Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with maps and gps

Help me help my boss not get lost.

chiababe — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:50:48 -0800

My boss wants me to research GPS units for him to use since he'll be traveling a lot more in the near future. Any recommendations? I really don't know what I should be looking for in a good GPS unit. He wants to spend less than $200. It also needs to be fairly simple to use and update. He's an awesome boss, but not so good with tricky technology. Most of his travel will be within North and South Carolina. We're looking to purchase this within the week, so I won't be able to wait for new models that might be around the corner. I've read a few of the previous questions on this, but I'm wondering if there's anything new and exciting I should be looking at.

I'm thinking about getting a blackberry pearl. will I need a data plan to view maps?

krautland — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 04:29:59 -0800

I'm thinking about getting a blackberry pearl. will I need a data plan to view maps? I'm currently using a pay-as-you-go plan (vodafone, germany) and my old phone is on its last breath. I don't want to get a contract, so an iphone is pretty much out of the question.

I'm looking at the grps version of the blackberry pearl. it can be cheaply had on ebay and it displays maps, which is the feature I crave most. will this work without a data plan or will be get charged through the nose for using it?

(yes, I'd love to use gmail on the go as well but I am already resigned to that not working without shelling out moolah for a plan.)

I'm conflicted between shelling out more for a phone that can record decent video as well as display maps but I haven't seen one that doesn't cost way too much for someone who spends less than €15/month on his cell phone bill.

How to maps some trails with a GPS?

SNACKeR — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 09:57:32 -0800

How can I create a trail map using a GPS? I would like to walk (or bike) some old logging roads and generate a map that I can then print. There must be way to do this using a GPS and cartography software, but I have been unable to find a solution. Any recommendations for a GPS that is suitable for this would also be welcome. I currently have a Garmin 250W.

Perhaps there is a solution using Google Earth?

Best Mac GPS mapping software and hardware?

wavejumper — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:26:36 -0800

What's the best GPS mapping system for making trail maps (software/hardware)? I'm an Apple person. More explanation: I want to map out and publicize a route I've been exploring that links my town to the regional trail system (which is about 50 trail-miles away, probably taking three or four detail maps). I'd like not to spend that much. And I REALLY like the "Terrain" view from Google Maps, any way to use that for my topography graphics?
Who can recommend the best (Mac) software? And cheapest hardware? Don't really need a good display, as I really just need the GPS to record the trail route and the elevation gains, I guarantee I'll never use it for actual Navigation, I think they pretty much suck for that purpose ;-].
Any way to use an iPhone's GPS with mapping software by the way?
Thanks!

Is there a free (cheap) KML editor for the Mac?

brokekid — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:45:53 -0800

Is there a free (cheap) KML editor, like NorthGates' KML Editor or KaMeLwriter, for the Mac? I haven't had much luck finding one, extMate doesn't do the job and running either of these in Parallels would kill my machine. Thanks for your help.

I'm tired of backtracking the hinterlands

abkadefgee — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 10:48:18 -0800

How can I automatically arrange my walk-lists for political canvassing? I'm going to be cutting up a lot of turf for canvassers over the next couple of months and the solutions I have available are pretty insufficient. For instance, when I print out a walk-list, all the streets are arranged in alphabetical order rather than geographic location.

Is there anyway to dump map points into a program/web service so that they can be automatically arranged in a logical walking order?

What about London should I map?

viewofdelft — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:23:05 -0800

What about London should I map? I'm in an Advanced GIS class for which I need to produce a final cartographic project. The project must begin in ArcGIS but from there I'm free to use anything else (Illustrator, Flash, Google Earth, etc). In the spirit of John Snow, I'd like to make my upcoming trip to London a force for academic good.

I have a GPS unit, a DSLR camera, a student's budget, and a winning personality. What should I map? I'm open to all suggestions as long as they meet the following criteria:

1) The map should present complex and interesting information. I'm not too worried about this one because questions soliciting suggestions on this site often generate very interesting answers.

2) The project/map should be focused. I'll be in London for only a week and I'd like to make the data collection effort into a sort of overarching theme for my visit. That means I should probably confine my map to one neighborhood or area (I'm staying in Soho, but don't let that restrict you).

3) The data can come from any (accessible) source. I'd like to have a little fun gathering the data, but if your suggestions for a map can just as easily be constructed with data from other sources, I'd be happy to hear them. I live in the United States, so any return trips are out of the question this semester.

Thanks in advance. If I choose to go with one of the suggestions, I'll keep you updated.

How to Sync GPS data

mrgreyisyelling — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 14:43:35 -0800

What is a simple straight forward way to gather gps data, and sync it with my digital camera/ Digital recorder? And possibly create a GIS database out of it? Before we go too far: I understand there are classes for this and I will be taking one before my degree is done.

In the mean time, I got a case of mappies. So I figured, despite having no knowledge of how to create the maps the best way - I could start collecting the data I want for the maps in anyway possible.

My desire is to map sections of my new home town, coordinating location with description, picture, or audio clip - and have it all end up in a database that will be appropriate for future GIS tom-foolery. I have attempted this in the past with my GPS tracker, and an attempt sync the time stamps of everything - but I've only had mixed results, it wasn't in any sort of usable database format.

So any software, hardware, technique that can be suggested that can suit my need before the class would be great.

