GPS Advice

APLMAN99
Posts
10731
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Dallas, TX US
Edited Date/Time 5/8/2017 8:05am
Hey gang, looking for some guidance on a GPS unit that I can use to map out some of the features on the farm and import them onto a map, then print up a poster for our various locations, offices, etc. Right now I can use MS Paint or some other picture editing software to put features on a map, but it isn't quite as exact as I'd like and I end up having to piece portions of maps together to get all of the farm onto the same poster sized shot. Here's an example of the items I would be putting on the maps, I need to have different icons for each type of item (housing, irrigation box, etc.).

Do any of the GPS manufacturers have programs for this or do you have to import the data into something like Google Earth? How difficult is it to do for a technological illiterate farmer?







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borg
Posts
6099
Joined
12/7/2009
Location
Long Beach, CA US
5/5/2017 10:22am
I have a golf GPS that I can edit but I don't know to translate that to an actual map. There has to be something.
BTW, I didn't see the Granny Smith sector there. I'm sure it's just an oversight.
I read that people who prefer sour over sweet have personality issues. So I stopped reading.
MR. X
Posts
6914
Joined
6/24/2010
Location
North Tonawanda, NY US
5/5/2017 10:30am
I have a garmin etrex and a garmin montana . They both would do a track but the montana has a larger ,better screen and the capability to over lay Google satelite images on the unit . I believe the etrex is discontinued but can be had rather cheap on ebay still.
Homey55
Posts
1046
Joined
2/18/2010
Location
collinsville, OK US
5/5/2017 2:03pm
Talk to a local Civil Engineer and see if they can do it for you or point you in the right direction. Might be cheaper to have them do it than buying all of the equipment.
APLMAN99
Posts
10731
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Dallas, TX US
5/5/2017 7:23pm
What I wish I could find was something that would allow you to go to a "landmark", save it, then import those landmarks onto a map on your computer in which you could name/label the landmarks, assign various icons to "like" landmarks, etc.

It seems like it should be a fairly common thing, but the local stores that carry handheld GPS devices don't really know much about them other than the hiking/hunting/fishing features.

Having an engineer do it wouldn't be worth it, when it comes down to it I can always use a photoshop type program to put things on an image of a map, but I'd like it to be somewhat filterable, so I could select just one category of landmarks and print up a map of that alone with all the other landmarks hidden. An example of how this would be useful would be when the beekeeper brings in hives for pollination. I'd really like to be able to map out our desired locations and either email it to them or leave it for them somewhere so my guys don't get woken in the middle of the night for 4 or 5 consecutive nights. The beekeeper doesn't need any landmarks such as our main irrigation boxes, fuel stations, etc on their maps.

But I'd also want to be able to "select all" landmarks to make large posters showing all the landmarks on the farm. I'd also like to be able to add landmarks as I find things that are important, which would be prohibitive to use an engineer every time you decided to add a landmark.

The Shop

TX24
Posts
2768
Joined
5/7/2010
Location
San Antonio, TX US
5/8/2017 6:07am
Our dirt bike club has our trails marked on an actual terrain map. I will ask my friend how. He worked out the photo and then took it somewhere to be printed big. About $100. It's like 6 feet long though.
MR. X
Posts
6914
Joined
6/24/2010
Location
North Tonawanda, NY US
5/8/2017 8:21am Edited Date/Time 5/8/2017 8:23am
It's called a way point , I use them to mark treestand locations, trail cameras ,rubs and scrapes . From there you can load to your computer using the garmin Basecamp and overlay Google satelite, you'll have your satelite image with all your way points marked in actual posistions.
Like I mentioned before , a garmin etrex will do what you want and are really cheap on ebay now because all the latest and greatest models are out.

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