Tracks4Australia

[Yorkshire_Jon]

Tracks4Australia (http://www.gpsoz.com.au/tracks4australia/)

May be a silly question and apologies if so, but do many people use these?


I have used tracks4africa and assume its the same organisation. Thinking of getting / using when I come over in November...

Is there a better alternative? We already have the Hema 4WD tracks CD and maps...

[dmdigital]

Hi Jon, try .:GPS Australia:. (http://www.gpsaustralia.net/) for information and other options

I can't give too much advise on mapping software except to say most of it doesn't cover where I live to any great detail.

[D3Jon]

Hi Yorkshire Jon (great name BTW, I'm Jon and I'm from Yorkshire originally!)

I have both Tracks4Australia and ShonkyMaps installed on my carputer, you can freely switch between the different maps in MapSource.

I find that ShonkyMaps has a little bit more detail than Tracks4 of the places I 4WD on over here in WA, however to be honest they are both based on government maps that are many years old (like 20) and in some instances from a 1972 survey! They have very little detail of the smaller tracks and it's impossible to distinguish between a right of way and a private track / road. For example a road is shown just near to where I live, and yet it is on private land with padlocked gates at each end of it.

I'm still learning how to get hold of decent digital maps of WA, without resorting to scanning paper copies of the DLA & CALM (land management) maps and using OziExplorer which I don't particularly rate. I've found that Google Earth with the "roads" layer turned on is pretty useful for pre-trip planning as it shows loads of detail of the smaller tracks - Google maps gives the same results. Unfortunately this is of no use when you are in the car!

I've noticed that the Magellen maps of Australia seem to use the same source as Google maps and has nearly all of the small tracks in it, being a tight Yorkshire git though I refuse to spend $1200 on a GPS just to get their maps! :) I've also found no way of converting their maps to run on anything other than their GPS / PC software (which I guess is fair enough)!

Unless I'm missing something significant, it seems to me that decent (i.e. current and at least 1:25000 scale) ) digital maps of WA are virtually non-existent, I believe the mapping is better in some of the other States & Territories. WA is a very big place, so it is understandable - although I still find it pretty poor that the mapping provided by the government is still very poor even close to the major population areas (like Perth).

Private companies (like Hema) have capitalised on the pi$$ poor official mapping of the country and produced accurate maps of popular routes like the Canning Stock Route, etc.

Hope this helps, although I think it turned into a bit of a rant :twisted:

Jon

EDIT...

I went on a fresh search and wonder if OzTopo V2 is any good, <click here> (http://www.oztopo.com/index.htm) I notice in their FAQ that they get their road & POI data from MapData Sciences Pty Ltd, who's name appears at the bottom of the viewing screen in Google Earth when looking at Australia. Does anyone have this product and is it any good (i.e. more detail of tracks than Shonky / Tracks4)??

Cheers Jon

[jik22]

I went on a fresh search and wonder if OzTopo V2 is any good, <click here> (http://www.oztopo.com/index.htm) I notice in their FAQ that they get their road & POI data from MapData Sciences Pty Ltd, who's name appears at the bottom of the viewing screen in Google Earth when looking at Australia. Does anyone have this product and is it any good (i.e. more detail of tracks than Shonky / Tracks4)??

Cheers Jon

I'm actually waiting until I can see that, as it looks promising but I don't want to find I have a $200 lemon that is no better than the free ones.

[AndyRevill]

I went on a fresh search and wonder if OzTopo V2 is any good, <click here> (http://www.oztopo.com/index.htm) I notice in their FAQ that they get their road & POI data from MapData Sciences Pty Ltd, who's name appears at the bottom of the viewing screen in Google Earth when looking at Australia. Does anyone have this product and is it any good (i.e. more detail of tracks than Shonky / Tracks4)??

