PDA

View Full Version : Mapping software



Maple Cow
04-12-2015, 02:03 PM
Just curious, is there any app or computer software that can help map out tubing systems with the gps on my phone?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

11-Nick
04-12-2015, 09:59 PM
This was my first year tapping. I'm planning on tubing for next year. I'm guessing someone else is going to chime in on this, but I have been reading up on the same thing you are asking. It seems that GPS on phones are not as accurate as "true" GPS units. Although you could probably map out taps/trees, and the path that your tubing will take, the phone will not map as accurately as a GPS device will. You could see waypoints displaying 10-50' away from their actual location.
I know I'm not going to be doing any real planning until fall/winter now, so I'm going to be looking around for a GPS to borrow so I can plot my taps and plan my line on a new property. After doing the work in the woods, I can dump the data onto my computer where I can see/manipulate the info. Worst case, I'll buy a used GPS device on Ebay. I really have no use for one aside from this.

Maple Cow
04-14-2015, 07:08 PM
This was my second year. Hoping for 200 or so on gravity for next year. Just thought maybe it would be easier to do a layout with gps first to be better able to coordinate the paths of mainlines along the steepest routes. I farm crops with my dad and the gps guidance system we have is accurate to within the inch, not sure if the program is able to map out what I want ... Just thought maybe the was an app or something available specifically for maple


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

11-Nick
04-14-2015, 08:30 PM
Drive that tractor/combine through the woods as you plan your tap line. Then you'll have it all on GPS.
Just a thought!

Maple Cow
04-15-2015, 10:40 AM
Haha that will go over well!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

TheMapleMoose
04-15-2015, 11:18 AM
My cousin uses ARCGIS, and mapped some of ours. It was accurate enough for tubing. Don't drop a penny and expect to find it though. I think you have to pay to use the maps. He's an arborist student at umass so he had access through them.

BreezyHill
04-15-2015, 11:51 AM
I am sure if you look long enough you can find something...on my windows fone there is a list of apps/software available by subject content...maooing is one of those. Don't have enough signal to search it at home...will have to remember to do that on the weekend when at inlaws house in the evening. Since we are all done I will be there this weekend. I use a garmin 60csx to do snow trails and it is fairly good in accuracy. Not as good as ag guidance.
To bad you couldn't mount the antenna on a atv at do the bush.

We flag our trees with tape and run laterals that way. This summer we plan to get back and catch those we missed or were to small a few season back. Future daughter in law is a Hort major in college so she cant wait to do this project.

Mapping is a great idea as it can save you loads of $$$ by seeing how far to run mains and where clusters of trees are. I have two new bushes to try it on the next two summers before we expand of the farm.

Remember it is far less expensive to run a main line than it is to run multiple 5/16 lines to get groups of 3-5 taps to the main. Just remember to factor in the cost of the mainline y and the three clamps. One bush we will be running mains on 50' centers.

Drop me a pm and remind me Friday to search for that app/program. Got a lot of cleaning to do between now and then so I am sure I will forget.

Thanks Ben

Maple Cow
04-16-2015, 06:51 AM
Glad to hear the that there is a benefit to mapping, I was thinking I might be wasting my time with this. It is possible to mount the receiver and monitor to a quad, it's just tricky to do... My brother is a john Deere mechanic and he services that stuff so it might be possible. I've got fairly gradual slope in my bush so I kinda want to map the long steep areas to run the mainlines, might just have to ballpark things though and hope for the best. The ag equipment measures elevation and slope as well and it's pretty accurate the downside is that I might not get the reception required for that level of accuracy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Maple Cow
04-16-2015, 07:55 AM
Just noticed an entire section on the forum dedicated to gps/mapping...apparently I'm not very observant lol!