Navigation to OS grid ref’s

[DaveA]

My job as a country vet requires navigation to farm premises. Many are on unnamed roads. I have OS map references for these premises.

I purchased an iPAQ 3850 + iNS but found it useless as it was impossible to locate the premises on the available maps. I am considering buying MemoryMap Navigator software with 1:50000 OS mapping but this would not give me any navigation instructions.

Does any software exist for PC or Pocket PC which allows navigation to OS grid references or suitably detailed maps to allow identification of farm premises?   

[Dave]

Dave, the problem with most street routing software like you've found is although they will go down to a fine detail, they won't necessarily show you those farm lanes you're looking for. Memory-Map is a good product and does have some good OS maps including the Get Mapping birdseye view photo maps, but unfortunately Memory-Map, Fugawi and OziExplorer won't give you street style routing as they can't detect what is a street and what is say farm land. It's going to be difficult to find a solution, you may find some products better than others for your area of the country, personally I would have thought that CoPilot/iNS would have been a better choice. CoPilot does have updated maps, and a newer version 4 is due out soon, so you may have better luck with this. I'm not sure what the upgrade cost will be for current iNS users, but watch this space as we'll have a review for when it's released.

[DaveA]

Thanks Dave.



I've entered farm names and positions on my e-trex so at least I'll know it's the right place when I get there. I'll check out CoPilot/iNS version 4 when it arrives.

[DaveA]

Does anyone know if the operators for SmartNav can provide navigation to farm premises or OS grid ref's?

[SJTaylor]

How about entering all the farms into a POI database or favourites list like in TTN2? Then all you have to do is pick the farm from a list and you're away. At least to the nearest public road.

[Dave]

The problem with entering them as POI's is if the farm is half a mile or a mile away from the nearest road, you'll then have to make very good judgement of which route to take. If Dave doesn't know the local roads that well, then he could end up being directed all over the place if the POI sits on a private road, or a road that's not listed.



The only way a POI would work would be to set it to the nearest public road.

[SJTaylor]

In that case, I suggest memory-map. You can see where you are and where you have to get to, it's just a case of following the lines in between.



I do sympathise as I used to be a rural copper in Cumbria, called out to places I'd never been to before in the middle of the night with only a paper map. And that's after having lived in the area all my life. Eventually, I didn't need a map to get anywhere, it just takes a bit of time. You still can't beat a paper map sometimes.

[MikeB]

Dave,



One option that might work is with Tom Tom Navigator. If you already have your waypoints set in the Etrex then is is possible to goto a Lat/Lon co-ordinate. I am not sure how that would work when the farm is half a mile up a track, but as long as the farm is nearer the main access road than any other it may work.



It is difficult to know until you try. If you email me privately at mike@pocketgpsworld.com one of your lat/lon co-ordinates I will see where it routes to.
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Mike Barrett

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