From: "Brenton" 
Reply-To: Brenton , Fidonet AVtech Echo
	

> Even some of the topos are not quite drawn to scale.  For example, if there
> is a road and train line running close together, they will move them apart for
> readability.

Actually, this is usually when the road is moved, which happens quite often.
Especially in the outback.  The Oodnadatta Track is now about 150 metres from
where it was when the surveys were done for the current topo sheets.

> The UBD has many inaccuracies in it (to prevent copying)

I was aware of this.

> There are some curves of the freeways that are off, and there are
> many added streets and lanes that don't actually exist.

Aren't most of those dead-ends though.  I have used the GPS with the UBD, and
even though their maps aren't correct, as you have said, you can still navigate
with them.

>  Paper is for girls.  Men use silicon.

Not my girl.  I'm not a fan of silicon either.  I prefer the natural feel.

>  That's all well and good.  But I'm a single geek.  I don't have the
> luxury of having a navigator on-call everywhere I go.

You should consider getting one. They're not that expensive really, and if you
select the right model, they can perform other tasks, like laundry, cooking,
cleaning, and lot's of other fun stuff too :)


>   See my site ..[]..

Of course I will.

>>  Using the GPS and mapping stuff, she could see that after the next
>> two corners, I had a long straight, which if clear, was plenty
long enough to
>> get past the long rig.  This actually made the entire section a lot more
>> comfortable to drive.

> It isn't really ideal for that though.  It doesn't have a really good
> indication of topo information, even though the Natmap maps ARE topo maps.

The difference is that Patricia can actually read a topo properly.  She can even
follow a topo while we are offroad, without the GPS, once she has her bearings.
She reads the contours, and the track, and can tell exactly where we are.  While
I have the 4.5L Patrol, it is a slug, and fully loaded, also needs a good run-up
to overtake large rigs.  Using the GPS and topos, I was able to get an idea of
what was around the corner, or over the crest, so I could time my run-up, and if
all was clear and as expected, we slipped past.  If it wasn't clear, or the road
didn't look exactly as we were expecting ( due to map errors ), I didn't make
the run.  More often than not, everything was fine.

>>>On the motorcycle, I'm using a handlbar mount ..[]..
>> Yoikes !!! When do you get to look at the road :)
> What yoikes?  You only glance at it, not bloody stare at it.

I guess so.  I'm not a mapping freak, and leave that to the Navigator.  I
probably have to spend longer looking at it than you do, which is why I was a
little surprised.

>>>>I think there was a Nissan Bluebird which had a HUD standard
>>>That's the one that I had seen.
>> I haven't seen one, although I would like to.
>  A friend has one, I can take pictures if you like?

If you get a chance, and the photo's do it justice.

Cheers, Brenton


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