Has anybody else noticed that the “OS Get-a-map” links on the SOTAwatch summit information now take you to the “new” subscription based version? Or is it just me??
73 de Paul G4MD
In reply to G4MD:
Me too…
Steve.
Yes. But we still get more than we used to even without subscribing. What’s not to like?
Tom M1EYP
In reply to G4MD:
Still works good on Hillbagging…
In reply to M1EYP:
Yes. But we still get more than we used to even without subscribing.
What’s not to like?Tom M1EYP
What’s not to like, Tom? I get an “Invalid Credentials” message instead of a map!
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
Correction, the map is there behind the message but partially whited out so is virtually unuseable.
73
Brian
In reply to M1EYP:
Needs MS Silverlight to display, so that’s a fail to begin with.
Silverlight (a Flash type of clone) is only for Windows machines. There’s 2 Windows machines in this house, 4 Linux machines and 3 Android machines so that means the maps are only visible on 2/9ths of the potential devices.
The Ordnance Survey , as part of my government should be using open systems, stuff that can run on any computer not be restricting to a single computer OS with reducing importance.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to MM0FMF:
Searching the web shows a lot of discontent about the decision to use a propriety software plugin for this. There are several gazillion Android mobiles about which cannot display the maps. It’s not like you cannot do what they want in an open fashion. It’s probably more to do with effects when zooming maps rather than the actual displaying of the map data. More dumbing down and style over subtance.
Someone needs to tell the OS what the open means in Open Data.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to MM0FMF:
There’s 2 Windows machines in this house
That’s two more than in this house. The OS maps are effectively dead links as far as I’m concerned. Good thing there’s some decent competition out there. 
73, Rick M0LEP
In reply to MM0FMF:
The Ordnance Survey , as part of my government should be using open
systems,
and as the OS are paid for by UK tax payers, we should get the product we’ve already paid for gratis!
In reply to G4ISJ:
OSM FTW!
I have been trying to use OSM as much as I can for any of my mapping activities, and I have been contributing as much as I can back to OSM.
I believe that OSM has been permitted to copy OS data in the UK, so it ought to be “as good as” OS is/was. Even if it’s not, the very fact that anyone can take the OSM data and make their own map (sans Silverlight if they must, I suppose 
) means it’s totally worth supporting.
In my area a lot of the hiking trails leading to SOTA summits are missing on OSM. Not any more. It’s painstaking and slow work, but thoroughly rewarding (plus it means I can indulge in three hobbies at the same time: Ham, SOTA and OSM).
Edit: Sorry, OSM=The Open Street Map project www.osm.org (for those who have not yet discovered it).
In reply to G4MD:
Same for me, and at £20 per year, I’d not get my money’s worth. Might as well be deleted.
Regards, Dave, G6DTN
In reply to HL5ZBA:
I believe that OSM has been permitted to copy OS data in the UK,
My interpretation is that any use by OSM of OS data will lead to immediate and ruthless legal action. The OS is fiercely protective of its copyright. This is why the paths are being put in to OSM using GPS data which is the property of the route walker.
I know personally several people who have produced special purpose maps. If these are based on OS data a substantial fee has to be paid.
As OS (or was; maybe privatised?) is the property of the UK taxpayer and generates revenue UK taxpayers ought to be happy about this:-)
73,
Rod
In reply to M0JLA:
The OS has dramatically dropped its prices recently. You can get all the 1:50000 and 1:25000 maps in HD along with gazetteer info etc. in digital form for around £350. (For Anquet maps the data is around 37GB). It’s £1426 for all 204 1:50000 paper maps and £6520 for all 800+ 1:25000 paper maps. So the digital prices are good in comparison.
How much should the data cost given it’s a UK government company? They get money from taxation and money from commercial sales. No commercial sales and we’d need more taxation to provide the same service. It costs money to provide what they do and it has to come from somewhere.
Would I like to see cheaper data? Of course. Would I like to see the quality stay the same? Yes. Something has to give!
There are sites which make mapping available FOC. Streetmap (www.streetmap.co.uk) does and does not seem to care what a geolocation search of your IP address says. Bing Maps (maps.bing.co.uk) provides 1:25000 mapping for people apparently in the UK. I need to drop my VPN or I get large scale road maps only. Both of these companies will be paying the OS for data displayed and will hope to make their money back from web adverts.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to M0JLA:
Not quite. The OS data may be copied:
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Ordnance_Survey_Opendata
Or rather, new data may be derived from OS data.
73!
In reply to MM0FMF:
What’s a VPN?
You may get a shedload of map data for £350 but you are unlikely to take it up a hill! An appropriately folded map in a mapcase and a Silva compass is still the best tool for a hillwalker IMHO. Still, that’s another ragchew entirely. The point from my POV is that I can no longer access Get a Map on my XP laptop or Vista PC and there is no real substitute for it. This leaves me thoroughly brassed off!
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
VPN = Virtual Private Network; no, I don’t know precisely what that is.
Instead of Get a Map why not copy the grid reference and paste it into Streetmap.co.uk. (Remember to delete the space which for some reason is inserted into SOTA grid refs.) All my SOTA activations have an A4 map from this source.
73,
Rod
In reply to G8ADD:
What’s a VPN?
virtual provate network: an encrypted connection between your PC and some other computer. The result is my internet data appears to come from the other computer not this one and it looks like I’m in some other country. The other computer is outside the EU and not subject to EU rules on data retention.
but you are unlikely to take it up a hill!
All fits on to SD cards in the phone or tablet. So all of it can go up a mountain with me and has! I still prefer a paper map, I can read them without finding my glasses!
The point from my POV is that I can no longer access Get a Map
What’s wrong with the 1:25000 on Bing or streetmap.co.uk, they work fine. I’ve just tried them. Bing’s rendering is very nice. Better interface than the old Get a Map as well.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to M0JLA:
I don’t understand the issue. I click the link to the “OS Get a Map” and I get a map. I click “leisure” in the top left and I get a 1:50k or 1:25k map (depending how far I’m zoomed in).
This is all in the guise of being a “Guest” of the get-a-map site and I’m getting maps and not paying.
What’s the problem?
(Andy - yep it don’t work on my Android phone or my copy of Mint. I use the grid reference in Viewranger on my phone and ignore Mint. Incidentally - I’ve never managed to get get-a-map working with MoonLight).
R
In reply to M0JLA:
Thanks, Rod. I tried it with WB-002 and was initially disappointed as what came up looked like a sketch map, but I zoomed it back one step and it came up in full detail - and its actually easier to use than the original version of Get a Map!
73
Brian