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Overlanding GPS ??? Overlanding GPS ???
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  #1  
Old 14 Oct 2008
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Overlanding GPS ???
Hello all,
Sorry if this is an old question, but what GPS systems are there that will basically get you from anywhere to anyhere, wether there are roads or not. I think i'm right in saying some will have an ' as the crow flies ' option. I currently have a Tom Tom rider V2, which is superb for the ' civilised ' world with roads, but would be as useful as a fork in a bowl of soup of the beat and track in Aisa or Africa.
Thanks for any help, ride safe!!
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  #2  
Old 14 Oct 2008
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I'd contact Smellybiker's Wanderlust Worldmap • Index page he's on this hub, is a biker, I met him in Colombia and he creates the maps no one else does for GPS. Email him and he'll give you the low down. He pretty much fills in all the gaps and is not a big corporation.

Iain.
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  #3  
Old 14 Oct 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Iain View Post
I'd contact Smellybiker's Wanderlust Worldmap • Index page he's on this hub, is a biker, I met him in Colombia and he creates the maps no one else does for GPS.
There are 3 (at least) 'world maps' for gpses -
Magellan has one
Garmin has another
And Smelly biker does another for Garmin GPSes ..

The detail/accuracy varies depending on where you want to go ... they can be very poor - showing only the major highways .. and errors of over a 1 mile (Africa is one place that springs to mind) .. and they can be very accurate with lots of detail - gas stations, hotels, sights to see .. Smelly bikers one probaly has the best detail in some parts of the world .. where he or other people have contributed data to the map.

Think you can 'see' garmins world map on their web site - so you can get the idea of the detail avalible. Smelly biker has a sample download avalible on his web site .. presently version 1.6 .. version 2 comming ..
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Last edited by Frank Warner; 16 Oct 2008 at 23:09.
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  #4  
Old 16 Oct 2008
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Garmin 278C or 60CSX
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  #5  
Old 3 Nov 2008
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60csx
I dont understand the way these things are supposed to work. No maps for africa/middle east, yet you can program waypoints from a paper map. Someome enlighten me. I know garmin/mapsource do a ' worldmap ', and supposedly its basic, yet i was told certain areas are not available, so what is it.
Help!!!!!!!!
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  #6  
Old 3 Nov 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by leevtr View Post
I dont understand the way these things are supposed to work. No maps for africa/middle east, yet you can program waypoints from a paper map. Someome enlighten me. I know garmin/mapsource do a ' worldmap ', and supposedly its basic, yet i was told certain areas are not available, so what is it.
Help!!!!!!!!
Basically the GPS unit knows where it is around the globe using long and lat, or whichever 'local' scale/grid you might be using as an alternative.

The mapping data is essentially an overlay (or technically an underlay) that the GPS uses to relate the actual pin point position to something you can relate to on the ground - be it a road, city, contour line etc.

More advanced GPS units (and the type you use in cars for example) can then interact the GPS point with the map to guide/route you in a certain direction (ie typically along a road) other than a straight line.

The 'problem' comes when the mapping data in the GPS doesn't accurately coincide with what is actually on the ground. Don't worry, the GPS always knows where it is in relation to long and lat, it's just the display screen might suggest you are in a slightly different position to what is on the ground, as the map data maybe slightly skewed at that particular point.

Hope that makes sense?

xxx
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  #7  
Old 3 Nov 2008
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Originally Posted by leevtr View Post
I know garmin/mapsource do a ' worldmap ', and supposedly its basic, yet i was told certain areas are not available,

In some parts of the world roads of any description do not exist! In those situations a GPS can be a real help in giving direction to a town/well etc.


Over on UKGSer* ::::* For BMW GS Enthusiasts they have a tutorital on garmins mapsource. Some time spent there might help?

A waypoint is simply a loctaion .. there might be somethign there you'll want to go to .. like a fuel station. Or a bank. Most GPSes can have waypoints.

If you want to 'look 'at garmins 'world map' you can view it over the web on garamins web site .. go there and look for your self? That will tell you far more than words typed here.
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  #8  
Old 4 Nov 2008
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Garmin Worldmap
Funny you should say that, because I already did just that. However, when i try to zoom in on a certain area, the map keeps going black and i cant get back in, so i gave up. Seems like the Garmin 60CSX may go on my shopping list though!!
Cheers for the help anyhow.
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  #9  
Old 4 Nov 2008
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Is this a stupid question, but...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Warner View Post
In some parts of the world roads of any description do not exist! In those situations a GPS can be a real help in giving direction to a town/well etc.


Over on UKGSer* ::::* For BMW GS Enthusiasts they have a tutorital on garmins mapsource. Some time spent there might help?

A waypoint is simply a loctaion .. there might be somethign there you'll want to go to .. like a fuel station. Or a bank. Most GPSes can have waypoints.

If you want to 'look 'at garmins 'world map' you can view it over the web on garamins web site .. go there and look for your self? That will tell you far more than words typed here.
Surely a waypoint is part of a map. Or, can the GPS know towns and cities, but not know roads?
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  #10  
Old 4 Nov 2008
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Originally Posted by leevtr View Post
Surely a waypoint is part of a map. Or, can the GPS know towns and cities, but not know roads?
Base GPS .. will tell you the lat and long of where you are .. and nothing else.

then you add 'features' ... time of day , sun set, sun rise .., towns, cities, even roads

Waypoint/s is/are not part of a map. They can be entred manually (using the GPS buittons) or via a computer.

