Maps and GPS - Map sources (additional information)

About this page Additional information

On this page you will find additional information about topographic maps of some specific countries, found on the Internet. I gathered this information by trial and error, preparing my GPS for projects.

((Last modified: December 19, 2023; last checked: December 19, 2023)

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Norwegian maps

The site GeoNorge offers all kinds of maps. To find the right one substitute N1000 (for 1:1,000,000), N500 (for 1:500,000), N250 (for 1:250,000), N100 (for 1:100,000) or N50 (for 1:50,000) in the search field and select the raster version. To change to the language use the menu/meny option. The MrSid maps can be translated to GeoTIFF by GDAL/QGIS.

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French maps

The site http://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/carte offers all kind of maps. To select a topographical map click in the top left corner on "CARTES", choose "Actualités" and click on "Voir tous les fonds de cartes". Now you can select the map you need. The map I like most to plan walks is "Carte topographique IGN" (scale 1:17055) and to plan a "stroll" by car "Carte IGN classiques" (scale1:68.220). To extract the map information use Firefox in the Responsive Design-modus (button combination CTRL + SHIFT + M). The size 2500 by 2500 pixel works fine. The scale 1:17055 is about 300 pixel per km. For me it is an equivalent for scale 1:33.333 based on 254 pixel per inch (100 per cm). I translated the scale 1:68.220 in to 1:100.000 based on 190 pixel per inch (75 per cm). To calibrate my maps I used initially Memory-map, than corrected and added some information to the JPR-file. I had the best results using the geographical coordinate of an elevation dot in each of the corners of my map and adding the "Mercator" projection to my JPR-file. You can "activate" these coordinates in the utility menu at the right side of the map screen.

The parameters I used in the JPR-files:
dm=WGS84
pr=Mercator
p1=0
st=0.0
sn=0.0

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Dutch maps

The site Basisregistratie Topografie - Download offers all kind of raster (GeoTIFF) maps form 1:25,000 to 1:500,000. The graphical resolution is 200 pixel per cm (508 pixel per inch). They can be resized to a resolution of 100 pixel per cm without any real loss of information (from my own experience). The GeoTIFF maps don't load in Memory-Map.

The parameters I used in the JPR-files and worked fine (although the map projection (pr=UTM)  isn't correct):
dm=WGS84
pr=UTM
st=0.0
sn=0.0

Experience: The maps with scale 1:25,000 are nice walking maps. The 1:100,000 maps  are good road maps in the country site, in urban areas you need ad leased the 1:50,000 maps. 

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Swedish maps

This site (Sveriges Lanskarta) offers an online map suitable to extract information to create maps form form 1:25,000 to 1:500,000. If you have a good look, you will see faint lined. These lines mark squares 10 by 10 km, based on SWEREF99 TM (=  ETRS89/UTM zone 33). To view the coordinates (for calibration): "Verktyg" > "Koordinater".

The parameters I used in the JPR-files:
dm=WGS84
pr=UTM
st=0.0
sn=0.0

Experience: Zooming in to the level with the scale bar 0.4 km You can extract a map with scale 1:40,000 base on 254 pixel per inch. A nice walking map. Zooming in to the level with the scale bar 2 km you can extract a map with scale 1:160,000 base on 254 pixel per inch. A good map for cruising the country site. For urban areas you need ad leased the 1 km map.  On my webpage Memory-Map related downloads you will find the Memory-Map grid definition for the Swedish coordinate system.

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Swiss maps

This site (map.geo.admin.ch) offers an online map suitable to extract information to create maps form form 1:25,000 to 1:500,000 based on 254 pixel per inch.

Looking in the http-address bar you will see a X (Northing) and a Y (Easting) coordinate. These coordinates are based on the Swiss map grid (CH1903/LV03) and points exactly to the center of the webpage. By changing these coordinates, you can move (alternatively) the map to your preferred area. For extracting tiles I use Firefox in the Responsive Design-modus (button combination CTRL + SHIFT + M) with a window size 4300 x 4300 pixels and cut these images to 4000 x 4000 pixels. On my webpage Memory-Map related downloads you will find the Memory-Map grid definition for the Swiss coordinate systems.

The parameters I used in the JPR-files and worked fine (although the map projection (pr=UTM) isn't correct):
dm=WGS84
pr=UTM
st=0.0
sn=0.0

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Mobile Atlas Creator (under construction)

Mobile Atlas Creator is an open source (GPL) program which creates off line atlases. Although the program doesn't support Memory-Map or Fugawi, you can use the program to created maps in PNG format with a OziExplorer MAP-file (with calibration data). These calibration data can be used to create a JPR-file (projection: Mercator, datum: WGS84). Before you can use the map, you have to reduce the colour depth to 8 bit (256 colors).

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