I have a Garmin Etrex Legend handheld GPS that I use for general outdoorsy stuff. Mountain biking and Snowmobiling mostly, but I’ve also had it along on whitewater rafting trips, back country snowboarding in the Rockies, any time I may want a map of where I’ve been.
Well, the little 1"X2" screen isn’t much for reminiscing such things, so I’ve started looking into mapping software. I DL’d a 30 day trial of ExpertGPS and since I’ve been using it, it’s become obvious that I will not be living without some type of mapping software.
I love almost everything about ExpertGPS (I’m in no way affiliated - there’s no money in it for me!) You can overlay tracks and waypoints onto an aerial photo map, track elevation and speed over the course of the track, you can even leave your GPS hooked to your laptop and use it as a 15" screen road GPS. Pretty cool stuff.
But, I don’t like the map quality. It’s a black and white photo and not really great resolution. Now, dont’ get me wrong, the map is great and you can see well enough to tell where the track is going. But, the maps are out there. MSN live maps have enough color quality to practically read the adress off my mail box.
You can upload your tracks to google earth with ExpertGPS, but unless you’re in a heavily populated area, the maps just aren’t that good. Most of my GPS use is in rural areas, poor resolution it is - but at least it is in color!
So, on to the opinion part. Do you have mapping software for a handheld GPS? Experiences? Reccomondations? Is there a way to get better maps on the Expert GPS program?
My free trial has 14 days remaining, and Unless I get a better recomendation, I’ll be ponying up the $50 to get the full program.