Laptop / Notebook / MacBook

PDA, Cell Phone

Creating Custom Background Maps For Use In A Garman Or Magellan Brand GPS Device With A Background Map Feature Can Be Done.  There Are People Around The World Who Have Developed Application Software For Making Map Images And Data That Will Work With Specific Models Of Garmin And Magellan Branded Consumer Devices.  However, These Developments Are Not Suitable For The Average Consumer, Since They All Require A Deep Learning Curve; Including An In-Depth Knowledge Of Computing.

For Amateur Cartographers And Professionals, Who Are Capable Of Dedicating Large Amounts Of Time, With A Serious Attitude Towards Details, There Are A Few Utility Applications Available On The Internet For Developing And Building Compatible Map Data Files, That Can Be Loaded Into Specific GPS Devices.

Making Maps Is A Very Complicated And Tedious Process, Demanding Absolute Precision And Dedication.  Beware That Amateur Maps Being Offered Free On The Internet, Are Amateur.  Never Use These Maps As Primary Navigation Tools Or Information!

We Highly Recommend Only Using Professionally Created Maps, Published And Sold By Long-Time-Established Commercial Companies With Invested Mapping And Navigation Skills And Experience; Like Casanova's.

GPS And Any Map!  Paper Or Digital?

Suunto Of Finland Offers A Great Map Application That Enables Taking Any Paper-Map And Having It Scanned Into A Digital Image, Then Transferring This Image Into The Suunto Mapping Application.  Once Imported Into The Application, The User Then Selects Three Or More Points On The Map Image And Enters The Know Coordinates For The Point.  After These Steps, The Map Is Then Calibrated To Scale For The Purpose Of Plotting Navigation Information On Screen.

Enhancing Mapping & Navigation ----- This Type Of Application Is Suitable For An Individual With Advanced Navigation Skills, Who Desires To Take Full Advantage Of The Benefits Of Using GPS Technology For Navigation And Mapping Applications.  Headings, Routes And Points Anywhere On Earth Can Be Marked Directly On Any Map And Used To Create Coordinates And Data Files Compatible With Any GPS.  Any Coordinates Information, From GPS-Devices Or From Other Sources Can Be Plotted Directly On Map Images, Then Saved And Used In Many Different Ways; Both In Physical And Digital Methods.  This Application Is Suitable For An Individual With Advanced Navigation Skills, Desiring To Take Full Advantage Of The Benefits Of Using GPS Technology For Navigation And Mapping Applications.

Field Tested - Equipment Technologist, And Skilled Navigator, Gene Casanova, First Field Tested The Newly Released 'Suunto Trek Manager' Software In The Beautiful Remote Highlands Of Tasmania.  A Topographical Map Of The National Cradle Mountain Park Was Purchased And Scanned With A Flatbed Scanner.  The Tracks On The Map Were Carefully Marked As 'Route Waypoints', And Places Of Interest Were Marked As 'Mempoints'.  This Data Was Saved To Several Different Digital-Media Storage Devices, And Then Uploaded Into A Suunto X9 Wristop Navigator Computer System.  The Device Was Used To Help See The General Proximity Of The Foot Tracks, Where The Old Aging Unmanaged Tracks Have Disappeared Back Into Their Natural Surroundings.  The System Was Also Used To Point To The Official Cradle Mountain Summit Point And Trail Heads; Making Body-Energy And Mental-State Management Remarkably More Manageable, Enlightening And Pleasurable.  This Extended Our Energy And Metal Endurance Through The Harsh Hostile Weather Condition Challeges.

Every Point On Earth Has A Unique Address ----- Living With The Next-Generation Of Awareness On Earth Has Given Many Individuals The Confidence To Explore Their World And Enjoy Living!  The 'Suunto Trek Manager' Application Combined With The Personal Wristop Computer, Enables Anyone To Take Advantage Of The World's UTM Grid System.  The UTM Grid Gives Every Point On Earth A Unique Address.  This Address Is Very Easy To Understand And Enables Quick Recognition To Where It Is On Earth.  The X9 Enables The User To Mark A Point, Be Pointed To A Point, Be Guided To A Point And Record A Path Taken.

Working With The Unique Points Of Earth ----- Suunto Refers To One Unique Point On Earth As A 'Mempoint'.  A 'Mempoint' Data File Contains The Coordinates Of The Point On Earth, A User-Given Reference Name, And Other Basic Information.  Suunto Refers To 'Route Waypoints' As Navigation Reference-Points Along A Planned Route, Which Are Combined Into A 'Route' Data File.  These Points Are Are Linked Together As Part Of One 'Route' Data File.  Both 'Mempoint' And Route Waypoints' Are Universal Data, Which Can Be Used With Any Modern Navigation GPS-Application, GPS-Device And Map, When Combined With A Proper Understanding Of The Technology Used. 

Never Get Lost Again!  Today There Is Little Excuse For Getting Lost!  With So Many Maps Being Printed And NASA's Satellite Imaging And Earth Mapping Sciences Available Today, (Not Google Satellites!), It Would Be Hard To Come Up With A Good Excuse For Getting Lost.

Should I Make My Own Map?  For Those Interested In Developing Mapping, There Are A Few Digital Tool Choices Out There But Most Poorly Implement The Power Of Current Computing Technology.  This Idea Of Making GPS Background Maps Is Not Recommended For The Common GPS User.  We Encourage Those Rare Few Unique Qualified Individuals With The Capability To Strive For Better More Practical, Naturally-Interactive And Intuitive Applications That Simply Work As Humans Do!

Good Luck On Your Endeavors!

Gene Casanova

Equipment Technologist; GPS Specialist; Ocean Corp CSD-7 Commercial Diver; U/W Technologist; Navigator; PADI MASTER SCUBA Diver; World Explorer; Senior IT/IS/Network Systems Engineer; Computer Scientists; Photographer; Digital Systems Engineer; Senior Welder; Earthling