What percentage?

[rmp]

In your experience, what percentage of 4WDers use digital navigation in their vehicles? I'm talking moving-map like Ozi, Memory-Map, Trackranger etc, not just a plain GPSR.

[one_iota]

I use a Magellan with inbuilt digital maps to navigate where does that fit?

[rmp]

Doesn't count. Only looking for computer-based mapping like Oziexplorer, Memory-Map, Trackranger.

[Slunnie]

I'm not sure what GPSR is?

My GPS has a screen on it and the map moves, but it does not require a laptop.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/06/207.jpg

[rmp]

GPSR = Global Positioning System Receiver.

If it was plain GPSRs it'd be around 80% I reckon, but the computer-based systems would be lower. Things like PDAs, laptops.

[Xavie]

Hi Robert.

I think it is a popular idea but lots of us just can't get our head around some of it and I know lots of people like me who would love it but just can't sit at a computer and work it out. Just setting up my blue tooth dongle was a pain and I have a good understanding of computers but when it gets in to changing port numbers and that sort of business it is to difficult. And if something went wrong in the field...well... I'd be stuffed.

Also, the set up cost and space. That's a big one. If I had 3 or 4 grand then maybe I'd consider it but I have to spend money on other things before moving maps. And I could do it cheaper but I think it is sort of like I'd only do it if I did it right.

Xav

P.s. I do have a palm pilot which I play around with it on but it has its limits.

[Tombie]

Out of the 40 or so I 4wd with they all run mapping software either on Laptop, PDA or in car PC..

We're just tech *******...

[rmp]

It's not that hard Xavie.
I mean, Numpty can work it out now and he's not computer minded at all :D

Exactly right NM. All it takes is a bit of patience and logic. Plenty of support in places like this very forum.

[d@rk51d3]

I've rigged up my Sony PSP, with google maps and a Holux GPSlim 236.

Works a treat.:cool:

[JDNSW]

I think it depends what yoou call a 4wder. Almost everyone I know locally drives a four wheel drive. I do not know anyone with one of these gadgets.

John

[Redback]

I think it depends what yoou call a 4wder. Almost everyone I know locally drives a four wheel drive. I do not know anyone with one of these gadgets.

John

Yes you do John, just about everyone you spoke to at the 60th had one of those gadgets:D:p

Robert, we have a Navman with CE and run Ozi on that, as well as the Navman software, we also run Destinator, we also now have a touchscreen laptop running Ozi and Destinator, tested it out a couple of weekends ago, works well, we also use Ozi voice navigation too.

Most people we go driving with have some sort of GPS.

[kaa45]

I use OziExplorer on a laptop with Uniden GPS receiver. Works beautifully. If anyone wants to know how to do it, try .:GPS Australia:. (http://www.gpsaustralia.net/)
;)

[Treads]

I have an Asus A636 PDA with Ozi & Tomtom. Only one other person I know around here uses moving map software for 4wding. My father thinks my setup is brilliant, but is not computer-minded enough to be confident with it. I think that would be a similar problem for many people who have not grown up with computers.

[Col.Coleman]

Never used one but have too thought about one. Would be good for exploring, but often the maps are outdated, same as the paper ones.
My gps is in my head, all the trips I do are from plain memory, and half the fun of going somewhere new is taking every little track you see and finding out where you end up. Following software you might not do little side tracks that have some great little bits in it. Great for tracking where you have been and but as a nav tool, I find paper better.

CC

[rmp]

For the purposes of this poll a "4WDer" is one who uses the vehicle offroad.

Merely owning a 4WD does not make one a 4WDer. For example I own pots and pans but that doesn't make me a chef.

To me a computer-based moving-map is absolutely the best way to navigate a vehicle, and I always recommend it, but with one caveat -- you do need to do a bit of tech work to make it happen.

While many here will understand "download OziCE, buy PDA, get mount, connect to GPSR via Bluetooth, NMEA protocol, set up maps on SD card..." there are many people who get lost with the "download" part of it. Now there are the tech savvy who know USB from serial, and there are those like NM who don't, but with a bit of intelligence, patience and logic figure it out.

