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Old 03-01-2006, 02:21 PM   #1
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For years I have used DeLorm Map and go to plan my trips and campgrounds but they havent upgraded it for around 7 years now and don't plan to. So I have been looking at some others Trailer Life,Rand Mc Nally De lorme 2006 National geographic to name a few and haven't found what I want till I got the latest version of Microsoft streets and trips and it seems to be quite good it has all the Corps of engeneers [ My favorites] state parks provintial parks as well as most private ones. It dosn't seem as user frendly as the Map and go but will take some getting used to. Anyone else use these?
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Old 03-01-2006, 05:20 PM   #2
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Yes, I use MS&t to plan all our trips. I use iit to documnbet miles traveled, refueling stops, and side trips.

I have a notebook computer installed in the TV and use GPS to keep live position as we go down the road.

I have been doing this for about 6 years.
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Old 03-01-2006, 05:55 PM   #3
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I use Precision Mapping, you can check it out at http://www.undertowsoftware.com. Actually V 7 is a year old at this time. They have been upgrading every 12 to 18 months. I've got version 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. It's not the most sophisticated and doesn't have the level of extraneous information that a good GPS mapping program does. The maps are generally right on.

I've looked at some of the GPS map software and it seems pretty complete. They even offer versions tailored for the travelor. You use them on a PC and then transfer the info you want to a GPS unit.

Curt

The original link was sabataged by the forum software, I put in the full code manually and the forum added the second half of the code making garbage of the link.
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Old 03-01-2006, 09:19 PM   #4
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i use streets and trips i plan the whole trip includeing the gas prices use its gps with my lap top i found for the $$$ it is great...
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Old 03-02-2006, 10:01 PM   #5
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I use Precision Mapping, you can check it out at http://www.undertowsoftware.com/]www.undertowsoftware.com. Actually V 7 is a year old at this time. They have been upgrading every 12 to 18 months. I've got version 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. It's not the most sophisticated and doesn't have the level of extraneous information that a good GPS mapping program does. The maps are generally right on.

I've looked at some of the GPS map software and it seems pretty complete. They even offer versions tailored for the travelor. You use them on a PC and then transfer the info you want to a GPS unit.

Curt
I clicked on your link, but couldn't get the page up. I think the correct link might be: http://www.undertowsoftware.com/
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Old 03-03-2006, 07:56 AM   #6
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I use Microsoft S&T. I see the yearly new versions at Costco for about $15 or $20, and one with the GPS receiver for about $90, so the price is hard to beat.
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Old 03-03-2006, 09:59 AM   #7
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Here is a link where you can find a lot of GPS waypoints for some GPS receivers. If your receiver is not in the list you can convert files from one of those which are present to yours, with GPSBabel. My receiver is a Garmin Quest, so I used MapSource.zip

I use M S&T 2005 too. I like it for planning routes for each day of a long trip. It contains quite all campgrounds that are published in Woodall's Guides and it includes their GPS coordinates.
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Old 03-03-2006, 12:00 PM   #8
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Uhm. I fixed the link to Precision mapping in my first post. The original link was sabataged by the forum software, I put in the full code manually and the forum added the second half of the code making garbage of the link.

With several of you using M S&T I looked at it. Seems like they have improved it over the last 7 or 8 years. I think I'll try the current version.

Do you think M S&T is better than Mapsend or GPS specific software?
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Old 03-03-2006, 12:29 PM   #9
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Has anyone tried Google's mapping? Check out http://maps.google.com. You can see map views, satellite images, or a combo of the two. It's a pretty sweet freebie that I like to use. Hope that helps.
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Old 03-03-2006, 09:23 PM   #10
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Here is a link where you can find a lot of GPS waypoints for some GPS receivers. If your receiver is not in the list you can convert files from one of those which are present to yours, with GPSBabel. My receiver is a Garmin Quest, so I used MapSource.zip

I use M S&T 2005 too. I like it for planning routes for each day of a long trip. It contains quite all campgrounds that are published in Woodall's Guides and it includes their GPS coordinates.

I checked out the Discovery owners waypoints for Oregon. All of them "Camping on a shoe string" and "free sites", the waypoints are for the center of a city. Use that with a GPS receiver and you led directly to city center and nothing more, at least for those 2.
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Old 03-03-2006, 10:59 PM   #11
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Do you think M S&T is better than Mapsend or GPS specific software?
The only GPS softwares I know are those from Garmin. So I can't speak about others. If your looking for a list of campgrounds, S&T is largely better. Garmin's softwares contain a very small number of campgrounds, even if they announce to have some.
In my first post, I told S&T gives GPS location for campgrounds. This may be more or less accurate because theses locations are deducted from position of the campground on the map.
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Old 03-04-2006, 12:11 AM   #12
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In Southern California, Thomas Brothers Map Books are THE automotive map bible. I have all 6 Southern California counties (San Diego, Imperial, Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernadino) in print AND on CD rom in the 2006 version. Rand McNalley publishes the Thomas Brothers Guides, so for other map needs, I use http://www.randmcnalley.com
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Old 03-04-2006, 09:16 AM   #13
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In Microsoft Streets and Trips the place locations are entered into the map database as their GPS co-ordinates. This causes several places I have visited to be in error because the person entering the data made a mistake or the data was in error.

