Garmin Canal Navigation

[Dundustin]

just found this canal map by garmin

http://www.mapomatic.net/2009/01/07/mapoma...map-for-garmin/

 

anyone used it? is it good?

 

can anyone recommend any other elctronic gps navigators?

[Machpoint005]

Sorry, I really don't see the point of this. It's really hard to get lost on the canal system, and virtually impossible with a 1:25000 map (as per Nicholson's). Planning ahead at 3mph isn't an issue: you're not going to hit anything whilst you look at the map, and counting milestones at the end of the day is part of the pleasure of cruising.

 

But go ahead if you fancy...

[Tony Brooks]

Sorry, I really don't see the point of this. It's really hard to get lost on the canal system, and virtually impossible with a 1:25000 map (as per Nicholson's). Planning ahead at 3mph isn't an issue: you're not going to hit anything whilst you look at the map, and counting milestones at the end of the day is part of the pleasure of cruising.

 

But go ahead if you fancy...

 

 

It seems to me, from questions elsewhere, that people think they need this sort of thing to locate local amenities like shops etc. and to a degree I do understand this when you see how "up to date" Nicholson's is. More than once I have walked a fair distance to a shop only to find it closed a few years ago. However I also think that the First Mate Guides are not well enough known and at least those & Nich's work without electricity.

 

Something now called Water-Way is PC based, can operate on things like PDAs and if connected to a GPS receiver will show your position. I think (from memory) that it will also do route planning but I still do not see the point.

[Daftmare]

I clicked on this thinking it was a Waterway I had not heard of before !

 

J.

[Dyad]

It seems to me, from questions elsewhere, that people think they need this sort of thing to locate local amenities like shops etc. and to a degree I do understand this when you see how "up to date" Nicholson's is. More than once I have walked a fair distance to a shop only to find it closed a few years ago. However I also think that the First Mate Guides are not well enough known and at least those & Nich's work without electricity.

 

Something now called Water-Way is PC based, can operate on things like PDAs and if connected to a GPS receiver will show your position. I think (from memory) that it will also do route planning but I still do not see the point.

 

I can see where being able to add or amend info could be useful, preferred mooring sites, cash point or shops, nice places to visit or even water points. I don't think the power aspect is not really a problem with wind up / solar / USB chargers etc, my walkabout gps thingy takes two AA batteries and lasts quite a while and takes it's power from the usb when up/down loading. Plus it gives us gadget freaks something to play with.

[Oliver1954]

GPS can also be very useful when you are trying to find your way back to your boat after a night in the Pub, in a location that you may not be that familiar with!

 

As Tony has previously mentioned, Nicholsons can be ancient when looking up amenities.

 

I see nothing wrong in anyone wanting to use GPS, it's a gadget and I say… "Long Live Gadgets"!

[Doorman]

GPS can also be very useful when you are trying to find your way back to your boat after a night in the Pub, in a location that you may not be that familiar with!

 

As Tony has previously mentioned, Nicholsons can be ancient when looking up amenities.

 

I see nothing wrong in anyone wanting to use GPS, it's a gadget and I say… "Long Live Gadgets"!

 

Couldn't help but laugh at that fuel v's wallet gauge on your details, so right!

 

Mike

 

GPS can also be very useful when you are trying to find your way back to your boat after a night in the Pub, in a location that you may not be that familiar with!

 

As Tony has previously mentioned, Nicholsons can be ancient when looking up amenities.

 

I see nothing wrong in anyone wanting to use GPS, it's a gadget and I say… "Long Live Gadgets"!

 

Couldn't help but laugh at that fuel v's wallet gauge on your details, so right!

 

Mike

[canalchris]

just found this canal map by garmin

http://www.mapomatic.net/2009/01/07/mapoma...map-for-garmin/

 

anyone used it? is it good?

 

can anyone recommend any other elctronic gps navigators?

Recalculating, recaculating, at the next lock carry straight on .

Edited February 10, 2009 by canalchris

[paulcatchpole]

just found this canal map by garmin

http://www.mapomatic.net/2009/01/07/mapoma...map-for-garmin/

 

anyone used it? is it good?

 

I'll give that a go. I've been using my Garmin Zumo to give me speed display whilst cruising. It's usually on my motorbike, and is waterproof, so survives the back deck - just not gotten around to buying a second 12v RAM mount for it.

 

PC

[Neil TNC]

GPS can also be very useful when you are trying to find your way back to your boat after a night in the Pub, in a location that you may not be that familiar with!

 

As Tony has previously mentioned, Nicholsons can be ancient when looking up amenities.

 

I see nothing wrong in anyone wanting to use GPS, it's a gadget and I say… "Long Live Gadgets"!

 

Nicholson's are pretty good if you want to know about churches.

I miss the fact that Greg Chapman does not actively do his web update service any more.

[johnjo]

I'm of the opinion that anything will help, especially for us newbies, alright you can't exactly get lost, but if you don't know your canals and it's getting late and you are looking to moor up for the night, you often find if you have gone on for another mile you would have been able to moor near a pud, restaurant or shops.

