Aerial Maps

WGA Member Joined: 2007-04-27 Posts: 331 Location: Muskego

Lets hear what maps you use! Since most of our caching has been on the east side of the state, Google maps have served up some pretty detailed maps of the areas we hunt. I was even surprised, that places I didnt know existed (i.e. Rochester) are clearly detailed. However, the Google maps of Darien, Janesville, and Beliot are more like impressionist paintings. Has anyone found an easy to use, detailed map that you can plot a bunch of waypoints for the more rural areas? What DO you use?

Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 5:06 pm

I use both google maps and earth. I use earth when planning a route. When the route is complete I use the fly feature to get an idea of things I will see a long the way (parks, caches, lakes). I use google maps for the "my maps" feature and because that is the default map gc.com.

WGA Member Joined: 2007-11-26 Posts: 3258

Expert GPS is all I need. Upload whatever list of waypoints you want (or enter your own) and overlay them with either aerial or topo maps.

Powerful features including distance calculation from one point to another and some helpful tools such as drawing proximity circles which might be useful in solving some puzzles...not that I know of any...

Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 6:44 pm

For rural areas, I guess usaphotomap would work pretty well. I would check out the Web links section of this website and click on mapping, there are lots of websites/programs you can check out.

WGA Member Joined: 2006-12-23 Posts: 5951

I use mapquest for aerials, its most consistent one I've found. Though i did run across and then lose a link to a site that seemed to take you one level closer with as good detail as mapquest.

Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 7:18 am

I use Microsoft Map Point.

Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 8:39 am

Being a bit handicapped by my MAC office and infrastructure, I am limited to all things NOT microsoft. That means no GSAK, ExpertGPS or any number of other powerful and well developed software.

Instead I get to use Terrabrowser for aerial mapping and Meander for distance measurements. Man, would I love a proximity circle function!!!!

If only I had an Intel based MAC, I could install Parallels and run Vista programs on it. Unfortunately, I don't and Virtual PC costs a boatload, so I haven't even tried.

Might have to invest in a new Mac in 09.... might being the key word.

WGA Member Joined: 2008-03-13 Posts: 76

I use a air o nautical sectional for plotting . Wisconsin has two that cover the state . The Chicago and Green Bay. New ones (updated) come out every 6 mouths they shows towers and things that are real big. easy to see Also try the topo maps by National Geo gaffic good luck.

Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 2:47 pm

I use Google Maps for urban, Mapquest for rural, Microsoft Live Local and Google Street View for EXTREME CLOSEUP (obscure cultural reference...) and, of course, City Navigator on the GPS.

WGA Member Joined: 2007-04-27 Posts: 331 Location: Muskego

Checked out Mapquest for rural areas, and its what I am looking for. Now at the risk of sounding ignorant, I cannot find the help on their site for importing or plotting waypoints? Can someone point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 5:38 pm

Google Earth does the job quite nicely for us. It helps plan our routes, and more importantly is unmatched in it's usefulness as a futurecache placement tool.

Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 6:15 pm

SammyClaws wrote:

Checked out Mapquest for rural areas, and its what I am looking for. Now at the risk of sounding ignorant, I cannot find the help on their site for importing or plotting waypoints? Can someone point me in the right direction?

In the "When you only have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail" category, I have a junk database in GSAK where I have just a few caches that people ask me to check. I just change the coordinates and use the GSAK "link" to send them to Mapquest. If you want to do it manually, the syntax is:

Code:

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=%lat&longitude=%lon

Where %lat and %lon are decimal degree latitude and longitude.

WGA Member Joined: 2007-04-27 Posts: 331 Location: Muskego

Hmm the hammer and nail must be some 60's reference that I'm not aware of. But along that same line, I searched GSAK, the GSAK forum and the macros area and cannot find a link to mapquest? Care to enlighten me on where to find that? I have the Google one that I run constantly.

WGA Member Joined: 2006-12-23 Posts: 5951

sammy - I think what TDJ is talking about can also be done right on any cache page and click the "other conversions" link right next to the coordinates on the page.

From there you can change the coords, and it has the links to several mapping services.

Short cut to the page:
Other Conversions

I could be reading his post wrong but I too do not know of a mapquest link in gsak.

--mike