Then there are a huge amount of people, usually older if I may say so, who don't want to try and set this kit up, or can't. For those people a simple switch-on-and-go system is required.

Price has been a factor too, but now prices are so low really that's out the window. Usuability is where it's at now and in a couple of years everyone will have some form of computer-based moving-map as it'll be so easy and cheap why would you not.

[rmp]

Never used one but have too thought about one. Would be good for exploring, but often the maps are outdated, same as the paper ones.
My gps is in my head, all the trips I do are from plain memory, and half the fun of going somewhere new is taking every little track you see and finding out where you end up. Following software you might not do little side tracks that have some great little bits in it. Great for tracking where you have been and but as a nav tool, I find paper better.

CC

Interesting, I find the moving-map allows me to explore side tracks I wouldn't normally.

[Treads]

half the fun of going somewhere new is taking every little track you see and finding out where you end up. Following software you might not do little side tracks that have some great little bits in it. Great for tracking where you have been and but as a nav tool, I find paper better.

CC

True. What is also fun is seeing an approaching side track on Ozi, not seeing it in RL, and going bush til you find it :cool: So many tracks I wouldn't know were even there except for Ozi.

And I still prefer paper maps for the tecnical stuff...

[Redback]

Interesting, I find the moving-map allows me to explore side tracks I wouldn't normally.


Yep, agree here, it's amazing how many side tracks we find that can't be seen from the main track, old forestry tracks long gone because they are so over grown, you can't see them while driving along.

Baz.

[Redback]

True. What is also fun is seeing an approaching side track on Ozi, not seeing it in RL, and going bush til you find it :cool: So many tracks I wouldn't know were even there except for Ozi.

And I still prefer paper maps for the tecnical stuff...

Styx is a prime example of that, the amount of tracks in Styx is amazing, some you just can't get into, but we had fun trying:D

Baz.

[simonl8353]

After becomming almost lost and almost disoriented on a solo trip, I now use Ozi Explorer on my work supplied;) lap top with a GPS mag base puck on the roof. I have access to a colour scanner at work ;) so scan, load and calibrate my Rooftops maps onto the laptop and take the paper copy as back up.

Cannot be more pleased with how it all works, but it did take quite a bit of effort to find out how to pull it all together and also teaching myself all about UTM mapping. I'm no expert, but I can now get lost with confidence :p.

[Col.Coleman]

What map base are you guys using? I find the navigator type stuff too large a scale and to use the geodetic societies 1:100 000 rasta you need a decent amount of hardware to run, like a laptop which is a bit cumbersome with the dual cab full of bodies. I prefer my bushwalking stuff, at 1:25 000 but not all of qld or aus is on that. The nsw rasta increases in scale as you move away from the coast. If you can get a hold of it alot of the military stuff is 1:10 000, and most of the top of aus is covered. I think they are a good tool, but havn't gone that way due to what is currently available not meeting what I'm after, either too bulky(laptop) or screen size too small to give widescale properly. Also being a fender driver, mounting is a pain without making the cab look really messy. And to be honest, I don't have the need for it until I go more than 1000k from Bris. It is annoying having to go so far to see something new.

CC

[Redback]

What map base are you guys using? I find the navigator type stuff too large a scale and to use the geodetic societies 1:100 000 rasta you need a decent amount of hardware to run, like a laptop which is a bit cumbersome with the dual cab full of bodies. I prefer my bushwalking stuff, at 1:25 000 but not all of qld or aus is on that. The nsw rasta increases in scale as you move away from the coast. If you can get a hold of it alot of the military stuff is 1:10 000, and most of the top of aus is covered. I think they are a good tool, but havn't gone that way due to what is currently available not meeting what I'm after, either too bulky(laptop) or screen size too small to give widescale properly. Also being a fender driver, mounting is a pain without making the cab look really messy. And to be honest, I don't have the need for it until I go more than 1000k from Bris. It is annoying having to go so far to see something new.

