My Mainlines via Delorme PN-20

[Dave Lister]

After seeing the GPS in the sugar bush section hardly touched for a while now, I thought I would show people what can easily be done using a Delorme PN-20, or the newer version the PN-40.
These GPS's comes with Delorm's Topo program which is an awesome mapping program and has full topo maps for the entire US.
You can also pay to get color photo imagery of any area available too.
Whats great about this are that the GPS itself can display the full color areal maps, the Delorme topo maps, or even the original USGS topo maps.


Here are the two maps I made showing my mainlines. Might put my latterals up on it someday.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/timandmartha/3511317738/sizes/l/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/timandmartha/3511379404/sizes/l/

Tim

[Hurdhaven Farm]

Very interesting use of GPS. When you are mapping does the unit give accurate elevation readings? Accurate enough to determine mainline slope? How difficult is it to export GPS pictures to flickr, or print for hardcopy use?

[Dave Lister]

I will ask my friend if he knows where I can find the elevation changes on the Topo Program. I know when you are using the GPS itself, you can see your current elevation. The only problem with that is the accuracy. Normal GPS devices that we can afford have a accuracy of about 12+- feet, and the elevation readings can sometimes be three times that.
But next time I am out in the woods, I will fool around with it and see how accurate it is and compare those readings to real rise and run with my mainline which I know is at 2%. We used a transit and a tape measure cause I swear it looked like it was going uphill at one point.

As for saving the maps and uploading them to flickr, its easy as pie.
Pretty much just two or three button clicks, nothing difficult.

Tim

[KenWP]

This may sound dumb but can you use a GPS to find a spot between two other spots. When I bought this place two years ago it was surveyed before I bought it. The twit that did it only has the corners staked for some reason on the side I share with my next door neighbour. In the middle there is no stakes and we have had a discussion over this. Basically if I see things his way hes happy and if I follow the paper work the survery produced hes is not. This problem goes back 50 years I am told when they had a agreement for the trail to start on my land and cross over to his way out in the bush and over the years they got it in their head the trail was on their property.

[Dave Lister]

Ken,
its not a dumb question at all. I am really not sure what is available for other GPS devices and computer software but what you are looking to do is very easy to do with the PN-20 and the Delorme Topo software.
All you would have to do is mark one corner with a place mark on the GPS, like a thumbtack on a map, travel to the other corner and do the same. Once you have the two corners, you can plot a track between them that will go perfectly straight, Assuming your boundary line is straight go hog wild with the spray paint or flagging tape so you know who owns this rock and that tree.

If you are interested, check out their site. Lots of cool toys.

http://www.delorme.com/default.aspx

Tim

[Knot E. Maple]

KenWP, another perhaps simpler option would be to get the GPS coordinates of each corner (should be on a modern survey). You can load those into your favorite mapping program (such as google earth which may have more features and detail than most - and is free). Then, showing both corner boundaries, usually you can see where things are (such as the trail) and without even walking the bearing between them. Lastly, with virtually any GPS that links to a computer, you could walk this disputed trail and upload that track file to google earth as well - it will become plain as day. If you start with GPS info and have trouble, drop me a line and I can likely guide you through it.

[mapleack]

Ken, you can follow a straight line with most hand held gps units, however you may be 30 ft to one side or the other. Not accurate enough for marking a property line. If it makes a difference where the line is, get the surveyor who marked the corners to come back and mark the line. Then you know for sure, and it'll stand up in court if need be. Also, I can't speak to Quebec property law, but in Pennsylvania if you use a driveway that isnt on your property, uncontested for 21 yrs or more, you gain the legal right to do so.
-Andy

[upsmapleman]

I found the maps to be something I would like to do with my sugar bush. I have several miles of main line. Would the pn-20 do all I want to do or should I upgrade to a pn-40. Also what should I look for when buying, programs ect. Ebay has remanfactured for $129 to $149 for pn-20. I know nothing about using one so is it easy?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I bought a Garmin 60CSX this year for hunting and bought the topo software for it also. It is really good in heavy folage or conifers where other GPS won't work, it picks up about 6 to 8 satelites in my basement of my house and I live kinda down in sorta a bowl in elevation compared to the other areas around me. It is phenomenal for picking up satelites almost instantly.

I had a cheap Magellan and it worked for the last 3 years, but glad to move on to something more top of the line as it nearly got me lost more than once. It didn't take me long to figure out after buying the Magellan is that you get what you pay for and the more $$$ you spend, the better GPS you get. I done tons of research and the 60CSX is about the best rated handled GPS unless you want to get into extremely high priced stuff. The Garmin 60CX is a step down, but a good GPS and doesn't have the digital compass which is awesome for hunting and scouting which I do a lot of .

Amazon has the 60CSX for under $ 280.

