Overview

 With DeLorme's TOPO USA 4.0 you can view, add notes and symbols, plot routes, and print USA topo maps, along with  interface to your GPS unit to upload/download coordinates or waypoints, or track your movement in real time (moving map). Complete U.S. coverage on 7 CD-ROMs or one DVD-ROM. Click image on right to order.

System Requirements

• Microsoft® Windows® 98, 2000, Me, or XP; or Windows® NT 4.0 (with service pack 4 or later).
• Personal computer with Intel® Pentium® II (or equivalent) 233 MHz or higher processor (300 MHZ recommended)
• 64 MB RAM (128 MB RAM recommended)
• 300 MB minimum of available space on a hard disk (more is recommended)
• 3-D graphics accelerator card for 3-D map view (recommended)
• Microsoft Windows-compatible color or black-and-white printer

GPS Connection Requirements

• Earthmate®; GpsTripmate®; or any fully-compatible NMEA receiver, including GARMIN®, Magellan™, Rockwell/Conexant, Lowrance/Eagle, and Trimble Scoutmaster™
• Connector cable from GPS to computer. User must supply cable.

Handheld Compatible

New XMap Handheld® software lets you bring GPS-compatible topo maps on most Palm OS and Pocket PC devices. (To use XMap Handheld with Topo USA 4.0, a download from within Topo USA is necessary)

Palm™ Handheld Connection Requirements

• DeLorme's Palm Computing adapter cable (for use with a GPS receiver)
• Palm OS® version 2.0 or later
• PalmPilot™ Professional, Palm III™, Palm IIIx™, Palm IIIe™, Palm V™, Palm VII™ or PalmPilot 1000 or 5000 with PalmPilot 1 MB Professional Upgrade

Windows® CE Connection Requirements

• DeLorme's Windows CE adapter cable (for use with a GPS receiver)
• Windows CE 2.0
• NEC® MobilePro™ 700 and 750C; Compaq® 810 and 200C; Sharp® HC-4000, HC-4100 and HC-4500; Casio® Cassiopeia™ A-20, E-10 and E-11; HP 360LX and 620LX; Everex® Freestyle™; or Philips Velo™ 500 and Nino™ 300

