| Author |
 Topic  |
|
Irvine
United Kingdom
18 Posts |
 Posted - 22/01/2010 : 18:40:38
|
Sorry if this has been asked before.
We anticipate the need to load MapMaker created maps into a hand held GPS device so that we can check our location on the ground against mapped polygons.
I would be grateful if anyone could point me towards where I can find out how it is done. I would also appreciate any advice on the model of GPS (preferably Garmin) on which this can be done.
Thank you in advance
Irvine |
|
|
allan
Saint Lucia
303 Posts |
Posted - 22/01/2010 : 21:36:40
|
I use two options for a Garmin 60Csx:
1) MM -> shp file -> Global Mapper -> Polish map (*.mp) file -> cGPSMapper -> Garmin IMG file -> SendMap to upload to GPSr;
2: MM -> shp file -> Mapwel -> GMAPsupp.IMG to upload to GPSr.
Also, using a Delorme PN series GPSr and XMap GIS, high res rasters, plus vectors (from shp files from MM). Multiple images and drawn maps can be moved up and down, hidden/displayed etc as with a GIS, on the receiver screen.
It has taken some time to find out and get familiar with these options so too much to go into detail. If you want to stay with Garmin then look into Mapwel first.
Good luck with it. The results are worth the effort.
Allan |
 |
|
|
Joe
USA
53 Posts |
Posted - 23/01/2010 : 04:07:40
|
Irvine,
What kind of accuracy are you looking for?
Joe Thompson
Wildlife Biologist
www.OregonEcoConsulting.com |
|
|
|
Irvine
United Kingdom
18 Posts |
Posted - 25/01/2010 : 15:18:41
|
Joe
As accurate as the position on the hand held GPS I guess so +- 10 metres would be fine.
Allan
I will look into Mapwel. I am using MapMaker vector layers over British OS 1:10 000 raster. Thank you for all your advice.
Irvine |
|
|
|
allan
Saint Lucia
303 Posts |
Posted - 25/01/2010 : 20:34:09
|
| Irvine - I should have asked - which Garmin are you using? |
|
|
|
nhopton
United Kingdom
72 Posts |
Posted - 25/01/2010 : 21:59:07
|
This might be worth a glance:
http://moagu.com/?page_id=155
I guess that from MM you'd go 'View in Google Earth' and then export KMZ from there.
Just a thought, not tested here  .
Regards,
Nick. |
|
|
|
allan
Saint Lucia
303 Posts |
Posted - 25/01/2010 : 22:57:49
|
I used Moagu when it came out as it was a new experience to be able to display airphotos and sat images on a 60Csx (I have some screenshots in the Yahoo user group). But it is designed only for raster conversion to Garmin, which has to be a bit of a hack. Still worth a look though for that capability. The GRaster component is new to me but looks to be the same as Garmin's new option whereby you can use your own imagery with their latest handhelds. BUT - the calibration needs to done over GE, whose position accuracy is going to be quite a bit lower than one will be getting with e.g. a 60Cx. Garmin really doesn't want people making accurate maps for its units.
Mapwel converts rasters as well, plus it has a lot more capability for quite fancy map construction based on shp and other vector formats.
|
Edited by - allan on 25/01/2010 23:10:13 |
|
|
|
nhopton
United Kingdom
72 Posts |
Posted - 26/01/2010 : 00:06:58
|
quote:
Originally posted by allan...BUT - the calibration needs to done over GE, whose position accuracy is going to be quite a bit lower than one will be getting with e.g. a 60Cx. Garmin really doesn't want people making accurate maps for its units.
Well, I'm not so sure. Here in England, where I've checked GE is good to better than two metres (which is better than you'll get for most of the time with a recreational GPS receiver). It's better than you'll get from some OS vector mapping in fact!
Regards,
Nick. |
|
|
|
Irvine
United Kingdom
18 Posts |
Posted - 26/01/2010 : 09:28:30
|
Allan
At present I only have a Garmin GPS60 which of course has no SD card so I will have to upgrade. The choice of new models is a bit bewildering and reading between the lines of the marketing hype is not easy. I have not found any independent reviews yet but I am still searching.
Nick
Thank you I will look into moagu
Irvine |
|
|
|
allan
Saint Lucia
303 Posts |
Posted - 26/01/2010 : 19:54:54
|
Nick - thanks, that's useful to know. I must confess that in my recent mangrove mapping project GE was pretty good in some of the flat coastal areas. It isn't nearly as good in more mountainous areas so it just depends on how well the rectification has been done - evidently not consistent in some places.
Irvine - my choice for a workhorse Garmin outside the US would still be a 60 - Cx at least, because of the new receiver chip and SD cards, or Csx if electronic compass and barometer are needed. Check forums rather than reviews for opinions on the newer models. That will reduce the choices very quickly! Definitely try handling the new models in the shop as shapes and controls are very different. In the the field, for example, I definitely can't devote both hands to operating a touch screen unit. I need one for cutlass, pole for elevated antenna, notebook and pencil, 2nd GPS with the high-res imagery, etc.
In any event, the 60Csx is superb value for the money.
Allan |
|
|
|
smo
United Kingdom
9 Posts |
Posted - 27/01/2010 : 01:18:03
|
Hi,
I have been using PocketGIS with MM on a MobileMapper CE unit (expensive, but in theory goes down to <1m).
The support provided for Pocket is v good.
But I have no experience with other GPS devices or software.
Simon |
|
|
|
allan
Saint Lucia
303 Posts |
Posted - 27/01/2010 : 02:40:06
|
Simon - that isn't <1m with a single stand-alone Mobile Mapper though is it?
As I understood it one needed at least a pair, one as a base, plus PostProc software. |
Edited by - allan on 27/01/2010 02:43:53 |
|
|
|
smo
United Kingdom
9 Posts |
Posted - 27/01/2010 : 05:26:58
|
| I think so.. well, it used differentiated GPS... What I understood from the sellers was that it was sub-metre accuracy. If that's wrong, then we were screwed over! |
|
|
|
allan
Saint Lucia
303 Posts |
Posted - 27/01/2010 : 11:02:32
|
Differential GPS means access to a base station, which costs someone a bundle, whether one gets it free or not. That is very different from buying a hand-held and hoping one will get sub-m with it by itself.
Although we are straying off the Garmin topic I think it would be useful to know how a single MobileMapper performs with reference to public-access RINEX data in the UK. |
Edited by - allan on 27/01/2010 11:05:10 |
|
|
|
Irvine
United Kingdom
18 Posts |
Posted - 28/01/2010 : 10:08:48
|
Simon
Thanks you for bringing MobileMapper to my attention. Unfortunately it looks like it is well out of our price bracket.
Allan
Thanks again for the advice. I handn't thought about needing two hands for a touch screen unit. Single handed operation is often a must for me too.
Irvine |
|
|
|
allan
Saint Lucia
303 Posts |
Posted - 28/01/2010 : 17:41:07
|
Hi Irvine - one last issue re the new models is the very negative reports about open daylight readability of one of them.
BTW a very affordable option if you do sometimes need <m solutions, eg for aerial or sat GCPs, is available from Delorme. There are some posts on the subject here from last year.
Cheers |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
Mapmaker maps in hand held GPS
