PETE WARD
PETE WARD
"WELCOME TO MY OUTDOOR WORLD"
"Gear review"
Fugawi Digital Map Software
Canada Maps
"Alberta "
"Fugawi Global Navigator."
Northport Systems Inc.
95 St. Clair Ave. West,
Suite 1406 Toronto,
Ontario M4V 1N6
Canada
TEL: 416-920-9300
FAX: 416-964-6313
Review
Note on the screen capture photo above, the blue lines. These are tracks from my GPS showing how close the map and my actual position driving realy are.Where the blue and Red are not overlaping you should be aware this is a divided highway. It shows that I was on the East Bound side.
I have been using the Fugawi computer map system for a couple of months now and finally feel confident that I can write the review. The first thing we need to begin to load the program is a "DVD" drive on our computer.
The rest is simple and all that we need to do is follow the directions as they come up on the screen.It takes a bit of use to become somewhat proficeint with all the things we can do with the Fugawi Topographical maps. Being a hunter and outdoorsman My needs are quite simple and many of the features available are not needed for my use of this program. They are there and it can be something that I may find useful later on.
Fugawi maps for Alberta are the same ones available in paper format from the Queens Printer. The Fugawi Disc is much smaller to store.! and much cheaper than buying the same amount of paper maps.The convenience of having the whole province at your fingertips in 1:50,000 scale is too good to be true.
I want to be able to locate a place that I want to go to or that I have been to, see what is there for terrain, and vehicle access.With the Fugawi Global Navigator I can access a map at home and be able to print the map section I want and put it in my pack for the trip. Fugawi does this with great accuracy and it is not too hard to learn.By downloading your GPS you can mark those special places with precision for future trips.Up loading waypoints, routes and tracks to the GPS from Fugawi is also a useful feature that the hunters will learn to appreciate.
I do suggest reading the directions. This would have made my experience a lot easier. However as most of us rarely read directions and I am not an exception to the norm I didn't read them but I did manage to figure out how to work with the program in short order.It is not that hard to find your way around with this program. I did need to ask for help twice by Email. The answers were fast and easy to follow. Customer suport is very good in my opinion.
The most attractive feature to me is the ability to upload and download information with my GPS. Places I went to and routes I took are easily transferred to the maps, and they can be edited on the map with notes and even photos can be added as a "click to see" item. The red box in the map below is interactive on the map program. Click on it and you see a photo of the Elk I took with my longbow. {It will not work here.This is just a photo of the map.}
To test the program I downloaded my GPS waypoints and routes that were stored on it and then went to the corresponding maps to see just how accurate the transfer was. My favorite Elk hunting place and camp was the benchmark I used and the transfer put features exactly where they should have been. Our camp location was shown on the point of trees where it should have been and the place I shot my Elk last fall was shown precisely where the event took place on the corner of the field. Trails were accurate and the tracks from my GPS followed the trails that I had walked last fall.The trails are not shown on the map photo above as they would make it easy to find where I was camped.
The next test of the program was to plot a trip I was taking to Calgary to a friends house and Archery 3D shoot. I took the directions I was given and plotted my route to my friends house 400 hundred miles away. This took me thru a couple maps and into a city street map to get thru Calgary. I downloaded the route to Calgary and headed out with the GPS on "GO TO " mode. The highway portion of the trip was a no brain event, however making my way thru a strange city to a sub division was going to be the test.
I had made 25 waypoints by following the map and as each one came up on my GPS I was able to know how far before my next turn and then I could see when the turn was near. Intersections and turns were right on the money and I found my destination with ease.When I parked in front of the house my GPS was indicating I had 40 feet to go to the final waypoint and destination. On a 400 mile trip planed on a computer map, then transferred to a GPS I think this is remarkable accuracy.That 40 foot to go took me into the livingroom .
By opening the Waypoint library you created on the maps or downloaded from your GPS a simple click on any waypoint will bring up the corect map. Also you can upload this information as well as routes and tracks to your GPS ,Palm , or pocket PC. Maps from the Fugawi Canada maps collection can also be uploaded directly to your map capable GPS.
I have no Idea how to use a Palm or pocket PC.
Typical view of a map on your browser above.
For those of you that want to share this software, the program will not allow you to do it. You can copy a section and send it in picture format for a friend to print so he can meet you at your camp.You can not share this software.
The Fugawi program is also compatable with other computer maps like e-topo.
With the Fugawi Global Navigator you also receive the Street overlays for Canada, Place names of Canada, and elevation data for Canada along with nautical charts and more.
With these features searching for a place or map is made easy.{Reading the Directions makes it even easier !}
I did like the basic Canada map program , For Alberta however it is far better with the adition of the Fugawi Global Navigator.The Fugawi Global Navigator makes this a much friendlier program that is better suited to my needs. By having my maps interactive and the ability to interface with a GPS it makes planning a trip quite simple.A few clicks and then transfer the route and waypoints to the GPS and you are off and running.With a printed section of the map in hand you have a second check to make sure that you are on course.
This fall when I take to the woods I will put the Fugawi System to the real test and report back on how well it worked for me. I did a few test runs in the woods with the GPS and downloaded the information to the Fugawi Global Navigator . Every place I went was transferred to the maps in the library for future reference.
I think this is a good program that will serve me well.I am looking forward to putting it to the test this fall and building a reliable map library that I can acess in years to come.
Without reservation I recommend the Canada Map program for Alberta and I definately recommend geting the upgrade to theFugawi Global Navigator.It takes you from basic maps to fully interactive maps .
Pete Ward
"Welcome to my outdoor world"
