Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

Genealogy, GPS and mapping

1 view
Skip to first unread message

ca...@msn.com

unread,
Dec 30, 2005, 2:50:55 PM12/30/05
to
Hey All

First, my apologies if this is posted in the wrong place.

I would appreciate hearing from any of you who are using GPS and
mapping software. I have a notebook and I intend to purchase a plug-in
GPS and map software, but I could use some suggestions.

I have been visiting cemeteries and would like to include GPS data for
some of the older private cemeteries that are in very bad shape. I
know that the system isn't accurate enough to pinpoint individual
graves but would indicate where the graveyard is... or was.

I would also like to use a combination of GPS, mapping software and
plotting software to indicate the early homes and land holdings of my
ancestors, and how they were divided over time.

I know that there are quite a few map packages available. Do any allow
you to add overlays... or do what I have in mind..? Are there any
packages that have a base topo map and/or allow you to remove all
man-made features and start fresh with early 1600 settlements, for
instance..? Are any of you doing something similar..?

Thanks in advance for your time and attention
-Dogfish

Dave Hinz

unread,
Dec 30, 2005, 3:01:30 PM12/30/05
to
On 30 Dec 2005 11:50:55 -0800, ca...@msn.com <ca...@msn.com> wrote:

> First, my apologies if this is posted in the wrong place.

This is the perfect place, no worries.

> I have been visiting cemeteries and would like to include GPS data for
> some of the older private cemeteries that are in very bad shape. I
> know that the system isn't accurate enough to pinpoint individual
> graves but would indicate where the graveyard is... or was.

Here's what I've been doing: I'll get the GPS coordinates, to the limits
of the system, of each stone I'm recording. Then, I look around for
some sort of distinguishing landmark - that big tall spire with the
eagle on the top, the red large stone on top of a hill, something like
that. My notes will then include "50 feet to the west of, and 20 feet
to the north of, the tall granite spire with the eagle on the top, with
the name John Smith on it"

I also take photos with the stones I'm recording, and with that landmark
in the background, to get things situated.

> I would also like to use a combination of GPS, mapping software and
> plotting software to indicate the early homes and land holdings of my
> ancestors, and how they were divided over time.

I'd love to start doing that. Someday...

> I know that there are quite a few map packages available. Do any allow
> you to add overlays... or do what I have in mind..? Are there any
> packages that have a base topo map and/or allow you to remove all
> man-made features and start fresh with early 1600 settlements, for
> instance..? Are any of you doing something similar..?

topozone.com has online topo maps, which you could probably download and
add virtual "stick pins" to. If anyone knows of mapping software that
does this automagically, I'd love to hear about it.

> -Dogfish

As in the beer?

ca...@msn.com

unread,
Dec 30, 2005, 3:59:13 PM12/30/05
to

Dave Hinz wrote:
> On 30 Dec 2005 11:50:55 -0800, ca...@msn.com <ca...@msn.com> wrote:
>
> This is the perfect place, no worries.
>
Thanks Dave...

> Here's what I've been doing: I'll get the GPS coordinates, to the limits
> of the system, of each stone I'm recording. Then, I look around for
> some sort of distinguishing landmark - that big tall spire with the
> eagle on the top, the red large stone on top of a hill, something like
> that. My notes will then include "50 feet to the west of, and 20 feet
> to the north of, the tall granite spire with the eagle on the top, with
> the name John Smith on it"

> I also take photos with the stones I'm recording, and with that landmark
> in the background, to get things situated.

Thanks for the tip. I've been taking digital photo's of grave markers
for several years now. Unfortunately, the ones that I fear will be lost
are in secluded small private family plots in overgrown hedgerows or
woods. The stones are being broken by trees and by deer. Some of these
graveyards don't have much in the way of landmarks, but something I'll
look for in the future.

> topozone.com has online topo maps, which you could probably download and
> add virtual "stick pins" to. If anyone knows of mapping software that
> does this automagically, I'd love to hear about it.

Thanks again... I will take a look at that site.

I would doubt that any "automagic" software exists. I know from going
over old plot plans that many don't "close". Even older surveys relied
heavily on previous surveys of adjoining properties and used natural
lines as boundaries. Something like "beginning at the corner where
Smith's land meets Jone's along the creek to the large oak..."

