ViDEO: Satmap Active 10 GPS Receiver

At last! A GPS receiver that has all the features most walkers want in the countryside. Ordnance Survey quality mapping allows the user to see their location on a 1:25,000 or 1:50,000 scale map and move across the map in real time. A large screen makes the mapping easy to view, while large buttons allow use while wearing gloves. It's also waterproof and boasts a very long battery life compared to many other units.

There is a full review of the Satmap Active 10 GPS Receiver in the December issue of Trail. For a glimpse of what all the fuss is about, check out the movie.



For more information go to the importer's Sat Map web site

Talk gear in the Trail Forums

Subscribe to Trail magazine

NEWS: Viewranger GPS smartphone software upgrade

Viewranger have added more features to their GPS software that pinpoints your location on a mobile smartphone. Nokia have also introduced a firmwear update to improve the speed of a first time GPS fix when the software is used on their phones such as the N95.

A new Trip Analysis Profile Graph provides a graph of the GPS tracklog recorded showing distance, altitude, gps altitude and speed (either individually or overlayed) against time. This can be shown whilst a tracklog is being recorded so you don't have to wait until the end of the trip to see the data.



The new ViewRanger BuddyBeacon provides the ability to be tracked (or see/track other users). A great feature for keeping tabs on mates, family or group members out on the hill.



ViewRanger TravelLog allows a user's photographs to be viewed over the web and geo-located on aerial photography in a similar way to the Buddy Beacon. The user can provide their user name to a friend, allowing these "digital postcards" to be viewed by those back home.

Viewranger can now display maps from outside of the UK too, with the first being the National Land Survey of Finland at 1:50,000 scale mapping and shortly 1:20,000 mapping will be available. Viewranger are working with several European partners to deliver additional map coverage through 2007.

For more information go to Viewranger web site

Talk gear in the Trail Forums

Subscribe to Trail magazine

NEWS: Anquet mapping software upgrade

Anquet is releasing a new version of their digital mapping software tonight!

Anquet version 6.2 takes into account feedback from people using the Download Service. The software is compatible with Windows Vista, 2000 or XP. Improvements include letting you know the maps are being downloaded rather than appearing to freeze as it did before. It’s now much faster to access the download service and download multiple maps too. Anquet now queues your map downloads for you, so there’s no need to download one map at a time. You can also now keep using Anquet while your maps are downloading. The result is an improved download experience. In Trail tests, the slow download was a real issue, so this update is very welcome.

Anquet v6.2 also improves the tools for ‘cutting your own map’. New shading tools in the Map Manager show the map data you already own and the map coverage available. Now you’re able to easily extend your map data without fear of buying the same area twice. For map types where complete coverage of Great Britain is not available such as aerial photography, you will now be able to see the coverage available shaded on the map, and cut round those areas.

Other improvements in the new software release include easier management of My Maps. The My Maps tab now contains a filter to allow you to see certain types of maps, such as free maps available, or maps that you have purchased more intuitively. Again this was an area that Trail testers found irritating, so once again this sounds like a promising step forward.

You can download the latest version of Anquet at http://www.anquetmapserver.co.uk/Anquet/Free_Download.aspx
Anquet are also running a sale during the bank holiday weekend, with 20% being slashed off all Anquet digital maps, so long as you have the coupon code: SUM20. The sale starts tonight (Friday) and finishes on Tuesday 28th August at 12 midnight! To claim the 20% discount of all Anquet maps here’s what to do….

Anquet Download Service
Upgrade to Anquet v6.2 so that the coupon can be entered at the checkout. Once you’ve added all your maps to your basket press the new ‘Add Coupon’ button and enter SUM20 to get the 20% discount.

Anquet CD’s
Visit the Anquet web shop at http://shop.anquet.com/ Once you’ve added the Anquet CD’s you’d like to your basket proceed to the checkout and you’ll be given an opportunity to enter a coupon code. Enter SUM20 and get 20% discount.

For more information go to Anquet web site

Talk gear in the Trail Forums

Subscribe to Trail magazine

NEWS: Ooh! Ooh! Magellan turns GPS phone-sexy

Magellan has announced a brand new range featuring touch-screens, digital cameras, topographical mapping capability and integration with a new desktop application called VantagePoint. As if to reverse the trend of top-end phones poaching GPS technology, the latest 'Triton' range steals ideas from the latest phones, bringing a 2.7-inch QVGA touch screen, built-in 2 megapixel camera, SD card slot and voice recorder to the Triton 2000 top-end unit. The new GPSs are also completely waterproof. Prices range from $129 to $499 and all but the cheapest have upgradeable mapping. In the US Magellan has partnered with the National Geographic to offer topographical mapping for the first time on a dedicated GPS handset. Hmmm... camera, plus GPS: could this be the start of real-photo route-directions, via geo-located photos shared via the web? Details of the range, which hits the US first in September are:

Triton 2000 $500

* 2.7-inch QVGA color touch screen
* built-in 2MP camera
* built-in base maps
* uploadable maps using Magellan's new (free) VantagePoint software
* SD card slot
* electronic compass and barometer
* speaker and microphone
* LED flashlight
* waterproof to IPX-7 standards

Triton 1500 $400

* 2.7-inch QVGA color touch screen
* built-in base maps
* uploadable maps using VantagePoint software
* SD card slot
* speaker and microphone
* flashlight
* waterproof to IPX-7 standards

Triton 500 $250

* more compact-sized
* 2.2-inch QVGA color screen
* SD card slot
* uploadable maps using VantagePoint software
* built-in base maps
* electronic compass and barometer
* waterproof to IPX-7 standards

Triton 400 $200 (pictured)

* 2.2-inch QVGA color screen
* SD card slot
* built-in base maps
* pointer and compass screen
* waterproof to IPX-7 standards
* uploadable maps using VantagePoint software

Triton 300 $150

* 2.2-inch QVGA color screen
* built-in base maps
* waterproof to IPX-7 design
* pointer and compass screen
* uploadable maps using VantagePoint software
* 10 MB of memory for map storage

Triton 200 $130

* 2.2-inch QVGA color screen
* built-in base maps
* waterproof to IPX-7 design
* pointer and compass screen
* runs on two AA batteries

Talk gear in the Trail Forums

Subscribe to Trail magazine

COMMENT: Gear – no substitute for brains

“Is this Dove Crag?”
“No mate it is Sunday Crag.”
“Oh! That means my GPS receiver was right after all!”

This conversation took place two days ago, between myself and two weary walkers who stumbled onto St Sunday Crag in the Lake District. I had just climbed Pinnacle Ridge and was sitting eating lunch on the summit of St Sunday Crag. They thought they were part way around the Fairfield Horseshoe, which they had started from Ambleside.

They were equipped with an OS 1:25,000 map, that did not extend as far as the summit of Fairfield, and a GPS receiver. Taking advice from a fellow walker, they attempted to bag the summit of Fairfield and continue around the horseshoe to Dove Crag and ultimately back down to Ambleside. However in the clear conditions, they followed the equally clear path from Fairfield over Cofa Pike and up to St Sunday Crag, believing that the path was so clear that it must have been the correct route to follow. Having arrived on St Sunday Crag they felt concerned so they checked their GPS receiver. As the grid reference provided by the GPS receiver was completely off their map they decided that it must have an error!

You can have as much gear as you like, but without switching your brains into gear even a map and GPS receiver won’t save you from getting lost.

Talk gear in the Trail Forums

Subscribe to Trail magazine

Written by Graham Thompson

REVIEW: Anquet 1M Aerial Photography

When it comes to planning a route, maps are a good starting point but they are only one of the tools available. The problem is that even with digital maps you are still reliant on the surveyors skills at plotting the paths in the right place. More importantly most maps only show rights of way, rather than all the clear paths that may exist on the ground, so you are quite limited for choice in many areas if you want to stick to the paths rather than having to clamber over rocks or tussocky grass.

It's good For the past few months I've been using Anquet's new 1 metre resolution aerial photography mapping. Each pixel on the image matches a 1 metre square on the ground. The result is that the image even shows the footpaths as light worn areas between the grass and rock. Prices vary depending on the size of the area you download but start at £10 and you just download the maps into your computer. This has transformed my route planning and allowed me to confirm that a path does exist on the ground, even when not marked on the map and also allows me to be prepared for navigational problems in advance, when a right of way is marked on the map, but not clear on the ground. On the hill the extra preperation has been really useful too. Particularly when guiding a group across the fells with no path underfoot, as I was able to confidently say, "don't worry lads, the path will be clear underfoot in about 1 km!"

But the 1metre resolution maps are only available from the Anquet server, rather than on CD. Coverage includes England, Wales and most of Scotland, so some areas are not covered. Like most mapping products they require a PC rather than an Apple Mac and these are running on Windows 2000 or XP rather than the latest Vista systems.On my broadband connection it took about 20 minutes to download the whole of the Northern England 1m Aerial Photography map, which is quite slow if you are not expecting it ... but now you are expecting it you'll be prepared to walk away and have a brew while you wait.

Buy it if you want more detail than any map could provide ... brilliant for spotting footpaths that actually exist on the ground.

For information visit Anquet Map Server

To talk about gear check out Trail Forums

Written by Graham Thompson