Author Topic: Print your own maps  (Read 5655 times)

jimbob

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Print your own maps
« on: 20:45:17, 03/01/19 »
As a lot if you know you can print "to scale os maps " of your planned route from the OS map app.

Today I asked the support desk at Viewranger  if it was possible to do so in their app in any way. The answer back within  15 minutes was nope only fit to page pdf printing available.

HOWEVER they noted that they have that as a requirement on future updates. So soon we' ll be able to print out our routes and save a  few pennies by carrying a backup map usable with compass via VR also. Northern Delight.
Too little, too late, too bad......

beefy

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Re: Print your own maps
« Reply #1 on: 07:32:30, 04/01/19 »
Sounds like a good idea jimbob O0

Leave only footprints, take only photographs, kill only time ...

forgotmyoldpassword

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Re: Print your own maps
« Reply #2 on: 17:43:43, 05/01/19 »
I'll believe it when I see it.  I asked them the very same question three years ago and they were 'developing the feature' then.  If you want a good tool for printing OS maps use MXMap.

jimbob

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Re: Print your own maps
« Reply #3 on: 18:00:25, 05/01/19 »
I'll believe it when I see it.  I asked them the very same question three years ago and they were 'developing the feature' then.  If you want a good tool for printing OS maps use MXMap.
So how would I do that when my digital OS maps are in VR. Have you got the keys to that door?

Too little, too late, too bad......

fernman

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Re: Print your own maps
« Reply #4 on: 18:05:09, 05/01/19 »
If you want a good tool for printing OS maps use MXMap.

Thanks for drawing attention to this. I wasn't aware of it before.

Subscription £1.67 + VAT for a month (= £2.00)
£9.17 + VAT for 6 months (= £11.00)
£16.67 for a year (= £20.00)

Too much for a miser like me, I'll stick to my dated but free MemoryMap and Anquet, but no doubt there are a few people on here with incomes who will jump at it.

BuzyG

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Re: Print your own maps
« Reply #5 on: 22:20:15, 05/01/19 »
I simply copy a section from bing maps and print it in word.  Been doing it that way since interweb was on dialup and bing was still multimap. Works great. If it ain't broke. O0
« Last Edit: 22:25:12, 05/01/19 by BuzyG »

ninthace

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Re: Print your own maps
« Reply #6 on: 22:47:17, 05/01/19 »
I used to print from MemoryMap but since I ditched it I use the OS website or  BaseCamp to print off maps. That way I can print my intended route on the map. While the OS site allows printing to a scale if required, the printout wastes paper on margins. BaseCamp is better in this regard but you have to go through page set up each time or the route can come out offset to the map. To be honest, printing to scale isn’t usually much of an issue given that the grid squares are 1km so the mark 1 eyeball can use this to guesstimate. You can add a scale to the printout if you want.  Clever stuff like distance run, distance to go, range and direction of next waypoint and ETA are all handled by ViewRanger or my Etrex so map measuring and compass play is less necessary.
Solvitur Ambulando

jimbob

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Re: Print your own maps
« Reply #7 on: 00:11:18, 06/01/19 »
Thanks Ninthace will gave a look into Base Camp when I get back home and on my PC.
I prefer my ultimate backup to be in scale which is why I always carry a paper OS map. Luckily I plod he same areas so haven't needed to buy too many and for the real biggies have had the A-Z booklets which are to scale. All in pristine condition cause I've never needed them to date.


As for Bing maps , BusyG, well if I was ever stuck anywhere I wonder what people on this forum would say if told I was dependant on Bing maps to get me up the north side of Ben Nevis or wherever.

Too little, too late, too bad......

gunwharfman

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Re: Print your own maps
« Reply #8 on: 10:22:28, 06/01/19 »
If I ever need a printed map I too print from Bing maps, or from 'gps-routes.co.uk' but nowadays I rarely bother unless I want to write information on them. I haven't taken a 'proper' printed map with me for two years or more, my only concession to paper is that I will often rip out a couple of pages from those cheap A3 Collins type maps which can be bought anywhere. They are useful to me if I want to get a bigger idea of where I am say in a 20-30 mile radius. When I've walked through the area I just dispose of the map in the nearest bin.

forgotmyoldpassword

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Re: Print your own maps
« Reply #9 on: 12:01:46, 06/01/19 »
Thanks for drawing attention to this. I wasn't aware of it before.

Subscription £1.67 + VAT for a month (= £2.00)
£9.17 + VAT for 6 months (= £11.00)
£16.67 for a year (= £20.00)

Too much for a miser like me, I'll stick to my dated but free MemoryMap and Anquet, but no doubt there are a few people on here with incomes who will jump at it.


