Finland Garmin Topo Maps

[jonasolof]

This one beats them all in keeping it to themselves:

Marinea (http://www.marinea.fi/kauppa/products.php?p=3f8082)

So I called them and could speak to someone in Helsinki in finglish (as opposed to swenglish).

The maps are done in cooperation with the Finnish National Survey Office and are fully Mapsource compatible. As vectorized topo maps, they are remarkable in that they are based on 1/10 000 and 1/20 000 maps for regions 1-5. Only the northernmost region is based on the 1/50 000 database.

No autorouting, just as with other topomaps.

Each CD costs 149 euros. The web shop is for internal finnish use, since costs for deliveries abroad can't be calculated. IIf you want to order send them an email, let them calculate the cost. Credit card details can be sent by email, or fax or possibly phone.

You could probably also use internet banking european payment since Finland uses the euro.

It was accepted that it might be a good idea from a marketing point of view to have some information in another language than finnish which only estonians can understand.

OBS There is another company and another series of finnish topo maps announced at the Garmin cartography site AFAIK, but it is not totally mapsource compatible (waypoints, tracks, real time navigation) from what I have been told. That info has not been checked. The person I spoke to said that the other company had pulled some tricks with Garmin.

Why would you want topo maps of Finland. Well, because it is a beautiful country. Now, there are topo maps available of Norway also

[jonasolof]

I now had an opportunity to try a finnish topomap, the one from erätukku. The quality is excellent, the best vector topo map I've seen. Resolution is excellent, no overzoom down to 50 meter, softy curves over all and little text clutter. And apersson850's orienteering standards have been implemented, forest is light yellow.

I received a single IMG file, uploaded it via a cardreader to my "experimental" SD card after renaming it GMAPSUPP (I believe the extension is added in the iQue, check with FileZ).

To find it, either use the basemap to change location to within the detailed map or take the lat/long from GPSMapEdit and use the lat long grid in the iQue to go there, BTW, the lat long grid is much easier to see on the basemap, especially at see.

After relocating, change cards. You should be right on the spot.


This way, one can check single IMG files without making tdb files etc bu it won't integrate with mapsource and you can't use the tile in a mixed download, hence the experimental card.

[jonasolof]

Here are some screenshots comparing the finnish topo map derived from 1:10 000 and 1:20 000 maps, the belgian derived from the 1/50 000 database and the swedish derived from a 1:100 000 database. Order: Fi, Be, Se.

Sorry for missing the belgian 50 meter scale.

You can see that the finnish map hasn't overzoomed at 50 meters. Also, it treats vegetation differently and the typography is better.

The swedish map is useless, the belgian fairly OK, and the finnish superb.

The assembly of pictures was made by importing GIF images into Irfanview (freeware) under the create panoramic picture setting. First three images in a row horisontaly. Then the resultant images put together vertically. All saved as PNG files to minimize space.

Opening the image after posting, I see that it has lost quality. It is better to save it and open it in Irfanview. Then the quality is as from the screenshot. Nope, just noticed that you should wait for the expand picture icon in the right down corner. After clicking it the quality is OK. No need to view with a specific software.

[NS1007]

thanks Jonas, for checking al those topo maps for us, looks good.

NS