GPSArmchair Bushwalking
Some useful preparation and post-walk joy and pain recollection can be achieved using a combination of hardware, software, and digitised map data.
The hardware I use is:
GPSThe software I use is:
GPS Mapping Software with the 3D option.The digital data I use is:
digital map images. (These replaced the earlier
NSW
TopoView CD #5.) to allow OziExplorer to access the digital maps 9 Second DEM (height data)),
calibrated ready for use by OziExplorer, for $30 for their trouble. These are
more primitive maps (eg. no grid lines).The primary supplier I use is
GPSOZ ,
a company in Sydney who do excellent mail order and who are very helpful. I
purchased OziExplorer,
TopoView and DEM data, as well as the Garmin GPS, from them.
As an example let's take the walk of 27 Oct 07:
Start the OziExplorer software on the laptop and load the current Tidbinbilla map from the TopoView Raster 2006 map collection (or, better still, load the NSW mosaic which allows panning across map sheet areas). This is a second edition, 1:25000 map, an image of the current paper map.
First, draw a proposed track. Then position some Waypoints, typically bounds for navigation at significant points.
The Track Control tells me how far the proposed walk will be.
Next, using the Geoscience Australia's 9 Second DEM data (height data), I can get a bit of an idea of the track's vertical profile. (Another way of doing this is to generate a 3D image of the map.)
Next, I hook up the GPS to the laptop via the USB data cable and download the Waypoints into it and save them. It's always good to have this information in the GPS to check on my map and compass navigation. The proposed track could be downloaded, too, but I don't bother.
Then, I print out the track and Waypoints on the map segment to carry in my pocket - it's sometimes easier to refer to that than the large topographic map.
Finally, I make up a Route Card:
Get the bounds from the Waypoint list
Get the distance between bounds by summing the planned track points from Waypoint to Waypoint (this is better than the distance between Waypoints which only measures the straight line distance).
Get the bearing between bounds from the Distance between Waypoints list.
Estimate what the going will be like from the map and other sources.
Of course one can do all this by hand, but the tools sure make it easier and quicker. I guess the point is to understand what it all means.
If it's a day walk, I leave the GPS on all the time. This records the actual track (the image below is the track points as formatted by OziExplorer, not the .gpx track file as stored by the GPS):
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As you can see from the above, the GPS stores the actual track as hundreds of track points, each with position, altitude, time, etc - making a handy record of the walk.
Back home, I upload this from the GPS to the PC and see any variations from the proposed and relive the joy and pain.
To publish information to this blog I use:
freeware to reduce pictures to 800*600 and 80% jpeg quality freeware to organise pictures into galleries which
include thumbnails shareware to convert GPS data to Google Earth KML files (OziExplorer
can also output files to Google Earth)
to convert KML files to KMZ files
freeware to convert waypoints and tracks to formats interchangeable with
other brands of GPS provided by the ACT Government to
convert GRs from ACT Map Grid shareware to convert
.wav audio files recorded on an MP3 player to .mp3 file as an alternative.) and
Picasa , and videos stored on YouTube .If I choose to publish a map fragment in the walk report (and I have permission to do so from NSW and Tasmanian state mapping authorities), I use PhotoStudio to capture a screen shot from OziExplorer and store it as a jpeg file.
I select the 3 most interesting or most representative photos from the day and run them through IrfanView to reduce the picture size and storage requirements. Then I use Easy Gallery Generator to organise them into a thumbnail gallery.
If I wish to publish audio, I convert .wav audio files recorded on an MP3 player to .mp3 files using Switch. I use Notepad to edit the .rss feed file.
A few words are crafted using DreamWeaver and the photos and map fragment cobbled together. Upload all that to the web site hosted by my ISP and Bob's your uncle. The pages are designed on a 1920*1200 pixel (16*9 format) 24" LCD display.
If I'm planning walks in areas other than NSW (ie. I don't have digitised maps available), I first scan the relevant portion of the map (limited in size by my A4 scanner, although OziExplorer does have a free utility which can 'join' map fragments - but I haven't investigated it fully) and store it as a TIFF file (I think the advantage in using this format over, say, JPG, is that TIFF files can be loaded in parts into memory by the relevant software). OziExplorer then has a 'Load and Calibrate Map Image' function by which you specify the Grid References of a number of points on the map image (eg. 5). OziExplorer goes away and whirs and grinds and produces a .map file which, used in conjunction with the .tif scanned file, performs exactly like a purchased digitised map.
Anyway, it's an interest for me, and family and friends can enjoy a vicarious bushwalk.
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This page last updated 28Apr10