Features

• Map scales:  DeLorme calls this Detail level. 15 levels of view, each with 7 minor steps of zoom in/out
• Coordinate Systems: 1 each, LAT/LONG
• Zoom levels: 5 each, 50%, 75%, 100%, 150% and 200%
• Contour Level:  20 feet except Alaska which has 100 foot contour level. Contour levels change as you zoom in and out from 20 feet to 500 feet.
• Toolbars and Menus:  Folder type tab selection of options at bottom of map display. Overview window of map displayed in lower right hand corner allows you to pan great distances and a map query feature which allows you to click on a feature for more info. Right side of display has current  zoom level, map scale ruler, LAT/LON coordinates of where mouse pointer is located, current contour level, elevation, a pan compass rose,  the left mouse button can be used to pan or recenter map, current detail level and  zoom in/out buttons.
• Find Tool:  Search for land features, water bodies, landmarks, airports, colleges, cities and more. You can search each state individually with the Global index, limit the search to a radius of 1, 5, 10, or 15 miles or city with the local index, or search a defined LAT/LONG index
• Printing Maps: Print 3-D mural maps up to 3x3 pages in size. The options of printing, 1) 2-D map of current map view. 2) Print the route directions. 3) Print the profile. 4) Print the 3-D map view.  If you are printing a 2-D map, the Overview Map window provides a preview of the area that will print. You have an option to print Landscape or Portrait mode. If you have LAT/LONG grids turned on, they print out along with cooordinates for reference. You CANNOT print the UTM grids without getting the additional software from DeLorme called "Map Tools", which is another $50.00. You have a choice of a slide bar map scale setting. I set my map to 1:24,000 and it came out looking good. The map prints out a tiny scale in feet on the bottom of the topo map for reference. The detail level and map datum are also noted on the bottom of the printed map. You can also print 11" x 17".
• Map Document Bookmark Tool: Allows you to save map views and call them up for future use.
• Draw Tool:  8 tools. Symbol: choice of flag, pushpin, square or X in colors of red or black, with text of regular or bold, Arial or Times New Roman. Line:  3 choices of line, 2 dashed and 1 solid color of red, blue, green, black,  line weights of thick and thin. Polygon: Pentagon shape in 5 colors, white, gray, yellow, aqua and tan. Text:  text choices of regular, bold, italic and underline, in 2 colors red and black. Arial or Times New Roman, size 12 or 24. Circle:  circle symbol in 5 choices of color in white, gray, yellow, aqua and tan. Mapnote:   Adds a comic strip bubble like text window that you can use text to add info into.  Highlight: You can highlight areas in 4 colors, yellow, gray, aqua and tan. Edit Select:  Allows you to select a symbol, text, or line for editing.
• Navigate Tool:  Allows you to create your routes and waypoints. 2 info window show route number, date and time, waypoint numbers, leg numbers, distance, bearing and LAT/LON coordinates. You can load routes from your GPS but you cannot  load a route from Street Atlas or MapnGo. Select either the Shape Points or Waypoints option. The Shape Points option lets you create a route using nodes so that you can shape intricate routes without including a lot of waypoints in your Route Directions. Each time you click the map, a shape point is added, waypoints only appear at the beginning and end of the route. The Waypoints option creates a waypoint and a Waypoint Tag each time you click the map. Waypoints are labeled on the map, are included in the Route Directions and can contain Lat/Lon and Journal entries.
• Add Routable Trails and Roads:. Draw in your own trails or roads anywhere on the map and they become part of the routing network. Searching for newly added trails and roads is easy since you name them and they are listed directly in the program’s search engine. Print your custom map and directions or track with a GPS receiver on your newly created trails and roads.
• GPS interface: This feature has auto detect to set up the data transfer protocol. A GPS log is included. GPS receivers supported: Earthmate™ and DeLorme GPS Tripmate, Garmin GPS 30, 45 or GPS II, II+, III, III+, 12XL, Trimble Scoutmaster, Rockwell or a fully compatible NMEA receiver. A GPS status option shows one of 4 GPS status. 1) Acquiring: indicates that your GPS receiver is not yet receiving sufficient satellite data to determine your position. This status is displayed while the GPS receiver is acquiring satellite data and can take several minutes. 2) 3-D indicates that your GPS receiver is receiving sufficient satellite data to determine your location. 3) 2-D indicates that your GPS receiver is receiving satellite data, but the location may be off by a larger margin than normal. This usually indicates poor signals from the satellites or too few satellites to receive sufficient data for an accurate location. Try moving your receiver to another location. 4) No GPS indicates that the GPS receiver has not yet been detected by your computer. This status usually appears when initialization first begins.
• Map Views Split-Screen Viewing is new for 4.0 With one click, switch to split-screen mode for viewing 2-D and 3-D maps side-by-side. Hover your cursor over the 2-D map and see its position echoed automatically on the 3-D map. Use linked draw tools to mark both maps at once. Adjust the zoom level of each split-screen independently. 3-D view has pitch option of 15 degrees to 90 degrees, compass rotation to select any direction of view, vertical exaggeration of 1X, 2X, 4X, and 8X, a shading option and option to use hardware acceleration to speed up the viewing of the 3-D map. If you don't have a 3-D video accelerator card in your computer you can still view the 3-D maps, they just tend to jump a bit when changing views. When the 3-D Map window is open you can use the Compass Rose, Zoom tools, Detail options, Photo Zoom options and Overview Map window to recenter and adjust the 3-D map.
• Preferences:  4 different selections. 1) Map Features allows you to turn on/off placenames, contours, map LAT/LON grid and map center crosshair. 2) Map Styles allows you to display geographic info, parks and recreation info , transportation info, or all together at the same time. 3) Map Color has a choice of day or night. Day has regular colors and night is a black display with subdued colors for you covert types. 4) Units  Options of Metric (kilometers),  statute miles, nautical miles/meters, or nautical miles/ feet
• Netlink:  Use Topo USA’s versatile split-screen design to access additional DeLorme datasets, including recent color satellite imagery (extra charge applies, available for selected states via the software’s Netlink Tab). Compare Topo USA 4.0 maps on one side with satellite imagery on the other. Update your topo maps using the linked draw tools – it’s the latest in mapping technology and accuracy. Includes FREE NetLink Download of Seamless Authentic USGS Quad Map Data. Available only via software’s NetLink tab. Certain restrictions apply.
• Line-of-Sight Tool: No,  but you can use the elevation profile to see the line-of-sight from one point to another point on the map.
• Elevation Profile:  To create an elevation profile, you trace the trail or road that you'll be taking in the Navigate feature and DeLorme Topo USA 2.0 will provide a cross-sectional view with crosshair to display 4 different data displays. In each of the 4 displays you have a choice of latitude, longitude, linear distance (as the crow flies),  terrain distance, climbing distance, descending distance, current elevation, elevation gain, climbing elevation, descending elevation, and average grade. The average grade reading has a bit of a problem you can read about from Jerry Herzog   here.
• Distance Measure Options of Metric (kilometers),  statute miles, nautical miles/meters, or nautical miles/ feet
• Map Datums: 1 each,  WGS84,
• Map Age and Info: Maps are from the new USGS DEM (digital elevation model) database, also known as vector maps.
• True North and Magnetic North display
• Map Export  Yes, you can save the map view in a bitmap (.bmp) format. The bitmap image is saved in the C:\DeLorme Docs\Print directory by default and includes all map features, including routes and Draw Objects.
• Map Overlays  Yes, you can  add text, symbols, and lines. These personal notes can be removed, printed, imported/exported and saved for later use
• Real Time Tracking (Moving Map)  plot your movement status using your GPS
• Map Symbol Glossary: Yes, very helpful drop down window under "Help"  for looking up what all those funky symbols are on your map
• Help:  Excellent standard Windows drop down window with help contents. A nice tutorial on how to use TOPO USA is included for you "Norman New Guys and Gals". A tip of the day and FAQs are available as options along with an Adobe .pdf help document.
• States Available: Coverage of entire USA for $99.00.. Regions are: Pacific West, AK, HI, CA, NV, OR, WA. Mountain: CO, ID, MT, UT, WY. Great Lakes and Plains: IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, SD, WI. Southwest: AZ, NM, OK, TX. Southeast Region: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN. Northeast Region: CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VA, VT, WV.

