DeLorme Street Atlas 2010 - Avoid!

[cedwards]

"Roll the maps. Don't fold the maps"
I had no issued with SA 2010 last year other than minor ones that are to be expected. It does not tell you if roads are paved or not. "Roads Of" is the only atlas I know of that tells you this. I always have paper atlases with me.

 

[Keith Wilson]

I use MS Streets & Trips 2010 every day at work. It is not perfect and none of them are.
That being said, we switched to it after a few years of DeLorme and it was a definite improvement.

 

[Skip Talbot]

I use MS Streets & Trips 2010 every day at work. It is not perfect and none of them are.
That being said, we switched to it after a few years of DeLorme and it was a definite improvement.

Why do you prefer Streets and Trips over Street Atlas. Apart from the chunky interface, I found Street Atlas to have a lot more features than Streets and Trips, although its been a few years since I last compared the two. I'll probably revisit Streets and Trips again and see if it has features like GPS logging/playback.

 

[Mark Blue]

"Roll the maps. Don't fold the maps"
I had no issued with SA 2010 last year other than minor ones that are to be expected. It does not tell you if roads are paved or not. "Roads Of" is the only atlas I know of that tells you this. I always have paper atlases with me.

x2 Charles. I use SA2010 for basic navigating to get to the target, but when it gets down to the finer detail I use paper maps. I've been building my collection of Delorme Gazateer Atlases for each of the states in tornado alley over the last year. Once I have a complete set of those states, I'll start in on the other states outside of the alley, so that one day I'll have every state I could ever possibly chase in.

 

[Andrew Pritchard]

It seems no matter how many times one mentions it in this thread, there will inevitably be another post at the bottom of the page knocking software because it actually showed mud roads as paved, ignoring the fact that this is not a feature the software offers.

While I always carry paper maps, anyone who feels mighty for using them strictly instead of these crummy GPS software programs is just silly. To be able to see your GPS location update in real time with the extensive road data base (among other options) is invaluable, and to say you'd prefer having your face in a paper map is either a lie, or someone who has never actually used either of these programs.

I've got Street Atlas and can rarely complain. Yeah, there are some new highways, or highway modifications that have not been updated but these are not day ruiners. When you get down to rural mud roads in the Great Plains, you get what you get. Having your face in a paper map or gazetteer is a good backup, but not something I'd recommend.

In the end, not allowing yourself to get into a position where "if this road ends for an unexpected reason, I will be in a potentially fatal situation" is the only way to avoid trouble. As has been mentioned, your roads can be impassable for reasons other than being plowed over (power lines, tree branches, construction, mud) and the only way to avoid danger is to not put yourself into the above mentioned situation. There is nothing like getting close to a powerful tornado, but you have to go about it in an intelligent and safe manner. Use your head. If the road you're on suddenly becomes unusable for any reason, what are the odds you don't have to drive across a farm field to avoid danger?

Time to get back to the early basics - always have an escape route.

I used paper maps up until 2007, but can't say I'd ever want to use anything other than Delorme when in the heat of the chase.

 

[Jason Foster]

While I always carry paper maps, anyone who feels mighty for using them strictly instead of these crummy GPS software programs is just silly. To be able to see your GPS location update in real time with the extensive road data base (among other options) is invaluable, and to say you'd prefer having your face in a paper map is either a lie, or someone who has never actually used either of these programs.

Or can't handle the coordination/relationship between the GPS icon and the map. There was even once a whole thread about if you orient the software so north is always up, or that your direction is always at the top (of the screen). Some folks for whatever reason just can't process this in their brain. But the few folks that I've actually seen this in person....make for poor chasers anyway because they have no sense of orientation ANYWAY, paper or PC.

I will say that have a fold out and/or paper map for me is only good for planning out the next day's chase/target. I generally would only use this in the hotel, or sitting and awaiting initiation. But once the action is going...forget it...just trying to drive, chase, hold a map, film, etc., etc. just isn't gonna happen.

 

[Donovan Gruner]

Pretty much the only time I use paper is also for planning, or if someone else is driving. Other than that I often stick with Streets and trips, gps on gr3, and my garmin on the dash. It saves so much time (and thinking), so you can be there for the reason you woke up that day... to look at the sky.