Points of Intrest (POI) may be part of a map, or seperate from a map .. but cannot be put into the gps using its buttoons ..

Fully featured GPSes have lots of things .. some gpses don't have 'roads' but do have towns/cities ..

Plaese read the guide over on ukgser .. saves retypeing it here?

------------------ Garmins world map should be viewable ... link speeds ? wait a while ?
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  #11  
Old 4 Nov 2008
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Check out Maps4Africa (MAPS 4 AFRICA - the world at your fingertips...). It is compatible with Garmin units and covers the unpaved roads throughout Africa. You can take a look at the routes on Google Earth (they must have some kind of partnership) via one of the options on the bottom left (don't remember the the name, but it's one of the boxes you can check to highlight places of interest etc). Here in South Africa, the software costs about $65 US / R650. Never used it, but have looked at it on Google Earth... apparently it is constantly updated / confirmed by overland travellers who submit data.
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  #12  
Old 4 Nov 2008
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Thumbs up maps of Africa
Quote:
Originally Posted by leevtr View Post
I don't understand the way these things are supposed to work. No maps for Africa/middle east, yet you can program waypoints from a paper map. Someone enlighten me. I know garmin/mapsource do a ' worldmap ', and supposedly its basic, yet i was told certain areas are not available, so what is it.
Help!!!!!!!!
I can't believe nobody has pointed you out to Track4Africa (T4A) yet. You can buy a very accurate and nowadays even routable (like the TomTom navigation system) T4A map set which you upload into your 60Csx via your laptop. You need to have Mapsource installed for that which you will procure together with the GPS in the form of probably Garmin Waypoint manager. With T4A installed you can see yourself driving on the screen of the GPS exactly where you are in relation to your surroundings. Price for T4A is not bad, I believe about Euro 60,- via Internet [http://www.tracks4africa.com/] Worth every penny.
The Garmin Worldmap is utterly useless by the way. With that map you will find yourself driving miles next to the road shown on the map. Its just too inaccurate.
Cheers,
Noel
exploreafrica.web-log.nl
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  #13  
Old 5 Nov 2008
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Originally Posted by noel di pietro View Post
I can't believe nobody has pointed you out to Track4Africa (T4A) yet.
As the poster does (did?) not understand what a waypoint is .. adding T4A into the mix is just complicating things ..

Get the basics on the GPS right first.. ?

Then look at (possibly more detailed) map/s for where they are going? At teh planing stage possibly all they need is a general overview - a 'world' map will give them that.

-----------------------
On GPS Maps then -
Some maps have more detail on them than others. Some parts of the world have very little detail, but most (all - unless you are going to the poles - north or south) areas have something .. maybe not entirly accurate nor uptodate as you'd like but something at least.

Typically 'world' maps don't have as much as more localised maps ... there are a number of maps avalible .. free ones and ones that cost. The ones that cost have the installation performed for you , some of the free ones need you to do some work to install them ...

There has that complicated things enough?
leevtr - you may not have followed all the above .. if it confuses you .. just ignore it!
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  #14  
Old 5 Nov 2008
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GPS unit
Most post on this web site mention either one of these garmin units:
Garmin 278C
Garmin 60cs

Could someone tell me the advantagesdisadvantages of these over a unit like:
nüvi® 265WT

Many thanks
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  #15  
Old 5 Nov 2008
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Waypoints!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Warner View Post
As the poster does (did?) not understand what a waypoint is .. adding T4A into the mix is just complicating things ..

Get the basics on the GPS right first.. ?

Then look at (possibly more detailed) map/s for where they are going? At teh planing stage possibly all they need is a general overview - a 'world' map will give them that.

-----------------------
On GPS Maps then -
Some maps have more detail on them than others. Some parts of the world have very little detail, but most (all - unless you are going to the poles - north or south) areas have something .. maybe not entirly accurate nor uptodate as you'd like but something at least.



Typically 'world' maps don't have as much as more localised maps ... there are a number of maps avalible .. free ones and ones that cost. The ones that cost have the installation performed for you , some of the free ones need you to do some work to install them ...

There has that complicated things enough?
leevtr - you may not have followed all the above .. if it confuses you .. just ignore it!
I have obviously come accross as a complete idiot.
I DO know what a waypoint is. BUT..... if i have a paper map, of say Iran, and theres a small village in the direction which i want to be heading, which is on or off the main highway/road, surely I cannot use it as a waypoint if there is no map for the country, as the GPS wont even know it exists.
I always use waypoints on my Rider in Europe, basically to stay off the motorways, but the Rider knows they are there.

Does anyone know what i'm getting at now???????

Alternatively, if the maps for some countries are basic, but do include MAJOR CITIES, can i ride X-country, with an arrow pointing in the direction i need to be going, with maybe a distance countdown. That would suffice.

I would ask a dealer about this, but i suspect some would tell me what i want to hear and take my cash.
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