Cheap or free German gps maps for a magellan roadmate 1200?

damn dirty ape — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 14:18:55 -0800

Cheap or free German gps maps for a magellan roadmate 1200? I just got a Magellan roadmate 1200 for christmas without warning as a gift and am now in germany for a few days. It came loaded with maps for the United States only. I've done some searches on the magellan website for maps of frankfurt and berlin and have only found these very expensive software packages for Europe for 99 to 250 dollars. Is this what I need to use this thing in germany or are there cheaper or free alternatives? Its not worth doing for that kind of money and I probably will never use those maps again. I'm hoping there's some kind of trial or cheapware I can use. Any ideas hivemind?

GPS and mapping software help needed

birdlady — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:48:56 -0800

I'm a product rep and have to visit stores all over the city. I'm looking for a reasonably priced GPS that will allow me to enter various addresses, then the software will organize it and plan an itinerary. Do tomtoms, etc. have this functionality? If not, is there software or mapping programs that will do this? I've used a tomtom xl, and it does have an itinerary feature, but it doesn't plan it out based on location, it just goes in the order that the waypoints were entered. If I can find software to do this, I could just enter the waypoints in the right order, but as of now, I have no way to plan store visits in a logical order. Which software/gps should I buy?

For a GPS, wish list items include:
Itinerary planning
Voice prompts
Under $200

Help me figure out what I need to buy to organize my maps and find my way around!

What is this location I spotted from Google maps?

soulbarn — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:17:37 -0800

Does anyone know what this facility is (google satellite image, Action, California.) It looks like a nursery, or something similar, but I'm trying to get more specifics for a hiking guide I'm working on (without taking the long, long drive out there.)

GPS for hiking

0xFCAF — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 21:38:38 -0800

What's a good GPS unit for hiking? I'm fine with a compass and topo map, but would like to track more detailed information like how long it actually took to get from point A to point B, what the elevation profile looks like, where I stopped for a rest, remaining distance back, etc. There are so many units on the market now it's hard to figure out what the real differences between them are.

Features I'm looking for:

Set some small-ish number of waypoints based on current position or known coordinates and track direction/distance to those points
Water-resistant
Take a location reading every N minutes and save these data points for use later (maybe even download to a PC?)
Battery life should be at least 6 hours
Elevation readings stored and displayed
Good reception under moderate tree cover
Smaller than a 1 liter water bottle

Things I don't really care about: fancy display, car mounting, maps, or driving directions. Any price under ~$300 is fine.

Things I'm not sure if I care about: Is WAAS useful in remote areas? Why do some units have a barometric altimeter if GPS provides elevation data anyway?

Maps vs. GPS - Choosing High Tech or Low Tech Travel

Dreama — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:02:02 -0800

Roadtrip technology. Which would you prefer, high-tech solutions (web-enabled phone/Palm, laptop, GPS) or low-tech solutions (maps, AAA Triptiks, GoogleMaps printouts) or some combination? I'm embarking on a bit of a road trip soon, and I'm trying to come to a conclusion about technology and what I want to schlep along and whether or not it's worthwhile to pay the premium for in-car GPS to the rental agency and so forth. I'm a map nerd, and the more detail the better, and I love having a paper map that I can take into a diner and pour over as I drink some coffee. On the other hand, I'm also a tech nerd, and the idea of a GPS that can say "Turn right in 50 yards" gives peace of mind, but I fear a situation in which a GPS put a friend in the parking lot of a KMart when they were aiming for the (easy to find) Pittsburgh airport.

If you were driving across four states through major metropolitan areas and making a variety of stops in unfamiliar places, what directional technology would you use? How would you combine options to have the best coverage and least opportunity for hair-rending moments of "where in blue blazes am I?!?!?!"

What maps do I need for my GPS handheld?

louigi — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 08:30:34 -0800

Which maps do I need to buy in order to use my GPS in London? I am in the process of choosing a GPS unit (as did kimdog) and am probably going to buy a Garmin etrex Vista CX. The main use will be for navigating on foot in London, England: essentially I want be able to put in a postcode or address and see how I should walk to my destination. If I buy a model with the European basemap, will I be set or will I need to purchase further maps? If the European basemap will be insufficient (or if I bought a unit with a North American basemap, which would be substantially cheaper), is my only option to buy the obscenely priced City Navigator Europe map package?

Alternately, if you can tell me a different combination of GPS + software that you've used for a similar purpose in London and that has worked well for you, I would be equally happy.

Help me get from here to there

quin — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 19:54:21 -0800

I have a Garmin GPS unit, I would very much like to get some maps on it. And I am not above paying the $80 to $100 to get the map CDs that they offer. But before I do that, I would like to explore what the Open Source community has to offer. Looking around, I've found a lot of different utilities to create my own maps. But they rarely seem to provide documentation on exactly how to do this.

My question is this; I would like to use something like google maps to create a route-able map (one that defines the streets for navigation purposes, as opposed to just a static snap-shot of a map). Is this possible? I'm not afraid to do the work, but it would help enormously if someone could point me to either tutorials on how to use the multitude of tools that are out there, or failing that, the pre-existing maps themselves (South East Wisconsin and Northern Illinois).

GPS coordinates

cascando — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 13:07:23 -0800

K. My google skills are weak. I am opening an art gallery at the intersection of Gore and Powell street in Vancouver, B.C. I want to name the gallery the GPS coordinates. Can I find this on the internet, Google maps or something? I should add the deadline for declaring this is 5pm today, so time is tight.