[aprssig] APRSPoint

[Mark A. Lewis]

Or, take 10 min, install Map Point, 2 more to install APRS Point and
call it done.

Belive me, this not an anti Linux thing. It is a usablility thing.

I never said that Xastir was to blame for the lack of accuracy. It
really does not matter what is to blame, it's still there. The short
answer is I do not want to have to beat software into submission, find a
map file I like, hope it covers the area I like, go talk to the county
to see if they have a better shapefile. Just isn't worth it when I can
do all of this AND trip planning with MapPoint and APRSPoint with out
needing Excedrin or wade through buracracy to do the legwork someone
else has already done.

If you like Xastir, great, more power to you. But, like most Linux
software, you have to WANT to tinker with it to get it to do what you
want. Which, in this case, is not what I want. So, I CHOOSE not to use
it. Just like you CHOOSE to use Xastir. No reason to dig in and defend
your choice. 

We should be thankful we have choices. 

-----Original Message-----
From: Wes Johnston [mailto:aprs at kd4rdb.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2004 10:31 PM
To: TAPR APRS Mailing List; Mark A. Lewis
Subject: RE: [aprssig] APRSPoint

Ummm.... Here is a shapelib for Houston TX...
ftp://ftp.mapshots.com/tiger/Texas/TGR48225.zip  .

You can install mepis linux (www.mepis.org) from a "live cd" in 15 to 30
minutes, once it is running on your HD, you can install xastir with the
following commands:
  su (super user mode)
  apt-get update
  apt-get install xastir
Now, simply unzip the TGR48225.zip file into the maps directory, and run
xastir.
 You will have to tell xastir to index all maps so that it will find the
new ones you just added.  But even if you don't add any maps, out of the
box, xastir will display teraserver photos, tiger maps,and topo maps
from internet... if you happen to be connected.

Total time for a complete O/S install and xastir install for me was 35
minutes with a 500mhz PC.  More like 15 minutes with my 2.8gig desktop
PC.

Xastir reads 126 map formats, including WINAPRS and DOSaprs maps.  What
more could you want?  If you complain about inaccurate maps, the problem
is the source data, not xastir.  Check with your local GIS department
for the latest shapefiles for your county.  My local GIS has been able
to provide me with color photos which far exceed those on microsoft
teraserver... you can literally see the individual shingles on the roof
of my house.

Wes
--



Quoting "Mark A. Lewis" <mark at siliconjunkie.net>:

> The problem isn't the lack of maps per se. It is the well, "uglyness" 
> of the maps, and lack of accuracy. There was a thread here the other 
> day about just that. Yes, you can make your own maps, but I do not 
> have the patience or the desire to do so. With APRSPoint, you hit the 
> ground running with accurate maps of the whole US, no muss, no fuss.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org
> [mailto:aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org] On Behalf Of Curt Mills
> Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2004 9:57 PM
> To: TAPR APRS Mailing List
> Subject: RE: [aprssig] APRSPoint
>
> On Wed, 1 Dec 2004, Mark A. Lewis wrote:
>
> > Other than that, mapwise, it is the best option out there. UI-View 
> > has
>
> > more options/features, but the lack of maps is a killer, same with 
> > XASTIR.
>
> Huh?  Xastir and lack of maps in the same sentence?  Something wrong 
> there...
>
> Xastir handles more types of maps by far than any other client, plus 
> has the latest street data.  2003 Tiger data not good enough for your 
> purposes?
>
> --
> Curt, WE7U.				archer at eskimo dot com
> http://www.eskimo.com/~archer
>   Lotto:  A tax on people who are bad at math. - unknown
> Windows:  Microsoft's tax on computer illiterates. - WE7U.
> The world DOES revolve around me:  I picked the coordinate system!"
>
>
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