Best GPS SoftwareAlternative To Google Earth /

[ChrisInVT]

Alternative To Google Earth / Best GPS Software

So I loaded Google Earth onto the computer in my truck yesterday and set out on a couple hundred mile trip towards Canada on a bunch of class IV roads. A couple hours into the trip, the relay for my cooling fan took a vacation and the truck overheated. I was carrying water, so this wasn't a problem - I just filled it up and bypassed the relay so the fan was always on. The problem was when we we decided it was time to head back because it was getting dark, and I didn't want to limp the truck any more than I had to.

I found out the hard way, no matter what anyone says Google Earth will NOT work if you don't have an internet connection. Not sure why they would even bother integrating GPS into it, if the software is online-based only. I even cached all the places we were planning on going like was stated in many places on the internet. But still a no-go. We ended up lost, and spent about 4 hours trying to find our way back.

I really liked Google Earth, but it's completely useless if you don't have an internet connection. I'd like something similar to Google Earth (Something that uses satellite imagery, so I can see the terrain) that uses GPS tracking, but actually works offline! I have Microsoft Streets & Trips 2007 - but that's almost completely useless for what I need (works great in the car though!).

Is there any software like this available?

 

[4RunAmok]

Ozi Explorer.

You load in the maps for the places you're going, downloadable from the internet, but after that, it is independent. The cool part is you can download all sorts of map types, from Satellite to Topo.

As you may have learned, never go without paper maps also, you might have to go back in a worst case scenario.

 

[ChrisInVT]

Ozi Explorer.

You load in the maps for the places you're going, downloadable from the internet, but after that, it is independent. The cool part is you can download all sorts of map types, from Satellite to Topo.

As you may have learned, never go without paper maps also, you might have to go back in a worst case scenario.

Awesome, I'll check it out.

I had a bunch of paper maps on me, but unfortunately we went out of the range of the maps that we were carrying. We probably shouldn't have continued when we hit that point.

 

[ChrisInVT]

So, cool thing about Ozi Explorer (I downloaded the trial) is that I can import my roll of paper maps into it. The bad thing (for me anyway) is that there is no satellite imagery for the state of VT that I can find. The only things I could find are pretty much useless for me. As an example, this is what I'm looking at with Google Earth, and usually I'll zoom in 200% more than that and move it around a bit to see where I'm headed. Unfortunately though, I can only do when when I'm at my house.

Ozi will work for me in the sense that I can import all my town maps, but for satellite imagery and with what I'm trying to do with Google Earth, it doesn't fit the bill.

 

[eugene]

You can download satalite data of anywhere in the us from the usgs web site. I downloaded the 100 acre section of my parents farm and can zoom in and count individual trees.

 

[edgear]

I'd like something similar to Google Earth (Something that uses satellite imagery, so I can see the terrain) that uses GPS tracking, but actually works offline!

A free download is ESRI's ArcExplorer. The interface is very similar to Google Earth. I know that it works offline. You can download any image that is georeferenced (such as a USGS Quad) and import it into the software.

 

[tibaal89]

Look up USAPhotoMaps for viewing/GPS and TerraFetcher to get the maps off Microsoft TerraServer for use in USAPhotoMaps... the software is pretty "lite" but advanced users will find the code clean and easy to tweak.

Either way, casual or advanced user, it's worth checking out.

 

[ChrisInVT]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm going to check out ArcExplorer/USAPhotoMaps/TerraFetcher when I get back home and have access to my laptop again.

You can download satalite data of anywhere in the us from the usgs web site. I downloaded the 100 acre section of my parents farm and can zoom in and count individual trees.

The only problem with that is all the data is outdated for the area I live/travel in. I'm talking about data from 1994, with as high as 1999. There has been a bunch of changes in this area since then.

 

[eugene]

You have to hunt around, there are several different usgs data download sites. Our farm in nowhere WV has images from 2003.

 

[Trail Monkey]

check out terrain navigator pro from maptech also. they VT version and it handles sat images i believe...

 

[Dances with trees]

Have you seen this yet?
http://beta.topo.com/explore

 

[egn]

With the mapping software TTQV and Pathaway I download satellite maps from GoogleEarth and GoogleMaps along my proposed route and can use these like any other maps.

 

[Karma]

check out terrain navigator pro from maptech also. they VT version and it handles sat images i believe...

HI,
+2 on Terrain Navigator. I have been using it for about 12 years. It's the best I've seen. But it's not free and you do have to buy maps from the company. Typically the maps are supplied as an entire set of USGS maps in different scales for an entire state and cost about $100. I believe they have topo sets for all states. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. The topo maps and the software are excellent. Vehicle tracking is also excellent. The software can link into Google Earth and synchronize the displayed topo to the Google Earth display in a split screen format if you have an internet connection (for Google Earth). It works quite well.

They run with it's dedicated software which you only have to purchase once. This package requires that you have a computer (Windows) available. I have a Panasonic Toughbook mounted in my vehicle. Vehicle tracking is accomplished using an outboard GPS. I have a Garmin GPS III+. I don't think it can use a GPS that is built into the computer. But, I'm not totally sure about that.

I have complete topos for New Mexico (my home state), Colorado, Utah,and Arizona. All the topos are loaded into a 32 gB thumb drive. This saves a lot of disk space and works great and is fast.

If you are serious, you should check out this package.

Sparky

 

[UK4X4]

In order to have full googleearth coverage of an area -you need to set the google earth cash as large as possible

you actually need to view everything you want to have stored before going off into the woods

That being said you actually need to view the area at the resolution you want- not just a top view.

Disconnect from the internet and check you have what you wanted stored before you leave !

Google earth and mapping are memory hogs- you need lots of space to get large detailed maps.

I always have paper maps to backup the GPS- and a second GPS too !