wmw999 2,452 #26 September 23, 2010 I'd rather use a map; I had a GPS when I was in LA a couple of weeks ago, and was not impressed. It'd tell me to go straight at T-stops, and would often tell me to turn when I was at the turn (i.e. too late). And no, I wasn't speeding. Of course, I love maps; I think they're fun. There are so many options with maps. Wendy P.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfriverjoe 1,523 #27 September 23, 2010 Yep. I have one of These sitting on my dash. I use it every day that I'm out on the road. GPS is a great tool, but has it's limitations."There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
usedtajump 1 #28 September 23, 2010 We take a lot of road trips and rarely ever travel on interstates, mainly take the back roads. Use mainly AAA maps and information books because GPS can't come close to providing the kind of detailed information that can be found in them. Of course it only works if one person drives and the other navigates. The older I get the less I care who I piss off. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmytavino 16 #29 September 23, 2010 I do. i've always done very well with road maps... and still have a Rand-McNally Atlas of the USA... which i use alot...even though it's probably 12 years OLD...Locally, my work takes me all OVER.. I have a 5 foot by 5 foot map on the wall of the office.. of My local County... ( also have wall maps of the World and of the USA, hanging on the wall.) I "dirt dive " my daily routes to be sure where I'm going, and summarize the directions in written notes so that i CAN find remote streets, roads and locations.. ( Make a right here, then a left, then another left, etc etc.) Around here, just about every intersection, either in the city or even out in the country, is marked with a road sign so that it's easy to verify that i'm on the right path... never used a GPS.. i DO remember 'trip tiks',, but only used them sparingly... and i will admit, that sometimes, if i have time, i'll Map Quest something...to see what THEY recommend.. But THEN choose my own Different route..!!!! There ARE after all, MANY ways to get to the same place...i've always had a good sense of direction, and can tell pretty much all the time, where North , south east and west are,,, ( even on cloudy days!!)jimmy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BIGUN 1,319 #30 September 23, 2010 Quote I'd rather use a map; I had a GPS when I was in LA a couple of weeks ago, and was not impressed. It'd tell me to go straight at T-stops, and would often tell me to turn when I was at the turn (i.e. too late). And no, I wasn't speeding. So you got the drunk Australian wench also? I was on the phone with my boss who's an old-fashioned map kinda guy and he could hear her, "Recalculating, recalculating, make a U-turn, recalculating, make a U-turn." So he's giving me a hard time about it... I told him, "Yeah, well if a cop pulls me over, I'm gonna tell him to arrest that bitch for NUI... navigating under the influence." Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfriverjoe 1,523 #31 September 23, 2010 Quote Quote I'd rather use a map; I had a GPS when I was in LA a couple of weeks ago, and was not impressed. It'd tell me to go straight at T-stops, and would often tell me to turn when I was at the turn (i.e. too late). And no, I wasn't speeding. So you got the drunk Australian wench also? I was on the phone with my boss who's an old-fashioned map kinda guy and he could hear her, "Recalculating, recalculating, make a U-turn, recalculating, make a U-turn." So he's giving me a hard time about it... I told him, "Yeah, well if a cop pulls me over, I'm gonna tell him to arrest that bitch for NUI... navigating under the influence." I've said more than once (actually a lot more than once) that my GPS needs a "What the hell are you smoking?" button"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,452 #32 September 23, 2010 Not drunk, not Aussie -- just slow and not real smart . I think some guys like 'em that way Wendy P. There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kasch 0 #33 September 23, 2010 i only just got a smart phone but i still use paper maps, especially when i go hiking or something. smart phones aren't that woods smart.Sex with sith is like sex with a stripper. A lot of flashing lights and waving of glowing sabers, but in the end you end up with something dark and wrinkely. DPH# "-13" TSK# "-13" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CSpenceFLY 1 #34 September 23, 2010 I use a DeLorme atlas for ride planning and showing those riding with me the plan. Just installed the GPS on the bike but will still keep the maps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nataly 38 #35 September 23, 2010 I use a mixture of what is available... GPS: fantastic if you have a precise destination you need to get to quickly - I especially like that it will re-calculate if you veer off route (ie: to avoid traffic). GOOGLE EARTH: (satellite + roads option) really useful to see what a neighbourhood looks like (say if you're house-hunting). Also great for checking out in advance where the nearest parking is for your vehicle once you do get to your destination. MAPQUEST: About a month ago, out of curiosity, I typed in a destination I'd driven to hundreds of times... It found me a very direct route that took about 30 minutes less than the one I was used to. Never would have thought of it because it started me off in the "wrong" direction. TFL: God, every city should have this... TFL.gov.uk (Transport For London) calculates routes for you and gives you the quickest, the most direct, or any variety of option in between for getting somewhere using public transportation. It's live, gives up-to-date info about traffic / roadworks / tube breakdowns. It will re-calculate given these constraints. And if walking is the best option, it will give you that as well. AWESOME tool - used to use it pretty much daily. You could even select which modes of transportation to use / avoid (ie: un-select buses if you get car-sick). PAPER MAPS: Awesome when you're on foot, trying to "understand" the geography of a new place (either a city, or where it stands in relation to somewhere else). Plus, I had a gigantic street-map of London in my last apartment - it was *excellent* for giving you an idea of where everything is... London is one of those places where you get so used to public transport you could easily use the underground to get from one station to the next without realising that as a crow flies, they are only 20 yards apart!"