Backroads GPS Map??

[Jagermeister]

I am wondering if someone can verify if the Backroads GPS maps have UTM capabilities? I have several of the hard copy mapbooks, and I see UTM in them as well as lat/long references.
The UTM grid is set to 10km square and is virtually useless for trying to pinpoint a location from GPS to the book map.
It's a little tighter with lat/long at 6km by 9.5km, but still useless in my opinion.

[Mauser98]

I am wondering if someone can verify if the Backroads GPS maps have UTM capabilities? I have several of the hard copy mapbooks, and I see UTM in them as well as lat/long references.
The UTM grid is set to 10km square and is virtually useless for trying to pinpoint a location from GPS to the book map.
It's a little tighter with lat/long at 6km by 9.5km, but still useless in my opinion.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the question but the position format is setup in the gps, not the map. On my Garmin 60Cx I go to Setup, Units, Position Format the choose one of many formats. This works no matter which map I'm using.

[Jagermeister]

Maybe I am asking the wrong question. Let me try to explain.
I have Topo Canada on a CD and loaded into my computer under Mapsource. From this I have portions loaded into two Garmin GPS units.
One is a GPSmap 76C with 115 MB internal memory, the other a GPSmap 60CSx with 1GB micro SD card. Both gps are set for UTM coordinates and NAD83 map datum.
When I return from an outing, I download the trip data from whichever unit had been used to Topo Canada in Mapsource. Then I can view the trail and waypoints details entered during the trip and save the trip to file for later reference. By using UTM, I can also get an accurate fix to hand lay the trail onto a hardcopy of a Canadian topographical map because Topo Canada is based on the government of Canada topographical maps.
I can view and download the trail to Google Earth as well. Although I can change to UTM, I use lat/long in Google Earth. I can change the Topo Canada coordinates on the map in use to reflect this if I choose.
The questions are:


If you are using Backroad Maps, do you have a copy in your computer?
What is required to download your trip data from gps to your computer for future reference?
Can you overlay trip data to the resident program in the computer, assuming you have a copy in the computer? (I can only save them as individual files. I suppose I could load them all into a self created master map file)
How accurate is Backroads map?

If you care, you can run this test. Here is a coordinate in UTM, 10 U 541335 5868783. Easting is the first number. Here is the location in lat/long N 52° 58.012´ W 122° 23.0´. What did you find?
If you are using Mapsource with Topo Canada, you can use the “Go To” feature under the “View” header. Enter the UTM coordinates in the box.

[Steeleco]

Looks like the east side of Dragon lake in my Topo Canada. I once tried a Back Country maps in a friends 60Csx and had my Topo Canada running in my 60Csx. I was considering upgrading to the maps but didn't really find the difference in the two was worth the $150 for the chip and more money so you have your computer read it too. Other than a few more roads I didn't see any difference in the two. I believe they had UTM grid lines but I wouldn't say 100%

[Mauser98]

I have Backroads on my computer. They are viewed through MapSource. Tracks, etc are transfered from the gps to MapSource using the transfer feature. It's the same method to transfer no matter which maps are been used(Topo Canada, Ibycus, BackRoads).

When I transfer tracks, all the tracks that are on the gps are transferred.

I don't know how accurate the BackRoad maps are.

When I entered your supplied UTM's into my gps then reset my 60Cx to lat/long, I got N 52* 58.023, W 122* 23.072. So slightly different from yours.

[Jagermeister]

I have Backroads on my computer. They are viewed through MapSource. Tracks, etc are transfered from the gps to MapSource using the transfer feature. It's the same method to transfer no matter which maps are been used(Topo Canada, Ibycus, BackRoads).

When I transfer tracks, all the tracks that are on the gps are transferred.

I don't know how accurate the BackRoad maps are.

When I entered your supplied UTM's into my gps then reset my 60Cx to lat/long, I got N 52* 58.023, W 122* 23.072. So slightly different from yours.
Does Backroad maps in your computer have a "Go To" feature where you can enter the UTM coordinates into
and it will take you to that location? If so, will you enter the UTM coordinates that I gave and tell me what you see on your map? I am curious to see what or how much detail you see on Backroads.

[Mauser98]

I did as you asked. The point is in the north end of a small lake just to the east of a road. The small lake is east of the northerly portion of Dragon Lk.

[Jagermeister]

I did as you asked. The point is in the north end of a small lake just to the east of a road. The small lake is east of the northerly portion of Dragon Lk.
That's it. It appears that the Backroads and Topo have identical mapping detail. It comes down to the preference of the buyer. Thanks for the followup Mauser98.

[Mauser98]

You're welcome. The point in the lake was the same for BackRoads, Topo Canada and Ibycus. The road systems were different in BackRoads as opposed to the other two.

I have the BackRoads card that I bought to use in my 60Cx. If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have bought.

[The Hermit]

I have 4 of the Backroads GPS for all of BC in stock at $140 plus $10 shipping and tax...

[Ian F.]

