I use either GoogleEarth or GoogleMaps and then convert the exported KML route to GPX and upload it to my garmin watch or navigation device.

I use the course creator on www.bikehike.co.uk you can plot your course then save in any format you require.

Combine this with MyTrails on an android smart phone and your good to go

I'm a new LDWA member and I did my first wonderful walk yesterday it was the T'owd man of Bronsal, I used my usual running watch it's a garmin 305. I just plug it to the computer and open garmin training center, then my walk is there, which can be viewed on google earth with no fuss, the watch records:
- Altitude at any point (so you can see elevation of each mile or less if you want)
- Pace
- Heart beat if you use a heart rate monitor
-and more stuff

Yes thanks Steve and thanks to Simon Leck also; it's as you say I just had too many routes and tracks loaded up. Super fast now!

I have also experienced problems where Memory Map runs slowly; in my case it seems to relate to the amount of data (routes, tracks, etc). in Memory Map's database. Routes are the biggest problem, because each waypoint is stored as a separate table in the database, whereas a track seems to be stored as a single table (I'm guessing a bit as to the database structure here.) I find that if I keep the number of routes (especially) and tracks stored in the database to a minimum, and just keep all the others (many hundreds in my case) as .mmo files which I can re-import if I want to look at them, Memory Map runs reasonably quickly - there may be a few seconds' delay when I import a file or call up the overlay properties page, but no more.

Hope this helps
Steve

I have used Satmap 10 GPS for almost 5 years, mostly on at least 2 walks each week. Apart from buttons dropping off and other odd bits it has been great value (cheap servicing is available whereby they return virtually a new gizmo). I use with Memory Map on my pc and have stored 100's of walks.

However, one problem that bugs me is that MM now takes at least 10mins to load up on screen and also when I open an overlay, ie a gpx route from file on the pc, MM takes again about 10mins to show the route on the pc screen. It seems that MM opens every map on file each time I open the application. Is this perhaps caused by an old version of MM which I have moved between pc's and between different Windows systems? Should I reload MM from the discs I have? I always dread this, as something usually goes wrong!

You should be able to view the tracks on LDWA website using any of the popular mapping tools:

www.tracklogs.co.uk/
www.memory-map.co.uk/
http://www.mapyx.com/
www.anquet.co.uk/
www.fugawi.com/

Alternitively you can use the gpx file on Google Earth or an online service souch as OS Get-a-map or Trailzilla:

http://www.magazine.ordnancesurveyleisure.co.uk/
www.trailzilla.com/

Hope this helps,

Simon.

Sorry, if i'm in the wrong area, but i'm trying to find out how to use this website. I have no idea what to do with any of the available download files (mostly Challenge Walks). All i would like is a route description, waypoint locations, or even a detailed map with marked route. Please help as i am begining to dislike the technology that is ruining my lovely natural environment.
Kindest regards, Seb

Is this so you can plot the optimum routes to the pubs, before they close? Matt.

Thanks folks, all your comments are really useful. Thank you for taking time to reply.

Merrian

Following a slight navigational misplacement on an event a few years ago I bought Tracklogs and have found it to be excellent in every respect. I run it in a PC-window on my mac and it still runs very quickly. The outputs are varied and of excellent quality.
Last year I bought a wrist-mounted Foretrex GPS from Garmin, which links to the Tracklogs software sweetly and I can download all manner of information, including waypoints and routes. Being the size of a large watch it doesn't show maps, but I print out the Tracklogs at a large scale and put them in sandwich bags so I can carry them lightly (I hate flapping map-cases!). This whole system works really well. Garfield

Be wary of articles in print, some of the information is bound to be way out of date.

I intended writing an overview article for our site and never got round to it, but there are some broad pointers:-

SatMap is a self contained OS mapping solution within the handheld unit and the maps are supplied on SD cards. You can transfer routes in GPX format between the unit and PC but you cannot view the maps on your PC, which is a major limitation. To plot routes on your PC for transfer, you need a separate mapping application which means buying the maps twice. Also the map SD cards are small and flimsy: you must keep them safe and in good nick because you cannot make a backup copy. User experience seems to be highly variable - some are very pleased while others have given up and sent them back and returned to their reliable Garmins.

For the major players in PC mapping software, they have some individual strengths and weaknesses but there isn't a lot to choose between them these days, and it's largely down to personal preference. All of them support transfer of GPX route files to and from a GPS.
Tracklogs has good usability and runs on PC only. MM and Anquet software (and maps) will run on both PC and PDA, which will give you OS maps on the hill, but PDAs eat batteries like Godzilla - ok for a day walk but a problem on a multi-day backpack.

MM (up to version 5.1.3) and Tracklogs can be installed on multiple machines, while MM (5.2 onwards) and Anquet have a cumbersome registration process to activate the maps and you are limited to 2 (I think). MM has versions that allow the import and calibration of scanned maps - useful for creating your own custom georeferenced maps, as I did with the Explorer Grid map posted on here recently.

You could post any specific questions and we'll try to answer them.

I?ve tried Anquet 1:50K, Memory Map 1:25K and Tracklogs 1:25K, and prefer Tracklogs. I found it marginally more accurate in 1:25K than Memory Map (though in usage terms there?s nothing in it). Tracklogs is cheaper, especially if you use their site centred maps which you can expand to 80km x 80km.

One important thing to remember is that while you can download routes plotted on mapping software like Tracklogs to most GPSrs, you can?t download the maps themselves. Some GPSr manufacturers have their own mapping software which can be imported to a mapping capable GPSr, but this is not the quality of OS maps. The exception is the Satmap10, which uses OS quality maps, according to their website.

A friend has a new GPS but needs advice on which mapping software to use. We've looked at the posts on this forum and I know there are also articles in Strider, but I can't remember which ones.

It would really help us for your thoughts on which software you like and why, and which software you don't like and why.

Thanks.