BajaNomad

Finally! GPS maps for Baja

Neal Johns - 11-9-2005 at 10:42 PM

I have not seen these but sound good. Garmin's only.
Review:
http://www.gpsinformation.org/jack/cruise/cruise-a.html

"Features 15 Mb of information. Full coverage from the US - Mexico Border to the southernmost tip of the peninsula at Cabo San Lucas.

Includes major highways and roads, railroads, unpaved roads and some trails. Detailed street level mapping is included for Tijuana, Mexicali, La Paz, Rosarito, Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. All with "Lock on Road" feature. National Parks and Biosphere reserves clearly marked as are the surrounding islands and national marine parks. Thousands of outstanding landmarks and cities are included.

Contours with a 50 meter interval to aid you in desciphering Baja?s magical topography. Includes lakes rivers and more. Uploadable by zone."

bajalou - 11-10-2005 at 09:00 AM

Pretty interesting stuff - Maybe I'll have to break down and get a mapping Garmin - move from my faithful 12XL--
Thanks

:light:

Neal Johns - 11-10-2005 at 09:04 AM

I ordered it - will check out how many dirt roads it has and report back on the map. Will take it to Baja Sunday for a week. Wish me luck.

bajalou - 11-10-2005 at 09:53 AM

Good luck Neal

:biggrin:

David K - 11-10-2005 at 09:56 AM

Neal, I will be interested in reading your review of it... I have an eTrex Legend and my original eTrex. I imagine it will download into the Legend?

Neal Johns - 11-10-2005 at 10:28 AM

Mini-review of downloaded 11 Mb Baja Expeditioner GPS Map from http://www.mexicomaps.com/ $89

You download the map (took about an hour), install it (easy) and then the Baja Map is available to view in the Garmin program MapSource. You then select the sections you want to load into your Garmin GPS, follow the normal loading procedures and that's it.

The big thing is what roads are shown and what GPSs is it compatible with?

Bottom line: about half of the dirt roads are shown, actually less than half, but many are there. I give it a "B" on roads shown. When you drive over a road with your GPS saving the track, you can load these into MapSource and this new road will "stick" in MapSource.

But wait! There's more! At the 2 mile scale, topo lines are shown! This is the saving grace of this program/map. The grade is a solid "A+" here.

Here is a sample of the 2 mile scale of San Felipe. What happened to downtown. I dunno. Who cares? :lol:

It may be a function of the MapSource version (I am using 5.3)

Neal Johns - 11-10-2005 at 10:32 AM

Here is San Felipe at the 15 mile scale:

bajalou - 11-10-2005 at 10:38 AM

Doesn't look too bad - Might be worth it -- if I had a mapping GPS

:yes:

Street level?

Al G - 11-10-2005 at 09:12 PM

Sorry didn't read enough!

[Edited on 11-11-2005 by Al G]

[Edited on 11-11-2005 by Al G]

Uglyhat - 11-11-2005 at 01:13 AM

I looked at those maps on their website and added them to the list for our upcoming trip. I have a garmin 276c I use in both car and boat and love it, as well as an b&w etrex legend for backup. Fun toys and super useful.

baja Steve - 11-11-2005 at 02:39 AM

Anybody know if it would work with the Lowrance I-Way 500

Neal Johns - 11-11-2005 at 07:45 AM

baja Steve,
It will only work with Garmin GPSs.

Uglyhat - 11-11-2005 at 11:01 AM

It might work with the Lowrance (or other gps) with a laptop and Garmin Mapquest software. You'd use the GPS to output your location coordinates in one of several 'standard' modes to the PC, then use the Garmin software on the PC as a chartplotter.

But if you were going to do this you could use Ozziexplorer and any scanned map for almost free.

Neither as handy as a handheld unit with proprietary software.

Taco de Baja - 11-11-2005 at 11:26 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Neal Johns
I have not seen these but sound good. Garmin's only.
Review:
http://www.gpsinformation.org/jack/cruise/cruise-a.html

"Features 15 Mb of information. Full coverage from the US - Mexico Border to the southernmost tip of the peninsula at Cabo San Lucas.

Includes major highways and roads, railroads, unpaved roads and some trails. Detailed street level mapping is included for Tijuana, Mexicali, La Paz, Rosarito, Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. All with "Lock on Road" feature. National Parks and Biosphere reserves clearly marked as are the surrounding islands and national marine parks. Thousands of outstanding landmarks and cities are included.

Contours with a 50 meter interval to aid you in desciphering Baja?s magical topography. Includes lakes rivers and more. Uploadable by zone."



You must have missed my post back in September on another program for the Garmins, LBMaps. I am still deciding if I want to get it....looks similar though. I am glad they are finally recognizing we need Baja maps!

EDIT: These may be the same program with different names...Hmmm. Still a nice thing to have.
Quote:
The only one I know of, (and just found it is) LBMaps Looks very cool, but you have to have a Garmin
Article on LBMaps GPS basemaps

forum link
Quote:

If you want to go high tech and have a Garmin GPS and the Mapsource program this add on program http://www.lbmaps.com/ will put Mexican topo directly into your GPS. The map base appears to be similar to existing Garmin USA Topo which is the 1:100,000 series maps with 50 meter contours

Write up on LBmaps: http://www.bajainsider.com/baja-maps/gps-mapping/maps-baja.h...

If you have no Garmin it could cost you a minimum of ~$300:
$90 for LB maps "Baja Expeditioner"
$35-90 for Mapsource Topo (ebay)
$130-$300+ for Garnin GPS, depending on model (ebay)


forum link II

[Edited on 11-11-2005 by Taco de Baja]

Neal Johns - 11-11-2005 at 09:56 PM

Sorry I missed your post, Mr. Taco.
Sure looks like the same map, same name.
The web site has good previews of several major cities - lots of detail.

What we all need is a free "handheld PC" running XP with free OziExplorer with the Baja Almanac maps on it. :lol::lol::lol:

Intel prototype Ruby Handheld PC pic:

bajalou - 11-11-2005 at 11:20 PM

Ozi on something that size would be great -

:o

Neal Johns - 11-11-2005 at 11:59 PM

Last report before going to Baja:

I just sucessfully loaded the whole 15 Mb Baja map into my Garmin 176C with it's 128 Mb memory card tonight. There are a half dozen sections (divided horizontally), so you can pick and choose, David K. :biggrin:

The map detail is somewhere between AAA and Baja Almanac. There are a few quirks: the road to BOLA stops about 2/3 there, San Felipe is a small blank spot, Catavina is not named but nearby Rancho Santa Inez and defunct San Luis are displayed, etc. There are many, many, ranches shown - some do not display the name until you place the GPS cusor on them.

Overall, I am glad I got it. I downloaded my 100 or so waypoints into MapSource/GPS and guess what? It shows them and also covers a few miles north of the border, showing topo lines but no USA roads.

bajalou - 11-12-2005 at 08:13 AM

Sounds great Neal - waiting for your "In Baja" report