I think you might find this is a combination of 2 products - GPS TopoPlus which is 10m contour data for Australia and Tracks4Australia Pro which is the commercial version of Tracks4. So far I've found Tracks4Australia to be semi-useful - as it's based on GPS tracks submitted by users it's only as good as their data.

Personally I still don't understand why more map products are not available digitally but that's probably the modern way - wait till someone produces it commercially, which in a relatively small market like Oz could be a while :(

cheers, Andy

PS another exiled Yorkshireman :D

[WhiteD3]

I looked at these maps when I first got my GPS but found Shonkymaps to be better.

Shonkymaps by Shonkylogic (http://shonkylogic.net/shonkymaps/)

...and they're freeware

[Phoenix]

I ise tracks4australia and shonkymaps depending on what i'm doing.

If i'm road touring, I load on the shonkymaps, if I'm off roading, tracks4australia.

I would like tracks4australiapro, but I'm not about to cough up for it. I also have a topo overlay to go with tracks4australia. it's available freely as well if you check out GPS australia

[D3Jon]

I'm actually waiting until I can see that, as it looks promising but I don't want to find I have a $200 lemon that is no better than the free ones.

That's my feelings exactly.


I think you might find this is a combination of 2 products - GPS TopoPlus which is 10m contour data for Australia and Tracks4Australia Pro which is the commercial version of Tracks4. <snip>

I wondered if V2 of oztopo had moved a way from the Tracks4Australia Pro data, and was now much more detailed because it used the roads & tracks data from MapData Sciences (the guys who supply Google Earth with their almost un-surpassed roads & tracks data and possibly also Magellan?).

Jon

[29dinosaur]

This is a reverse question.... I have a garmin e-trex colour and am wondering what are best UK - Scotland especially - downloadable maps to put on my hand held?? Will be there in a month.

[Yorkshire_Jon]

Thanks guys, will take a look at Shonky:D:D

Ive used Tracks 4Africa and know of people that use it. Im assuming its the same company/bloke. The concept is great, only publish tracks that have been verified several times by others. I guess the problem with OZ is that its so big and so getting several people using the same track and then submitting useful data is going to take time.

[Yorkshire_Jon]

Just looked at the Shonky webiste... The maps are on there way over the ether...

Will have look and see what we get when we get it... ramble ramble ramble...

[Larns]

Anyone else had problems downloading shonky maps? It's alot to download to find out that the file is corrupt!!!

[WhiteD3]

Anyone else had problems downloading shonky maps? It's alot to download to find out that the file is corrupt!!!

I've done it twice with no probs. Of course you'd want to have a reliable connection!

[D3Jon]

Anyone else had problems downloading shonky maps? It's alot to download to find out that the file is corrupt!!!

First time I downloaded the file it was corrupt. :( Second time it worked fine. Over a 128Kbs ISDN line it took all night each attempt as well - one of the disadvantages of living in 'the country' (no broadband).

Jon

[Bush65]

That's my feelings exactly.



I wondered if V2 of oztopo had moved a way from the Tracks4Australia Pro data, and was now much more detailed because it used the roads & tracks data from MapData Sciences (the guys who supply Google Earth with their almost un-surpassed roads & tracks data and possibly also Magellan?).

Jon
I believe you wondered correctly.

I run Oziexplorer on a laptop when going offroad and it is excellent.

Although my laptop is very reliable (vibration, water and dust proof to military specs), I wanted a backup for an upcoming trip and it would be nice to have an auto routing unit for the long road sections.

I asked GPSOZ about Oztopo V2. It is based on road and mapping data provided by MapData Sciences. It contains over 1 mil km of road and street data, over 25,000 km of tracks and fire trails, and thousands of points of interest. The 10m contour lines, on a transparent overlay, are derived from SRTM satellite data.

I ended up buying a Garmin Nuvi with OZtopo. So far I am happy with it but have not had time to test it offroad.