SOME OTHER NOTES .... DeLorme released Topo USA version 4.0 on 4/10/02.

Installation was a breeze with no hang ups, the standard  Windows install wizard walks you right through the setup.  The 3-D map view is a slick feature that really shows the contour and layout of the area you are viewing. Printing of maps in 2-D and 3-D view on an Epson 640 inkjet from a Toshiba Pentium laptop was impressive and timely. The lack of UTM grids is a feature I miss since I use UTM in my GPS receiver. I  personally like lots of choices for icons and symbols in the draw mode like Terrain Navigator provides. Delorme comes up a little short in this department.

The maps used by this software are vector maps and not the USGS 7 1/2 minute topo maps we are all used to viewing on paper from the map store. The detail in the maps in Delorme TOPO USA 4.0 is okay for an overview but if you need to be able to find small landmarks like springs you need to get Delorme's 3-D TopoQuads™ which uses USGS 7 1/2 minute topo maps. Navigating around on the maps was easy even on the first try without using the tutorial. If you are new to mapping programs or computers, use the tutorial to get acquainted with the features first.

Customer service has been excellent with no complaints.

USER REVIEWS:

I went through this decision recently as well. I have a friend who has the state TOPO! software and I really like it. However, it really doesn't look any different than what you can get from Topozone for free. TOPO! has added some relief shading. I ended up getting the Rocky Mountain edition of Delormes TOPOUSA 3.0. It has slightly less detail, but not really that much, plus, If I need higher detail I can get that from Topozone. I bought it because it contained 5 states worth of data for $50 versus the 1 state of data at $99 for TOPO! TOPOUSA also has a 3D view. Some like it some don't. I happen to like it and it helps me to "map scout" new areas. Anyway, that is my $0.02. - _droptine_

If you would like to contribute your experience using this product please email us at

RETAILERS... You can click the image below to order. Also REI  or you can order direct from  DeLorme . Coverage of entire USA for $99.95. CD-ROM or DVD. Note .... Please check for current pricing and availability. This info current as of 8/31/02.