Two specific instances are Best Holiday Trav-l Park in Chatanooga, TN and the Wingrey Family Campground in Waynesville, NC. Both are shown on the map as west of there actual position.

I have learned to fimd a campground on the map, you have to first list its location information, then enter the location address, and finaly verify that the map co-ordinates indicate the same location as the address.

Live and learn.
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Old 03-04-2006, 01:55 PM   #14
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Now that I have worked with it a few days I am wondering if the Microsoft Auto route would be any beter than what I have Microsoft Streets? One thing that is missing seems to be Information. Mainly when open as we do most of our traveling in Spring and fall. I don't use the Gps much. Only in large Citiys. I print out maps for about every 50 miles and have them mounted on my steering wheel. and use a hiliter to mark where I am one feature I like is it is loaded on my harddrive No lost CDs.
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Old 03-04-2006, 03:04 PM   #15
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The new (2006) version of MS&T is a great improvement over previous versions. I like the feature where the map moves and the present location icon (with GPS) stays in the center of the map. Also, the voice prompting as waypoints come into view.

I have no problem with the availablity of map informatiom because I preplan all our stops and if there is some doubt about open/closed, I call ahead using the information displayed for a waypoint. I have yet to schedule a stop at a campground that was closed. Even with below freezing temperature in Meridan, MS last October on the way back from Atlanta. I didn't call the KOA until we were in MS and they said 'come on down'.

The 2006 version also provides access to aerial photographs over the internet. You can actually find some campgrounds that show the campsite layouts before you arrive and perhaps pick a site before you check in.
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Old 03-04-2006, 03:08 PM   #16
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Here is a map of that trip!


atlanta_october_2005.pdf


Sorry about all the push pins. They are Love's Travel Stops, campgrounds, places my wife likes to visit. I used to plan all my fuel stops there when they still gave 2 cent a gallon discount for Good Sams members.
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Old 03-04-2006, 04:37 PM   #17
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Here is a virtual earth (aerial photograph) of Jones RV Park in Norcross, GA. I access this thru MS&T 2006.


Click image for larger version

Name:	Jones_RV_Park_Virtual_Earth.jpg
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ID:	1542
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Old 03-04-2006, 07:41 PM   #18
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Here is a map of that trip!
This looks like a nice way to show the route of a trip when telling us about it in [b]Camping, Campout Reports.
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Old 03-04-2006, 08:26 PM   #19
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Has anyone tried Google's mapping? Check out http://maps.google.com. You can see map views, satellite images, or a combo of the two. It's a pretty sweet freebie that I like to use...
Both Google's Maps and the graphically cooler Earth are impressive free services. Although the satellite data behind them is highly variable (different resolutions and types in different areas), and road detail is not always current reality, I have found them at least somewhat useful everywhere I have tried them.

Both provide latitude and longitude for the currently selected point, so if you find a place in these systems you have the information to enter in your GPS as a destination. In Maps, hit the "Link to this page" link above the map (or copy it as a shortcut) and you get a URL (browser address line) which contains the latitude and longitude. For instance, what I get from map centred on West Edmonton Mall (just a convenient landmark for tourists) contains the following:
  • ?ll=53.522528,-113.62288
  • &spn=spn=0.009912,0.015986
Indeed 53.522528 degrees latitude and 113.62288 degrees west longitude is in the middle of the mall (according to Google Earth). The "spn" part of the URL is a zoom factor.

I typed the address for Jones RV Park (from CD Smith's map) into Google Earth and got the following photo, centred at 33.925 deg lat and 84.176 deg long.

Click image for larger version

Name:	JonesRVpark.jpg
Views:	34
Size:	97.6 KB
ID:	1547

The equivalent Google Maps link works as well.

Note that both are on-line services, so this isn't a solution for use in the tow vehicle for most of us.

There is a GPS device data import option in some of the versions available for purchase.

By the way, if you use Earth on a Windows system and find problems with graphic performance, check if you are using the OpenGL option for Graphics Mode or DirectX (in Tools - Options) - although OpenGL is now the default I somehow had DirectX set (probably from using the beta version) and changing to OpenGL got me around a problem on one of my installations (where the DirectX is outdated, or mismatched to the graphics card, or something...).
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