I would be happy to get a close GPS location of where the house was and
map the rough acreage around it. I think that some of the digital GPS
map companies need to approach county clerks about digitizing their old
maps and plot plans. Some agreement for sharing the profit could be
reached I'm sure. County clerks are always anxious to point out that
they are one if not the only branch of county government that turns a
profit each year.
>
> As in the beer?
No... actually wasn't aware of the beer until I just Googled it. It
has been my handle since the late ''70's when I built my first S-100
machine.

Thanks again
-Dogfish

Jeff

unread,
Dec 30, 2005, 4:23:54 PM12/30/05
to

<ca...@msn.com> wrote in message
news:1135972255.5...@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

> Hey All
>
> First, my apologies if this is posted in the wrong place.
>
> I would appreciate hearing from any of you who are using
> GPS and
> mapping software. I have a notebook and I intend to
> purchase a plug-in
> GPS and map software, but I could use some suggestions.
> > you to add overlays... or do what I have in mind..? Are
> > there any
> packages that have a base topo map and/or allow you to
> remove all
> man-made features and start fresh with early 1600
> settlements, for
> instance..? Are any of you doing something similar..?
>
> Thanks in advance for your time and attention
> -Dogfish
>

I appreciate this doesn't answer your question but it might
be of interest to thosse without GPS whose data is mainly
from church graveyards that PARLOC (which is free) gives the
OS reference to the SW corner of the kilometere square where
the church is located.

PARLOC is at:
http://parloc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/parlocdl.html

Message has been deleted

Dave Hinz

unread,
Dec 30, 2005, 7:13:25 PM12/30/05
to
On 30 Dec 2005 12:59:13 -0800, ca...@msn.com <ca...@msn.com> wrote:

>
> Dave Hinz wrote:
> Some of these
> graveyards don't have much in the way of landmarks, but something I'll
> look for in the future.

Well, there's always _something_. A gate, the roadway, something
permanent. Use the coordinates to get to where you can see it, and then
do a relative positioning from there.

>> As in the beer?

> No... actually wasn't aware of the beer until I just Googled it. It
> has been my handle since the late ''70's when I built my first S-100
> machine.

They make some astonishingly good stuff, if you like complex beers. So
what was your S-100 machine then? I really liked that bus, back in the
days. Had a Z-80 machine with the usual homebrew assortment, mostly
homebrew stuff.

Dave


landthree-REPLACE

unread,
Dec 30, 2005, 8:02:28 PM12/30/05
to
Absolutely great and accurate advise, Dennis, but over the heads of
most GPS-users. They, like the vast majority of computer users
nowadays, just want to turn it on and have it work "like magic".
Expecting someone to actually learn about Datums and differing
coordinate systems .........well, you are a good hearted man to offer
the advise.

I'm a GIS specialist at a US National Park, and for years I've been
trying to get people to realize that the DATUM is nearly as important
as the coordinate system. The results after nearly a decade? Blank
stares when asked "what datum is your GPS unit set for?"; default DMS
(geographic degrees-minutes-seconds) coordinates called in when UTM or
DD (i.e., coordinates as numerical values) were requested, etc.

Hopefully, CARK is willing to undertake the task of learning some GPS
fundamentals to add to the quality of his data collection and family
database.

RonT
Estes Park, Colorado


On Fri, 30 Dec 2005 23:38:08 GMT, Dennis Lee Bieber
<wlf...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

> On 30 Dec 2005 11:50:55 -0800, ca...@msn.com declaimed the following in
> soc.genealogy.computing:


>
> >
> > I have been visiting cemeteries and would like to include GPS data for
> > some of the older private cemeteries that are in very bad shape. I
> > know that the system isn't accurate enough to pinpoint individual
> > graves but would indicate where the graveyard is... or was.
> >