CC

All our maps are 1.25,0000, paper and Oziexplorer, Rooftop maps are very good as well as forestry topo maps, we also make our own maps, one of the good CDs to buy is LROC (ACT) Campground Corner we use the Lat Long and waypoints to creat detailed maps.

We always have paper maps as backup.

Baz.

[Treads]

All our maps are 1.25,0000, paper and Oziexplorer........
We always have paper maps as backup.

Same. Although I have all NSW 1:25,000 in one folder and all the 1:100,000 in another. I'm struggling with space as my PDA only accepts up to 2Gb SD cards :mad: Had to ditch the 1:100k set for our current trip so I could fit the vic road closure maps on.

And the Styx is definitely one of those places where there are tracks that haven't been used in 20+ years. Lotsa fun!

[Utemad]

Our club has about 90 memberships and AFAIK there are only two of us that use Oziexplorer type mapping in the vehicle. There are lots of road voice guidance systems (TomTom etc) but they don't count.

I'm about to take my hobby to the next level with a post grad dip in GIS starting this coming semester.

Given my experience I'd say the level of this type of mapping in 4wds is very low.

[Rugrat]

Merely owning a 4WD does not make one a 4WDer. For example I own pots and pans but that doesn't make me a chef.


I can vouch for that - you cant even make good coffee :p

But I use Ozi - full laptop and external GPS mouse. Idea is to down size and that may mean a PDA type or UMPC type :p.
I still carry the paper ones though when out as electronics fail.

[kaa45]

Put the laptop in the cubby box or under the seat and use a touch screen 7" or 8". Get topo maps from GPSaustralia for free.

[JDNSW]

Yes you do John, just about everyone you spoke to at the 60th had one of those gadgets:D:p
.........

You missed the word locally - and almost all of these do drive offroad, although usually not purely for recreation. (firefighting, shooting, farming, visiting neighbours)

Thinking about it though there is one local who does have one (I think) - he uses it in his part time job working for a stock and station agent so he can find the places he is selling to show potential buyers, although mostly he works on local knowledge.

John

[PhilipA]

This topic is one which I have always been interested in, and have had a few false starts with in the past.
I have an old Garmin GPSV with Pacific Autoroute on it. I have been debating whether to get metroguide or city navigator for it.
I have resisted due to the cost.
Should I pay the $200 for metroguide. Are the maps significantly better than Pacific Rim?
I tried a free version of Ozyexplorer but found that it was pretty useless in mountains as the resolution was too coarse for small track logging.

I recently went out to the Flinders via The Darling etc. I was really surprised how many tracks were on the old Pacific Rim. Even the track north from Arkaroola to the Strezlecki was on it , (although the alignment was out) and the Darling River roads. It did not have the alternative track to Camerion Corner on it from the Strezlecki, but I understand that the property owner forbids traversing it anyway.
The point is that I knew at all times where I was and whether I was headed in the right direction. We supplement it with local maps.
My wife flat out refuses to sit with a laptop on her lap while we drive and I do not blame her.
Am I a Luddite?
My impression is that the recent cheapo Navmans etc are not much advance on my old GPS V in the country .
Am I wrong?
Regards Philip A

[AndyRevill]

To me a computer-based moving-map is absolutely the best way to navigate a vehicle, and I always recommend .

I'm not sure I'd totally agree with this. The problem with most PC based stuff is it uses Georeferenced Raster images which are OK, depending on what scale you can get. By far and away the best are vector based maps where the detail increases as you zoom in and you can turn various bits on and off as you want. All the best maritime stuff is vector based. All the garmin maps are vector, the problem is getting the right maps but there is software out there to make your own. Even better if you have access to GIS based material :D

In practice of course most people will go the raster route because it's a lot easier but there is more vector based material slowly becoming available.

cheers, Andy

[Bushie]

Currently using OziCe although I've been using Ozi since around 1997/98. It's a fairly simple thing to use especially after a bit of experimenting.

Out of the group I will be away with over the next 6 or so weeks 3 of the 5 are using some computer based mapping (ozi).

I've also been arranging the downloading and printing of the 20 1:250k maps for the trip. :D:D


Martyn

[Utemad]

I tried a free version of Ozyexplorer but found that it was pretty useless in mountains as the resolution was too coarse for small track logging.