[Dave Lister]

The PN-40 is what the PN-20 should have been. A friend of mine did a lot of the programming on it. The biggest difference between the two is the PN20 has one processor, so everything runs on that. Where as the PN40 has two, one for the gps itself and one for the software on it. That makes the scrolling and browsing through menus much quicker. I have not upgraded myself, but might some day when they money tree out back starts putting out the good stuff.

As for software, thats one bonus of the delorm gps's. They come with the software. Atleast the ones you buy from Delorm do.... Not sure if the store bought version of TOPO works this way also, but the software that came with the PN20 I got a few years back actually came with about $50.00 (mabye?) worth of credit for downloading areal and satalite immagery. Once you run out, you have to pay for it. Not too expensive though. That gave me enough to download color areal immagery, satalite imagery and the original usgs topo maps for the entire region around my house.

Since both the gps and the software are both Delorm, once you hook it up to your computer with the software running, it automatically recognizes the hardware and puts your new tracks, routs or waypoints on a new map, unless you have specifically chosen to update a previously saved map you want to continue working on. That way theres no importing tracks from one program to another. Having never had to import from one gps program to another, I can't say how much of a pain it is, if at all.

It also does roads and directions from point A to B with points of interest with address search and all that jazz, but don't expect it to be as easy as a TomTom or one of the other less expensive car only gps's.

Now for the downsides. I like my PN20, but it took me a while to figure it out. The instructions manuals are worthless, so its somewhat of a "here you go, figure it out yourself" type thing with only the most basic features having instructions. However, once you figure it out, its quite simple. I am not sure if they made the PN40 better on that part.

I guess in the end if you were going to use this gps for a one time thing and it came with the software, I would go with the PN20. Mine did the job just fine. If you had other uses for it like hunting hiking or anything outdoors related, I might go with the new one. But definatley go with the TOPO software. Its about the best out there.

Feel free to PM me any time if you have questions about using it.

Tim

[Thad Blaisdell]

PN-20 on sale now at cabelas.com $199.99.

[Dave Lister]

Its really a decent little GPS. Like I said earlier, the only downside is the one processor running everything, so its a little slow on scrolling through the map.
But if you can get over that, you have yourself a handy tool that can really do a lot if you get used to the controls.

[upsmapleman]

Thanks guys. I will look for one of the more upscale models and see what I can come up with. I do lots of open houses and educational tours and think it would be nice if I could show a map of my sugar bush. Will keep you posted how I make out.

Dale

[upsmapleman]

OK. Here's the map I made with some help from my neighbor and his GPS.

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee34/merlinbenner/DalesRoadsandSugarLinessmall.jpg


Thanks guys. I will look for one of the more upscale models and see what I can come up with. I do lots of open houses and educational tours and think it would be nice if I could show a map of my sugar bush. Will keep you posted how I make out.

Dale

[upsmapleman]

We have it as a google earth file, too, for viewing it from different perspectives.
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee34/merlinbenner/Googleearthview.jpg

[upsmapleman]

I was interested in mapping my sugar bush to show customers where their syrup comes from. I enlisted the help of a neighbor and got the job done. I have 30,000 feet of main line. I split my bush into a north end and south end. All come to one location and then pumps 1500 feet to my sugar bush. It is really interesting to find out exactly how many feet of mainline you have. Thanks guys for showing what is possible. I will have a large map printed to hang in my shop. Thanks also to Merlin my neighbor who let me use his GPS and worked up the map.

Dale

[Dave Lister]

Well done!
That looks great.
I am sure that will look great in a large print out.

[waysidemaple]

Looks real good.... o by the way this is scott.. bought the 2' by 8' from you a few weeks ago when do you think youll be putting taps in over there? I'd like to come over to an open house when you have one and see the operation. I really wish i could get the evap up and going this year but college is not going to allow that so i guess the 2' by 4' flat pan and the old cinder block arch will have to do. thanks again!:D

[upsmapleman]

Scott,

Sorry to hear you will not beable to get your 2 x 8 going. We have open house MARCH 20,21,27,28 10TO 4. Feel free to call me someother time in March and come over. Plan to start tapping around the 13th. Have to run the sugar house at Hills Creek park on the 13th from 11 to 1 then take my wife out for valentines. Most likley start after that.

Dale

[sterling gold]

If anyone is interested in having their sugar bush mapped using GIS like upsmapleman, I have access to the software. You can PM me if interested...

[Revi]

We gps'd all the tappable maples when we bought the place, and then ran the mainlines. We probably didn't need to do it, because it all runs downhill anyway, but it gave us an idea of where to run tubing.

[theschwarz1]

I too use the mapping software and GPS. The Guy who did upsmaplemans mapping, Merlin, is my friend and said he'd forward any requests to do the same to me. I can also color the lines and add any data you wish to any tap or line. This is really a great idea!

As the years go by, you can keep adding data to the datatable attached to your lines and taps to keep track over the years of different trees or stands.

[theschwarz1]

Thanks also to Merlin my neighbor who let me use his GPS and worked up the map.

Dale

Yeah, thanks to Merlin also for lending his 4 wheeler to me this year!!