> There is a difference between precision and accuracy... Civilian
> units, now that SA has been turned off, tend to be accurate to under 10
> meters (the goal of, say, a hiking GPS, is to get one within visual
> range of a predefined way point). However, the precision should be good
> enough that taking two readings 10 feet apart, within only a few minutes
> of each other, should reflect the 10 foot separation.
>
> For recording grave sites, my recommendation would be to:
> 1) use UTM coordinates (since these are directly measurable in meters)
> 2) pick some /stable/ landmark -- ie, something that is unlikely to be
> removed in the next few decades. Maybe there is a massive crypt in the
> middle of the cemetery... (if it's that large, pick the main gate to the
> crypt). Record the UTM coordinates of that landmark (if the GPS unit has
> averaging mode, and you have time, let it average an hour or more).
> 3) record UTM coordinates for the graves of interest -- try to do this
> within an hour or so of recording the landmark position (if you go too
> long, the satellite geometry will have changed enough for the 10m
> accuracy to drift around).
> 4) optional, at the end, re-record the UTM of the original landmark
> (the difference could be used to compute a linear interpolation of the
> accuracy drift for each grave: say the end mark comes up 6m away from
> the start, and you recorded 6 graves at 10 minute intervals... you could
> adjust each by 1m/10min).
>
> What the use of UTM gives you, is that you now can generate
> differences from the landmark, in meters. Grave-n is x-meters east and
> y-meters south of landmark, say. Don't forget to record the datum (GPS
> default is WGS-84, but most USGS maps are NAD-27) and "North" mode (true
> or magnetic) so followers can set to the same system(s).
>
> Of course, if you are near major waterways or airports, you might be
> able to obtain a differential GPS receiver to connect to the GPS unit.
> What these do is, a fixed land station (the differential transmitter)
> continuously obtains GPS satellite readings, computes a correction
> factor between the satellite geometry value, and the defined survey
> value of the transmitter. The correction factor is then transmitted (on
> a different frequency) and equipped GPS units can apply that correction.
> These can produce an accuracy factor that can beat normal military
> precision receivers.
>
> GPS controlled farm/construction equipment works the same way -- a
> fixed receiver is set up at, say the corner of the field, and way points
> based on distance/direction from the receiver. The receiver than keeps
> transmitting current GPS computed position, and the tractor calculates
> (from its GPS receiver) and the fixed receiver the distance NS/EW to
> correct its course.


>
> > I would also like to use a combination of GPS, mapping software and
>

> Again, mapping software may be using NAD-27, so you'll have to set
> the GPS display to match the map (you can record way points in WGS-84 --
> since that's how they are done internally anyway -- and change the datum
> later for display).

ca...@msn.com

unread,
Dec 30, 2005, 10:25:23 PM12/30/05
to
Thanks Guys

Dennis and RonT:

I have copied and archived your replies.

I know I'm behind in the GPS power curve and have some learning to do.
I have to make some choices about what to buy first. I'm hoping to
save some homework time by getting some recommendations from those of
you that have researched the different units and map packages.


Dave:

Ah yes, the early days of personal computing...

My S-100 machine was an IMSAI 8080, I added a Z-80 board. I hand
soldered Z-16 boards and got real excited when I added the one that
brought me to 62k! (remember 2k for the boot rom). I used a TTY-33 for
a console. Built a current loop to RS-232 adapter and I was up and
running at 110 baud. Actually used the paper tape sometimes! I added a
switch to turn the printer off, a character generator and a TV adapter
and I was using the keyboard on the TTY 33 with a B/W TV as a CRT
monitor. It sure beat using the front panel paddles. I bought about
50 8" disk drives at a scrap yard. They were pulled from IBM
mainframes and had a non-standard interface. I spent a summer fixing
them up and making adapters for them. Actually used the front panel
switches as an exerciser for doing seek tests and alignments. Kept 2
and sold the rest.

Reminds me of the fondness that people had for their Model T Fords...

-Dogfish

Everett M. Greene

unread,
Dec 31, 2005, 12:11:29 PM12/31/05
to
ca...@msn.com writes:
> Dave:
>
> Ah yes, the early days of personal computing...
>
> My S-100 machine was an IMSAI 8080, I added a Z-80 board. I hand
> soldered Z-16 boards and got real excited when I added the one that
> brought me to 62k! (remember 2k for the boot rom). I used a TTY-33 for
> a console. Built a current loop to RS-232 adapter and I was up and
> running at 110 baud. Actually used the paper tape sometimes! I added a
> switch to turn the printer off, a character generator and a TV adapter
> and I was using the keyboard on the TTY 33 with a B/W TV as a CRT
> monitor. It sure beat using the front panel paddles. I bought about
> 50 8" disk drives at a scrap yard. They were pulled from IBM
> mainframes and had a non-standard interface. I spent a summer fixing
> them up and making adapters for them. Actually used the front panel
> switches as an exerciser for doing seek tests and alignments. Kept 2
> and sold the rest.
>
> Reminds me of the fondness that people had for their Model T Fords...