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #36 September 23, 2010 Quote Remember the old Tripticks they used to have? Yes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #37 September 23, 2010 Quote I'd rather use a map; I had a GPS when I was in LA a couple of weeks ago, and was not impressed. It'd tell me to go straight at T-stops, and would often tell me to turn when I was at the turn (i.e. too late). And no, I wasn't speeding. As you suggested, some brands are slower than others. But sometimes what you need to do is hook your GPS to your computer, go online to the brand's website and download the latest update so that you get the most current data and route suggestions. Oh - also make sure your GPS isn't set to "bicycle". Made that mistake once or twice, too. I couldn't figure out why the damn thing kept telling me to get off the interstate in the middle of nowhere. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airdvr 210 #38 September 23, 2010 I haven't plunked down the money for a ChartPlotter yet so when I'm on Lake Erie it's paper charts for me.Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,452 #39 September 23, 2010 Well, LisaH did say that rental car GPS's are of doubtful usefulness in LA; apparently they have a decent amount of bad information in them. Squeak used one when he was there last year and had a similar experience. Wendy P.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy0689 0 #40 September 23, 2010 I use them all the time, Don. Both road and topo. I even have a program to print my own custom topo maps. Paper maps are better for me because I can see the entire route and not just a portion of it. I can see my planned route and options available. Scrolling on a GPS screen is a pain in the butt and if shown on the map, contour lines are difficult to read. How's everything down at SDA? I miss you all and the great weather!Andy I'll believe it when I see it on YouTube! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #41 September 23, 2010 Quote , I go to AAA and get a real map for each state that I'll be in. Remember the old Tripticks they used to have? They don't anymore? I've used those before. Been a long while... I have used the GPS on several long trips, sure it takes the guesswork and planning out of the trip, but you can still have an adventure. Just choose shortest route possible and don't make freeways a must. Trust me, you'll find a surprise every now and then along the way. "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #42 September 23, 2010 One thing that many people don't even look at... ...is threads which don't specify the subject matter in the title. Would it have been that much more trouble to add the word "maps" to the end of the sentence? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #43 September 23, 2010 Quotei only just got a smart phone but i still use paper maps, especially when i go hiking or something. smart phones aren't that woods smart. Yes. When you look at state or national parks with an online browser, most of them just show large swaths of nothing. Solid shades of green or brown. You have to use a 1:24k topo map to drill down into the detail of those areas, and see what's actually there. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icon134 0 #44 September 23, 2010 For highway driving and general around town directions/driving I don't generally use maps... however, for backpacking or any real serious hiking a quality map (1/24k type map) and compass is necessary... it's also important to know how to use them to figure out where you are and where you want to go... even if the map is only used in conjunction with an appropiate GPS...Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wayneflorida 0 #45 September 23, 2010 I went to Ireland last year and found gps very helpfull. It would show me on an unnamed single lane road in the middle of nowhere. But I thought that this little trail like road I was on had probably been around since before the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria sailed the ocean blue.I did have a couple of paper maps also. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 16 #46 September 23, 2010 Driving on the country roads in France years back, having Valinda navigate with those Michelin maps, excellent as they were, was extremely challenging. Lots of the East Coast in the U.S. seems similar to me in that regard, such as Boston. I love the new GPS technology. But I still try to look at a mapped overview of the area and route before I set out. Knowing the basic route, or even just compass heading, can really help you avoid automation-complacency/automation-confusion. How many times has your GPS told you to make 3 right turns when a single left turn would do better? Ours has very often done that. You need to be smarter than the machine. Our Magellan is on its last legs. Any brand recommendations out there? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bolas 5 #47 September 23, 2010 Quote Our Magellan is on its last legs. Any brand recommendations out there? Garmin. Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theonlyski 8 #48 September 23, 2010 Quote Quote , I go to AAA and get a real map for each state that I'll be in. Remember the old Tripticks they used to have? They don't anymore? I've used those before. Been a long while... I have used the GPS on several long trips, sure it takes the guesswork and planning out of the trip, but you can still have an adventure. Just choose shortest route possible and don't make freeways a must. Trust me, you'll find a surprise every now and then along the way. GPS: Make a U-Turn. GPS: Make a U-Turn. GPS: Make a U-Turn. GPS: Make a U-Turn. GPS: Make a U-Turn. GPS: Make a U-Turn. BillyV: Why am I not going the right direction? Fucking GPS! Should come with sign language support!"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890 I'm an asshole, and I approve this message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
futuredivot 0 #49 September 23, 2010 I've been known to travel occasionally You are only as strong as the prey you devour Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #50 September 23, 2010 Quote Quote Quote , I go to AAA and get a real map for each state that I'll be in. Remember the old Tripticks they used to have? They don't anymore? I've used those before. Been a long while... I have used the GPS on several long trips, sure it takes the guesswork and planning out of the trip, but you can still have an adventure. Just choose shortest route possible and don't make freeways a must. Trust me, you'll find a surprise every now and then along the way. GPS: Make a U-Turn. GPS: Make a U-Turn. GPS: Make a U-Turn. GPS: Make a U-Turn. GPS: Make a U-Turn. GPS: Make a U-Turn. BillyV: Why am I not going the right direction? Fucking GPS! Should come with sign language support! When I first started using the GPS, I kept hearing something and I never could figure out what the fuck was going on. Wasn't until later I was holding the GPS in my hand and felt the speaker buzzing. D'Oh! Since then, I've just muted the sound."Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
