The worlds best Laos GPS map released today
 

Worlds best Laos GPS map released today
The worlds best laos GPS map released today


We are proud to announce today, that we now have the most detailed Laos GPS map for sale in the world on encrypted SD memory card. It has been a continuous 8 year mapping project with an unbelievable amount of data not on ANY other Laos GPS map. No other Laos GPS map comes close in the level of detail, it's pretty exciting.
http://www.laosgpsmap.com/wp-content...rned_tank1.png

The encrypted Laos GPS map SD card is available for 1,500 Thai Baht or USD$ 50 from the Rider's Corner Bar & Restaurant, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Website link from this product is below:

Laos GPS Map

http://www.laosgpsmap.com/wp-content..._Trail_Map.png

Today's official news release is below:

NEWS RELEASE

EDITORIAL BRIEF: The ultimate, most up-to-date, GPS map of Laos has been produced and released for consumer use.
Media Contact: phillip.gibbins@gmail.com
ULTIMATE GPS MAP OF LAOS RELEASED
For Immediate Release: April 12th, 2011
(Chiang Mai, Thailand): Driven By Adventure company (“DBAdv”) has announced the release for general public use the most advanced GPS map of the South East Asia country of Laos. The result of over eight years of continuous data collection, the just released ULTIMATE LAOS GPS MAP from “DBAdv” has in excess of 50,000 points of interest for the user, twice the data of any former GPS maps.
The new and unique GPS map includes all primary roads, dirt tracks, and trails throughout Laos. Included in the data are gas stations, accommodations, mining sites, UXO locations, and Point of Interest tourist destinations. Some of the routes and destinations were so remote they could only be surveyed by use of highly modified off-road motorcycles. None of the data on the “DBAdv” ULTIMATE LAOS GPS MAP was gathered from external sources. For detailed information go to Laos GPS Map

The ULTIMATE LAOS GPS MAP is physically available for purchase on a SD memory card for 1,500 Thai Baht or $50.00 (USD) at the Rider's Corner Bar & Restaurant, Chiang Mai, Thailand, located in the heart of Chiang Mai, Thailand: Purchase : Laos GPS Map

The Driven by Adventure company is dedicated to providing quality, up-to-date, detailed surveys and GPS services throughout South East Asia. Their ULTIMATE LAOS GPS MAP has been hailed as “The best GPS, Internet or physical map available, by near or far!”

http://www.laosgpsmap.com/wp-content...formation1.png

We've just travelled through Laos, we were using openstreetmaps, which were detailed, down to street level and for free, i would suggest trying these with a paper map before spending $50.

Mart, you wont find this stuff on your free opensource maps, its been an 8 year continuous project to make this with 50,000 points of interest. If you want to really see the secret beauties laos has to offer away the opensource free highway maps then this is the way to go. Shame you missed the best stuff, maybe next time (even perfect for a Landcruiser).
http://www.laosgpsmap.com/wp-content...ngle_Track.png

None of this is on the openstreet maps all unique and fantastic

http://rideasia.net/forum/download/file.php?id=191

http://rideasia.net/forum/download/file.php?id=196

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_W...%20dba%201.jpg

Openstreet isnt going to get you to the most unique locations in laos (these images are all from the map makers FYI)
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_W...hak%20raft.jpg

There's some more great Asian river crossings here
Post your Asian bridge & water crossing photo's here • RideAsia.net

lots more here:

Motorcycle forum for riders from all of Asia • RideAsia.net

I had the OSM and the ERSI data (I think?) for Laos. Both were nearly useless when I ventured off of 13 nor did it have many POIs. I haven't used Laos GPS Map 's maps yet, but it sounds promising.

Amazing Laos waterfall
 

A full featured GPS map is for a well prepared and educated explorer.
Can you imagine touring around Laos and missing this waterfall?

This photo was taken by the Laos GPS map maker.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5108/...d1175ddc_o.jpg

I use the sun when travelling in Laos - and its much more interesting when you get lost - you get to see places people with gps dont - if you have time and a sense of adventure its a great place - just make sure you have enough fuel and dont ride too fast!

Hi,

I think the price is still good for the Laos map as described. Is the source data for the map post-processed and rerectified? I the past I tested some other Laos map (I dont like to name one) and the accuracy was very poor.

