Mapomatic – Applications of Mapping

SatMap have quietly released a new firmware, v1.4, for their SatMap Active 10 devices.  As well as addressing a range of bugs, the full Changelog is included in this article.  Highlights include better Geocaching.com support, better power management, including hibernation support.  For the full changelog, read the rest of the article…

Continue reading ‘SatMap release new firmware’ »

In keeping with our commitments to regular free updates, we’ve released new updates to our Garmin Maps, covering the original UK Garmin OSM Map.

Updates to the Cycle and Canal maps to follow shortly.

There’s been quite a lot of activity in the UK map since our last updates in April, so these updated maps are well worth installing to your Garmin.

Head off to the download page to pick up the latest versions…

From UKGadgeteer:

SatMap, the makes of the SatMap Active 10 (and SatMap Active10 Plus), have this week released a new version of their PC software, and a new firmware for the Active 10 devices to go with it.   For us, the key new feature is the support of geocaching.com GPX files, giving you a full range of information about the geocaches; offering hints, cache descriptions, terrain, difficulty, and logs.

In keeping with our commitments to regular free updates, we’ve released new updates to all 3 of our Garmin Maps, covering the original UK Garmin OSM Map, the UK Garmin OSM Cycle Map, and the new UK Garmin OSM Canal Map which we launched back in January.  There’s been quite a lot of activity in the UK map since January, so these updated maps are well worth installing to your Garmin.

Head off to the download page to pick up the latest versions…

Satmap Systems Ltd., has today announced the launch of the Active 10 Plus which is a one stop GPS solution giving outdoor sports enthusiasts the hardware, software and route planning tools they need to get out and explore. The Active 10 Plus has an RRP of £379.99 which is a saving of £120 if buying all elements of the bundle separately.

There is no difference between the performance of the Active 10 and Active 10 Plus, which incorporate the same technology. However, there are two features which differ: the Active 10 Plus comes with a World Base Map and postcode look-up functionality, neither of which is included in the Active 10.

The postcode look-up is a fast and easy way to identify UK postcode locations and works on any map. From the routes menu Active 10 Plus users can select GoTo by grid reference or postcode. Due to the licensing requirements the postcode look-up option cannot be retrofitted on the Active 10 and is only available on the Active 10 Plus.

Thanks to UK Gadgeteer for brining this story to our attention. Full details from SatMap can be found here

The Ordance Survey Outdoors Show takes place in 20 days time, starting on the 27th March 2009, and finishing on the 29th March, with over 250 exhibitors and lots of “Have a go” activities to take part in as well.  Pocket GPS World has managed to negotiate a discount to this show, so head over to their site for more information and the instructions on how to obtain a discount on advanced tickets.

In keeping with our commitments to regular free updates, we’ve released new updates to all 3 of our Garmin Maps, covering the original UK Garmin OSM Map, the UK Garmin OSM Cycle Map, and the new UK Garmin OSM Canal Map which we launched only last week.

Head off to the download page to pick up the latest versions…

With the New Year brings new ideas, and today we would like to announce we are launching our OSM Canal Map for Garmin GPS units.  As with all our maps this is initially UK based only, although we are looking to expand and offer more countries during 2009 (if you have any particular requests, please create an account in the forums and ask for your country).

The Canal Map is a little experimental at the moment, and we would welcome feedback good and bad in our forums.  We started with a similar profile as our UK OSM Cycle Map for Garmin, and de-emphasised the cycle routes (although they still appear on the Canal Map to show our Canal Map users easy routes into town centres), and added a number of very specific canal / river POIs (Points of Interest) as well.

Most of the additional POIs are self-explanatory, using the standard Garmin symbols for Marinas, Boatyards etc. but we discovered Garmin did not have a symbol for locks, so we have used the White Navaid symbol for this.  If any Canal Map users can find us a more appropriate symbol, we’ll happily change over.  Also, as OSM maps each individual lock gate, we often find at least 2 occurrences of the lock name in close proximity, which can make the name look blurred.  We’re looking into whether there is anything we can do to improve this, but do let us know whether it’s a real issue or not.

Of course, if you zoom in sufficiently far, you can actually see the individual lock gates…

We believe this is the first UK Canal Map for GPS devices created using OSM data, and hope it proves popular.

As always, this is available for download alongside our other OSM Maps for Garmin here.

