DeLorme Street Atlas 2005

[Jeff Snyder]

Is anyone here currently using SA2005? I have been using SA2004 and Microsoft Streets and Trips.... I was wondering if it'd be worth the $40 to upgrade from SA04 to SA05. Has anyone made the upgrade to SA05? Thanks!

 

[David Wolfson]

I've got their new Bluelogger/SA 2005 combination on order. When it comes in and I get the chance, I'm planning a test run together with the V710 bluetooth phone to see how well they work together. From the product description it sounds like the specific improvements in SA 2005 are worthwhile but we'll see.

 

[John Diel]

I haven't used it yet (I know it just very recently came out) but plan to make the upgrade. Just the faster start up would be a plus. It will be nice to see if the hype pans out in practice.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

I think it'd be nice to be able to zip ahead when replaying a GPS log instead of having to play through the entire log. For example, I have a few logs which are 5-6 hours long, with the first 1-3 hours typically just the positioning part of the chase. It'd be nice to be able to zoom ahead to, say, hour #3, instead of having to "play" through the entire first 3 hours. I know I can play it at high speed (50x), but it still takes time... At any rate, keep us informed! Thanks!

 

[Sheila_Ward]

I've got it installed on my laptop, but haven't made a test run with it. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow. If so, I'll report the results here.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Anyone use it recently?

 

[Mikey Gribble]

Does the Microsoft Streets and Trips show back roads or is it just major streets and highways?

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Originally posted by Michael Gribble
Does the Microsoft Streets and Trips show back roads or is it just major streets and highways?

Streets and Trips shows the majority of the 'back roads', though, by my experience, it is not as thorough as Street Atlas. I still prefer the use of Streets and Trips for "planning" or outlining purposes, but I strong prefer Street Atlas for real-time GPS tracking and chasing the backroads...

 

[Amos Magliocco]

I installed Street Atlas 2005 early this afternoon and have been toying with the software for hours, but haven't been able to get out and test the GPS in action. I'm sure that part will have changed the least.

I've upgraded from SA 9.0 so it's a completely different interface, but I like it a lot. A few problems they've solved: you can now deactivate the GPS centering feature with a single graphical button rather than having to find it in the menu. I like the easy customization for points-of-interest so that chaser-specific locations like motels, libraries, and restaurants are visible, with addresses and phone numbers in a very cool, unintrusive way. There are additional contrast and zoom settings that should make the maps easier to read in a variety of situations.

It's an intuitive design and I feel like I could chase with it right now and not get confused.

My biggest complaint (so far) is the lack of county names on the maps. I know these are present in the database, because if you left-click any point and select the 'Info" menu, you get city name, zip code, county name, and more. I really wish there was a way to enable county names on the map itself. This isn't a deal-breaker (even on 9.0, counties were only visible at specific magnifications), but I was surprised considering the other improvements.

So far, very good!

 

[Robert Dewey]

Originally posted by Amos Magliocco
I installed Street Atlas 2005 early this afternoon and have been toying with the software for hours, but haven't been able to get out and test the GPS in action. I'm sure that part will have changed the least.

I've upgraded from SA 9.0 so it's a completely different interface, but I like it a lot. A few problems they've solved: you can now deactivate the GPS centering feature with a single graphical button rather than having to find it in the menu. I like the easy customization for points-of-interest so that chaser-specific locations like motels, libraries, and restaurants are visible, with addresses and phone numbers in a very cool, unintrusive way. There are additional contrast and zoom settings that should make the maps easier to read in a variety of situations.

It's an intuitive design and I feel like I could chase with it right now and not get confused.

My biggest complaint (so far) is the lack of county names on the maps. I know these are present in the database, because if you left-click any point and select the 'Info\" menu, you get city name, zip code, county name, and more. I really wish there was a way to enable county names on the map itself. This isn't a deal-breaker (even on 9.0, counties were only visible at specific magnifications), but I was surprised considering the other improvements.

So far, very good!

I got it, and I agree that it's a great program! I also really like the voice activation, such as "zoom in", "pan down", etc..

 

[Bill Hamilton]

I have had it about a week now and I like that it starts faster and is more customizable. The high contrast map colors are a welcome addition as well. I like it much more over the previous versions.

 

[Amos Magliocco]

So far it appears that SA 2005 does not have county labels at any magnification level, which sucks. You can get the county name, but only by moving the cursor to a point in the county, and right-clicking the "info" menu, which would be a pain in-situ.

Anybody figured out how to make the county names appear some way?

 

[David Wolfson]

Well, one possibility is to make and save an annotation (draw) file with the county labels and include it as a layer. Perhaps a separate annotation file for each state would work well. Several of us could divide up the work and share exported draw files; I'd be willing to take a few states. Perhaps Tim might be able to host the files for download. Might be some medicine for SDS in the cold season.

This might also work for Wi-fi spots, recommended food & lodging, etc., that members could contribute.

I notice that Delorme has an update for SA2005 that adds "advanced file management" (multiple draw files, etc.) on its support site.

 

[Amos Magliocco]

That's a good idea. I don't know how the draw files or layering work on the app, but I'd be willing to learn and do a state or two. I have found the county names very helpful in the past.

 

[Bill Hamilton]

There is an important update for Street Atlas and Delorme GPS programs.

DeLorme Magnetic Declination Update

Most DeLorme mapping applications use the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) magnetic declination file to perform various functions within the applications. On December 16, 2004, NOAA released a new version of the file that will make the previous version (which was released with most DeLorme mapping applications) obsolete.

http://www.delorme.com/support/multi/multi...&K=&P=8125&C=19