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mister pooh
11-03-2009, 13:12
Hi there! Before I bought this mapping software I got a lot of good info from folks on the board, and I said I would give it a little review. I got the software with the Delorme PN-30 GPS, but it can be bought as a standalone DVD. Here's the review:

Name mister pooh

Age 40

Product Delorme Topo USA 8.0

MSRP $99.95 with $40 in "Map Dollars" included.

Experience: I've worked with mapping software and GPS units professionally for about 12 years, first as a Quartermaster (navigation specialist) in the Navy and now as a full time student majoring in Geographic Information Systems and interning as a GIS analyst. I'm also a fairly decent orienteer.

Similar Products Used: When I lived in Seattle I bought and used the National Geographic Topo! Washington state series software, which I liked a lot. My only problem with it is the cost (~$100 for NC and SC alone), so I was looking for a cheaper solution. I like printable software because I already spend too much money on paper maps and atlases because I'm a map junkie :)

My main purpose for the software is to print usable trail maps, which for me means good topographic data, a scale and a north arrow with declination. The Topo USA software does all of this. The software on the DVD includes Delorme created vector based data with the ability to scale the contour lines to 5 ft intervals. The included data is pretty good, a little better than the printed Delorme state atlases for those used to them.

You can also download scans of the actual USGS 24k topo maps, but there is a catch: you have to pay 30 cents per 3 square kilometer chunk. You can also download aerial photos, satellite imagery and nautical charts at various pricing. The software comes with $40 worth of credit ("Map Dollars") for download, or you can pay $30 per year and download as much info as you want. You keep the data that you download. The download is pretty fast, and the USGS info I printed looked just like the regular 24K topo. You can also layer the Delorme data that is on the disk over the scanned data, as well as stuff you create.

The included software has some trail data, including the entire AT and shelters. You can also import data in gpx format, which is great. You can download a lot of trails from places like backpacker.com, easytrail.com, redtrail.com etc. The software also comes with road data and the ability to make routes similar to Google Maps. I haven't played with that feature much yet. You can use trail data and lines you draw yourself to make elevation profiles, and print them at the bottom of the maps you create or separately. You can also create routing data for figuring out stops and getting "turn by turn" directions for trails.

For the GPS user, the software is made to be used with the Delorme Earthmate GPS's, but some features are still usable with other brands. While you can only download maps, waypoints, tracks and routes you create directly to Earthmates, you can export waypoints, tracks and routes as gpx files, which you can use in most units. One word of caution, you have to export waypoint files and track files separately in the program. You can then merge this info in another program like TopoFusion or by hand in Notepad if you're good with XML :)

Ease of Use- This software is a bit tricky to use. It's got a lot of features, but the interface is really complicated. I kept the users guide opened in a pdf window for the first few days of use, and referred to it a lot. There is also a lot of support on Delorme's user forum http://forum.delorme.com/ . I will say Nat'l Geo Topo! is easier to use, but I've gotten used to a lot of Topo USA's quirks over the last 4 days of playing with it off and on.

Conclusion- If the idea of being able to print your own hiking maps appeals to you, Topo USA 8.0 is a great buy if you're able to put the time into learning its features. I went out on Sunday with my fiance on her first hike(!) with a map printed on the Nat'l Geo 8" x 11" waterproof paper and taught her some basic map and compass use with no problems either creating the map, printing it or using it in the field.

More info at http://www.delorme.com/

Thanks for reading, and if I can answer any questions it would be my pleasure!

Buzz_Lightfoot
11-03-2009, 13:58
Thanks for the review Pooh!

One question, how 8is the quality of the printed maps? I own a very much older copy of the software and the quality was not very good. Is it as good as a purchased map?

BL

mister pooh
11-03-2009, 14:35
I printed a map that I made using the downloaded USGS 24k topo data at a scale of 1:25000 (zoom level 13) using my HP Photosmart C4680 inkjet printer at Normal quality on the Nat'l Geo Adventure paper, and it turned out clear as a bell. I'm still experimenting with different zoom levels and printing. Now I'm really wanting a large format printer for home, or at least one that can print 11"x16" :)

Buzz_Lightfoot
11-03-2009, 16:31
I printed a map that I made using the downloaded USGS 24k topo data at a scale of 1:25000 (zoom level 13) using my HP Photosmart C4680 inkjet printer at Normal quality on the Nat'l Geo Adventure paper, and it turned out clear as a bell. I'm still experimenting with different zoom levels and printing. Now I'm really wanting a large format printer for home, or at least one that can print 11"x16" :)

That's good to know. I'm a bit of a map junkie myself. Maybe I know waht to tell the wife to get me for Christmas. (:

BL

dlh62c
11-28-2009, 18:21
With XMAP PRO....you ain't seen nothing yet. You should be able to get it for $99, being a PN owner. Lets say there's a trail you wish to hike, buts its not on TOPO USA. But you have a printed map of it. You can scan the paper map...register it using XMAP, add your waypoints and down load it into the PN-30/40.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa284/dlh62c/Test.jpg