Now that there's no reason to stretch the truth,
how reliable were the S-100 bus edge connectors?
I always found edge connectors to be suspect and
was glad to see the S-100 bus die a quick death.

If the need should ever arise, I have 8" and 5"
floppy drives in the attic for emergency use.

ca...@msn.com

unread,
Dec 31, 2005, 9:07:12 PM12/31/05
to
Everett M. Greene wrote:
>
> Now that there's no reason to stretch the truth,
> how reliable were the S-100 bus edge connectors?
> I always found edge connectors to be suspect and
> was glad to see the S-100 bus die a quick death.

I never had issues with the bus. The connectors were high quality...
expensive by today's standard. Tight... with tolerances so that they
left a mark on the board's fingers. There were good slot guides and
locks.

Keep in mind though that the Z-80 was running at 2Mhz... the Z-80 B
was certified at 4Mhz... and some overclocking could be done, but
really a rather slow bus speed to have many reliability issues.

You can still find "card edge" connectors if you will, on current
memory modules... some connectors seem sloppier and the bus speeds are
astronomically higher.

I feel that this is getting off topic... and off-group..? Is it OK?

Best wishes to all for 2006
-Dogfish

Bill Harrison

unread,
Jan 1, 2006, 8:02:01 PM1/1/06
to
If its UK related try the GenMap prog at www.archersoftware.co.uk

regards

Bill

ca...@msn.com

unread,
Jan 2, 2006, 12:54:21 AM1/2/06
to

"Bill Harrison" wrote:
> If its UK related try the GenMap prog at www.archersoftware.co.uk
>
> regards
>
> Bill
>
>
Thanks Bill

That looks like it would be a help. I don't know when I will be
getting to mapping my UK ancestry though. I'm in central New Jersey,
and I have almost 400 years of ancestry here to map first... most
sites and cemeteries are within a two hour drive.

-Dogfish

Dave Hinz

unread,
Jan 3, 2006, 11:17:03 AM1/3/06
to
On 31 Dec 2005 18:07:12 -0800, ca...@msn.com <ca...@msn.com> wrote:
> Everett M. Greene wrote:
>>
>> Now that there's no reason to stretch the truth,
>> how reliable were the S-100 bus edge connectors?

> I never had issues with the bus. The connectors were high quality...


> expensive by today's standard. Tight... with tolerances so that they
> left a mark on the board's fingers. There were good slot guides and
> locks.

I had some cheap expansion cards that had copper connectors instead of
the gold plating. Those were a PITA and needed frequent polishing.

> Keep in mind though that the Z-80 was running at 2Mhz... the Z-80 B
> was certified at 4Mhz... and some overclocking could be done, but
> really a rather slow bus speed to have many reliability issues.

Ayup.

> You can still find "card edge" connectors if you will, on current
> memory modules... some connectors seem sloppier and the bus speeds are
> astronomically higher.
> I feel that this is getting off topic... and off-group..? Is it OK?

Topic drift? Here? Never!

Kerry Raymond

unread,
Jan 4, 2006, 3:01:59 AM1/4/06
to

> I have been visiting cemeteries and would like to include GPS data for
> some of the older private cemeteries that are in very bad shape. I
> know that the system isn't accurate enough to pinpoint individual
> graves but would indicate where the graveyard is... or was.

Yes, it is certainly viable to use GPS to capture the location of a small
cemetery. If the cemetery is large and you want to capture the location of a
few graves within the cemetery, then again GPS is fine to the extent that
you (or others) can return to the cemetery later and with a bit of poking
around find the grave(s) reasonably quickly (especially if you have a few
additional comments like "3rd black headstone from roadway" to help once you
are in the vicinity).

