MAPS.TXT ALL ABOUT APRS MAPS =========================================================================== Document version: 8.3.5 Document dated: 10 Mar 99 Author(s): Bob Bruninga, WB4APR ABSTRACT MAPS.TXT All About APRS maps. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SUMMARY: APRS contains a very powerful MAP making and editing program called MAPFIX40.EXE. In addition, there are three other important MAP README files: MAPMAKIN.txt describes the format of APRS maps and how to make them. MAPS-CD.txt tells you how to make maps from the USGS CD ROMS. This MAPS-HST.txt covers how to drive around, save a track history, and then use that track to add to an APRS map! MAPFIX.txt describes how to use MAPFIX for editing and making maps ANYxxx.map APRS maps are DOS TEXT. Look at one! Most maps recently are saved in compressed format, but they can be uncompressed with MAPFIX.EXE. Either way, they are viewable in a text editor. MAP DISTRIBUTION: The basic APRSxx.zip file contains the major regional maps that will cover the interstates and some major highways in the whole USA. The APRS distribution disk will also contain an additional XmapsVV.zip for your region as shown below. APRS uses special MAPLIST files to tell APRS which map to use for any given cursor location and range. The default is MAPLIST.APR (which is just a copy of MAPLIST.USA). You can see which maplist you are currently using by noticing the large blue circle over the area covered and also by noticing the .XXX to the far right on the control panel (hit TAB key). Also you can hit the F1-HELP-MAPS key to see the areas of each of these distributions. Use the MAPS-CONFIG-CHANGE command to select the alternate MAPLIST for your area. To see the boundaries of all the maps in a given MAPLIST, use the MAPS-PLOTS-BORDERS command. I maintain all of the following MAPLISTS and distro files. MAPLIST FILE DISTRO MAPS COMMENTS ------------ ----------- ------------------------------------- MAPLIST.USA APRSxx.zip World and regional maps MAPLIST.EAS EmapsXX.zip Virginia and north, and East of Ohio MAPLIST.NEA NEAmapsXX.zip Northeast (New England) MAPLIST.MID MmapsXX.zip Midwest Ohio through Illinois MAPLIST.CEN CmapsXX.zip Colorado, Dakotas, NE, OK, KS, TX MAPLIST.WES WmapsXX.zip Calif, Utah & Arizona and west MAPLIST.NE NEmapsXX.zip North West, WA, OR, ID, MT MAPLIST.SE SEmapsXX.zip Alabama to east and south MAPLIST.SO SOmapsXX.sip Arkansas, Louisana and Mississippi MAPLIST.EUR EUmapsXX.zip European maps MAPLIST.UK UKmapsXX.zip UK, Ireland, Scotland MAPLIST.FI FImapsXX.sip FInland MAPLIST.GE GEmaps03.zip Germany MAPLIST.AF AFmaps00.zip South Africa MAPLIST.BOS BOSNIAmp.zip Bosnia maps MAPLIST.SA SAmapsXX.zip South American Maps MAPLIST.AK AKmapsXX.zip Alaskan Maps MAPLIST.MD MDmapsXX.zip Maryland maps MAPLIST.UAE United Arab Emerites MAPLIST.MS MSmaps03.zip Mississippi MAPLIST.JAM JAMmaps2.zip Boy Scouts Jamboree at Ft. A.P.Hill MAP DIRECTORY STRUCTURE: Since 1998, only the basic regional USA distribution maps are in the MAPS directory with all the other maps being in subdirectories. Such as APRS\MAPS\EAST for the east coast distribution. To make this work, all recent MAPLISTS must include the path to the proper subdirectory. So old and new maplists and map subdirectories are not interchangable. New in October 1998, APRS now looks for the start-up MAPLIST.APR. This is distributed as a copy of MAPLIST.USA, but you can copy any MAPLIST.xxx to be .APR and APRS will start up there. To see what you already have loaded, simply do a MAPS-CONFIG-DISTROS command and it will show you all the Xmapsvv.TXT files which describe what each distribution contains. You may delete any older of these .TXT files in the MAPS directory that have been superceeded. OTHER DISTRIBUTION PACKAGES BY STATE COORDINATORS: There are numerous additional map distributions for many states which also have their own MAPLISTS. Look for them on your local area BBS's. Here are a few: Alabama Maryland Massassachussetts Arizona Michigan Pacific North West California Minnesota Florida Missouri Georgia North Carolina Hawaii Ohio Illinois Texas Iowa Virginia APRS STATE MAP COORDINATORS! The following list of individuals has either volunteered or been drafted as a point of contact for APRS in their area. All have demonstrated their acumen by having figured out how to make at least ONE APRS map. KE4EER Bill Nolle Huntsville AL ke4eer@ro.com (lots of streets!) N7QVU @K7BUC.AZ Tuscon AZ 602-492-2545(w) jwyatt@amex-trs.com WC7R @KB7FRV.AZ Prescott AZ BBS 520 778-9198. alanwc7r@primenet.com KD6MKS Silver Lake CA W7KKE @KA6EYH#nocal San Franciso CA Wrote Digitizer and CONV100! WA4MEJ Jaxonville FL Lots of street maps by N2YGK! Counties of Clay, StJhns,Nassau,Putnam Baker and Bradford KD4UYR Clearwater FL G3ZFJ @W4DPH.