MANUFACTURER POINT OF CONTACT.... DeLorme

Overview

  Map Academy 2.0 is  USGS topographical maps compiled for each state on one CD ROM. They feature the 1:100:000 scale so you can see all the detail of the areas you are  most interested in, with a suggested retail price of only $39.95 for each CD-ROM

System Requirements

• Windows 3.1 or higher. It will run on a 486 and  even  on 386’s but not recommended.
• At least 16 meg of RAM
• CD Rom Drive

Features:

•  Zoom feature lets you zoom up to 8 times
• Search by map name to make locating fast and easy
• Comprehensive users guide built from pictures to show you each step fast and easy.
• Print out maps fast and easy with a high resolution.
• Only installation is a reader file that you can use with any other state. You install once and that's it.
• Crop tool to cut and paste parts of map to other applications
• GPS interface capability: No
• Map editing: NO, but you can cut and paste maps to other editing software.

SOME OTHER NOTES .... If you're looking to just view maps over a large area, this software will do the job for a reasonable price. If you need 1:24,000 scale detail or edit capability, check out Map Academy's Platinum Topo, DeLorme's 3-D Quad Topo, Wildflower's 'TOPO' or Maptech's 'Terrain Navigator'.  The contour line interval is 100 feet, which does not show small elevation changes which many people are looking for.

USER REVIEWS:

If you would like to contribute your experience using this product please email us at

Note ....  Please check for current pricing and availability. This info current as of 8/5/00.

MANUFACTURER POINT OF CONTACT.... King's Outdoor World

Overview

Maptech's Terrain Navigator 4.05 is the latest release of their topo map viewing and navigation software. The earlier release was known as "TopoScout".  With "Terrain Navigator" 4.05 you can view, add notes and symbols, and print USA topo maps, along with  interface to your GPS unit to upload/download coordinates or waypoints, or track your movement in real time (moving map).

System Requirements

• Windows 95, 98 or NT. Sorry Mac fans, no luck here yet, but TopoScout has been tested in a Macintosh environment using PC emulation software (including SoftWindows95 by Insignia Designs). Mac users have reported successful results; however, Maptech will not provide detailed technical support for TopoScout's use in a Macintosh environment.
• 486 CPU or higher
• 32MB RAM
• 2X CD-ROM drive or higher, (4X recommended)
• 8 MB of RAM (16 MB of RAM recommended)
• mouse or drawing equivalent

Features:

• Map scales: 3 each, 1:24,000, 1:25,000, and 1:100,000
• Coordinate Systems: 3 each, UTM, LAT/LONG with options of degrees, minutes, seconds, or degrees, minute, minute or degree, degree, and MGRS (Military Grid Reference System) with options of 1 meter, 10 meter, 100 meter, or 1 kilometer as grids
• Zoom levels: 4 levels of zoom at each map scale, 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, and 2:1
• Toolbars  Standard Windows menu bar on top of  window with the Terrain Navigator toolbar directly below
• Bookmark Tool: allows quick access to saved maps. Both bookmarks and markers can be saved in Terrain Navigator or exported as BTX (bookmark) or MTX (marker) files in ASCII comma delimited format. These files can be imported back to Terrain Navigator for later use, and may be edited in other applications
• Line-of-Sight Tool: You can use the Line of Sight tool in conjunction with the distance tool, track tool or route tool to determine whether the end point can be viewed from the start point.  This is very useful for determining what is visible from the top of a mountain.  The display will show the profile of the terrain between the start and end points, with a sight line joining these points.
• Elevation Profile:  Terrain Navigator provides a Profile option for use with the distance tool, tracks or routes.  The Profile option displays a graphic representation of the changes in elevation along a distance line or route.  The profile box also contains various readings, including total distance, ground distance, overall elevation change, etc.  Also included are coordinates, elevation and grade percentage displays.  You can position the cursor on any part of the profiled route, and these displays will update to reflect the cursor's location on the route as you move it around.  You can also zoom in, zoom out, and scroll across the profile graphic, using the tool buttons provided directly left of the profile display itself.  There is also an option you can click to display peak names within the profile box.
• Distance Measure Metric (kilometers), English (feet) or local
• Map Datums: 4 each, NAD27, NAD83, WGS84, and local
• Printing Maps: 2 options of printing, "Print" or "Quick Print". "Quick Print" prints exactly what you see on your monitor display, and is dependent  on your monitor settings. "Print" gives you options of 300 or 150 dpi resolution, weights of light, dark, or medium, scale of 0% to 100%, rulers or grids, or layers you have created. UTM grid printing is one feature that is handy if you use UTM instead of LAT/LONG. You can print in color or black-and-white on any format printer that allows printing from Windows-based programs, including wide-format printers. You can print across 2 maps only, which can be a pain if you need to print an area that is in the corner of 4 maps.
• Map Age and Info Maptech uses the latest maps available from the USGS. A click on the "View" drop down window will give you all the map info like CD-ROM name, map name, USGS reference code #, map scale, horizontal and vertical datum, contour interval, year created along with revision and inspection dates, and coordinates
• Search Feature  Terrain Navigator has large search database, enabling the user to search for cities, towns, counties, or communities by name. In addition, users may do searches for natural and man-made terrain features, such as summits, lakes, cemeteries, schools, etc. Users may define their own additions to the Places database. Specific locations may also be called up by map title, USGS reference number, and coordinates. User-defined Markers and Bookmarks are available for instant re-access
• Map Views You can view 2 maps side by side, one on top of the other, or cascade them
• True North and Magnetic North display
• Map Formats  Maptech provides raster images in a proprietary format
• Map Export  Yes. The map data displayed on the monitor can be exported as a TIFF or MS Windows BMP file, for use in other applications
• Map Resolution  Maps are scanned at a very high resolution and resampled and distributed at approximately 160 dpi. Images are exported at screen resolution.
• Map Overlays  Yes, you can  add text, symbols, and lines. These personal notes can be removed, printed, and saved for later use
• Marker Tool  You get 16 colors of blue and dark blue, yellow and dark yellow, green and dark green, purple and dark purple, black, red and dark red, gray light and dark, cyan and dark cyan and white . The symbols are numerous including recreational icons, arrows, time clocks, geometrical symbols, and lots more. You can even import your own icons and symbols. Line tool has 5 thickness' to chose from
• Distance Tool  measurement given by the distance tool refers to the level distance between the start and end points you have specified. You can view as-the-crow-flies" distance, and the actual ground distance from the "Profile" option. Another slick feature of the distance tool is you can project the square feet, acres, and square kilometers of a defined area by encircling it with the distance tool.
• Center Tool  Click on a location with the Center Tool, and the point where you clicked will be positioned in the exact center of the screen. A nice feature to speed up your search for locations save wear and tear on the wrist with the scrolling
• Geo-reference  Yes. Terrain Navigator's toolbar contains a coordinate display, and as the cursor moves across the map, these coordinates are continuously updated. You can choose from UTM, latitude/longitude, and MGRS coordinate systems. Enter coordinates and TopoScout will display the corresponding map location. User-defined markers and paths are also geo-referenced.
• Real Time Tracking (Moving Map)  track your movement status using your GPS with choice of 6 different icons, plane, train, boat, boat profile, arrow or car in 3 sizes, small, medium, and large.. Update choices are 1/2, 1,2, 4 or 6 seconds. 5 track course sizes, extra fine, fine, medium, coarse, and extra coarse. Track colors are same 16 that the marker tool above has. Note: The Magellan 2000XL, 4000XL, and ColorTRACK GPS units cannot receive tracks from Terrain Navigator.  This is simply because these Magellan units are not capable of storing track data.
• Map Symbol Glossary: Yes, very helpful drop down window for looking up what all those funky symbols are on your map
• Help:  Excellent standard Windows drop down window with help contents. A nice tutorial on how to use Terrain Navigator is included for you "Norman New Guys and Gals"
• States Available: AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT,  DE,  IL, MA, MD/DC, ME,  MI,  MN,  NC, NH, NJ,  NY,  OH,  OR,  PA,  RI, TX,  UT, VA,  VT,  WA,  WI, WV with Georgia in the works as I type this. Prices on complete state coverage average $279.99. Individual regions of a state average $99.99. 54 national parks including Alaska are available also. Individual park coverage CD-ROMs are $29.99, regional park coverage $69.99 or entire park map set for $179.99