I can transfer waypoints tracks and routes from Oziexplorer to the unit:
- from Oziexplorer Save to File > Export to GPX file
- in Garmin Mapsource (City Navigator Australia came with the Nuvi), Open the saved GPX file
- from Mapsource, transfer the data to the Nuvi

So far it looks promising, but I'm not yet aware of limitations.

[AussieAub]

(mods: Not sure this is the best place for this! Please feel free to move or copy?!?)

Hi guys.
I posted this some time back on another forum I frequent, and it was also published, tried and tested in 4WDriver Magazine (a publication here in Western Australia).
Just thought I'd share this with anyone who has a TomTom SatNav unit.

It is some 3rd party applications that run on your TomTom unit (works only on Tomtom devices : GOx10, GOx00, Rider, One and OneV2).

Le Web Bazar !!! Offroad Navigator !!! (http://www.webazar.org/tomtom/offroad.php?lang=uk)

The main one is "Offroad Navigator" and turns your unit into a GPS unit that you can enter waypoints into just like the Garmin stuff. Note it still keeps the full functionality of the intended use of the unit, this runs as an additional appplication ON the unit.
Can also use your stored favourites as locations.
You can also use map images that have been scanned/clipped for the area you wish to travel in, upload them onto the TomTom card and you have a scrolling background image with your location.

Its all free (also check out the "Tripmaster" application; this can record your trip on the TomTom for later use in Offroad Navigator or conversion to pass around other GPS system users). The page is actually French but there is an option to view in English, so some of the translation is a bit sketchy, but not impossible to understand. Have downloaded and installed on my TomTom GO 300 and my TomTom One and it works a dream.
It needs to be installed using the TomTom Home application, from the TomTom site.

Also check out POIConverter, another small freeware program that allows you to convert between all major SatNav POI's (points of interest) and GPS files.

POIConverter (http://rjdavies.users.btopenworld.com/html/poiconverter.html)

I also found a free program that can convert between different formats of coords for GPS units.
Its called Geotrans and can be downloaded from

NGA: (U) GEOTRANS Geographic Translator (http://earth-info.nga.mil/GandG/geotrans/)

Allows conversion from UTM to WGS84 and many other formats.

Hope this is of use to others....

__________________
..:: KIEREN ::..
2000 LandRover Discovery II - 4ltr V8 Auto
Handheld UHF Ch.20

[D3Jon]

I believe you wondered correctly <snip>

<snip>I asked GPSOZ about Oztopo V2. It is based on road and mapping data provided by MapData Sciences. It contains over 1 mil km of road and street data, over 25,000 km of tracks and fire trails, and thousands of points of interest. The 10m contour lines, on a transparent overlay, are derived from SRTM satellite data. <snip>

I will look into buying that then, I'll see if I can get a quick demo of it first at the map shop or the local GPS sellers place.

Thanks for the info.

Jon

[D3Jon]

(mods: Not sure this is the best place for this! Please feel free to move or copy?!?)

Hi guys.
I posted this some time back on another forum I frequent, and it was also published, tried and tested in 4WDriver Magazine (a publication here in Western Australia).
Just thought I'd share this with anyone who has a TomTom SatNav unit.

It is some 3rd party applications that run on your TomTom unit (works only on Tomtom devices : GOx10, GOx00, Rider, One and OneV2).

Le Web Bazar !!! Offroad Navigator !!! (http://www.webazar.org/tomtom/offroad.php?lang=uk)

The main one is "Offroad Navigator" and turns your unit into a GPS unit that you can enter waypoints into just like the Garmin stuff. Note it still keeps the full functionality of the intended use of the unit, this runs as an additional appplication ON the unit.
Can also use your stored favourites as locations.
You can also use map images that have been scanned/clipped for the area you wish to travel in, upload them onto the TomTom card and you have a scrolling background image with your location. <SNIP>

Hope this is of use to others....



Seems like a good place to me to post it! :)

Thanks for the info, that's very interesting as I have a TomTom One for on road navigation, so will look into installing the software and have a play.

Cheers,

Jon