We take the GPS data and create KML/KMZ (GoogleEarth) files which we publish
on our WWW site of headstone photos from various old cemeteries. This
enables anyone who wants to see where a cemetery is in Google Earth to
simply click on the link. Here's an example from our WWW site -- IF you have
GoogleEarth installed, click it and it will "fly" you to the Alberton
Cemetery at the Gold Coast, Australia. It won't work if you don't have
GoogleEarth installed.

http://www.chapelhill.homeip.net/FamilyHistory/Photos/Alberton_Cemetery-Gold_Coast_City/GoogleEarth.kmz

Although KML/KMZ files can hold as precise a location as you get from your
GPS, GoogleEarth does not have the resolution to *display* to the same level
of precision. Therefore, we only make KML/KMZ files to record locations of
cemeteries and not of individual graves, although I guess you could use it
to record the *approximate* location of a specific grave in a large cemetery
(it would depend on just how good the resolution of Google Earth is at that
location -- it is extremely variable).

> I would also like to use a combination of GPS, mapping software and
> plotting software to indicate the early homes and land holdings of my
> ancestors, and how they were divided over time.

> I know that there are quite a few map packages available. Do any allow
> you to add overlays... or do what I have in mind..? Are there any
> packages that have a base topo map and/or allow you to remove all
> man-made features and start fresh with early 1600 settlements, for
> instance..? Are any of you doing something similar..?

You want to bear in mind that most of the GPS receivers comes bundled with
mapping software from the same/affiliated company and therefore uses a
proprietary data format (vendor lock-in). There do exist various programs
(some of them freeware) to allow you to convert your GPS data from your
vendor's format to various other formats. The impact for you of all this is
that you may well need to start by choosing your mapping software, then
choose a GPS receiver compatible with it (or convertable to it).

A lot of mapping software will allow you to add overlays, but I am not sure
about the availability of purely topological map sets with everything else
done as optional overlays. Most mapping software are used for contemporary
purposes so relating locations to things like roads tend to be more useful
to most users, so at least some of this information tends to come as part of
the base map (e.g. my base map for Garmin MapSource has highways and major
towns on it). And indeed, even for historical purposes, it is useful to know
where a historic location is relative to current landmarks (you probably
have to drive there to visit it). However, I take your point that you would
like to be able to view the data optionally with and without current
landmarks, but you may need to settle for being able to reduce the amount of
contemporary information rather than turn it all off.

The other issue is whether you want to share your location data with others,
and whether or not these people will have a GPS or mapping software (of the
same brand as yours or a brand that you can covert to). Most likely the
people you want to share with don't have these things. This is where KML/KMZ
(GoogleEarth) files are very useful as GoogleEarth is probably the most
ubiquitous free mapping software available. Now I know there are many things
to be said against Google Earth (poor resolution, doesn't run on Macs/Linux,
generally needs broadband although some people say they use it over
dial-up), but its installed base is massive compared with anything else. For
most people, even if they cannot install Google Earth themselves
(Mac/Linux/dialup users), odds on they know someone who can use Google
Earth. You can define your own overlays for Google Earth incidentally,
including overlaying images (very useful if you happen to have aerial photos
or old maps), 3D shapes (e.g. to show the position of old buildings),
polygons (e.g. to show the boundaries of a piece of ancestral land), lines
(e.g. to show a route or track), and placemarkers (to mark locations of
houses, cemeteries etc).

I guess what I am saying here is that when it comes to GPS, mapping and
genealogy, there probably isn't going to be a simple off-the-shelf solution
for you. It's probably a much too specialised niche market. And looking at
the bigger picture of GPS and mapping, it seems likely that Google Earth
will become (or perhaps already is) the "default" software mapping tool for
most ordinary Internet users, so you might as well factor using Google Earth
as a means of sharing your genealogic GPS data into your long term plans.
Having said all that, probably the most important thing you need to have in
your mapping software is the ability to export it to plain text which you
can cut-n-paste into other formats or other mapping software. Conversion
tools are nice but nothing beats plain text for handling the unanticipated
situations.

Kerry


Chris Watts

unread,
Jan 4, 2006, 4:03:23 AM1/4/06
to

"Kerry Raymond" <kray...@iprimus.com.au> wrote in message
news:dpfvdf$9h0$1...@otis.netspace.net.au...

