HEMA V VMS navigation systems

Hi Vern

What were the inadequacies of the Garmin maps? We have tried neither Garmin nor Hema or VMS as we have an older Magellan, but i follow with interest as dome day i will upgrade. Garmin has a lot of supporters, including some of our off the beaten track travellers.

Motherhen

Hi

Exact same question was ask a week or two ago...

VMS_or_HEMA_navigator

Not many responses. One good point made is that both can be used to run the same maps via OziExplorer (for out of town stuff)....so in that reqard they can be considered equal. Up to you I suppose to decide if the hardware suits. Also make sure that there are actually maps available for your area of interest with the detail you want (impossible for anyone else to decide this for you) - you may be just be changing units with the same end result.

Cheers
Greg

I use a Garmin GPSMap60Cx and a HEMA 4.3 For bush work I use Shonkymaps on the Garmin and either the Topo or Hema maps on the HEMA.

Shonkymaps are a free version of the Australian 1:250000 topo's but there is no support from the originator. There is however a quite a community of users who offer some support. Google them and have a look, they may be better than what you have on you Nuvi.

However you need to be aware that depending on where you are the topo maps could be over at least 20 years old. Go to Geosciences Australia and look at the maps, the info is there. All retailers will tell you that they have the latest maps, which is true, but they may be 30 or more years old. Only people like HEMA maps are producing updated maps but they are not topo's, they are GPS tracked road/track maps.

Hope this helps, By the way I never go bush with out copious paper maps as well, they are all different and compilent each other and the electronic gizmos

I love the HEMA and its associated range of Hema maps.

I do have a spiral bound book of Hema maps plus the Great Desert Map series on plastic coated print, so they are exactly the same as the maps on the Hema.

SWMBO likes the "birds eye view" displayed by a printed map because she gets a better perspective, but I still need to show her exactly where we are at any given time.

As far as the VMS unit is concerned, I assume it provides similar functionality to the Hema Navigator, but by the time you buy OziExplorer and the Hema series and the NATMAP series of digital maps and work out how to install them, I wonder if you really save all that much in money or time.


Bill.

I did a west-east crossing of Aus last year with two other vehicles. I was running Hema maps on my Asus PDA (have since upgraded to a Hema 5), one of the others was running paper maps, and the third was running a Garmin Nuvi with Shonky Maps installed. Can't say there was too much difference among the three set up really except the paper maps option required a little stopover - bit difficult to read on the run so to speak :-). Shonky maps seem to be a great option for Garmin users and you can read about them HERE. .....and they are free.