Greets from HCM,
Paul

PS: If all people want to have all for free, the developers will stop their work.

And the same can be said for HU.
This guy pops in to the HUBB and the first (and only) thing he does is try to get free advertising, violating the rules we all agreed to. He didn't pay for the advertising to sell his product and was promptly banned.
The thread is still here as some may find it of use.
But be warned that the original poster came here for the single purpose of spamming this product!

That's why I try to encourage people to not only use OSM maps, but to also contribute back to the project. It exists because people contribute without an immediate reward.

So, if you use OSM and find POIs or roads that are not on the map, put them in. It's easy and fun.

Hi again,

OSM maps are one thing, professional GPS maps are another thing.

The data for OSM maps is usually collected with consumer-GPS devices which have a lack in accuracy. Addidional receiving errors make the data for the OSM very inaccurate.

In professional maps other GPS units are used for data collecting. The data then is postprocessed and rerectified. After this worksteps the huge process of map development is beginning. I guess you guys dont know the amount of work behind such digital map.

You can count about 20.000 to 40.000 manhours for a good digital map. And you want this for free???

Please dont forget that map development is the job of some peoples, like the job you have for you. Even map developer buy a motorbike, they dont claim to have the motorbike for free.

Think about that guys.

Kind regards,
Paul

PS: I know about that because I am a map developer too. And the salary for this is so small that my bike has only 135 cc :(

Depends. Some of the maps Garmin have sold are widely inaccurate, to put it mildly.

That is a sweeping statement that I can't let stand like this. Some consumer GPS are quite inaccurate, particularly older models. Beyond that it only matters in the concrete jungle, where buildings affect them. I don't now how well pro units handle that. Outside of that, the accuracy is better than the width of a normal road, so it doesn't matter any more. But, OSM maps are also made with Bing aerial images and that gives a level of detail that GPS can't match (where these images are available).

Can you elaborate a bit what that means?

That depends on the size of the area covered, does it not?

Aren't you confusing something here? The original poster was banned for advertising a commercial product. This doesn't mean anybody says that one shouldn't charge for a good product and the market will decide whether it is successful or not. The OP wanted something for free, namely advertising. And so far, he actually got it, as the post has not been deleted!

And good on you for trying to do a good job and trying to explain these things to us. Unfortunately, my mapping work doesn't pay me a bike. I wish it did, I would stop looking for a job. I spent almost a year working on a Thailand map, only to never see it released. Luckily, I kept all the data and have since put it into OSM.

Do you work on the Laos map in question, then?

I should add one more thing here: Malsingmaps and Malfreemaps in Malaysia have outmapped Garmin. By that I mean that their data is more complete and accurate than Garmin's own and updated far more often.

Garmin implicitly acknowledged that by bundling the MSM map with their units sold in MAL & SIN. Both of these are community projects and free of charge.

Still, there is, in my humble opinion, no danger of either the Lao or Thais setting up such a project any time soon, so there may well be a market for a commercial map, especially if it's geared towards bikers and has POIs with value-added info.

Hi Peter,

I dont want to make this story long as its a little bit off-topic.

Ok, first, I donot work on Laos map. My area is a different one.

I tested some OSM of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam (not Thailand) which was pretty bad. The accuracy of OSM depends how the author is working. But remember: OSM is a non-professional item.

As I understood, you also develop maps? Then the terms postprocessing and rectification should be common to you :) Postprocessing means to correct the measurements of the GPS system against its error-factors. Rerectification to correct the GPS data to the "real position". Of course, according to my budget, I cant to it like the governmental land survey institutes. The GPS unit I use for this is from Ashtech (you can google for this).

About the poster of the Laos map: Ok, I agree.

About Malsingmaps: They have special contract to Garmin USA. They have also a special status among the 3rd-party-developers as Garmin is now beginning to ban the 3rd-party-developers (but thats another story).

Ah, yeah, for Thailand exist already some different maps (original Garmin and some other developers), but I never tested them.

Ok, I think I dont forgot anything to say.

Have nice evening,
Paul

PS: Peter, if you sometimes in the south of Vietnam, contact me to go for a beer.

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the explanations. No, I wasn't aware of those terms, as I was involved in making hobby maps.

Also, thanks for the invite. However, this is unlikely to happen until Vietnam opens its borders to foreign vehicles.