What I did here was register a MilePost map over a track to Alaska. While this is not routable, (turn-by-turn directions), I can follow it. I even dropped some waypoints for some campgrounds along the route.

daryl

mister pooh
11-28-2009, 23:43
Yes, I'm also getting ready to get XMAP Pro. That's a lot of great features for the money.

weary
11-29-2009, 00:06
With XMAP PRO....you ain't seen nothing yet. You should be able to get it for $99, being a PN owner. Lets say there's a trail you wish to hike, buts its not on TOPO USA. But you have a printed map of it. You can scan the paper map...register it using XMAP, add your waypoints and down load it into the PN-30/40.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa284/dlh62c/Test.jpg

What I did here was register a MilePost map over a track to Alaska. While this is not routable, (turn-by-turn directions), I can follow it. I even dropped some waypoints for some campgrounds along the route.

daryl
That's good information. I know that not many on WhiteBlaze are likely to have my special needs. My chore is to do a town map that both shows all 31 miles of hiking trails, easy with a Delorme PN 40, but also the boundaries of the protected preserves through which those trails run, a more complicated process.

The town tax maps show the property boundaries. I've been trying to figure out how to transfer the property map data to Delorme. You've given me some important hints. If you, or anyone, have other suggestions, please PM me.

Weary

dlh62c
11-29-2009, 10:00
XMAP isn't without its limations. Only two points can be registered. This is fine for a small map, but not for one of the entire Yukon Terratory. You either break it up into chunks or use a 3rd party program called HyperCube to warp the map.

Here's a link: http://www.horsetrailrider.com/gps-mapping-stuff/47-betterregistration

It does take some work. I warn you...you will most likely spend more time setting in front of the computer than walking about. But it does make for great foul weather entertainment.

Delorme calls the PN series a 'Serious Tool'. IMO it won't be until they come out with an affortable routable world base map. SinceI've been a member, their forum has seen an increase in global routing questions.

daryl

mister pooh
11-29-2009, 12:49
One idea for Weary or anyone else looking to incorporate land use/tax data- see if your county planning commission or tax board has the info you need in ESRI shapefile format. It is the standard GIS for most local governments. You can import shapefiles into XMap directly. Another work around if you don't have XMap is to download a free copy of ArcExplorer from http://www.esri.com/ , import the shapefile then convert to .gpx format. Since the tax maps are probably in polygon form, you might have to convert to individual waypoints then hand draw the polygons in TOPO USA or similar.

I agree that the worldwide basemap from Delorme is too expensive, but having the US and Canada routable data is good enough for most. TOPO USA or XMap with Maplink is way cheaper than buying Garmin's not too good and expensive topo data, or Nat'l Geo's TOPO! for each state.

All of the map discussions on Whiteblaze recently have affirmed my choice for a career field. Detailed geographic data organized and presented in an easy to use format is valuable, and those who do the collecting, organizing and presenting are often well compensated. Or, they are true angel volunteers like Weary and others who take the time to do it for others for free :).

dlh62c
12-01-2009, 18:05
I'm planing a trip north to Alaska next July. I thought of camping at a few KOA's on the way up. So I downloaded an aerial shot of one using Delorme's subscription. The aerial shots can be down loaded into the PN-40 using TOPO USA. But they are not free. The trip up there is something like 4000 miles...there's no way I'm going to download aerial views for the entire route. Just for stops or way points along the route up to the Canada border.

Here it is on the PN-40 at different zoom levels.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa284/dlh62c/screencap-2009-11-30--16-33-07.jpg

That pool sure will feel good in July.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa284/dlh62c/screencap-2009-11-30--16-32-00.jpg

Also some of the Milepost maps from a previous post.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa284/dlh62c/screencap-2009-11-10--12-06-29.jpg

On the left side of the screen shot you can see just how close the map is to the actual route. Its close enough for what I'm doing.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa284/dlh62c/screencap-2009-11-10--16-51-54.jpg

daryl

dlh62c
12-01-2009, 18:20
The town tax maps show the property boundaries. I've been trying to figure out how to transfer the property map data to Delorme.


I hope you don't plan to use the PN-40 to lay out fences or set property corners. It will get you close, but the accuracy isn't good enough for that. Leave that kind of work to a land surveyor. Thats why they charge the big bucks incase there's any legal issues.

daryl

weary
12-01-2009, 23:13
I hope you don't plan to use the PN-40 to lay out fences or set property corners. It will get you close, but the accuracy isn't good enough for that. Leave that kind of work to a land surveyor. Thats why they charge the big bucks incase there's any legal issues.

daryl
Nope. That's not my goal. Last summer I produced a 4-page tabloid describing the 31 miles of trails in my town. One owner of one of the preserves was unhappy over the unwanted publicity, and suggested, in an aside, that I should have shown the boundaries of each preserve where the trails are located.

I wasn't about to delete mention of their trails. But I figured I might try to compromise and at least show the boundaries of the various preserves where the trails are located. The town tax records have all the information of who owns the lands the trails are located on. My challenge is to translate the town data to a Delorme base map.

Weary