by Carl BR Johnson
July 2, 2013
Photo by Carl BR Johnson — Some outdoors enthusiasts say the province’s topographical map database that was recently made freely available to the public via GeoBC’s website will have a hard time competing with already established GPS systems.
Outdoor enthusiasts have mixed reviews of the province’s move to convert their topographical base map system to a mobile version.
The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations partnered with GeoBC, and they have created a series of high-resolution topographical maps that are specifically designed to be viewed on many mobile devices.
According to GeoBC, the maps have also been made Global Positioning Satellite (GPS)-capable.
Brenda Mathias, one of three owners of Corlane’s Sporting Goods in Dawson Creek, said she thinks the provincial map system would be a valuable tool for her clientele.
“This would definitely open doors for people to get out there,” said Mathias. “I do sell quite a few topographical maps and recreational maps at this time of year, so obviously, people rely on them a lot.”
However, she pointed out that getting a cell-phone signal out in the woods so the maps could be downloaded would be a challenge in some areas.
She said there’s a chance it could negatively affect the sale of the old paper-style maps, though many of her customers wouldn’t want to pack their cell phones when they’re in the backcountry.
“But everything’s changing ’cause many are starting to pack phones whether they want to or not,” she said.
With GeoBC’s Terrain Resource Management System (TRIM) and GPS functionality it will allows users to zoom into small areas without losing clarity or detail.
Over 7,000 maps covering all of B.C. are now available as PDFs.
Any mobile device that can view such files will be able to use this system via geobc.gov.bc.ca.
GeoBC has targeted several different groups, which they think will use this system such as hikers, campers, foresters, archaeologists, anglers, hunters, community planners and many different naturalist research groups.
But Brad Best, sales associate of Backcountry in Fort St. John with specific expertise in GPS systems, says that the free website map system has a long way to go before it can compete with already established GPS systems.
“Garmin already has 85-90 per cent of the GPS market in my estimation,” said Best. “And if you’re in the deepest darkest woods in B.C., GPS will outperform a cell phone signal because GPS signals are available worldwide.”
He said when he turns his GPS system on, it takes only a few seconds to orient itself, but a cell signal would be more difficult to guarantee in the woods.
Andy Calarco, director or GeoBC, said this system has been released now because his organization has noticed more and more people taking their mobile devices “out into the field.”
“This system was initially designed for people in the natural resource sector,” said Calarco.
And although Calarco said this system has high resolution, the Garmin-type GPS devices and the provincial PDF system are incomparable because “those two systems were made for very different purposes.”
“This system is just a digital version of the paper maps that the province would sell in the store,” he said. “This system was not intended to be a contender for the private sector GPS offerings on the market today and this PDF system should not be your only means of navigating the wilderness.”
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