Some other notes .... Installation of Terrain Navigator 3.02 was a breeze, the standard  Windows install wizard walks you right through the setup. Then you install your CD-ROM for the topo map series you have. Terrain Navigator then asks you to remove your map CD-ROM and insert Terrain Navigator Installer CD-ROM again in drive so that it can load files for your topo map CD-ROM. It's a quick load, but annoying to swap CD-ROMS back and forth. You'll have to do this once for each new map series you obtain. A minor flaw on an otherwise outstanding product. I ran Terrain Navigator on a 450 meg Pentium III desktop with 128 meg of RAM with no problem. I then ran it on a Toshiba laptop with a 100 meg Pentium with 24  megs of RAM. I noticed a little slower response on the notebook when scrolling on the topo maps.

I like all the symbol choices you get for markers, there's even some for us hunters and fishermen. The GPS upload/download feature worked as advertised. I was not able to use the Real Time tracking (moving map), because I'm still using my old Magellan 4000XL, which does not support track plotting. I'll be upgrading shortly to a unit that does thank you very much. I really liked the  distance tool feature of projecting the square feet, acres, and square kilometers of a defined area by encircling it with the distance tool. This will come in real handy to quickly find the area of a location without walking it yourself. Navigating the map is a snap with a compass tool in the upper left you can click on to move, or use your mouse pointer and point on edge of map which direction you want to go in. Overview maps of which map your currently using, and adjoining maps are shown on the left of the active map.

Printing is an easy chore with many options of how you want your maps to look. MGRS (Military Grid Reference System), is an available option for a coordinate system if you have the need, Wildflower's TOPO and  Delorme's TOPO USA do not have this option available. Upgrades from earlier versions of Terrain Navigator are available for downloading from Maptech's website on the Internet. A demo is available too at their website to take a test drive before you buy. Customer service has been excellent with no complaints, which is a major check on my tally sheet for who has the best software to use.

Lat26 .... Lat 26 has introduced a synthetic inkjet printer paper for topo maps that is tear proof and renders the ink waterproof. $26.95 for 25 sheets. The inkjet paper size is 8 1/2" x 11". For you peeps using Maptech to print out maps, this is a godsend. Laminating the maps runs about the same cost ($1.00 per map), but if you put the maps back to back to laminate, lamination would be about half the cost ($.50) of this new printer paper. The paper is not listed on their website yet, so call 1 800-305-0036 to order. They also have the GPS/Topo Coordinator which is a plastic cartographic overlay using the Universal Transverse Mercator Projection (UTM).

USER REVIEWS:

If you would like to contribute your experience using this product please email us at

Hey guys, I'm a toy freak, and I've tried them all. By far, the best out there is Terrain Navigator. It actually uses USGS topo images and it the most detailed. You can scale it any way you want, and you can add in your own features as necessary. Plus it has a whole host of icons that you can use to mark stands, game trails, etc. It also is seamless for the area you are navigating in. If you have ever used topo maps, you know that no way will you ever be able to get all the area you want to cover on one map... it always takes at least two maps... this software makes the USGS maps seamless. I use a Magellan GPS, but any of the GPS units will work just fine. I also use it for road/hiway navigation with the addition of a laptop computer. Like I said, I'm a toy freak, and I really enjoy messing with this mapping stuff... for a good comparison, you can log onto www.terraserver.com and look at satellite photos of the same areas. - Good luck, Slick.

I have the maptech terrian navigator and I like it pretty good.You can do that 3 d thingy too.The only thing I dont like is that I cant save it to a file unless its on the maptech cd.I cant email maps to people.But it has the whole east coast and national parks,its laid out in quadrangles,you can zoom,rotate,plan routes,use symbols on the map,measure distance in absolute and incremental steps from points.That really helps in finding quickiest routes to areas.;I gave like $149.00 for it.I have a delmore "HUnt and map its pretty good but not anything like maptech.HUntnmap is like animated maps.On the web i like terraserver better than maptech though. - ridgerunner#1.

Maptech is relatively reasonably priced at about $150 for an entire state, and provides identical data as USGS quad maps in a seamless format. From what I've seen, this program is found lacking when detailing minor forest road identification, but likely can be offset by the extensive built-in editing features. - Solo.

