MNTRAX ?

[Kirsch]

Creating maps for Lowrance and Garmin GPS are very different. The majority of Lowrance GPS units will display the Interstate symbol for each segment of road. Not to get too complicated but most GIS data providers break their road data segments up into very small increments as each small increment of road could have different characteristics. I am sure you wouldn't want your Lowrance GPS to show the Interstate symbol every few feet on the map or your map would be covered with nothing but Interstate symbols.To help with this on the Lowrance maps, I have a program that attempts to look at all the roads that are connected and merge them together. It is entirely possibe if one of those sections from DOT, or another source had a label wrong, it can affect the entire batch as they are merged together. Also, make sure the road that is labeled goes away when you take the MNTRAX chip out because it is possible the labeling could be on the base map of the GPS. I am not trying to be negative or discount the comment but the TRAX maps are designed for outdoor activities so are the maps working for you for finding hunting spots, fishing spots, etc? I would hope any GPS could guide you down the interstate. If you have a GPS coodinate then send it to me and I can look into the potential mis-labeling of a road.

[Kirsch]

An additional comment on Lowrance Roads. Every element on the map is defined. So, for a road to be an interstate, it must be defined as an Interstate and if a Lowrance GPS sees a piece of road that says it is an interstate, it tries to pop up an Interstate symbol and put the name of the Interstate there. Again, I don't know the exact spot you are talking about but as you move through towns, etc there are times that Interstates and local roads meet and many times the label switches in the road data from I-90 to main or whatever the road is on and it still is an interstate so different names will appear. I am not saying 694 is a road where you are stating but it doesn't mean this road is Interstate 694 but just the label right at that spot on the road. These are all interesting issues with Lowrance GPS units that make creating maps for Lowrance much more difficult than for Garmin.

[Acemac]

ok I will only say this once this year (But I got to do it)

Iphone?

[Kirsch]

Acemac, since you asked/commented I will answer. You have been a bit quite on the Iphone front this year. I probably have said this before but the easiest way to deploy a TRAX map on a phone would be through a Google Earth overlay. The good news is many cell phones already support Google Earth. The bad news is most cannot handle a local .kmz file. Also, it would need to be able to process this large of an overlay. As it stands, a computer loaded with Google Earth actually has a hard time with this much of an overlay so a phone doing it is even more of an issue. Loading up all the elements of a TRAX map compared to all the other maps and small apps available is very different.

I realize you love your Iphone and that is great so you probably won't like my next recommendation but instead of trying to stick your Iphone on your dash or use it while driving, get a 5" Garmin Nuvi for around $100 or less and have it on your dash with a TRAX chip in it all the time. If you never use it for navigation but only use it for finding hunting spots, you still will be way ahead and won't regret it. The reason the Nuvis, Tom Toms, and Magellans have gotten so cheap is because more people are using their phones.

[rkhinrichs]

Kirsch, i would like to buy this, i was wondering how can i make this happen. where do i buy it? thank you.

[huntnfish]

You can get in the OutdoorProStore.com here.

You will always get the latest version when ordering.

[Ed Carlson]

If you hunt/fish/camp in many states I highly recommend you look at the NEW KTRAX WEST chip. It is a great bargain and you will have everything on one chip to deal with, very handy.

[S.D. Ice Angular]

Kirsch,

Thanks for the explination,

I don't have an exact gps location but it is in the Luverne, MN area in the Southwest part of Minnesota. About 12 miles from South Dakota and 10 miles from Iowa. Use that spot and let me know what you think is going on.

I hope that helps...

Thanks!!!

[rkhinrichs]

ok thanks guys!!

[Kirsch]

SD Ice Angular,

I don't know the reason behind it but the label for I-90 definitely says I-694 in that area of MN as you noted. I don't know if the merge program messed up the label as described earlier in a previous post or if was a label issue in the base data and the issue is expounded due to the way Lowrance units show roads. Either way, I will update it and get the label changed. If you wish to send your map back to me for a simple label change that is up to you as there will be no charge for the update.

[Kirsch]

rkhinrichs,

As many people have noted, go to the outdoor store right here on Fishing Minnesota and you can find MNTRAX for sale.

[Ed Carlson]

SD Ice Angular,

I don't know the reason behind it but the label for I-90 definitely says I-694 in that area of MN as you noted. I don't know if the merge program messed up the label as described earlier in a previous post or if was a label issue in the base data and the issue is expounded due to the way Lowrance units show roads. Either way, I will update it and get the label changed. If you wish to send your map back to me for a simple label change that is up to you as there will be no charge for the update.

Good product....AND..excelent customer service.

Ata Boy Kirsch!

[Scoot]

Yep, he's definitely got excellent customer service.

I just got TraxWest and it's AWESOME! Thanks much, Kirsch! It'll make my scouting and hunting so much more informed than when I was blindly looking at google earth or when I am in the mountains and wondering "can I go across that draw and chase that bugle or is the boundarie somewhere in between here and there?"

A few years ago a buddy and I were watching a huge muley buck that was right on the edge of private/public land. We were thinking about how to put a sneak on him, when it occurred to me he might be on the private land. I pulled out my gps with NDTrax and realized that he was about 200 yards onto private land. We grumbled a bit, but had to leave because we knew the landowner wouldn't let us hunt there. On the way out we bumped into the land owner and he told us he was watching us and the buck through a spotting scope. He then said something that really made me realize the value of the NDTrax info- "If you two had gone after that buck I'd have called the game warden immediately and pressed charges." Kirsh saves the day!

