MAPS.txt ver 7.0     ALL ABOUT APRS MAPS

Note: This file used to be moremaps.txt but has been renamed.


To handle the ever increasing number of maps, the APRS distro disk now
includes the basic APRSvv.zip file plus an additional XmapsVV.zip
for your area.  Only the larger area maps will be in the basic APRSvv.zip 
file.  The following MAPLISTS tell APRS which map to use for any given 
cursor location and range.  The default is MAPLIST.USA.  Use the FILES-
CHANGE command to select an alternate MAPLIST.

The following lists the currently known MAP distributions.  Look 
for them on your local area BBS's.  To see the areas of these regions,
use the MAPS-ALT command when centered on the USA map.


MAPLIST FILE  DISTRO MAPS   COMMENTS
------------  -----------   -------------------------------------
MAPLIST.USA   APRSxx.zip    World and regional maps
MAPLIST.EAS   Emaps01.zip   Virginia and north, and East of Ohio
MAPLIST.CEN   Cmaps01.zip   Indiana west through Wyoming & Colorado
MAPLIST.WES   Wmaps01.zip   Idaho, Utah & Arizona and west
MAPLIST.SE    SEmaps04.zip  Arkansas to east and south

OTHER DISTRIBUTION PACKAGES BY STATE COORDINATORS:

MAPLIST.AK    AKmaps01.zip  Alaska   
MAPLIST.CA    CAmaps03.zip  California (Currently in WES)
MAPLIST.MI    MImaps01.zip  Michigan   
MAPLIST.MN    MNmaps01.zip  Minnesota
MAPLIST.MO    MOmaps02.zip  Missouri
MAPLIST.OH    OHmaps03.zip  Ohio



NEWmapVV.zip   Will be used to distro new individual maps submitted to me
               You will have to add them to your maplist as desired.
     

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.

N7QVU  @ K7BUC.AZ      Tuscon         AZ 602-492-2545(w) jwyatt@amex-trs.com
KD6MKS                 Silver Lake    CA
W7KKE  @ KA6EYH#nocal  San Francisco  CA Wrote Digitizer and CONV100!
WA4MEJ                 Jaxonville     FL
KD4UYR                 Clearwater     FL
G3ZFJ @ W4DPH.#TPA.FL  Tampa          FL has digitizer
N4FOR                  Savannah       GA
WH6YC                  Honolulu       HI Dave DObbins (ex KB5UBW fm TX)
KG0DW & N0YKX & KI0Q   IOWA           IA
N9LCI  David Chesser                  IL
KB5YRZ @ N5SSY#METLA   New Orleans    LA
W1KRU  @ KA1TUZ.MA     Boston         MA
KD1E   @ N8NNN.#SEMI   Michigan       MI
W8VPD                  Michigan UPPER MI
KU0G   @ KU0G#NWMO.MO  Kansas City    MO  Lots of maps!
KC5AUG cll4@ra.msstate.edu            MS  601-325-8553
W4NMK                  Black Mountain NC
WA1VJH                 Keene          NH  digitizer
N2FET                  New Jersey     NJ
KB8JXO @ W8CQK.#CMH.OH Columbus       OH  Over 50 maps!
KG8GE                  Narion         OH  wrote CAD APRS map program!
N7ZKL  @ K7IQI.OR                     OR  Oregon 
KD1HA @ KA1RCI.RI      Rhode Island   RI  (new england)
KN4IM @ N$CII#CHS.SC   Charleston     SC  On HF. 803-552-0654
WB5DTW                 SanAntonio     TX
N5JXS                  Houston        TX
N5ZXD @ N4QEP.#WTX.TX  Lubbock        TX  good with Mapfixer!
N4WJQ  @ WA4TFZ.VA     Charlottsville VA
W8KVK                  West Va        VA
W9LZQ                  Onalaska       WI
WA7NTF @WA7NTF#TAC#WWA.WA             WA  gkohtala@halcyon.com
VK4TAB                 Brisbane       Austrailia (digitizer)

For those that like statistics, as of Mar 95, I have a total of 290 maps
(including APRS distro (which has CA, TX, and AK maps included), plus the
separate OHIO and MISSOURI maps.  The total full-up APRS system takes
6.6 megs on my HD.  (big on a 20MB drive, but trivial on a 250MB drive!


ALL APRS STATE MAPFILES SHOULD CONFORM TO THE FOLLOWING RULES:

INDIVIDUAL MAPS:  If you make a disk or FILE with individual maps in it,
send it to your state map coordinator and include a piece of paper with 
the exact LAT/LONG/RANGE and insertion instructions so that he can edit 
it into his MAPLIST.  Include instructions on where to insert the new 
map(s) in the heirarchical list.


STATE MAP COORDINATORS:  Please, DO NOT modify MAPLIST.USA, or any of the
standard distribution MAPLISTS.  Their integrity is MY responsibility.  
Also, do not make any changes to MY maps without CHANGING the map name.  
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.
I know its hard, but is absolutely necessary for all of us to be able to
make sense out of our ever growing MAP directories!  Please consider
making the next five characters represent individual counties or metro
areas.  The last character can be N,S,E,W, or any of the other 26 letters
or numbers.  Of course other names like XXneast or XXsouth are also good
for the larger maps.

     Maintain a MAPLIST.XX which contains ONLY your XX state maps and
all larger maps that contain your state all the way up to WORLD.map; nothing
else.  This file should always be in your zipped up map packages.

     All XX state map distribution packages should be named consistently as
XXmapsNN.zip, where NN is the version number.  Everyone can use that list to
see the extent of your efforts and responsibility. The version number lets
everyone know whats new, and lets BBS SYSOPS know whats OLD and can be deleted.

     Distribute interim UPDATE files as XXaftrNN.zip.  This file will contain
all of the NEW maps and changes for state XX, AFTER version NN.

     If you want to try to maintain an overall MAPLIST directory which includes
all maps that your users may be interested in, including maps outside of your
area, then name it MAPLIST.xxA.  The xx identifies the state, but the A on the
end clearly identifies it as including ALL that your users might want.  They
can use this MAPLIST.xxA and still have most of what everyone else has,
without having to switch back and forth.

With this standard nomenclature we can all keep track of whats going on.!



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-HEIRARCHY or MAPS 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.

It simply 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!


COMMERCIAL MAP MAKERS:  I would encourage anyone that has the time and 
the energy to consider going into business making APRS maps for hire.  
Since APRS maps are intended for the public domain, do not expect to get 
per-copy fees or royalties, but there should be many HAM clubs or groups 
that might like to HIRE you to make a map for them.  I think there
is a BIG market out there for people that need maps.  Again, this is NOT 
to commercialize APRS maps, but simply to make available expertise where 
needed.  If you are going into this business, please contact me.  
I suggest that the DIGITIZER method is less labor intensive than the 
CD ROM for any maps greater than about 8 miles, since you can make ANY 
map from a paper map supplied by the customer.


See MAPMAKIN.txt for the DETAILS on how APRS maps are formatted and made.

See MAPS-CD.txt for details on using the USGS CD ROMS to make maps.

See any APRS map using any DOS text utility to see what the data looks like.