RETAILERS ....  REI  or you can order direct from  Maptech
Prices on complete state coverage $99.95, $149.95 for large states like California. Individual regions of a state average $49.95. 54 national parks including Alaska are available also. Individual park coverage CD-ROMs are $29.99, regional park coverage $69.99 or entire park map set for $179.99
Note ....  Please check for current pricing and availability. This info current as of 8/5/00.

MANUFACTURER POINT OF CONTACT .... Maptech

Overview

'TOPO' version 2.2 is scanned USGS topographic maps on CD-ROM with the capability for you to draw routes, add symbols and text, measure distance and direction, build elevation profiles, search for a location, and print out your customized maps. You can also upload/download your GPS waypoints with the addition of  the optional 'TOPO GPS USA' software.

System Requirements

• IBM PC or equivalent computer
• 4MB RAM at least
• Windows  95/98 or NT.
• 8 bit color monitor
• 2x CD-ROM drive

Features:

• 5 Zoom levels, Level 1 is a 1:250,000 overview, Level 2 is a USGS 1:100,000 series, Level 3 is USGS inch to mile series (1:63,630), Level 4 is a USGS 7.5 min. quad, (1:24,000),  and Level 5 is a USGS 7.5 min quad (1;24,000) zoomed in to 1:12,000 scale. Zoom levels are accessed by a right mouse click. A different map is displayed for each level, and the maps are not all the same date. In the 1:63,000 level some USGS maps are not available, and TOPO substitutes a Forest Service map which is okay except for the  lack of contour lines.
• Travel Tool scrolls map for you with slow, medium and fast settings depending on your computer speed
• Symbol tool gives you 16 recreational icons, 16 arrows, or 16 shapes in 7 colors (red, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, white)
• Text tool allows you to place info on map with most standard Windows fonts and  7 colors (red, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, white)
• Center Map function, pick a spot and this automatically centers map
• 2 overview maps on right side of display to keep you orientated
• Bookmark your favorite locations
• Distance measure, allows you to trace a route and see distance with mile or kilometer option
• Elevation in meters or feet
• Time format: UTC, 12 hour or 24 hour
• Compass tool to measure direction and distance between 2 points with radial and waypoint mode.  The compass tool lets you draw vectors by specifying an anchor point and an endpoint. The tool will indicate a distance, and for the vector, a bearing, which will be shown at the bottom of the screen whenever the cursor is over the object. For bearings you have a choice of  Magnetic or True angles. You can turn this measurement into an elevation profile to see if a location is visible from another location. Azimuth direction and distance is now displayed temporarily in a pop-up text label when the cursor is placed over any direction line.
• True North and Magnetic North display. This version allows all TOPO! maps in the contiguous U.S. (including maps in TOPO!GPS USA) to be printed with a North Arrow that shows current magnetic declination at the map center.
• Route Tool, you can trace routes freehand  in 7 colors (red, yellow, green, blue, purple, black and white), in 5 styles (hairline, thin-medium, thick, hairline dashed, thin dashed. You can shorten or lengthen the routes in edit mode. Routes are only displayed on the level of map you draw them on. You can right click on the route and add it to the all other map levels by selecting "All Levels". Route distance is now displayed temporarily in a pop-up text label when the cursor is placed over any route.
• Elevation profile for any route you trace with total gain, total loss, average grade, true overland distance. Profiles can also be printed, copied and saved to disk. You can also use the elevation profile to see if a location is visible from another location
• Map legend, helps you figure out what all those funky symbols are on your topo maps
• Search function using USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) by feature or alphabetically by name
• Coordinate locator: type in the coordinates and go there
• Coordinate System: UTM and LAT/LONG with option of degrees minutes seconds, or degrees minutes minutes, or degrees degrees
• Coordinate reference: NAD27 Datum or NAD83/ WGS84 Datum
• Waypoint tool to mark waypoints
• Hotspot magnifier: lets you take a real close look at a spot on map where you point your mouse pointer
• Grid Wizard: lets you pick which grid you want displayed, LAT/LONG or UTM and the spacing of grid lines in meters or seconds. 8 Grid color options are black, black dashed, blue, blue dashed, green, green dashed, red, red dashed. You can print the grids on the map with your printer.
• Toolbar on top of display and status bar on bottom. Status bar displays location coordinates, elevation and helpful tips on the use of the available tools.
• Help and information file in pull down window.
• Export map to disk options
• "Easy Print" and print preview interface - choose a location on the map and version 2.0 centers a page around it and optimizes the print settings; use the new print preview pane to get the exact print you want; elevation profiles can now automatically be printed on the same page as your map. You can scan and print across 2 or more maps, which is a godsend. Printer support for UTM grids as well as lat/lon grids which lets you create hard copy maps with the grid printed on them.  You can also create waypoints and routes which will appear on the printed maps. An  8 1/2" x 11"  1:24,000 scale  map took 58 seconds on my Epson ink jet printer.
• True 32-bit application - version 2.0 runs better and faster; 32-bit application is optimized for Windows 95, 98, NT. Caution: version 2.0 will not work with Windows 3.1
• Map issue date: The dates of the maps varied from 1968 to 1994 with most being in the late 1980s and 1990s
• States available: AZ, CA, CO, CT, GA, ME, MA, MN, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, RI, SC, UT, VT, VA, WA, Wash D.C. with more coming soon.
• GPS interface: If you want to upload/download tracks and waypoints with your GPS receiver, you'll need to get the optional TOPO!GPS software. You can download TOPO!GPS from Wildflower's website for $39.00 or buy it at EMS Eastern Mountain Sports  or  REI
• Upgrades: You can download upgrades to older versions of TOPO! from Wildflower's website.

