What percentage?

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

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Originally Posted by 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

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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.

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Originally Posted by Redback

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

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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!

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.

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Originally Posted by rmp

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.

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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.

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.

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Originally Posted by Redback

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

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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

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

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Originally Posted by rmp

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

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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

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