#TPA.FL Tampa FL has digitizer N4NEQ Atlanta GA Ralph Fowler rwf@mindspring.com WH6YC Honolulu HI Dave DObbins (ex KB5UBW fm TX) KG0DW & N0YKX & KI0Q IOWA IA N9LCI IL David Chesser AD4CR @WB4HFR.#MIDKY.KY KY KB5YRZ@N5SSY#METLA New Orleans LA W1KRU @KA1TUZ.MA Boston MA WB4APR Maryland MD aprssig@tapr.org KD1E @N8NNN.#SEMI Michigan MI W8VPD Michign UPPER MI KU0G @KU0G#NWMO.MO Kansas City MO Lots of maps! KC5AUG MS 601-325-8553 cll4@ra.msstate.edu W4NMK Black Mtn NC WB0WNX Nebraska NE dkaplan@pionet.net WA1VJH Keene NH digitizer N2FET New Jersey NJ G3ZFJ/W2 Long Island NY Bob W2G3ZFJ@unix.asb.com KB8JXO@W8CQK.#CMH.OH Columbus OH Did all of Ohio KG8GE Narion OH wrote CAD APRS map program! N7ZKL @K7IQI.OR OR Oregon KD1HA @KA1RCI.RI Rhode Island RI (new england) KN4IM @N4CII#CHS.SC Charleston SC 803-552-0654 KC5EJK Dallas TX kc5ejk@onramp.com WB5DTW SanAntonio TX N5JXS Houston TX N5ZXD @N4QEP.#WTX.TX Lubbock TX good with Mapfixer! N4WJQ @ N4WZR @WD4MIZ.VA Norfolk VA Dan Valez djv@gte.net W8KVK West Va VA KB4XF @KC4ASF#NOVA.VAFredericsburg VA Wrote MAKEMAP! and MK100K prgms! W9LZQ Onalaska WI WA7NTF@WA7NTF#TAC#WWA.WA WA gkohtala@halcyon.com ZR6ABC@ZS0DLD.TVL.ZAF.AF South AFRICA VK4TAB Brisbane Austrailia (digitizer) VE3SVE Ontario ON ONmaps01.zip @ 905-792-7890 PA0RYS Netherlands EUROPEAN APRS DISTRO. See REGISTER.DOC Mike Tyrrell England 100321.1327@compuserve.com ALL APRS STATE MAPFILES SHOULD CONFORM TO THE FOLLOWING RULES: Rule 1: Please, DO NOT modify MAPLIST.USA, or any of my standard distribution MAPLISTS or MAPS. Their integrity is my responsibility. When users unzip your files, there should be NO FILES in your files that can unknowingly replace my original distro files. I WELCOME your changes to MY maps, but send them to me (with a unique name) so that I can be the one to make the change to the distribution copy... ALL mapnames should begin with your two letter STATE abbreviation. Your distribution files should contain ONLY YOUR maps, and NO OTHERS for which you are not responsible. Your MAPLIST.XX, however, should include your XX state maps and all larger maps that contain your state all the way up to WORLD.map. Use my MAPLIST.USA as the beginning point and add your MAPS to it. This is so that users of your maplist can still zoom to other areas of the country and still see the detail of the USA distribution without having to load another maplist.. All XX state map distribution packages should be named consistently as XXmapsVV.zip, where VV is the version number. Everyone can use that list to see the extent of your efforts and responsibility. Distribute interim UPDATE files as XXaftrVV.zip. This file will contain all of the NEW maps and changes for state XX, AFTER version VV. FINALLY, to build your zip file, perform the following steps: 1) Create a temorary file (lets call it TMPMAPS) 2) Make MAPS and MAPLISTS subdirectories 3) Now make a MYMAPS subdirectory in the MAPS directory 4) Copy all of YOUR maps in to the MAPS\MYMAPS subdirectory 5) Copy your MAPLIST.XX into the MAPLISTS directory 6) Then use PKZIP -rp XXmapsvv.zip to zip up your package. This way the directory structure is preserved and when the user uses PKUNZIP -d XXmapsVV.zip, he will get the MAPLIST and the MAPS in the right places. If we are all consistent in our distribution packages, then the users will have a lot less troubles... CAUTION: When adding MAPS to any MAPLIST.xxx file, the location of the map in the list is VERY IMPORTANT. Your new map must go AFTER any other larger map covering the same area, and BEFORE any smaller maps which overlap or may be included in your map. THis includes the edges of surounding areas and states. Use the MAPS-CONFIG-HEIRARCHY or MAPS-PLOTS- BORDERS command to see the effect.. I HAVE WRITTEN A PROGRAM CALLED MKmapLST.bas which will scan a given directory and will BUILD a maplist from the data in the files. This list will NOT be in the proper heirarchical order, but can be used with an editor to cut and paste together a list for your area. This program will only be useful to dedicated map makers. It reads the map CENTER coordinates in the various MAP files and builds a simple list of them. If SOMEONE would like to add to this program to give it the intelligence to properly overlap the heirarchical structure, PLEASE DO SO! Anyone can make detail maps to the street level from the $32 CD roms provided by the USGS. Zoom in to my house around 3909N 07636W. SEE ADDITIONAL FILES on how to make maps listed at the top of this file.