OZraster vs VMS Maps

[pjorek Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close pjorek]

I'd run either of them on Oziexplorer platform but which digital maps would be better?? Both are $99 to purchase and around 1:25k to 1:50k anyone using either of them and can comment?

[pjorek Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close pjorek]

Well I can answer my own question here. I've ended up with GPSOz maps for Victoria in OziExplorer format (you can download other formats instead ie VMS, MM and others). For $99 they do represent good value IMO - you get around 600 maps in 1:25k to 1:50k detail which compared to what I'd get If I bought VMS maps (25 maps at 1:50k) seem like pretty good value.

Unfortunately I do not know Victoria too well just yet to comment on the accuracy however the 3 or so places that I've been to : tracks/camping the maps appeared to be spot on.

[Kapitan Member Find all posts View Profile Close Kapitan]

Information on VMS

Hi Pjorek,

Some additional info on the topic from my journey:

In the VMS500 series portable unit VMS was running Memory-Maps for the off-road program. VMS ( http://www.vms4x4.com ) is now using for its current VMS700HD X portable unit own in house developed program titled "VMS off-road". The maps have the file extension .mmi which can not be read by any other mapping program. Unfortunately this means that, unlike in VMS500, now one cannot do planning your tips on a PC and then transfer to your GPS device with this software. This I found out once I got the unit (which works well). Since I had previously VMS500 I did not anticipate such a scenario.

Fortunately my VMS700 has both "VMS off-road" and "OziExplorerCE" software therefore planning can be done on OziExplorer on PC and then can navigate with OziExplorerCE on the unit.

As PC I use Microsoft Surface Pro 4 tablet to which I connect GPS receiver GlobalSat BU-353 S4 USB (for me tablet is too big to mount in the car and VMS has perfect for me 7 inch screen size therefore need both). Downside is that I got the VMS with the detailed down to 25k TOPO maps for its "VMS off-road" but only HEMA maps for "OziExplorerCE" ... now I need for OziExplorer OZraster 25k maps (OZFX4 format) ...

Would you know if those are exactly same maps just in different file formats (.OZFX4 vs .mmi)?

Are you using VMS 700 unit?

On hardware side with WMS700 there is a USB driver issue within the portable unit that is not Win 10 compatible (it uses WinCE 6.0 operating system) and VMS has no solution at this stage. To connect to my Microsoft Surface Pro 4 tablet which runs Windows 10 (brilliant device which replaced both iPad and laptop for me) I have to use USB microSD card adaptor to read the map cards on PC. Other option is to connect to Windows 7 PC (luckily I also have an older PC with Windows 7 on it).

Cheers

[pjorek Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close pjorek]

To answer your question - unfortunately I'm not using VMS700 (chinese 7" GPS with Windows CE instead) hence cannot confirm whether they are the same mmi maps or not. I'm quite happy with the detail of them and for the price I think they are good value but best way would be to email OzRaster and ask them? You can download 1 or 2 sample maps which might be able to help you??