Digital Maps don't cut it for planning

Totally agree ....nothing like a huge paper map spread out on the table or floor.

Swear by them even in the field. On a recent trip, our mate's GPS had us going some 50km out of our way, when I piped up on the UHF, that we could have taken the turn off we just passed, 4 cars ended up doing a u-turn.

Needless to say, he coped a lot of bleep for the rest of the day - a win for paper maps ...LOL

Alan

What would be really good is an over head projector or a digital projector so you could turn the hole wall of the family room into a map of OZ. you could pin point features right onto the family room wall . it may need repainting but it would be fun.

Cheers

Richard

You raise a good point why paper maps will always be around. Each have their uses. I wouldnt be without my laptop for navigating, but planning is much easier with the paper map laid out across the floor. It also lets other interested parties to join you in working out where you want to go.

Laurie

On a purely "emotional" level...there's nothing better than a paper map spread on floor or table. It brings a level of involvement with the planning project that a map on a screen will never achieve. I think it was Sir Francis Chichester who said "To a man with imagination a map is a window to adventure " or something along those lines.



Viv

I use a Tom Tom GPS Navigator set to obtain coordinates which I apply to grid references of my paper maps.

Cheap, simple, effective and reasonably accurate.

Allan

I have the exact opposite view.
When I plan a trip its using digital maps, The digital maps I use are Natmap Topo 2008, OziExplorer with accompanying topo maps such as Hema maps and the Natmap maps, Google Maps, Google Earth and as many web sites I can tap in to to get the information I want on accommodation, things to see and do at the various destinations, road conditions so on. I rarely use a paper map to plan.

Paper maps still have their place in the scheme of things but if I'm planning a trip around WA from Melbourne the atlas type maps don't cut it. I can't zoom in on a paper map and get more details to the level I require. If and when I go to remote places I take paper maps to cover the remote areas just in case my gadgets fail me but until they do I am definitely digital.

Toolman

yep I agree, you need to have the big picture view and then look closer once you work out how to get there. I usually only plan point to point for a trip and then work out how to get there when its closer to the trip, sometimes only on the day once we get some local info on what to see.

Toolmans point above is interesting too, when I zoom in with maps on the floor I just go get one smaller scale. Guess its how we've always done it.

In Germany we just let the in-car navi tell us where to go, cause theres so much great stuff to see.

Surely everyone is only using GPS as a tool for Nav and are carrying a paper map and and silva compass and know how to use them, aslo using their odometers to cross check distances in their navigation
Blaming the GPS or digital maps for poor navigation is the easy option.
There are plenty of larger scale digital maps that are perfect for trip/route planning and the trusty road atlas is a great asset.

Turn computer on .... go and make coffe while it starts up ...

Come back ... sit down .... click this ... click that .....

Map area found .... ahhhhhhh ............

Now I want to start HERE and go over ..............???????????

scroll scroll scroll ... zoom in ... zooooooom out ... dammitt - map not satellite ......

oh bugger this .... [ turns round and grabs big piece of paper covered in squiggly lines off shelf ]


I have found a GPS:

1/.. is an excellent tool for double checking location against maps ... especially in flat country.
2/.. an absolute pain due to "shortest route" ... may as well just store the town / street names off the paper map in your head if you have to look them up to programme way points.
3/.. A driving distraction in most cases ... what did the damn thing say ????
4/.. Did I imention they are an excellent tool for double checking location against maps ????? ... until the power supply runs out of course - yes that normally involves walking.

Only time I ever had paper map problems was the first trip to Tassie .... great big piece of paper ... same size as used for the other states ... but the 4" on the map took a lot less time to drive than it did in on the mainland ..... took days to get used to that .... lolol

Benefit of using topo maps for finer detail is that old features are shown ... tracks / buildings etc ... if you are lucky and score some early editions ... as well as current ones.

Nothing better than creeping along a dotted line, dodging 18"+ dia trees, in the middle of an old track ... marvelling at how timber cutters and miners accessed areas years ago ... without the chirping of the idiot box on the dash.

I would have agreed with you equinox until recently but with detailed map of Oz on the 24" iMac it really is much easier on the computer. See photo of desktop below.

I love paper maps, but there is nothing worse than folding/unfolding paper maps in the car as you travel.

I keep a large paper map of Oz with all my trips marked stuck on the wall as a decoration, but that's all it is.

BobImage Could Not Be Found

Just a matter of screen size.
I have just done the routing for a US trip as well as Europe (both 3 month) and it works ok on my screen. I have 30" 2560x1600 res and its no problem. You can paint your route and repaint and repaint and not destroy any paper map.
Sure you can use an ax to cut a tree but you might as well use a chain saw. all a matter of tools
have fun
gmd

The ease and viewing experience is largely a factor of the map and software.

All street navigation gps use vector mapping ie each road and feature is defined as GPS referenced points. A lot of information can be economically stored. As we zoom in and out, the program decides which information to display. depending on the software, this can be excellent or not so good. In any case the displayed information is always crisp and clear.

Garmin naturally uses vector mapping. Planning with a Garmin topographic map on your PC (or even GPS) is a pleasant experience starting at a whole of Australia level and quickly zooming down to the area of interest. Garmin's Mapsource even provides for a 'quick flick' to Google earth for a view of a point of interest.

Products like Ozi Explorere (OziCE for your GPS) use raster mapping which are basically 'pictures' of paper maps. The problem here is that as we zoom in and out, we loose definition. Planning is difficult unless we resort to different map images for various zoom levels.

So get with the technology folks. On the track I carry a street nav plus pocket GPS, plus maps and compass.

But planning ... you can't beat the PC with the appropriate software. :)