Help with PDA / PC mapping software please?

The Hancock Clan · Post by **The Hancock Clan** » 21 December 07 10:46 pm

We've recently moved here from the UK (loving it by the way!) and could do with a little help on the gadget side of things!

It seems that 'Ozi Explorer' is the way forward over here? (We're used to a program called Memory Map but after a lot of research it seems the maps are limited).

If we were to purchase Ozi Explorer, can anyone tell us what are the best maps for geocaching (Sydney region) & where do we get them from?

The digital UBD street directory looks handy too but will that work on the PDA as we've come across contradicting information on-line?

Any help will be greatly appreciated & if anyone needs any UK maps, we've got the lot!

Crisp image · Post by **Crisp image** » 22 December 07 2:09 pm

Welcome Hancock Clan.
The UDB will inteface with Ozi but you have to download a free patch which I think is a map calabration file.
As for UDB running on a PDA I have had no luck doing that however it could be my operating system. You could use Oziexplorer CE for your PDA. I am still experemeing with that. As I live in county victoria I use ozi with 1:25,000 maps quite well.
I hope this hepls you in yor quest.
Happy hunting
Crisp Image

The Hancock Clan · Post by **The Hancock Clan** » 24 December 07 7:49 am

Thanks crisp image. I think we'll probably go for the Ozi Explorer CE for the PDA as you said with the UBD maps. 

If anyone's interested, we've done a bit of googling and also found a huge selection (1.3Gb) of 1:25k & 1:100k NSW topo maps available on the "Overlander 4WD" website forums that look good. 

Here's the example they have...

We haven't a clue about the legality of them??? But they're on a respectable website (Overlander 4WD as in the magazine) and the thread's been going since May 2005. 

The forum thread's here: 

http://forums.overlander.com.au/viewtop ... sc&start=0 

(there's also a direct download link at the bottom of page 16)

Dooghan · Post by **Dooghan** » 24 December 07 10:03 am

They are a free set of maps that festy made available. They are ok to copy and also give a copy to friends. Just make sure that you acknowledge festy as the creator and copyright holder.

Dooghan

Thomo · Post by **Thomo** » 24 December 07 10:06 am

You may also want to check out this site - http://www.gpsaustralia.net/

It is where the "Overlander" maps had originated from. The CDs were being passed out for free on a few mailing list, I haven`t logged onto the site for a few months now, so don`t know how the lists are going. From memory you can also download the maps from the site but you needed to be a member of the forum and have a few posts under you sleeve before doing so.

Mr Router · Post by **Mr Router** » 24 December 07 12:26 pm

Thomo wrote:You may also want to check out this site - http://www.gpsaustralia.net/

Just rediscovered I log in to this site and it is really a cool site now

Have just rediscovered mapgrabber, there might be a new map somewhere

Dooghan · Post by **Dooghan** » 24 December 07 2:41 pm

Thomo wrote:You may also want to check out this site - http://www.gpsaustralia.net/

It is where the "Overlander" maps had originated from. The CDs were being passed out for free on a few mailing list, I haven`t logged onto the site for a few months now, so don`t know how the lists are going. From memory you can also download the maps from the site but you needed to be a member of the forum and have a few posts under you sleeve before doing so.

The DVD lists are dead!!!! People would receive the DVD and NOT make copies to pass on. Other people and myself tried to revive the list by sending out 2 or more copies but they died again. A bit of a shame some people want to take and not give.

Dooghan

Thomo · Post by **Thomo** » 26 December 07 9:11 am

I posted 5 or 6 copies myself. It is a shame the lists are no longer active. It was a good idea and the maps have come in handy.

Mr Router · Post by **Mr Router** » 26 December 07 3:16 pm

I gave the maps to everyone i thought needed them

Geof · Post by **Geof** » 26 December 07 9:39 pm

Maybe a little unrelated but are you aware of shonkymaps

http://shonkylogic.net/shonkymaps/

Also search this forum for shonkymaps

Made by cacher "shonkylogic".

Dooghan · Post by **Dooghan** » 27 December 07 1:59 am

G'Day The Hancock Clan

Just re-reading your first post and the UBD maps will not work on any PPC with Ozi CE. Ozi CE does not understand the UBD format. I do believe they is a way around it but I don't have a UBD product to try it on. The UBD maps are in a .CMP format. This is a proprietry bitmap, compression, published by LEAD Technologies. If you have a look at the companies website HERE you find a converter. Having a look at the page you should be able to convert to just about any format you want. As Ozi CE can only open OZF2, OZFX3 and ECW files you will have to run the converted files through the img2ozf converter. The img2ozf program can be found on the Ozi site. That will convert then into one of the above format for use on Ozi CE. While your there make sure you get the .MAP config files for the UBD maps. You will need edit then also along the way. They are only a simple TXT file you can open in Notepad.

Dooghan