You get the complete GPS-Routes of Boa Vista, Maio, Santo Antão, São Nicolau and São Vicente jointly with a top-quality programme for upload and download on a Mini-CD Rom.
This will improve your orientation considerably.

GPS for Hiking - an introduction

"GPS" stands for Global Positioning System and allows precise orientation worldwide by use of satelllite signals.
All you need is a portable receiver, the size of an (older) cellular phone. The device does not only help you to find your routes. It also writes a track of your itinerary, calculates distances, speed and time elapsed to the next target.

Routes, Tracks and Waypoints are stored in the internal memory and eventually downloaded to uploaded from your computer via serial or USB cable. Almost all GPS programmes for PC allow to use a mapfile as a background.

The Precision was greatly improved after the "Clinton-Act" a few years ago and nowadays is perfectly sufficient for hikers. Before, the random error, brought in by the US-Army as the exclusive owner of the sattelite system, was a permanent noisance.

Hikes can keep their "Signposts in a pocket" with a precison of plus / minus 10 m.

As we had to take thousands of GPS waypoints when producing our hiking-maps, we felt challenged to edit a data-set for our clients. Feedback by users is very positive. GPS is understood as a real help due to the co-incidence with our maps and guidebook texts.

But there must be space for a word of warning:

The easiest way to put waypoints, tracks and routes in the GPS receiver is via the computer-interface. It also allows to store data recorded in the field in files. We have some experience with different GARMIN Receivers and the following programmes and give practical hints ánd answer FAQs.

TRACKMAKER® is an excellend shareware developped by Odilon Ferreira Junior and our favourite for up- and downloading of GPS-Data. Odilon has authorized us to distribute his software on our CD-Rom so that everyone working with it has a good programme for data transfer at hand.  The only precondition he puts for the use of his programme is signing a declaration not use it for any purpose detremenatal for nature and environment. Please take it serious!
Trackmaker works with a variety of more than 100 GPS-Receivers made by Garmin®, Lowrance®, Magellan®, MRL® and   Brunton/Silva® .
We never came across any other programme of similar speed an quality in the data transfer with such a variety of makes.
A big hug and "Thank You" to Brasil!

There are programms for Apple, palmtops and organizers available but we have no experience with those.

®  registered trademarks of firms mentioned

 

GPS Data on CD-Rom

The latest Version contains a directory per every one of the islands preferred by hikers, covered by our maps:

BV	complete data of Boa Vista
MA	complete data of Maio
SA	complete data of Santo Antão PL_all.gmt  tracks in the district of Paúl RG_all.gmt  tracks in the district of Rª Grande PN_all.gmt  tracks in the district of Porto Novo
SN	complete data of São Nicolau
ST	complete data of Santigao
SV	complete data of São Vicente
Trackmak	Programmw GPS Trackmaker ready for installation

You find all data in two formats:

1. *.xls   MS Excel spreadsheets
2. *.gtm data-files for  TRACKMAKER
    

Excel-spreadsheets are used for printing out lists and manual data-entry and editing.

You must not own a laptop or take one to the field to make use of the CD-Rom and a GPS receiver. Chose what you need at home and upload it before travelling!

Example Table::

316	Route	Copyright: Reitmaier Fortes
Waypoint	Designation	North South	°	´	East West	°	´
SUL101	VOQUIN LOJA	N	16	58.882	W	25	11.912
SUL009	PEDRA JORGE	N	16	59.069	W	25	11.657
SUL008	LISPENSE CHAFARI	N	16	59.585	W	25	12.434
BORD01	Pedra negra	N	16	59.914	W	25	12.887
BORD02	Subida	N	17	00.004	W	25	13.084
BORD03	Pe Tome	N	17	00.369	W	25	13.429
BORD04	Tampa Tome	N	17	00.859	W	25	13.744
BORD05	-	N	17	01.157	W	25	14.098
BORD06	-	N	17	01.448	W	25	14.090
BORD07	-	N	17	01.839	W	25	14.021
BORD08	Bons Sonhos	N	17	02.276	W	25	13.964
NORT16	BORDEIRA NORTE	N	17	02.437	W	25	13.888

Download Example Data of Route 316.
You receive a file called Example.gtm for use with GPS-Trackmaker.

Enjoy and have fun!