Oregon 300 and I absolutely love it! Better screen would be useful in direct sunlight but the waypoint and compass thing seems irrelevant to me - I turn the compass off anyway as it uses more battery power (I could always turn it on if I needed to).

 

[scraynes]

I agree Helen,

Most of the improvements don't seem to be worth anything except the screen maybe, but will have to wait and see on that one. But too too long - I've decided to order it this morning, so should be here middle of the week (I live offshore!).

Just as an aside have you managed to use detailed mapping from here:
http://www.opencyclemap.org/

 

[Auntie Helen]

I've used a selection of different maps as I usually have two on at once (one in main unit's memory, the other on an SD card). I like AndyGates' maps (he's on YACF) and they work well for me. I also have a Europe map which is OK, plus a specific German cyclists map as well (I switch them on and off depending on where I am!)

I use this site for the England/Holland/Germany basemap. The site has a few quirks in terms of how many tiles you can select, but the data seems good and it enables you to have several countries in one .img file http://garmin.na1400.info/routable.php

 

[ComedyPilot]

1:400k is about the least detailed you can get away with - I agree with Rich P 1:250k - 300k is about right - any more detailed then the roads do not go anywhere.

I did just under 9600k around Europe last summer and I bought maps as I went and trashed them as I left - Its a good idea to start looking for the new map as soon as you can - falling off the edge can be a little disconcerting - additionally I had a 1:4.5M of the whole of Europe so that I could make sure that I was heading in the right general direction

I find GPS as much good as a choclate fireguard for general navigation on a long trip when I am making it up as I go. Notwithstanding this I have one on the handlebars - its very useful for getting in and out of cities & recording where Ive been (I send gpx files home by email to use on google earth)

Next trip you do, let me know and I'll pay the postage for them to my house.

Maps are for life, not just christmas.....

 

[psmiffy]

.

Maps are for life, not just christmas.....

My Father was a Navigator in the RAF in the days when if you wanted to know where you were you had to look out of the window - maps were always part of our family life so it breaks my heart to throw them away.


Which is why for the latter part of the trip I had 1.5kg of rather tatty maps in the bottom of my right hand rear pannier.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Just settled down to read your CGOAB.

Looks like I might need a few cups of tea.........

 

[psmiffy]

Me too - I am just trying to do the next few pages for the Czech Republic

 

[xilios]

Say psmiffy could you work a bit faster on your site

 

[ComedyPilot]

Say psmiffy could you work a bit faster on your site

He's fine at the speed he is.......some of us stalkers fans are s....l...ooooooo....wwwwwww readers

 

[rich p]

My Father was a Navigator in the RAF in the days when if you wanted to know where you were you had to look out of the window - maps were always part of our family life so it breaks my heart to throw them away.


Which is why for the latter part of the trip I had 1.5kg of rather tatty maps in the bottom of my right hand rear pannier.

I'm with you there smiffy. My Dad was a navigator in WWII and used to drop equipment and agents into France at night, navigating by rivers.
The map thing has obviously rubbed off on us!