Remember that includes all OS 25k and 50k GB maps, so it isn't like you're going to be buying mapping tiles on top of that - and for the cost of a Greggs coffee + sausage roll a month ;D .  I do agree they mostly do the same thing, but for me it was a tool made useful when planning multi-day routes as you can annotate your maps quite heavily as well as load continental Europe (and further afield) maps - something I find a weakness with ViewRanger's online mapping tool, which seems to struggle with multi-day planning and any kind of 'to scale' printing.  Additionally, if you do much winter hiking/mountaineering where you spend a larger amount of time in a smaller area you're able to print off up-scaled 25k/50k maps, for example 25k but double size for low-light conditions or navigation practice to emphasise the small features: which is something I picked up from talking to mountain guides and have kept doing since, especially as waterproof paper became conveniently available for home printing. 


Bing maps has to be the most convenient free tool when you switch to the OS layer and have a few hours to kill and shines when you consider it includes the ability to switch straight from hiking-planning to driving directions to a parking place.  But for navigation they provide OS maps with a noticeable offset (they don't orient north if you print them), which may not be an issue if you're following well marked paths in summer - but may become an issue if you're in clag and need to take a bearing and expect to follow it.


I'm not sure about Ordnance Survey's online offering but I've been told their subscription + toolset is excellent for those planning routes, presumably as they've recognised the writing is on the wall with their business model and without Lakes/Highland tourist map sales they'd likely already be going under.  Whilst I do love having a full size map for planning across larger area, for practical hiking purposes I much prefer a 50k printout of the route and ViewRanger for a track/ability to locate myself to a grid.  Only exception would be winter conditions where operation of a smartphone is difficult in snow/with thick gloves.  As for not taking maps - I'd consider this mandatory, it takes about a minute to print a selection of the area you plan to be hiking in, weighs little and will save you from getting into a bad situation.  I tend to annotate them, fold them up and put them in my diary to remind me of the trip - there is something about the epics where you end up having to navigate through hill thick fog in freezing rain by leap-frogging each other on a bearing for a few hours which makes you look back fondly at those maps covered in notes.  Especially knowing that for those conditions smartphones are of limited use.

sussamb

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Re: Print your own maps
« Reply #10 on: 12:24:29, 06/01/19 »
- there is something about the epics where you end up having to navigate through hill thick fog in freezing rain by leap-frogging each other on a bearing for a few hours which makes you look back fondly at those maps covered in notes.  Especially knowing that for those conditions smartphones are of limited use.

I'm not sure why you say that, walking on a bearing using a GPS (or an app like ViewRanger on a smartphone) is particularly useful in such conditions, or indeed following a pre-loaded route  :)
Where there's a will ...

jimbob

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Re: Print your own maps
« Reply #11 on: 12:49:47, 06/01/19 »
I'm not sure why you say that, walking on a bearing using a GPS (or an app like ViewRanger on a smartphone) is particularly useful in such conditions, or indeed following a pre-loaded route  :)
O0 O0 Plus can I add a generous amount of common sense and caution.
Too little, too late, too bad......

forgotmyoldpassword

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Re: Print your own maps
« Reply #12 on: 13:08:43, 06/01/19 »
I'm not sure why you say that, walking on a bearing using a GPS (or an app like ViewRanger on a smartphone) is particularly useful in such conditions, or indeed following a pre-loaded route  :)


Oh absolutely, that said in heavy rain it's hard to get a smartphone to do anything if you haven't already pre-set it up, though a 'proper GPS device' is super for such things. 


In that particular epic I pulled out a bothy bag and we ended up getting a brew going, pulled the map out whilst holding the bothy corners down in gale force winds and planned a totally different route off the fell due to worsening conditions, something a smartphone is quite poor at due to trying to 'pan' the map with soaking hands when trying to see a larger area.  I'd say there's a firm place for both types of nav supporting each other.


Overall I don't do much 'pre-loading' when it comes to GPS tracks as my experience has been I 'switch off' and lose those skills, but you're right that it gives such a low-effort sense of convenience it's hard to fault it - it makes the outdoors a lot more accessible.  100% smart phones have a place in the outdoors nav toolset, especially with more reliable apps, better screens and suchlike - it is more that if you end up going out in poor conditions you should be comfortable using maps/compass as well or at least have some resilience with your navigation devices.  Some people do this by going smartphone+gps device, some do smartphone+maps, there are even those who do smartphone+gps+maps+spare map - but the common theme is never just assume 'it'll never happen to me', especially in areas where you can't just walk back down the well marked path back to your start point.


« Last Edit: 20:20:19, 06/01/19 by forgotmyoldpassword »

ninthace

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Re: Print your own maps
« Reply #13 on: 13:43:44, 06/01/19 »
Put me in the gps + smartphone (with 2 apps, preloaded route on both apps) + pre-printed map(s) + standard issue OS map + compass camp! 
Can't say that the last 2 have ever actually been used in anger in the last 8 years (ever since I got my first mobile and garmin) but they do get the odd outing for old times sake (though I do use the gps to check my working  :) )
Solvitur Ambulando

sussamb

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Re: Print your own maps
« Reply #14 on: 14:22:46, 06/01/19 »
I'm in the GPS  + smartphone + compass group, with a spare smartphone on a LDW. Far more resilience than I ever had when I used papermaps  ;D
Where there's a will ...

 

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