>
> > I have been visiting cemeteries and would like to include GPS data for
> > some of the older private cemeteries that are in very bad shape. I
> > know that the system isn't accurate enough to pinpoint individual
> > graves but would indicate where the graveyard is... or was.
>
> Yes, it is certainly viable to use GPS to capture the location of a small
> cemetery. If the cemetery is large and you want to capture the location of
a
> few graves within the cemetery, then again GPS is fine to the extent that
> you (or others) can return to the cemetery later and with a bit of poking
> around find the grave(s) reasonably quickly (especially if you have a few
> additional comments like "3rd black headstone from roadway" to help once
you
> are in the vicinity).
>
But don't use trees as landmarks!
I went by distance from a large tree shown on a cemetry plan made in the
early 20th century. By the late 20th century there was a forest of large
trees to choose from!!

Chris


singhals

unread,
Jan 4, 2006, 11:26:53 AM1/4/06
to
Chris Watts wrote:


LOL! I had the opposite problem -- there were two oaks, massive beasts,
one at the east corners of the church. Sometime in the 1990s, they were
wind- and ice- damaged, and pronounced dangerous to the residents, and
removed. About the same time, the caretakers removed plantings at
graves (removing a 95 year old rose bush used as a marker for that
section of the cemetery), AND dug up the concrete curbs and iron fences
around family plots. Adding insult to injury, the church fathers then
extended the building into the space created by the now-missing Oaks.
Forty-foot from the NE corner of the church just moved.

Cheryl

Howard Mathieson

unread,
Jan 5, 2006, 2:16:46 PM1/5/06
to
There are mapping solutions that will do everything you are suggesting. The
downside is they don't come cheap (500-600 US I would think) I use several
solutions, Genmap as suggested by another poster but almost exclusively
Mapinfo. Genmap is a poor mans gis(great little program) but is UK centric.
As well it does not have the bells and whistles you would need.

Mapinfo will import any raster image(JPG GIF) so for example you could
import a map of Gloucestershire(or New Jersey, or your backyard ) An example
(be sure to click on the lower right hand corner of the map to enlarge to
full size)
http://www.yourmapsonline.org.uk/redone/Glouces/CaryGlocesterhire.jpg

This map could then be geocoded(correct Lat and Lon) to make it a virtual
map. I do this for birth and marriage records on maps that I create from
this type of base map.
http://www.members.shaw.ca/hdangerfield/do%20not%20search%20these%20files/ancestor%20detective/Gloucestershire/gls%20frame.htm

What I am also doing in then linking the Events to the map. Great for
searching for ancestor links.

Howard Mathieson
Winnipeg Canada
Guild of One Name Studies Member # 4328
englishda...@yahoo.ca
Web Site: www.members.shaw.ca/sdangerfield

<ca...@msn.com> wrote in message
news:1135972255.5...@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

aewold

unread,
Jan 9, 2006, 7:30:39 AM1/9/06
to
Kerry,

[quote]

"Although KML/KMZ files can hold as precise a location as you get from
your GPS, GoogleEarth does not have the resolution to *display* to the
same level of precision. Therefore, we only make KML/KMZ files to
record locations of cemeteries and not of individual graves, although I
guess you could use it to record the *approximate* location of a
specific grave in a large cemetery (it would depend on just how good
the resolution of Google Earth is at that location -- it is extremely
variable)."

[end quote]

Actually, if you can find a high resolution aerial photograph of the
cemetery or section of the cemetery, you can add it as a layer to give
the Google Earth map a very detailed view.

Andy

MD

unread,
Jan 19, 2006, 8:41:11 PM1/19/06
to
I use Microsofts Streets and Trips software. For about $100 it comes
with a small GPS that hooks to your notebook computer. It offers real
time navigation and has excellent routing capabilities.

You can create pushpins of sites and save your map. It will not
accurately mark an individual grave, but has an accuracy of about nine
meters.

For a more sophisticated program with a high learning curve, use ESRI's
ArcMap. I use this at work and it's amazing. It is the defacto
standard Geospatial Information System software. Delorme's X-map is
cheaper and easier for a beginner to use.

