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Low Cost GPS Receiver and Moving Map PC Software Reviewsby Joe Mehaffey and Jack YeazelRevised: 20 June, 2000 (Corrected for SA elimination and other details) Quoted prices are US$ SCANNED MAP SOFTWARE These programs are able to convert almost ANY paper map into a GPS raster map. The map doesn't even have to have any Lat/Long notations on it. The procedure is to scan in the map and export it as a .GIF or .BMP file to the map program. Next you use the "register" function to record the Lat/Long of identifiable street intersections on the paper map. This can be done by matching intersection Lat/Longs determined by PM3 or SA4/5 with the paper map. After registering the map with two to four determined positions, it becomes a perfectly good GPS map on which the GPS data can be accurately displayed. Even aerial photographs may be scanned and used as maps. Fugawi v. 2.19 is a $95 Windows scanned-map program which can upload/download, waypoints, routes, and tracks (vividly displayed in COLOR) with the Garmin and current Eagle/Lowrance receivers. Waypoint names are shown on the map next to easy to see small yellow squares with the names in black on green. (All colors in Fugawi are user selectable). Placing the cursor over a waypoint causes its Description to be displayed. A sky view of the satellites is included. A double click on the map creates a waypoint which can be used as part of a route to be uploaded to GPS receivers. The scanned maps will switch automatically as you travel along. Routes are drawn with red lines, and tracks are blue linked cookie trail dots. The GPS present position icon can be selected from several and will rotate as the direction of travel changes. Fugawi allows the GPS to be continuously set to WGS-84 while the map datums are converted by the software. The program shows both GPS and cursor location in Lat/Long and UTM coordinates at the same time. This program is easy to use and easy to SEE, plus the maps re-center quickly. As of version 2.0, Fugawi can load the new USGS DRG maps in seconds. A unique feature is that the DRG maps are switched automatically at the "neat" line instead of waiting until the present position is completely off the map, as in other programs. This latest version allows control of printing any portion of the loaded map without any loss of detail. Fugawi now has Canadian topographic maps available in the BSB format on CD. NOTES: One must remember to select Track/Record in addition to Track/Show in order to display the real time track. With waypoints "Save on Exit" turned ON, all waypoints can't be cleared from the maps on re-load unless ONE waypoint remains. Ozi Explorer v. 3.80 $65US is similar to Fugawi with some added desirable features. The first thing you notice is how fast it can import a CD of USGS DRG maps (30 seconds vs Fugawi's seven minutes). The next thing is how easy and fast it is to pan the DRG maps. One click on the index map re-positions the main map instantly. You can also re-position the map by "dragging" it. Ozi allows you to leave your GPS on the Datum of the map, so that you can observe the lat/lon in the same datum on both the GPS and the computer, the coordinates of which will then be the same. This approach requires that you remember to change the GPS datum when you change to maps with different datums. This version of Ozi recognizes BSB charts (see example HERE), but not maps scanned in the GIF format as does Fugawi; the map file must be in BMP, PNG, packbits TIF or JPG format. Unlike Fugawi, Ozi shows tracks and waypoints on the index map and can upload an individual waypoint by clicking on it. Ozi supports Garmin Symbols up through the G-III. Ozi can register maps at nine points providing a better correction for distorted maps where Fugawi registers only three. Both programs switch maps at the neat line. Up to 20 routes in different colors plus the Garmin Symbols can displayed by Ozi. (Fugawi displays one route and no symbols.) Custom track logs can be created by Ozi but not Fugawi. In the above version, Ozi can now print the maps to any desired pre-determined scale or coverage without loss of detail. Fugawi also prints without loss of detail, but it's difficult to predict what will be printed. OziExplorer also has a feature that will calculate an area of an enclosed GPS track or a manually-made track. The results can be expressed in Sq. m, Sq. km, Hectares, Sq. Ft., Sq. Yds., Sq. Miles, or Acres. Under Options is "Area Calculation". When activated, one can load any stored track, and Ozi will calculate the part of the track that encloses an area. An actual MAP is not necessary. Just select the "Blank Map" and load the track. As an alternative, one can CREATE an 'enclosed' track plot by clicking on selected area points of a loaded map which will also calculate an area. See: Comparison Between Ozi Explorer and Fugawi. Vista (Ver. 1.21) by RMS Technologies ($199): This program can display and record real time GPS tracks on scanned raster maps, Vista Flight Sectional raster maps ($99 extra for each half of the USA), and Vista street vector maps. It works with any NMEA 183 GPS output, including the Magellan. The tracks recorded by Vista can be played back in seconds. Vista can show a vector map, a flight sectional, and a terrain profile at the same time! (Included with Vista is the geological elevation data for the whole USA to a resolution of 3,000' horizontal and 100' vertical.) Thus the terrain profile between any two points in the USA or that in front of the direction of travel can be displayed in a small box. Vista vector and raster maps can be installed on the hard drive one "square" degree of Lat/Long at a time to eliminate the need of a CD ROM. Vista maps CANNOT be printed. In order to display Garmin Waypoints, Routes, and Tracks on the Vista maps as Overlays, one must purchase the Garmin program PCX5 ($75) and obtain GARMIN.EXE (free) from the URL above. GarLink from EasyNav (Ver. A.02.00) is a Windows program that presents G-45 track, route, and waypoint data on a white map. It also shows a history of the speed at which the tracks were recorded. (The author requires a trial period license.) GARtrip from Shareit (Ver. 115, US $30) is a Windows program that presents Garmin waypoint, route, and track data on a "white map" suitable for analysis and printing, true to scale. The program supports the Garmin G-12 and G-III symbols. One feature includes converting coordinates from/to: Longitude/latitude, UTM, German Grid, Swiss Grid, French Grid (Lambert), British Grid, Irish Grid, Swedish Grid and any number of user defined grids, all with the proper geodetic datum. The program shows and accepts great circle distances between waypoints. Advanced route planning with speed and time is included, and for avionics GPS receivers, routes may include avionics database waypoints. Units of metric, statute, nautical can be selected. GARtrip imports and exports Garmin PCX5, Gardown, Garlink, Waypoint+, and OziExplorer files suitable for editing and uploading into the GPS. Contents
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