Some other notes .... If you need to edit your topo maps  this is a sweet program to use. Installation gives you the option of typical, minimal or custom. Typical is for first time users with limited hard drive space. Minimal requires the least hard drive space. Custom allows better performance by storing the map files on your hard drive, which has faster retrieval time than from the CD-ROM. I installed TOPO version 1.2 first, and it was pretty straight forward process with the typical Windows installation wizard. I then moved the map files that I used the most to my hard drive to speed up performance. If you don't have a lot of hard drive space, using the map files off the CD-ROM is no problem, just slightly slower.

I then upgraded to TOPO version 2.2, which is a free upgrade from Wildflower via the Internet. Caution: version 2.0  and newer versions will not work with Windows 3.1. No problems with the 2.0 upgrade installation. You may need several CD-ROMs to cover your area, and at about $49.00 it can get expensive, but the value and tools you receive can be priceless. TrailSmart is TOPO!GPS along with National Geographic Trails Illustrated(TM) maps for 15 national parks -- maps include trail guide, safety and trip planning information. $69.95. You can get TrailSmart at the 2 retailers listed below.

Lat26 .... Lat 26 has introduced a synthetic inkjet printer paper for topo maps that is tear proof and renders the ink waterproof. $26.95 for 25 sheets. The inkjet paper size is 8 1/2" x 11". For you peeps using TOPO to print out maps, this is a godsend. Laminating the maps runs about the same cost ($1.00 per map), but if you put the maps back to back to laminate, lamination would be about half the cost ($.50) of this new printer paper. The paper is not listed on their website yet, so call 1 800-305-0036 to order. They also have the GPS/Topo Coordinator which is a plastic cartographic overlay using the Universal Transverse Mercator Projection (UTM).

You can read other reviews of TOPO!, TOPO!GPS and TrailSmart by Dale DePriest  at Dale's review of TOPO! , and BillStraka's  review of TOPO!, TOPO!GPS and TrailSmart

USER REVIEWS:

I went through this decision recently as well. I have a friend who has the state TOPO! software and I really like it. However, it really doesn't look any different than what you can get from Topozone for free. TOPO! has added some relief shading. I ended up getting the Rocky Mountain edition of Delormes TOPOUSA 3.0. It has slightly less detail, but not really that much, plus, If I need higher detail I can get that from Topozone. I bought it because it contained 5 states worth of data for $50 versus the 1 state of data at $99 for TOPO! TOPOUSA also has a 3D view. Some like it some don't. I happen to like it and it helps me to "map scout" new areas. Anyway, that is my $0.02. - _droptine_

If you would like to contribute your experience using this product please email us at

RETAILERS ....  REI  and  EMS Eastern Mountain Sports  or you can order direct from  Wildflower
Note ....  Please check for current pricing and availability. This info current as of 8/5/00.

MANUFACTURER POINT OF CONTACT .... Wildflower

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