Posted: 1/4/2015 1:15:49 AM EDT
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Where can I find good maps for my area? Either topographical or not, and in a common scale (1:50,000 / 1:75,000, etc)
The ones I found online were not to scale ie: stretched vertically more than horizontally. Looking to print one out apx 2 1/2 ft x 2 1/2 ft and laminate. Eta: For clarification, not looking for road maps. |
| I went to my local BLM regional office and bought a bunch of topo maps, $4 each. They are 1:100,000 but I like them because they show all public lands. A downside to them is they don't show road names (except for major highways and freeways) so I still have to carry around a gazetteer. |
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Topozone? I think Trails.com picked up some sites. Mytopo.com Store.usgs.com Google comes up with lots of hits. I sent some to a SF guy last Christmas for his area and he liked them. I think they even laminat them for you now. Mytopo.com is the shizit. They will make you a map of anywhere. I had them make me a map of the area my cabin is in, with the cabin in the center. They will make it in several different sizes,laminate it and you can get it folded or rolled. I highly recommend them. |
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Thanks, guys. I have gone through this before but I became frustrated as the lat/long ratio was distorted and/or it wouldn't be in a correct common size for protractors. lat/long will always be somewhat distorted because the longitude lines meet at the poles. You need to make a custom scale that distinguishes between lat & long in order to treat them like military grid squares. Your custom scale will be dead nuts on for any map from the same latitude, and will be reasonably accurate for a range of latitudes. Just remember, the further you get from the equator, the greater the distortion. |
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Quoted:
lat/long will always be somewhat distorted because the longitude lines meet at the poles. You need to make a custom scale that distinguishes between lat & long in order to treat them like military grid squares. Your custom scale will be dead nuts on for any map from the same latitude, and will be reasonably accurate for a range of latitudes. Just remember, the further you get from the equator, the greater the distortion. Quoted:
Quoted:
Thanks, guys. I have gone through this before but I became frustrated as the lat/long ratio was distorted and/or it wouldn't be in a correct common size for protractors. lat/long will always be somewhat distorted because the longitude lines meet at the poles. You need to make a custom scale that distinguishes between lat & long in order to treat them like military grid squares. Your custom scale will be dead nuts on for any map from the same latitude, and will be reasonably accurate for a range of latitudes. Just remember, the further you get from the equator, the greater the distortion. I meant 1k yards north and south might be 2 inches, while 1k yards east and west might be 1.75 inches. But, what you said is definatly a good piece of information. I do want 1,000 yard grid squares preferably. Eta: what do you mean, distinguish between lat. and long.? The lat lines run left and right, and long. up and down. You mean make 1k grid squares? |
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I meant 1k yards north and south might be 2 inches, while 1k yards east and west might be 1.75 inches. But, what you said is definatly a good piece of information. I do want 1,000 yard grid squares preferably. Eta: what do you mean, distinguish between lat. and long.? The lat lines run left and right, and long. up and down. You mean make 1k grid squares? Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Thanks, guys. I have gone through this before but I became frustrated as the lat/long ratio was distorted and/or it wouldn't be in a correct common size for protractors. lat/long will always be somewhat distorted because the longitude lines meet at the poles. You need to make a custom scale that distinguishes between lat & long in order to treat them like military grid squares. Your custom scale will be dead nuts on for any map from the same latitude, and will be reasonably accurate for a range of latitudes. Just remember, the further you get from the equator, the greater the distortion. I meant 1k yards north and south might be 2 inches, while 1k yards east and west might be 1.75 inches. But, what you said is definatly a good piece of information. I do want 1,000 yard grid squares preferably. Eta: what do you mean, distinguish between lat. and long.? The lat lines run left and right, and long. up and down. You mean make 1k grid squares? The latitude is the angle north or south of the equator. They are spaced fairly uniformly from the equator to the poles. Longitude is the angle east or west of Greenwich, England. They get closer as you move away from the equator. for instance: 1 minute of latitude =1840 meters at the equator, 1850 meters at 40 degrees, 1860 meters at 80 degrees, and 1860 meters at the poles. 1 minute of longitude = 1860 meters at the equator, 1420 meters at 40 degrees, 320 meters at 80 degrees, and 31 meters at the poles. So at the equator, a lat/long 1 minute square is 1860m east/west, and 1840m north south. While at 80 degrees, a 1 minute square is 320m east/west, and 1860m north south. You need to make a custom scale for the lat/long depending on how many degrees from the equator your map is for. From the for instance, a minute of latitude only changes by 20 meters from the equator to the poles, but a minute of longitude changes by 1829 meters from the equator to the poles. When you make a custom scale, it is good anywhere along the latitude line it was made for, north or south of the equator. You can make a custom scale using the lat/long markings on your map. A 1k yard square should always be 1k x1k no mater how far north or south of the equator it is. |