 

I just hope it don't start telling you to turn right at the winding hole for the next village

 

Edited to add, Also helps with keeping an accurate log.

Edited February 10, 2009 by johnjo

[Nickhlx]

I'm of the opinion that anything will help, especially for us newbies, alright you can't exactly get lost, but if you don't know your canals and it's getting late and you are looking to moor up for the night, you often find if you have gone on for another mile you would have been able to moor near a pud, restaurant or shops.

 

I just hope it don't start telling you to turn right at the winding hole for the next village

 

Edited to add, Also helps with keeping an accurate log.

 

 

The other thing the Zumo 550 does is record a log - this can be downloaded / stored and may facilitate keeping a ships log if you ever wanted to - it also would give you timestamps at places along the track, so for instance you could know how long it took from A to B and your true speed over ground... you could also use it to show you were only doing 3.9 mph if you needed to

 

One thing I found useful was to find the nearest Tesco (hospital / pub / fuel station / bank or whatever) when deciding where to stop, so I take ours along rather than leave it at home - yes we all know where we are all the time, but its all the ancilliary stuff that makes it earn its keep....

 

Nick

[johnjo]

The other thing the Zumo 550 does is record a log - this can be downloaded / stored and may facilitate keeping a ships log if you ever wanted to - it also would give you timestamps at places along the track, so for instance you could know how long it took from A to B and your true speed over ground... you could also use it to show you were only doing 3.9 mph if you needed to

 

One thing I found useful was to find the nearest Tesco (hospital / pub / fuel station / bank or whatever) when deciding where to stop, so I take ours along rather than leave it at home - yes we all know where we are all the time, but its all the ancilliary stuff that makes it earn its keep....

 

Nick

 

Never bothered with TomTom type stuff before, heard and seen too many cock ups caused by imperfect software, prefer to Googlemap and print them out, but I can see a use, for me anyway, on the canals, so question is, is the Garmin the only one with the canal network together with all the extra info, shops, pubs, restaurants and launderettes etc: and what is the cheapest of their units it will run on, as I don't feel I want to spend hundreds of pounds on one, [unit plus software].

 

John

[Roger Gunkel]

I have an HP Ipaq Travel companion, which is a PDA with built in GPS with Tomtom included. I use it as an in car navigator and of course a computer. I have also installed a programme called TRACKY which enables me to import maps, Google or otherwise. It gives speed etc, records track information and I use Google satellite image maps to give me photographic images of what lies ahead. I tend to use it on the Broads, as I can see what lies beyond the banks and trees. Also great for walking and finding your way back as mentioned above.

 

As it is wifi enables as well, I find it particularly useful when visiting a strange area, to download Google maps directly into it, from a wifi hotspot. It stores them in memory for use with the GPS. no calibration needed. I can also send and receive emails, live weather forecasts etc. A brilliant gadget.

 

Roger

[johnjo]

I have an HP Ipaq Travel companion, which is a PDA with built in GPS with Tomtom included. I use it as an in car navigator and of course a computer. I have also installed a programme called TRACKY which enables me to import maps, Google or otherwise. It gives speed etc, records track information and I use Google satellite image maps to give me photographic images of what lies ahead. I tend to use it on the Broads, as I can see what lies beyond the banks and trees. Also great for walking and finding your way back as mentioned above.

 

As it is wifi enables as well, I find it particularly useful when visiting a strange area, to download Google maps directly into it, from a wifi hotspot. It stores them in memory for use with the GPS. no calibration needed. I can also send and receive emails, live weather forecasts etc. A brilliant gadget.

 

Roger

 

Hi Roger, looks a useful piece of kit, Ive got an IPaq lurking about in the workshop somewhere, I'll dig it out tomorrow and try it whilst walking the dogs.

 

If I take them just before their mealtime, if I do get lost, they'll sure as eggs is eggs, get me home.

Regards John

Edited February 10, 2009 by johnjo

[alan_fincher]

just found this canal map by garmin

http://www.mapomatic.net/2009/01/07/mapoma...map-for-garmin/

 

anyone used it? is it good?

 

can anyone recommend any other elctronic gps navigators?

 

Lots of interesting debate, but mack to the original question - has anybody actually tried the canal maps that Dundustin has listed ?

 

As it's free, if you have a GPS there is certainly no reason not to, (provided you have a suitable device).

 

I must admit though that "Map-o-Matic" does sound like something out of Wallace & Grommit!

 

What I couldn't find was much information about the maps, and how they are sourced. They do look very variable in detail - the Oxford seems to go right down to details of individual locks, (well gates at each end, actually!), as does Braunston, but moving South from Braunston tunnel large amounts of the canal around Buckby just are not there at all, yet.

 

Anyway, I've now got them loaded, so when we do go serious cruising in a few weeks time, I will report back on whether useful or not.

 

Initial impression though of seeing lots of features like supermarkets is that they should be a useful supplement to Nicholsons.

[Richard Fairhurst]

What I couldn't find was much information about the maps, and how they are sourced.

www.openstreetmap.org