Kirsch is a buddy of mine, so my opinion isn't totally unbiased. Howeever, even if I'd have never met the guy, I'd gladly spend the money on his product and say good things about it!

[MN Mike]

Would The Nature Conservancy Land be considered SNA? Just curious if that is included on MNTrax, called up a buddy tonight and we were kicking around some hunting ideas.

Thanks

Mike

[Ed Carlson]

Something that really makes me happy about the new WESTTRAX chip is I'm back and forth across ND/MN borders a lot...and one chip keeps me in play and on Track. Coverage is seamless, thorough, accurate, and complete. In urban and rural environments alike.

SaaaWEET!

No need to switch data cards or mess with anything...Bada-Ding-Bada-Boom...it's there and loaded up when I need it.

Very nice!

[Kirsch]

MN Mike,

Great question on Scientific and Natural Areas (SNAs) and Nature Conservancy Lands. Lands specifically designated as Nature Conservancy only are not currently part of MNTRAX. I have been evaluating the potential of including Nature Conservancy lands on TRAX maps but it gets a bit tricky depending on easements and other classifications. The best way I can describe it is some SNAs in MN are Nature Conservancies but not all. The SNAs in Minnesota are on the MNTRAX map. Some of the additional features on MNTRAX include:

1200+ Lakes with 5’ Contours,

Boat Ramps

Streams & Rivers

Scientific and Natural Areas (SNA)

Wildlife Management Areas (WMA)

National Wildlife Refuge (NWR)

Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

Waterfowl Production Areas (WPA)

State Management Program

County Tax Forfeit Land

Tribal Lands

State Parks

National & State Forests

Big Game Units/Zones

Hiking & Biking Trails

Hunting Trails

Cities

Highways, County and Township Roads

Forest Roads

Sections Lines

Township, Range, & Section #

Please check carefully before proceeding on any SNA or Nature Conservancy land and check for the proper rules and regulations. If you are looking for hunting, I did find a document that talks about some limited hunting opportunities on a few select Conservancy Areas in Minnesota.

http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/reg...map_webv2-2.pdf

[TooTallTom]

Kirsch, is the land that you are referring to as Nature Conservancy land a specific management class regulated by some government agency, or is it land owned by The Nature Conservancy?

The Nature Conservancy is a private conservation organization that may or may not allow hunting (they generally prohibit bike riding, trapping, and ATV use) on property which they own outright or hold easements on.

[Kirsch]

TooTall,

The Nature Conservancy is not my area of expertise and I agree The Nature Conservancy is a conservation private organization. I do not include land owned or held via easement by the Nature Conservancy. However, as mentioned there are some Scientific and Natural Areas defined by the MN DNR which is also part of the land managed by the Nature Conservancy. I do have SNAs on MNTRAX so those would show but they will be labeled SNA and not Nature Conservancy. This area does get confusing but bottom line is land owned or as part of an easement for The Nature Conservancy is not listed specifically on MNTRAX.

[TooTallTom]

Okay, good to know. It sounds like you've got a great product.

Another Nature Conservancy note: People seeking to recreate (in whatever form) may have to seek permission from both them and the landowner in areas where The Nature Conservancy owns an EASEMENT on the land. Public access may or may not be specifically allowed depending upon the language of the easement.

[MN Mike]

Thanks for the info guys, I stopped by our local TNC office yesterday, some hunting opportunities are available there BUT there are Federal lands where hunting is prohibited that butt up against TNC land, that is why I was wondering about TNC boundaries. I'm sure the federal boundaries are on the MNTrax chip and will make it a worth while item to have, we also hunt Pheasants in SW MN and it could be very useful there too.

Mike

[Ed Carlson]

The KTRAX cards and CD's are very helpful to make trip planning more efficient. They will take the guess work out of a lot of hunts and make for good relations with the land owners as well.

You will find them a great asset when scouting new lands to hunt. The land owner data is very valuable. Couple that with a good phone book and you can find new contacts and develop relations with landowners that will pay off big for you.

There is a lot more open lands out there to hunt then most people think. You just need to do some face to face relations with the landowner's to gain access to it.

[rkhinrichs]

Hey guys how long does it take to recieve mntrax?

[Kirsch]

It should take approx. 2 days to 1 week from when the order is placed until you receive your product depending on your location. There can be some exceptions to this such as if a product is being updated and the order is held until the updates are complete. The order went out today. Thank you for your patience.

[Kirsch]

Acemac,

I wanted to update you as you have requested KTRAX maps for smartphones a number times. I can confirm the KTRAX maps will soon be available for Android smartphones at OutdoorProStore.com. There are 2 reasons why Droids and not iPhones (at least for now). The reasons are virtually all Droids have an internal GPS while most iphones do not as they use cellular triangulation to determine location. Also, iphones typically don't allow an application or apps to be loaded on a removable microSD card. Unfortunately requiring downloadable maps and cell service are not features that equate to a great outdoor GPS. These are a few of the reasons for KTRAX being available on Droid and not on iPhones at this time.

For those of you with Droids, this is great news. For those of you with iphones, complain to Apple that Droids have internal GPS devices and allow for local storage of data on memory cards and iphones typically do not.

[KMR85]

Are the TRAX maps in the Android Market yet? I searched, but couldn't find anything.