It all depends on the map you have chosen for Ozi to do its work. Try a larger scale and see how you go.
I recently made one for a 4wd park (The Springs) from Google Earth and it is very good for small track work.

[Redback]

This topic is one which I have always been interested in, and have had a few false starts with in the past.
I have an old Garmin GPSV with Pacific Autoroute on it. I have been debating whether to get metroguide or city navigator for it.
I have resisted due to the cost.
Should I pay the $200 for metroguide. Are the maps significantly better than Pacific Rim?
I tried a free version of Ozyexplorer but found that it was pretty useless in mountains as the resolution was too coarse for small track logging.

I recently went out to the Flinders via The Darling etc. I was really surprised how many tracks were on the old Pacific Rim. Even the track north from Arkaroola to the Strezlecki was on it , (although the alignment was out) and the Darling River roads. It did not have the alternative track to Camerion Corner on it from the Strezlecki, but I understand that the property owner forbids traversing it anyway.
The point is that I knew at all times where I was and whether I was headed in the right direction. We supplement it with local maps.
My wife flat out refuses to sit with a laptop on her lap while we drive and I do not blame her.
Am I a Luddite?
My impression is that the recent cheapo Navmans etc are not much advance on my old GPS V in the country .
Am I wrong?
Regards Philip A

Not if you can help it, we had to change to this after Navman wouldn't update there new software to the older Navman PiN PDA GPS and we didn't want to buy a designated metro GPS.

Navman is the best city/country voice navigation, it has more country maps than the others, but not as good as a designated GPS (ie) Garmin, Navman PDA type and so on IN THE BUSH.

But it is very close, an example is we can voice navigate most NPs and State forest using only the Navman city navigation, it's only the smaller tracks it doesn't pick up, that's why we have Ozi and CE for the Navman PDA, the best of both worlds.

We found that the garmin city voice navigation has it's drawbacks, turning you right at no right turn streets, navigating you to dead end streets and so on.

[rmp]

This topic is one which I have always been interested in, and have had a few false starts with in the past.
I have an old Garmin GPSV with Pacific Autoroute on it. I have been debating whether to get metroguide or city navigator for it.
I have resisted due to the cost.
Should I pay the $200 for metroguide. Are the maps significantly better than Pacific Rim?
I tried a free version of Ozyexplorer but found that it was pretty useless in mountains as the resolution was too coarse for small track logging.

I recently went out to the Flinders via The Darling etc. I was really surprised how many tracks were on the old Pacific Rim. Even the track north from Arkaroola to the Strezlecki was on it , (although the alignment was out) and the Darling River roads. It did not have the alternative track to Camerion Corner on it from the Strezlecki, but I understand that the property owner forbids traversing it anyway.
The point is that I knew at all times where I was and whether I was headed in the right direction. We supplement it with local maps.
My wife flat out refuses to sit with a laptop on her lap while we drive and I do not blame her.
Am I a Luddite?
My impression is that the recent cheapo Navmans etc are not much advance on my old GPS V in the country .
Am I wrong?
Regards Philip A

The GPS V was a groundbreaking unit, back in 2000 or whenever it was released. Now it's painfully out of date. No memory card, slow, small low-res screen, poor GPS lock capability by today's standards...the GPS60cx is a long way ahead as you'd expect.

There is no need for wifey to have a laptop on her lap. Build a mount. Or use a PDA, or UltraMobilePC or similar. It's dangerous to hold it on your lap anyway.

No you're not a Luddite. They are the ones who deny the usefulness of this technology for everyone. I always take paper maps too and can use them if the technology isn't available, but digital is my primary navigation system.

[barney]

i do run oziexplorer on my laptop but do not take it with me. i use it solely to plan and plot trips, if i need a map with me, i will print it out. but i transfer all the data required for my trip to my garmin map60cx, running oztopo vers2, which isn't too bad on a 2" screen, and go from there.
the maps on the garmin have enough info to do a bit of exploring and to get me out of trouble if i get geographically embarassed.