Hi everyone. I still really enjoy using my Garmin Oregon 700 with the OpenTopoMap. However, since I’m not particularly fond of that map, I’m looking for an alternative. Which map do you use for Austria? 73, Hans.
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Oops, delete. You already mention that map, hi.
Maybe the Freizeit karten? Gebirge There are many versions of how maps are rendered based on OSM data. Garmin also has their own Topomaps and specialised maps for the Alps but these are not for free.
I use various maps on my Garmin device and switch between them to figure out navigation.
73, Martin - PE1EEC
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I have used and still do maps from talkytoaster.
He does maps for Austria, checkout his website.
Andy
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With the older type hand held GPS what I did to add my summit visits to the device was: Find the summit on google earth and in decimal degrees input to the device the long lat coordinates for the summit as well as a path i intend to walk to the summit. Save it as a way point then you did not need to rely on the rather sketchy Garmin topo map. Garmins I have used are X30 Map65 and now H1 device. Good fun GPS work.
Regards Ian vk5cz ..
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Many thanks for your replies. On my next mountain hike, I’ll compare the OTM map with the “Freizeit-Karte Gebirge.” I’m curious to see what the differences will be. Vy 73, Hans
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OSM-based maps are community based and maintained. I always record my tracks on GPS and make notes of odd things I notice, and add/change them. It’s easy to do with e.g. JOSM.
In popular areas there is usually nothing to add, but when I was in JA5, there is still a lot which needs to be added like paths to reach a summit. So I added them when back home. So if you’re up to it, you could also help and improve the quality of the maps for those who follow in your steps 
73, Martin - PE1EEC
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Back when I use to work for a large government health agency that had a GIS division, I asked one of the GIS experts about the reliability of OSM maps. He said OSM got their street data from the same open government sources as did the commercial vendors like Garmin, and he further said his GIS division consider the OSM data sufficiently reliable that they used it for some of their applications. He further said that OSM, and his program, got their contour data from the NASA LIDAR mapping project that had been run aboard the space shuttle. I took his word for it. That was about 10 years ago.
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Interesting.
Data is added from a variety of sources. Eg here in the Netherlands they use GBA-data (local government address data) to fill the map with buildings and their addresses. I keep an eye on my local area, an update sections when appropriate. When a local road was reconstructed, I changed it in OSM, and it took Google Maps 6 or 7 years to catch-up with the data on the map (not on streetview which was quite funny). I Google uses the official Dutch government map data. And I think Garmin uses OSM POI’s. But all of this depends on the country where you live what data OSM can get.
73, Martin - PE1EEC.
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I haven’t looked into this topic yet, though I have previously uploaded an alternative route to SOTA. However, recording the route and noting down any points of interest is a good idea. I’ll take a look at the JOSM website. 73s Hans
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