Re: Beginner Needs Mapping Help

From: Guinness Mann (gmann_at_dublin.com)
Date: 09/15/04 

Date: Wed, 15 Sep 2004 12:13:43 -0700

Mark Illingworth wrote:
> I suggest that you fully exploit your MapSource software before you look for
> anything else. You can download the tracks from the GPS receiver to a PC
> with MapSource (see Transfer menu) and then see where you went with no need
> for screen captures. MapSource can also show you the elevation profile of
> your tracks.

Thank you for your comments, Mark.

I don't know if you've ever used GARtrip (for instance), but although it
requires a bit more work, the end product is quite a bit more useful
than what I've been able to achieve with Mapsource. For instance, with
a couple of keystrokes, GARtrip will annotate my track with 0.1 mi
"milestones" telling me my speed at each 0.1 mile.

I think that Mapsource is great for looking up a location, or viewing
maps without the interminable waits that occur when using MapQuest, or
some other online map resource, but for post-processing of data it
varies from awkward to useless.

As an example of the latter, take the Mapsource "elevation profile."
Because the origin of the Y-axis is fixed at 0, elevation profiles taken
at altitudes distant from sea-level all look the same -- a straight,
horizontal line. Oh, maybe if you were in an airplane it would be
useful, but for me on my bicycle, at 4500' elevation, it is not nearly
so nice as the plot that GARtrip makes which sets the origin of the
Y-axis at the minimum elevation in the profile instead of zero. I
suppose I should not consider the additional factor that Mapsource will
not print the elevation plots, but then again who would want to print a
straight line? ;)

In fact, in spite of GARtrips user interface which manages to be at the
same time both the most non-intuitive and productive interface I've ever
used, it would probably serve my needs if it had a way to find and
calibrate its own maps. And if it did 3D. :)

-- Rick

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