Olaf versus OSM
 

I'm looking forward to another Morocco jaunt sometime soon and wondered about about the correlation between the Olaf map and Open Street Map.

A lot has changed since I last visited Morocco, not least of which is the wide availability of low cost touch screen tablets together with the plethora of cheap and often free, navigation and mapping applications.

For overlanding, Open Street Map would seem to be the obvious answer for contributed tracks and trails. So I am curious about whether OSM offers the same level of detail as Olaf.

Does anybody have any direct experience they can offer?

OSM, OLAF and T4A compared
 

Hi,

Last May during my shakedown trip in Morocco I was pleasantly surprised by the level of detail of the OSM map, compared to Tracks for Africa and Olaf's map. T4A is not a logical choice; they mainly focus on Southern Africa. Olaf's map seems somewhat outdated, whereas the OSM map is constantly being updated.
I had them installed on my Garmin Montana 600 and use Basecamp on the Mac.

To illustrate the difference, here's a detail on the same scale of the area around M'Hamid (gateway to the Moroccan Sahara):

http://www.geehurkmans.com/blogs/Olaf.jpg
Olaf

http://www.geehurkmans.com/blogs/OSM.jpg
OSM

http://www.geehurkmans.com/blogs/t4a.jpg
T4A

As you can see the OSM map is by far the better map. Or have I missed something?

Happy trails,

Gee

If you're going to use a Win Tablet you can have the best of both worlds and flip between each of them with a drop down menu.

If I had to have just one, I think I would go for OSM now, but the great thing about Olaf is you don't lose the minor roads (pistes) as you zoom out, meaning for planning it's far better.

I use both and theres pros and cons with each.

Generally I prefer Olaf for route planning and day to day use in Morocco off road and then switch to OSM when on the black stuff.

Olaf still has more pistes than OSM but where OSM does have them they are more accurate. I have also found pistes on one that doesn't appear on the other.

Generally when trip planning I plot using mapsource and Olaf then check if OSM has the route and if it does use the recalculate route option to get a more accurate plot. As a final check I then use the flyby option in google earth to double check the piste actually exists. 99% of the time if its in either olaf or osm the piste exists. Only once have I had a piste in OSM which didn't exist in the real world (turned into a goat track) and never with Olaf.

I have a third option 24Seven emailed me but didn't use it on the ground and when route planning found it had lots of phantom pistes.

Personally use both is the best option

Is it possible to have them visible at the same time on a Montana gps?

I have them both loaded, but I am unable to see them at the same time.
I have to go to "map information" > "select map" and enabled / disabled in order to choose one of them.

It must be a way to "overlay" them...

No.

One of the maps would need to 'made' transparent to do that ..
Making the map ... you'd need the source or deconstruct it from tiles .. then 'make' the map ... using what ever rules you want ... and to make it routable you'd need to buy some software .. think time + money = not worth it.

-----------------------
In the time between the start of this thread OSM would have improved. Has Olaf?
If you know something is missing from OSM you can add it .. provided the source is not copyright protected.

Hi,
thanks for the info.

Olaf's last update is from 2009.

Olaf has clearly stated his topo maps are not being updated anymore whereas OSM are.

Olaf is still a valid and useful mapset for Morocco and I tend to use it more on my Montana than OSM.

There is a piece of software that can combine osm maps but when I tried to combine OSM and Olaf it had loads of errors so not really practical for use.

A quick way to switch between mapsets on a Montana unit is to set up 2 profiles one using OSM and one using Olaf then you can quickly switch between the two.

For the sake of saving someone going on a wild goose chase re above post from The Warden.

You cannot select a map from within a profile.
The only way to select a map is as follows:
Using a Montana:
Press the Map icon
Press the 3 bars ( icon 2nd from bottom)
Press Setup Map
now 6 boxes are on your screen- chose Map Information/ Select Map
Press on one map then chose either Enable or Disable.

The same procedure also applies to some other Garmin Units.

To the Warden:
If I am mistaken, perhaps you would be kind enough to reply with a step-by-step how-to (as I have done above) which would be helpful. Thanks

Ok I have the following maps installed on my Montana

Basemap
Olaf
OSM
Europe City Nav

I have set up 3 profiles as follows

Automotive - Europe City Nav enabled
Morocco - Olaf enabled
Morocco Road - OSM enabled

so if I want to use a different mapset I change the profile accordingly. Enabling and disabling maps in different profiles is exactly as per your step by step

Methinks there is some confusion here!
The map selection cannot be linked to a profile.
I checked with Garmin today and they concurr.
Maybe it is a terminology thing!

Olaf versus OSM
 

I do the same as the Warden and yes it works. I have different profiles, each profile has a different map enabled. I use shortcuts to switch fast from one profile (map) to another. I use a program called Javawa device manager to rename OSM maps, this way you can use as many OSM maps you want.


www.amsterdamtoanywhere.nl

Could be, but I'm not sure how else to explain it. I suppose your selecting the profile rather than the map

It is a very useful feature

You are using a computer to change the map name.

Are both you and The Warden using montanas? And you have some way of change 'the profile' on the montana that does not select a new map? What key sequence do you use for that? OR are you changing the selected map .. the new map has a different 'profile' selected when you download it?

Yes also use the montana. When I send a new map to the montana using Javawa Device Manager, I rename the filename, mapname, etc. This new map will then be enabled in all profiles on the montana, after sending you can disable the map in all the profile exept the one you want to use it in. ( it can be the other way around as I dont have the montana by hand at this moment)


www.amsterdamtoanywhere.nl