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Quoted:
Mytopo.com is the shizit. They will make you a map of anywhere. I had them make me a map of the area my cabin is in, with the cabin in the center. They will make it in several different sizes,laminate it and you can get it folded or rolled. I highly recommend them. Quoted:
Quoted:
Topozone? I think Trails.com picked up some sites. Mytopo.com Store.usgs.com Google comes up with lots of hits. I sent some to a SF guy last Christmas for his area and he liked them. I think they even laminat them for you now. Mytopo.com is the shizit. They will make you a map of anywhere. I had them make me a map of the area my cabin is in, with the cabin in the center. They will make it in several different sizes,laminate it and you can get it folded or rolled. I highly recommend them. Another vote for mytopo.com. I finally got around to ordering a few maps last night for my GHB. The maps are 1:50,000 scale, 18"x24", with MGRS lines, and the three of them cover the entire length of my commute to and from work, as well as the rest of the small town on the outskirts of which I live. I've been planning to pick them up for awhile now, but other things kept popping up which diverted the money. I also ordered some military protractors from another online source, so that I can throw them and my lensatic compass in the GHB as well. |
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Quoted:
The latitude is the angle north or south of the equator. They are spaced fairly uniformly from the equator to the poles. Longitude is the angle east or west of Greenwich, England. They get closer as you move away from the equator. for instance: 1 minute of latitude =1840 meters at the equator, 1850 meters at 40 degrees, 1860 meters at 80 degrees, and 1860 meters at the poles. 1 minute of longitude = 1860 meters at the equator, 1420 meters at 40 degrees, 320 meters at 80 degrees, and 31 meters at the poles. So at the equator, a lat/long 1 minute square is 1860m east/west, and 1840m north south. While at 80 degrees, a 1 minute square is 320m east/west, and 1860m north south. You need to make a custom scale for the lat/long depending on how many degrees from the equator your map is for. From the for instance, a minute of latitude only changes by 20 meters from the equator to the poles, but a minute of longitude changes by 1829 meters from the equator to the poles. When you make a custom scale, it is good anywhere along the latitude line it was made for, north or south of the equator. You can make a custom scale using the lat/long markings on your map. A 1k yard square should always be 1k x1k no mater how far north or south of the equator it is. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Thanks, guys. I have gone through this before but I became frustrated as the lat/long ratio was distorted and/or it wouldn't be in a correct common size for protractors. lat/long will always be somewhat distorted because the longitude lines meet at the poles. You need to make a custom scale that distinguishes between lat & long in order to treat them like military grid squares. Your custom scale will be dead nuts on for any map from the same latitude, and will be reasonably accurate for a range of latitudes. Just remember, the further you get from the equator, the greater the distortion. I meant 1k yards north and south might be 2 inches, while 1k yards east and west might be 1.75 inches. But, what you said is definatly a good piece of information. I do want 1,000 yard grid squares preferably. Eta: what do you mean, distinguish between lat. and long.? The lat lines run left and right, and long. up and down. You mean make 1k grid squares? The latitude is the angle north or south of the equator. They are spaced fairly uniformly from the equator to the poles. Longitude is the angle east or west of Greenwich, England. They get closer as you move away from the equator. for instance: 1 minute of latitude =1840 meters at the equator, 1850 meters at 40 degrees, 1860 meters at 80 degrees, and 1860 meters at the poles. 1 minute of longitude = 1860 meters at the equator, 1420 meters at 40 degrees, 320 meters at 80 degrees, and 31 meters at the poles. So at the equator, a lat/long 1 minute square is 1860m east/west, and 1840m north south. While at 80 degrees, a 1 minute square is 320m east/west, and 1860m north south. You need to make a custom scale for the lat/long depending on how many degrees from the equator your map is for. From the for instance, a minute of latitude only changes by 20 meters from the equator to the poles, but a minute of longitude changes by 1829 meters from the equator to the poles. When you make a custom scale, it is good anywhere along the latitude line it was made for, north or south of the equator. You can make a custom scale using the lat/long markings on your map. A 1k yard square should always be 1k x1k no mater how far north or south of the equator it is. Thank you, I understand. It seems logical now that you've explained it, definately a valuable piece of information I needed to know. Once I get my maps, I'll have to find out the distances, etc for my area. |