Back roads shows you what is in the books digitally, but there is a lot it won't do, like search ANY places by name. I have it and the garmin I bought 2nd hand, the back roads was disappointing

[f350ps]

BackRoads Maps and maps sucks, very inaccurate as Ian stated, they have lead me down the wrong path too many times, mind you I have a few friends that have done that too! K

[Singleshotneeded]

Three separate times the Backroads Mapbooks have taken me to the gate of a ranch where both the mapbook
and Topo Canada in my 60csx showed that the road continued on, and it probably did in the 1970s when my
version of Topo Canada was made...updates to the mapbook would be good! :-) The good part of having the
mapbook to look at now and then, and TC in my gps, is that the mapbook shows current fsr's better, and I've
found some great trails that were marked as fsr's in my old TC...but are now overgrown fun trails to explore
with the quad or get me into areas for hunting. I'm thinking a larger Montana gps and switching from Backroads
to Topo Canada now and then to look for old roads would be great, and I wouldn't have to stop to do so...

[Jagermeister]

Three separate times the Backroads Mapbooks have taken me to the gate of a ranch where both the mapbook
and Topo Canada in my 60csx showed that the road continued on, and it probably did in the 1970s when my
version of Topo Canada was made...updates to the mapbook would be good! :-) The good part of having the
mapbook to look at now and then, and TC in my gps, is that the mapbook shows current fsr's better, and I've
found some great trails that were marked as fsr's in my old TC...but are now overgrown fun trails to explore
with the quad or get me into areas for hunting. I'm thinking a larger Montana gps and switching from Backroads
to Topo Canada now and then to look for old roads would be great, and I wouldn't have to stop to do so...
I wonder if that road you speak of is a gazetted road that is illegally gated. Seems to be a lot of that going on these days.

[Moose63]

So what is the general consensus, Backroad maps or Topo Canada?

[Jagermeister]

I will stay with TOPO Canada and when it comes to upgrading, it will be a newer version of TOPO Canada. Might not show all the current FSRs, but sooner or later they will only be a trail through an overgrown forest. Terrain accuracy for me, roads come and go.

[Singleshotneeded]

I wonder if that road you speak of is a gazetted road that is illegally gated. Seems to be a lot of that going on these days.

Could be, all 3 were in the Cariboo...one gate blocked me from going around the top of Tyee lake, so I had to backtrack
and go past Jackson Hole...and one was blocking Archie Rd past Lower and Upper lakes, west of Forest Grove. The other
one was awhile back and my memory on it is a bit vague.

[Jagermeister]

Could be, all 3 were in the Cariboo...one gate blocked me from going around the top of Tyee lake, so I had to backtrack
and go past Jackson Hole...and one was blocking Archie Rd past Lower and Upper lakes, west of Forest Grove. The other
one was awhile back and my memory on it is a bit vague.I know the one that you are referring to at Tyee Lake. I believe the road is gazetted but the rancher at the north-east corner was having a problem with transient traffic at unusual hours that he requested premission to gate it and such was purportedly granted. One of my former co-worker's in-laws own or owned that ranch and he is the source of that information.
BTW, Jackson Hole is a misnomer unless hole is the reference to the size of the lake.
And speaking of Jackson Lake. There is a nice Sage Fly rod and reel combo laying in the bottom of this lake.
The story goes and and as told to me by none other than Doug Brautigam (deceased ). Some of you may have known Doug, once upon a time owned and operated Cariboo Fly and Tackle out of Quesnel.
Anyhow, Doug was in his bellyboat flyfishing one fine sunny August day. He had two rods with him. One had a dry line and the other a wet or sinking line. The dry line rod in anticpation of a hatch occuring and this rod was laying unsecured across the the tube trailing a fly . Doug was fishing the the other at depth.
It was one of those slow lazy dog days of August. Fish were lethargic and not providing any action. Insect buzz in the air, creating just the right amount of white noise that lulls a person. Was not long before Doug was into the nods. Time flitted by in sleepful bliss.
All of a sudden, Doug was jolted from his nap by the scream of a reel. Wet line rod in hand, he starts hauling line thinking the fish is on the end of the wet line rod. Before he could collect his senses, the dry line rod torpedoed off tube in pursuit of probably the largest fish to lurk in the deep of Jackson Lake. Gone in a blink.
Doug tried to recover the rod, had a diver search and dredged in the area of the disappearance. To no avail.
To my knowledge, the rod still lies in the bottom.
RIP Doug.

[Singleshotneeded]

Lol, yeah Jagermeister, you're right...the mapbook lists the lake as Jackson Lake. Since the ranching couple who gave
me the directions called it Jackson Hole, and it was small, and finally there is a famous namesake in the US, I went with
the name Jackson Hole. The road that went around the lake from north to south, by the way, in a couple of spots was
under a foot of water...just letting you folks know in case you might be thinking of driving that way in a car.
I have actually spoken with Doug in his tackle shop in Quesnel, if I have the name right of the gent I talked to back then,
he was helpful and a good guy to talk fishing with...

[Jagermeister]

Yeah, he knew his fishing stuff.