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**Rfothy** · #1 13 Feb 2013

Planning a trip at the moment for uk to Australia via turkey, Iran, India, Thailand etc.

Just wondering if these areas are plotted on sat navs? I plan to go off the beaten track as much as possible too. So is a GPS better?
Any suggestions for any systems?

Or do I go old skool with the map and compass?

**Warin** · #2 13 Feb 2013

You do both.

A GPS because there are very good for navigation.

A paper map because they are reliable, most people (well some people) can be consulted about them for where (are we, to go, is the best road to etc).

Which map/gps is another question. That answer will change depending on who you ask and where you are asking for.

For GPS I'd use Garmin. Some would use Magellan (sp?). If you look up Open Street Maps (OSM) you'll find out why people like these - the OSM has been converted for the use of these GPSes so you can get free GPS maps for the world on them. These maps can be very good (where people contribute a lot of data) to very poor (where data is lacking). The places you want are reasonably well covered.

Paper maps ...

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Hold it .. you do realize some places are difficult to get permission to go to... or cross boarders with a vehicle? Burma for one. All well and good to find a line on a map.. but using that road may not be possible for mortals.

**Rfothy** · #3 14 Feb 2013

A garmin GPS? Or sat nav?
Any suggestion on what model your talking about? Or does anyone else have a view on this?

**Warin** · #4 14 Feb 2013

What difference do you think there is between Sat Nav and GPS?

I think you are taking screen size. In terms of features relative to screen size... well that is so blurred as to be useless. You can get small screen GPSes that do all most all of the things the largest GPS/sat nav will do.

Most Garmin models will take OSM maps ... all the ones that take maps .. there are some simple (cheap) models that don't load maps. Same with other brands.

It would help if you said what kind of vehicle you were taking? And what other uses you would like to use it for? Walking, bicycle riding to 4WD navigation have different needs.

**Rfothy** · #5 14 Feb 2013

So OSM is the street view? I'm not bothered about screen size especially. Just function of it. I'm a keen rock climber and mountaineer. So could be handy if it could double up for those...

I'm riding an xt600e.

**pheonix** · #6 14 Feb 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warin

What difference do you think there is between Sat Nav and GPS?

There can be quite a difference!
I bought a MemoryMap 3500 GPS on a verbal recommendation.
With full UK OS maps loaded it was great for trail riding / walking but beyond that completely useless.

MemoryMap rudely informed me that a SatNav provides directional instructions (ie., turn left in 500 yards) but a GPS does not.
They don't provide great customer service so that may be total bullsh*t but it does seem relatively true for pure GPS units.

The idea is, you already know where you want to go & as long as the map is loaded, the GPS will pinpoint you on the road/trail. It was quite fiddly to plan a route on the GPS so you need a PC and lots of patience...

Sounds like you need a SatNav with off-piste capability

**Rfothy** · #7 14 Feb 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by pheonix

There can be quite a difference!
I bought a MemoryMap 3500 GPS on a verbal recommendation.
With full UK OS maps loaded it was great for trail riding / walking but beyond that completely useless.

MemoryMap rudely informed me that a SatNav provides directional instructions (ie., turn left in 500 yards) but a GPS does not.
They don't provide great customer service so that may be total bullsh*t but it does seem relatively true for pure GPS units.

The idea is, you already know where you want to go & as long as the map is loaded, the GPS will pinpoint you on the road/trail. It was quite fiddly to plan a route on the GPS so you need a PC and lots of patience...

Sounds like you need a SatNav with off-piste capability

Yeah this is what I thought...
Would you have a suggestion for such a device?

**Walkabout** · #8 14 Feb 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rfothy

Would you have a suggestion for such a device?

There is no single answer to that question. If you go back through the threads in this forum you will find lots of ideas about what is the best bit of equipment for navigation.
If you do that, check out (just for instance) these threads with discussion since Sept last year:-
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...armin-et-63191

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-montana-57846

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...rex-30-a-59009

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ycle-gps-66212

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...rmin-gps-62780

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...rmin-gps-62780

How much do you want to pay by the way?

**kateandwill** · #9 14 Feb 2013

We did Oz to UK on 2 bikes with paper maps and Lonely Planet guides. We found our way OK (most of the time!)

Good luck

**Warin** · #10 14 Feb 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by kateandwill

We did Oz to UK on 2 bikes with paper maps and Lonely Planet guides. We found our way OK (most of the time!)

Yep. Old school works. And it is more reliable.

Just that GPS is easier if it has the map data you want.

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Ok .. Sat Nav vs GPS looks to be manufacture jargon to me.

I have an old Garmin 60Cx GPSMap... think it was called a GPS ... not a satnave... but it will do turn by turn navigation with screen and sound prompts.... powered by 2 AA batteries OR off an external supply... hand held or mounted on a cradle. Has a microSD card on which you can put maps. I think it is ideal for my use walking, riding a bicycle or a motorcycle. I'd think that is the kind of thing you would be after - small enough to carry yet with enough features that you can use it on the bike. You cannot buy the 60 new any more.

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Be aware that there are two different kinds of digital maps ;
raster - like a jpeg photo - each pixel described
vector - like a line drawing - start and end pints of straight line described.

Most GPSes use vector maps. Some GPSes can use both. Don't know what format the OS maps are in, the ones I have off the net are raster.

**Rfothy** · #11 15 Feb 2013

Went and bought myself a garmin montana 600, slightly spontaneously as there was a good deal and I took it.

So looking for any recommendations for a powered mount?
And do people think this was a good decision for what I want to use it for?

thanks
Rob