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Author Topic: Digital Ordinance Survey Maps in NI  (Read 7509 times)

RedLeader

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Digital Ordinance Survey Maps in NI
« on: May 21, 2009 »

My wife got me a Garmin Vista HCX for Chrimble last year and as a self confessed geek I've been enjoying it immensely. The trouble is it's a mapping GPS capable of overlaying your position on a digital OS map but OSNI are the only part of the UK that wont release their maps digitally. It's an excellent GPS and still very useful and I always carry a map and compass anyway but it is frustrating that Northern Ireland is about 15 years behind the rest of the UK.

I emailed OSNI months ago and they couldn't suggest any alternative or give me any timescales on when they might release some digi maps. Does anyone else know much about this?
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Michelle

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Re: Digital Ordinance Survey Maps in NI
« Reply #1 on: May 21, 2009 »

When i worked for a certain government dept, even they werent given the most up-date versions of the digital maps by OSNI and what they did get they charged them an arm and a leg for them.

If i hear anything i will post on here. :)

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Neiltoo

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Re: Digital Ordinance Survey Maps in NI
« Reply #2 on: June 07, 2009 »

I was about to start a topic on digital mapping when I found this one.

I use a basic Garmin etrex when out canoeing and I have been dismayed (for many years) at the lack of digital mapping available for N.Ireland.

I have emailed OSNI on a number of occasions and have received very little information, on a number of occasions I didn't even get a reply.

The OSNI despite their rather grand mission statement seem to spend much of their efforts on providing information to business at prices that are out of reach of the general public. Digital mapping is available for all of N. Ireland on a license basis at a cost of over £4000 (yes you read that right - £4000) for all the tiles that cover N.I.

The data for G.B. is available for about £400 from a number of companies. Smaller areas for much less.

These companies have licensed the data from the OS and then produce products for sale to the public. eg memory map.

There will never be enough sales of similar N.I. mapping products to warrant these companies paying for the data.

In my opinion the OSNI should have done some deal with the OS(GB) to license their data bundled with the GB OS data, but that would have required them putting the public interest first (don't hold your breath)

There  are some products available in the South which are produced by the Irish OS, I have the one for the Shannon.

It is possible to scan a paper OS map [in my opinion it is ok if you have bought the paper map and only use the digital scan for your own use - thats ok in a moral sense, not a legal one by the way  ;) ]

There are many print shops that will scan the whole sheet for you and put it on a disc.

There is a great (free) piece of software called GPS Trackmaker which will let you import the scans. You can then create tracks and routes and import/export them to your GPS.

I notice that OSNI has been moved to yet another govt. department. It now comes under the auspices of the Department of Finances and Personnel  - Go figure  ???

I am drafting a letter to my MP - probably wont do any good but it might make me feel better  ;)


« Last Edit: June 07, 2009 by Neiltoo »
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RedLeader

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Re: Digital Ordinance Survey Maps in NI
« Reply #3 on: June 07, 2009 »

Is GPS trackmaker fairly easy to use? There must be some complexities to scanning a map and setting the lat/long.
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Neiltoo

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Re: Digital Ordinance Survey Maps in NI
« Reply #4 on: June 07, 2009 »

Is GPS trackmaker fairly easy to use? There must be some complexities to scanning a map and setting the lat/long.

Its fairly straight forward really. You click import map, then once you see the scan in the window you just click the map adjust button, you then get crosshairs on the screen when you click on the map a box pops up asking for the lat/long of that point. You do this for a couple of points on the map and voila!

There is a fairly comprehensive instruction manual. It can all look a bit complicated to start with I suppose, but I don't use half the features. To be honest I'm amazed that its free software.
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