GPS for hiking and geocaching

[peterac]

Hi all,

I have an iPAQ hx4700 that I have been using CoPilot on for some time now. I would like to get a topo program for hiking and geocaching but I am new to this arena. I have read many posts on the topic but it gets more confusing the more I read.

I would really appreciate some recomendations for a SW package that will be best for me.

I am not even sure what features to look for. Ease of use and ease of getting usable maps is something I definitely want. Some things that I can imagine I would like are the ability to see your trail as you walk and be able to store these back to the desktop version of the SW. I am not even sure if there is "routing" in the way a streets GPS sw does routing. In other words, can I get a route through trails in a park. If this is a possibility, are trails well-defined in most topo maps? Is there a site I can go to to get a better understanding of all these things?

By the way, I will be using these in the northeast US.

Thanks,
Pete R.
_________________
Pete R.
Long Island, NY

[lbendlin]

You can look at Maptech's products which use proprietary maps,

http://www.maptech.com/products/outdoornavigator/index.cfm?CFID=10192835&CFTOKEN=94590380

or use "open" tools like OziExplorer that allow you to use your own scanned maps.
http://64.71.184.220/ozice/oziexplorerce1.html

Then there's DeLorme - something for the inbetweens.
http://delorme.com/topousa/default.asp

There is no routing in topographical maps. You can get the bearing and heading to a waypoint but you will need to keep your eyes open for obstacles like fences, private property, etc. Those are not on the maps.
_________________
Lutz

Report Map Errors here:
TomTom/TeleAtlas NAVTEQ

[iankb]

I'm using GPS Tuner with scanned maps. Currently using on a free trial, but will almost certainly buy. I was quite impressed with the ease and accuracy of calibration which, with another product (Navio), I found several hundred feet out. When I tried it with GPS Tuner, it actually kept me on the local roads although, unlike navigation packages, it has no knowledge of where roads are on the bitmap, and can't snap to them. In countryside, and for geocaching, it is more than accurate enough.
_________________
Ian

iPaq 2210
Globalsat BT-338
Seidio G2500 Amplified Vent Mount
CoPilot 6, GPS Tuner 4.2, Navio 3.01
BMW 330ci Sport

[clp]

here are some of the diffrences between outdoor nav and pocket nav..
http://www.maptech.com/mobile/compare.cfm
pocket nav/memory map/tds terraguide..etc are made by the same developer. http://memory-map.com some of the features are diffrent though..
in outdoor nav, there is no pc component, other than a map manager
in pocket nav/memory map there is a pc component..
pocket nav uses the maptech maps only..
memory map is more open to other kinds of maps, you can use maps from terra server, as well as the maptech ones..
as well as georefrencing your own maps..

it all depends on what you need..and whether you want/need a pc component for planning..

hope this helped

We see you’re using an ad-blocker. We’re fine with that and won’t stop you visiting the site.
Have you considered making a donation towards website running costs?.
Or you could disable your ad-blocker for this site. We think you’ll find our adverts are not overbearing!