OSM2Go is an editor for openstreetmap.org map data. OSM2Go is designed for simplicity and user friendlyness and not for maximim feature count. It is meant for simple mapping on the road.

Take your n810 out and mark your favorite restaurant on OpenStreetMap, enter your childrens playground to the database, map your entire neighbourhood or just correct this OneWay that recently changed direction.

Screenshots from different versions:

Continue reading ‘OSM2Go – OSM Mapping on Nokia Tablets.’ »

Introduction.

The Garmin Colorado 300 is the fisrt GPS to support paperless geocaching. In this review we’ll look at the Garmin Colorado 300 from a geocaching perspective and compare it to a Garmin GMAP 60CSx We’ve had both units on loan from Garmin UK for the past few months.

Whats in the Box.

So what do you get for your money, at the time of writing a Colorado 300 from Amazon is £265, with the GMAP 60CSx £210.  The contents of the box for both units is roughly the same.

Design.

The Colorado moves away from the traditional Garmin user interface of a cursor keypad, and 8 function keys, all functions on the unit are now controlled using the Rock ‘n Roller™ input wheel designed to allow easy one handed operation.

Colorado 300 Design Overview

GPSMap60 Design OVerview

From the images above the differences between the units are clear.

In physical size, theres not much difference between the units.

In Use, lets go caching.

Using the Colorado for paperless caching is an absolute pleasure. To make best use of the Colorado you need to be a premium member of the main geocaching listing site geocaching.com. Then simply create a pocket query for the area you wish to go caching in, download to an SD memory card, insert the card into the bottom of the Colorado 300, and off you go.

In the field we found the GPS reception to be matched to the GPSMAP60 both in accuracy, satellites seen, with the Colorado 300 aquiring it’s initial GPS fix slightly faster than the GPSMAP60. Both units proved to be a significant improvememnt on our current GPS60 Garmin unit, not surprising really given that developments in GPS technology.

The paperless caching capabilities of the Colorado give you access to the all the details on the cache listing page, including that all important hint. Along with several of the previous logs, these often prove invaluable in giving you some guidance on those more challenging geocaches.

The size, shape and weight of the unit mean that it sits nicely in the hand, making following of that all important arrow a pleasure, where the Colorado really wins over previous GPS units from Garmin is the introduction of the  Rock ‘n Roller™ input wheel, using this input device located atop the Colorado’s clear LCD display you can easily use the same hand that you’re holding the unit in to navigate you way round the extensive menus and features of the Colorado 300 simply by rolling the wheel with an action similar to that used on a mouse wheel, or rocking the wheel in an action that can be best described as pushing a joystick. At first it does seem a little alien, but we soon got to grips with this new input device.

Perhaps the best example of the  Rock ‘n Roller™ input wheel working to best effect can be shown on the map page, previously you would have used the cursor pad on the GPSMAP to move around the map, and the ‘in’ and ‘out’ buttons to zoom the map, using the ‘enter’ key to select or mark an item on the map. Now you simply rock the input wheel up, down, left and right to move around the map pretty much as before, roll the wheel to zoom in and out, and press the wheel to select, all whilst holding the unit with the same hand that your using to navigate around the map.

 Memory Expansion.

Discussed above in the geocaching part of this review, both the Colorado and GPSMap can have additional maps, and waypoints added by way of an additional memory card, in addition the colorado can have geocaching information stored on the card. The location, and type of memory card differ between the two units.

With the Colorado, a standard full size memory card can be used, installation is under the battery cover, into a slot in the bottom of the unit, as illustrated below.

Colorado 300 Memory Installation

The GPSMap60 uses a microSD card located underneath the batteries. Again this is shown below.

GPSMap60  Memory Installation

One thing is clear, you certainly don’t want to be swapping the memory of the GPSMap60 when your out in a field, microSD cards are tiny, really tiny,  they’re smaller than a mobile phone sim card, and anyone thats ever had to remove or re-insert on of those will agree it’s not the easiest task.

The colorado makes use of the larger full size SD card,  which makes it easier to change in the a field, but not something we’d recommend doing unless you absolutely had to.

Screenshots.

Conclusion.

Would we recommend the Colorado 300 ? Thats a most definitive yes, so much so with the unit from Garmin now returned, we’ve gone out and bought one to go geocaching with.

Tech Specs.