Howard Mathieson

unread,
Jan 20, 2006, 6:12:14 PM1/20/06
to
GIS systems are most certainly too sophisticated for the vast majority of
family researchers.

> For a more sophisticated program with a high learning curve, use ESRI's
> ArcMap. I use this at work and it's amazing. It is the defacto
> standard Geospatial Information System software. Delorme's X-map is
> cheaper and easier for a beginner to use.

Delorme comes in at $750 Arch info won't even list the price on its web. I
personally use Mapinfo extensively in my family research.( I would argue it
is the defacto standard as every other GIS system will import or export to
MIF format) It is also up there in price. All these geospatial companies are
heavy into market research applications geared for the corporate world. It
is a shame someone doesn't developed a basic GIS system geared to family
researchers in North America. Archer's Genmap is an excellent product geared
only to the British Isles. It lacks an internal data base engine but will
generate extremely good distribution maps based on Access or Dbase formatted
files. However the built in scale limitations would certainly not allow
mapping at the graveyard level!

Howard Mathieson
Winnipeg Canada
Guild of One Name Studies Member # 4328

dange...@one-name.org
Web Site: www.one-name.org/homepages/dangerfield

Kerry Raymond

unread,
Feb 11, 2006, 3:42:36 PM2/11/06
to

>All these geospatial companies are
> heavy into market research applications geared for the corporate world. It
> is a shame someone doesn't developed a basic GIS system geared to family
> researchers in North America.

I think Google Earth is the GIS tool for the mere mortal of the future.
Being free, the only drawback to its use is that some parts of the world
have only low resolution images, but for some parts of the world, the
resolution is excellent (such as South-East Queensland where I live).
However, the resolution of the images can only improve over time.

Kerry


MD

unread,
Feb 11, 2006, 5:21:33 PM2/11/06
to
Agreed, it's really shaking things up in the GIS world.

Ron

unread,
Feb 13, 2006, 2:33:35 AM2/13/06
to Kerry Raymond
Kerry Raymond wrote:

> I think Google Earth is the GIS tool for the mere mortal of the future.
> Being free, the only drawback to its use is that some parts of the world
> have only low resolution images, but for some parts of the world, the
> resolution is excellent (such as South-East Queensland where I live).
> However, the resolution of the images can only improve over time.

>
Don't the chargeable upgrades improve the resolution

--
Ron Lankshear - Sydney Aust (from London- Shepherds Bush & Chiswick)
http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~lankshear/

Kerry Raymond

unread,
Feb 13, 2006, 3:28:18 AM2/13/06
to

> Don't the chargeable upgrades improve the resolution


Not that I am aware of. See here for what you get for the extra money:

http://earth.google.com/product_comparison.html

While you get better printing resolution if you pay money, there is nothing
to suggest better viewing resolution.

I only have the free version myself and in the year or so I've used it, some
areas with low resolution have been upgraded to better resolution, so it
appears that if Google Earth can get better resolution images, they will
make it available, even to the non-paying users.

I have been told (but cannot confirm) that some of the better resolution
images are in fact aerial photography rather than satellite images. However,
from the consumer point of view, I guess I don't really care how the images
are acquired, just that better resolution is, well, better.

Kerry


Ron

unread,
Feb 13, 2006, 5:42:52 AM2/13/06
to Kerry Raymond
Kerry Raymond wrote:
>> Don't the chargeable upgrades improve the resolution
>
>
> Not that I am aware of. See here for what you get for the extra money:
>
> http://earth.google.com/product_comparison.html
>
> While you get better printing resolution if you pay money, there is nothing
> to suggest better viewing resolution.
yes I agree it clearly says Print Image
I must have just seen the Pixels when I looked some time ago

Ron

unread,
Feb 13, 2006, 10:37:26 AM2/13/06
to

Kerry Raymond wrote:

> I think Google Earth is the GIS tool for the mere mortal of the future.
> Being free, the only drawback to its use is that some parts of the world
> have only low resolution images, but for some parts of the world, the
> resolution is excellent (such as South-East Queensland where I live).
> However, the resolution of the images can only improve over time.

>

Don't the chargeable upgrades improve the resolution

--

0 new messages