quote:

Pipesmoker said:
What makes you think that there’ll be no GPS signal in Northern Wisconsin?

Hayward area. Verizon is near non/existent. Always have to download my maps before I travel out here.

quote:

Originally posted by Ronin1069:

quote:

Pipesmoker said:
What makes you think that there’ll be no GPS signal in Northern Wisconsin?

Hayward area. Verizon is near non/existent. Always have to download my maps before I travel out here.

So apparently you meant that there would be no cellular service rather than no GPS signal. That makes more sense.

Even so, the navigation system of my six year old Hyundai Sonata needs no cellular service. The nation-wide US map is stored in a ROM, and the navigation system utilizes GPS to indicate my current location on that map, with appropriate expansion.

While traveling very rural Maine I was driving some of the gravel logging roads. The roads were in my Garmin GPS but the unit had trouble navigating on them. Maybe the actual location of the road was too far from the location Garmin thinks it is? Whatever the issue was I think a paper map would have been better in that instance. My biggest beef with maps is that most do not have the smallest of roads. One can be lost on the map and not have any landmarks until finding a marked major intersection. Out in the unpopulated areas maps have huge blank areas that are actually criss crossed with roads and trails.

quote:

Originally posted by jed7s9b:
Out in the unpopulated areas maps have huge blank areas that are actually criss crossed with roads and trails.

That depends on your map. Look into DeLorme Atlas and Gazeteers. Great map books and very detailed. Cheap too. Most full state map books are around $20. AAA still has decent road maps for general purpose roads.

My wife pretty much has a GPS in her head. I, unfortunately, do not. It's a wonder I could ever find my way home back when we had a small plane. I have and can read maps, but admit that in my dotage think GPS is the neatest thing since sliced bread. I've never had GPS fail due to weather, other than once in Arizona Summer heat, location or terrain.

But, both in the plane and in our land based vehicles, I never completely trust the GPS. I have had the GPS try to route me through an Indian reservation, where there was only a barbed wire fence; no road. A well used state route is labeled, "unknown road" when WB, but named properly if traveling the same route EB. Once, in Summertime, we stopped at a small airport restaurant for a burger. I guess that during our stop, the GPS in the plane got a little too warm, and ceased to function for about two hours.

I'm just glad that average American taxpayers have access to satellites we paid for, that probably cost mega millions to engineer, build, launch and maintain..

^^^^^^^

quote:

I never completely trust the GPS. I have had the GPS try to route me through an Indian reservation, where there was only a barbed wire fence; no road.

Your automobile’s navigation system is at fault, not GPS.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
Thanks,
Going to AAA this week for some maps.

Please post the results of your trip to AAA.

I've been told they are eliminating paper maps, if that is true or not, I'm not sure.

I went into my local AAA office last summer to get some travel guidebooks for a car trip and I was told they would soon be getting rid of the paper guidebooks. The lady told me that AAA would be going to a downloadable digital guidebook for your iPad. Its cheaper and better for the environment, she said.

Just great, just great, what I need is to look at an iPad when on a trip.

I love paper maps. There's just something about being able to look at the larger picture on paper and not an electronic screen.
..................

GPS, I have 2 of the older ones that you plug into the cigarette lighter. They receive the satellite signals and within a couple of minutes I know exactly where I am, including altitude and car speed, etc. I will NEVER get rid of mine.

You can still get them, but fewer choices are offered today. Truckers can get them with the "low bridges" and other built in for warnings. Garmin still has good choices for a reasonable price. This complements using your cell phone for maps/directions. Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon and many others still sell these.

For example: CKICK THIS LINK for a reasonably priced GPS for traveling.
.

I will point out that I do use GPS to constantly track where I am going but I am always ready to override it. I have had it point out a "better" route that is actually far worse (leave the main, plowed highway with services for an old county road) for the savings of .2 miles. Gee, thanks.

It certainly has its uses and I don't mind using the phone for things like road obstructions or hazards which I get with my electric leash. I do still maintain that it is good to have an atlas. In fact, I should update mine.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

quote:

Originally posted by jed7s9b:
Out in the unpopulated areas maps have huge blank areas that are actually criss crossed with roads and trails.

That depends on your map. Look into DeLorme Atlas and Gazeteers. Great map books and very detailed. Cheap too. Most full state map books are around $20. AAA still has decent road maps for general purpose roads.

I have many of the DeLorme maps, very useful. If you're travelling in the West I highly recommend the Benchmark Roads and Recreation maps, $20.00 well spent. Some of the GPS programs, like Google Maps, have poor information, helps to have a paper map to confirm. If your vehicle GPS takes you off pavement, something is wrong.