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How about a source for 1:25,000 topos with the military grid square overlay? mytopo.com The first thing you'll do is pick the area for the map (City, State, etc.). Then, you can choose the size and scale of the map. After that, you'll pick the format (outdoor, poster, rolled, folded, etc.). Then, you'll choose whether you want Lat/Long, MGRS, or both. After that, it's just a matter of placing the order. |
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Quoted:
mytopo.com The first thing you'll do is pick the area for the map (City, State, etc.). Then, you can choose the size and scale of the map. After that, you'll pick the format (outdoor, poster, rolled, folded, etc.). Then, you'll choose whether you want Lat/Long, MGRS, or both. After that, it's just a matter of placing the order. Quoted:
Quoted:
How about a source for 1:25,000 topos with the military grid square overlay? mytopo.com The first thing you'll do is pick the area for the map (City, State, etc.). Then, you can choose the size and scale of the map. After that, you'll pick the format (outdoor, poster, rolled, folded, etc.). Then, you'll choose whether you want Lat/Long, MGRS, or both. After that, it's just a matter of placing the order. Thanks for the info. I like that there's the option for MGRS. Like you, I'll have to order some to cover the area of my commute plus some other areas. |
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Quoted:
Thanks for the info. I like that there's the option for MGRS. Like you, I'll have to order some to cover the area of my commute plus some other areas. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
How about a source for 1:25,000 topos with the military grid square overlay? mytopo.com The first thing you'll do is pick the area for the map (City, State, etc.). Then, you can choose the size and scale of the map. After that, you'll pick the format (outdoor, poster, rolled, folded, etc.). Then, you'll choose whether you want Lat/Long, MGRS, or both. After that, it's just a matter of placing the order. Thanks for the info. I like that there's the option for MGRS. Like you, I'll have to order some to cover the area of my commute plus some other areas. + 1 |
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Quoted: Thank you, I understand. It seems logical now that you've explained it, definately a valuable piece of information I needed to know. Once I get my maps, I'll have to find out the distances, etc for my area. Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Thanks, guys. I have gone through this before but I became frustrated as the lat/long ratio was distorted and/or it wouldn't be in a correct common size for protractors. lat/long will always be somewhat distorted because the longitude lines meet at the poles. You need to make a custom scale that distinguishes between lat & long in order to treat them like military grid squares. Your custom scale will be dead nuts on for any map from the same latitude, and will be reasonably accurate for a range of latitudes. Just remember, the further you get from the equator, the greater the distortion. I meant 1k yards north and south might be 2 inches, while 1k yards east and west might be 1.75 inches. But, what you said is definatly a good piece of information. I do want 1,000 yard grid squares preferably. Eta: what do you mean, distinguish between lat. and long.? The lat lines run left and right, and long. up and down. You mean make 1k grid squares? The latitude is the angle north or south of the equator. They are spaced fairly uniformly from the equator to the poles. Longitude is the angle east or west of Greenwich, England. They get closer as you move away from the equator. for instance: 1 minute of latitude =1840 meters at the equator, 1850 meters at 40 degrees, 1860 meters at 80 degrees, and 1860 meters at the poles. 1 minute of longitude = 1860 meters at the equator, 1420 meters at 40 degrees, 320 meters at 80 degrees, and 31 meters at the poles. So at the equator, a lat/long 1 minute square is 1860m east/west, and 1840m north south. While at 80 degrees, a 1 minute square is 320m east/west, and 1860m north south. You need to make a custom scale for the lat/long depending on how many degrees from the equator your map is for. From the for instance, a minute of latitude only changes by 20 meters from the equator to the poles, but a minute of longitude changes by 1829 meters from the equator to the poles. When you make a custom scale, it is good anywhere along the latitude line it was made for, north or south of the equator. You can make a custom scale using the lat/long markings on your map. A 1k yard square should always be 1k x1k no mater how far north or south of the equator it is. Thank you, I understand. It seems logical now that you've explained it, definately a valuable piece of information I needed to know. Once I get my maps, I'll have to find out the distances, etc for my area. This is why we use projections and coordinate systems. It allows us to express curved surfaces on a flat map with equal X and Y axes. For example a 7.5' USGS quad is 7.5 minutes in each axis but they are generally taller than they are wide. A 7.5' USGS quad expressed in lat/lon would be square and would look weird and be distorted. Plain old map projections will solve your concern and make distances in the X and Y axis match. USGS quads are an awesome resource if you want to get a handle on your area and also want the X,Y axis distortion issue resolved. They generally have both State Plane and UTM coordinates on them so you should be set whether you prefer imperial or metric units. |