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World base map?

 
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alahol2
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Joined: Jan 11, 2007
Posts: 7

PostPosted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 11:21 pm    Post subject: World base map? Reply with quote

Hi
I use MM V5 OS edition when walking in the UK and Maptech marine charts when sailing.
This may be a silly question...
Is there such a thing as a world base map?
What I am looking for is a means of using my PIN 570 in areas for which I don't have a detailed map. I only need it to record my track on a blank screen so that I can at least see the 'direction home'.
I would be using this to record walks. We travel all over europe and I don't want to buy or create maps for everywhere that we may go.
If memory map can't do it is there any other software I could run under these circumstances?
Thanks for any advice
Cheers
Alan
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AllyCat
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Joined: Feb 23, 2005
Posts: 376
Location: Catford, London, UK

PostPosted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 3:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Alan,

I've been thinking of much the same thing, but in my case, mainly to use on aeroplanes (when permitted). I don't think that MM offer a base map, but you could create and calibrate your own, using the European edition (download the free trial and it will work with your OS license key).

I don't know how well MM calibrates when the curvature of the map (World) is large, but I believe you can tell it the projection you're using (if you know what it is! ).

However, for walking you have the problem that the zoom range of MM is quite limited. Your map needs pixels the same size as the resolution that you want (i.e. perhaps 10 - 100 metres), which may make the files very large. Also bear in mind that you won't be able to zoom out very far from these maps, so you may need some smaller scale "overview" maps as well.

Some time ago, I tried a few tests calibrating "blank" maps. Using a graphics package like Paintshop Pro, create a very large blank canvas (perhaps 100k pixels square) and maybe add a few reference lines. Save it as a .PNG file and open it as a map in MM Euro. Then "calibrate" it with a few reference points to give the scale (i.e. resolution) that you want. MM will save this as a .QCT file, which uses a compression algorithm, so the file shouldn't be too large, if there is little/no detail. The resulting .QCT map files will run on the OS version of MM for PC and PPC.

The calibration procedures are described in the MM help files, but post again if you need more information.

Cheers, Alan.
_________________
Garmin GPS72H/76/60/45, Etrex H, Mapsource v6.5.
Acer N50,HP114,Loox N560,Dell x50,CF/SD cards to 4/32GB.
RoyalTek,Holux236,Navman B10 & Copilot(Globalsat) BT GPS,TomTom5/6.
Memory Map (v5.4.2 & v5.1.3 OS & Euro), GPS gate,OSGPSconverter.
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alahol2
Occasional Visitor


Joined: Jan 11, 2007
Posts: 7

PostPosted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 11:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for that, I just downloaded the trial version and calibrated an old map I had scanned as a PNG. It works fine with my OS license. I didn't realise that would work.

The next step will be to do as you suggest and create some grids in PSP and see how much of an area I can cover with each one.

I'll have to get my head round the relationship between pixels and scale, for walking I suppose the favourite scale would be 1:25000.

Anyway, thanks for the ideas and pointers.
Cheers
Alan
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AllyCat
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Joined: Feb 23, 2005
Posts: 376
Location: Catford, London, UK

PostPosted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 1:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Alan,

Each pixel is 2.5 metres across on a 1:25k map, or 5m on a 1:50k. So 10k pixels correspond to 25km on a 1:25k map. The 1:50k GB map is 250k pixels high, so MM on the PC can obviously handle files of at least that size (not sure about the PPC version though).

The easiest way to scale a "map" (outside the UK) is probably to use the UTM grid. The labelling of the "major" squares is thoroughly confusing (probably defined by an international committe Smile ), but the remaining numbers (6 or 7 digits) are simply the Easting and Northing in metres.

Cheers, Alan.
_________________
Garmin GPS72H/76/60/45, Etrex H, Mapsource v6.5.
Acer N50,HP114,Loox N560,Dell x50,CF/SD cards to 4/32GB.
RoyalTek,Holux236,Navman B10 & Copilot(Globalsat) BT GPS,TomTom5/6.
Memory Map (v5.4.2 & v5.1.3 OS & Euro), GPS gate,OSGPSconverter.
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robertn
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Joined: Feb 06, 2005
Posts: 564

PostPosted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Seems a long winded way to solve you actual problem. As I understand, you are not concerned about maps, as much as a "plotter" type function with recording and a waypoint list

Check out the numerous software vendors - Vito Technology- Vito navigator II do a number of GPS PPC based products for a low price.

I love Memory map, by far the best product I looked at, but being NZ Based and not traveling much, find a 1/250K of all of the NZ is suffcient, so have not had your problem.
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alahol2
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Joined: Jan 11, 2007
Posts: 7

PostPosted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 11:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks both,

I think I now have the answers to what I was after. I now know that I can scan and calibrate maps to use with my Memory map OS edition, if I know where I am going to be.
Then I can have Navigator II for use when I don't have a map. I have downloaded it and given it a quick run, it seems ideal and fairly intuitive to use.

Thanks again
Alan
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