Memory map help needed?

[bmw.bec]

Hi

Since transferring from 2 wheels to 4 wheels, I keep hearing about memory map software. I'm keen to use my laptop in conjuction with my 60csx but would love to know:
what memory map is?
How does it work with GPS?
How do I set it up?
Is it worth it?
Anything else?

Many thanks

[CornishDaddy]

I think Memory Map is great for UK. I think they also make maps for France and some other areas, but mainly UK. I use it on my PDA, in conjunction with oziexplorer and i-go/tom tom for straight forward street level mapping. I use the Fujitsu-Siemens Pocket Loox N560 as my PDA which has a built in GPS. I love it. I did try using the laptop, but I didn't enjoy the experience in the cab. But I do use the lap top to plan routes etc.

Memory Map is not cheap, as I think you buy maps for an area such as the lake district, for something like £100. But you get 1:25k OS maps, which are superb. If you are happy to use illegal torrents you can download the software you need plus all the UK 1:25k maps, which a friend of mine told me were great. But it's 27GB so will take some time.

So, for normal day to day driving I am happy to use I-Go (a bit like tom tom). For when we are in less sophitically mapped areas we will use ozi-eplorer. But when walking, cycling, canoeing in the UK I use memory map.

EDIT: - to specificall answer your questions

1. Memory map is the software to allow you to use Ordinance Survey (and others) maps on computer and PDA. You can use it as a moving map functionality along side a GPS receiver to see exactly where you are.

2. Well a GPS receiver will let you know your exact (to something like 3m) latitude and longitude. Memory map has all the maps calibrated and hence can show you exactly where you are on a map.

3. You install the software onto your computer and then you can view the maps using the software. From the computer you can install the software onto a PDA and use the software to view maps on the PDA also. You can make routes and waypoints on the laptop and download to a PDA or do it on the PDA. Also if you have a GPS mouse you can use the laptop rather than PDA.

4. I love it. I think it is very expensive for what it is. As I said above there are plenty of ways of getting it for free, and there are other bits of software you could use instead.

5. I would say if you are going to be going round the UK off road a lot and you have money to burn then get it. If you don't have money to burn, then explorer other options.

Hope this helps

[Frank Warner]

So it depends on where you want the maps for..

I use Oziexplorer .. you can download (off the web) a free trail version and use that to see what it does .. from the above it does the same kind of thing as 'memory map' ... displays raster maps on the screen, connects to the GPS and moves the map around so you are always in the centre of the screen, automatically goes to the next map when you fall off the edge of the old one .. and can automatically get a more detailed map if there is one on your PC .. log your track, make way points , frollow a route .. even voice prompts .. but it won't auto route - you have to do it all manually.

And you can photograph a 'new' map and calibrate it and then use it .. all using Oziexplorer. And probably a few other things I have forgotten about ..

There are raster maps already calibrated for Oziexplorer for Australia (many), Africa (the old russian maps), India .. and probably a lot more places...

[CornishDaddy]

Yes, see my thread about free and not free ready calibrated ozi maps. Does make it a bit easier. I tried calibrating a map of central asia using my a4 scanner, and found although with time and patiences I could get it done, the £12 it cost me to buy it was well worth it!

I must admit I'm surprised there are not more ozi maps going free on the net. Especially as it sort of fits in with the open (ish) source philsophy. It's very easy to get the memory map stuff for free, jsut takes a couple of weeks of download time. But once you get it i is great fun. So my friend says.

[Frank Warner]

Originally Posted by CornishDeity

I must admit I'm surprised there are not more ozi maps going free on the net. Especially as it sort of fits in with the open (ish) source philsophy.

Question of copywrite ... if you can find good free maps of a place then you can calibrate it for use in Ozie.. most users I think are purchasing paper maps, puting those onto the computer and calibratig them.. and those maps would be copywrite.

If the memory maps are in a raster format (or can be converted to same eg by printing) then there is no reasion why they cannot be used by ozie...

[CornishDaddy]

I suppose I was talking about not so legal stuff, such as torrent and other peoples maps etc.

Ther is a huge debate that can be had over this, and it's not necessarily one that I have much conviction in either way, but generally there is a lot of copywritten material available over the net..........

[MarkLG]

If you want to try out Memory Map cheaply (and legally) they do a DVD for £30 containing all the UK national parks at 1:50,000 scale. Not quite as detailed as 1:25000, but plenty good enough for greenlaners and mountain biking, etc.
If you're running a Garmin unit then you can plan your route on a PC and transfer it to GPS unit. You can't transfer the maps themselves to the GPS - so you really to use the GPS alongside an OS map.
Garmin do a Topo map of the UK using OS data, but it isn't that great - there's no footpaths or bridleways, you just get contours displayed.

[mattmbishop]

Slightly off topic, but I saw a program the other day to use google maps with GPS:
MeHere - Google Maps/Earth and Greasemonkey GPS Tracking

It seems to be fairly "beta" at the moment, and I do wonder if you can cache the google maps and therefore use it without an internet connection, but if I had a laptop with a GPS receiver, that's what I'd be giving a go.

[CornishDaddy]

I think what you are talkign about can be done with ozi explorer. You can use google maps with it, downloading the google map, which is already calibrated, to use with Ozi. You need this software.

The only problem with using this is in the far out places that I don't already have GPS mapping for, google maps isn't that good. I'm sure the maps are there, in the american military somewhere, but we can't get hold of them yet.

One day, all this mapping will be easy!

[Toyark]

Becky you could use TTQV from Touratech if you're going far afield.
Huge amount of maps available, inc Russian military ones and since you probably have a notebook, just use TTQV with your 60CSX plugged in. No need to upload. And you'll have a bigegr screen than most!!!

Ozzie maps
There are loads out there for free.