Michael Paré
Just wanted to throw this one out there. Probably stating the obvious here, but for those looking for mapping software to use while chasing, I would recommend avoiding Street Atlas!
I was out chasing with friends last week and was primarily using SA 2010 for navigation to target areas and during our chases. For a product version "2010", you'd expect they would update the maps - but several times the software did not show bypasses that had been built around towns, showed paved roads that were actually dirt, and vice versa. I could go on - but there were many discrepancies/inaccuracies.
I was out chasing on 5/22 around the Bowdle wedge (Awesome, btw!) but luckily I was not stuck in the mud later on as several other chasers were, so I will not speak directly from that experience but I understand that "certain mapping software" showed a road where all that existed was a field. It wouldn't surprise me if those chasers were using Street Atlas and wound up finding one of its map flaws at the most inopportune moment of all.
Luckily, we also carried paper maps (as backup) for all the states we expected to chase in, and we ended up hitting all of those states! These paper maps trumped the software hands-down, correctly showing dirt roads as dirt, and paved as paved, etc. Worth the investment.
Not only was the software a disappointment, but the LT-40 GPS it came with was a no-go. Well the GPS itself worked OK natively with SA, but DeLorme's serial port emulator stopped working after about 45 minutes of use. Fortunately, before our chase trip, I re-equipped with a Globalsat BU-353 and GPSGate - a winning combination and proved very reliable.
I had an install disk for MS Streets and Trips 2010 as well but didn't get to try it out. Anyone have any success with that, or is it just as out-of-date as DeLorme? Next time I'm in Yarmouth, ME, I'll be sure to give DeLorme my feedback...
Hopefully this info will prevent someone from making the same mistake(s) that I did and save you some trouble.
I was out chasing with friends last week and was primarily using SA 2010 for navigation to target areas and during our chases. For a product version "2010", you'd expect they would update the maps - but several times the software did not show bypasses that had been built around towns, showed paved roads that were actually dirt, and vice versa. I could go on - but there were many discrepancies/inaccuracies.
I was out chasing on 5/22 around the Bowdle wedge (Awesome, btw!) but luckily I was not stuck in the mud later on as several other chasers were, so I will not speak directly from that experience but I understand that "certain mapping software" showed a road where all that existed was a field. It wouldn't surprise me if those chasers were using Street Atlas and wound up finding one of its map flaws at the most inopportune moment of all.
Luckily, we also carried paper maps (as backup) for all the states we expected to chase in, and we ended up hitting all of those states! These paper maps trumped the software hands-down, correctly showing dirt roads as dirt, and paved as paved, etc. Worth the investment.
Not only was the software a disappointment, but the LT-40 GPS it came with was a no-go. Well the GPS itself worked OK natively with SA, but DeLorme's serial port emulator stopped working after about 45 minutes of use. Fortunately, before our chase trip, I re-equipped with a Globalsat BU-353 and GPSGate - a winning combination and proved very reliable.
I had an install disk for MS Streets and Trips 2010 as well but didn't get to try it out. Anyone have any success with that, or is it just as out-of-date as DeLorme? Next time I'm in Yarmouth, ME, I'll be sure to give DeLorme my feedback...
Hopefully this info will prevent someone from making the same mistake(s) that I did and save you some trouble.