2007-04-04 10:44:21
Turlough Hill - urban myth?
Can anybody with inside knowledge (such as ESB employees) help to answer a query about the origin of the name Turlough Hill in Co. Wicklow? It is not in dispute that the hill's original name is Tomaneena (see Liam Price's Place-names of Co. Wicklow) and that the name Turlough Hill only arose in the late 1960s with the construction of the pumping station. A year or two ago, I found the following information on a local website for Glendalough (www.glendalough.connect.ie): "Work began on Turlough Hill in 1968. Contrary to what the name suggests, it does not refer to the name of a surrounding hill. In fact the hydro-electric power station is named after the son of the engineer who designed it." However, recently a reliable source informed me that Turlough Hill was a humorous name given because the water was pumped up to the reservoir at night, and when the water was released to generate energy, it left the reservoir temporarily empty, hence turlach, 'dry lough'. Since the scheme is only around 40 years old, perhaps there is somebody out there who knows the engineer in question and whether he has a son named Turlough.2007-04-02 20:47:47
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| The Beagle has landed. (Expand pics) |
Erratics
Although not strictly an erratic, as its part of a larger formation, I saw this rock in the Mournes near the top of Slieve Corragh and thought that it looked familiar, if you know what mean.2007-04-02 20:16:28
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| Anonymous Walkers (Expand pics) |
Photocomp 2006 Winners
This minimalist picture was taken by Muiris Ó Raghallaigh on Mullaghcleevaun and entitled Trig Station and Anonymous Walkers in the Mist.It got second place in the competition.
2007-04-02 19:28:53
GPS Maps
Padodes, I have added the first stage of the tutorial. It should take shape over the next few weeks. I will try and add a mechanism for comments, suggestions and questions.2007-04-02 18:16:18
GPS Maps
Beckett, I am impressed by your additions to the SMC contour map and hope you can get around to making the tutorial you envisage. My apologies for the implied doubt about the feasability of this. The one thing I miss myself on the SMC maps as they stand is an indication of streams and small lakes. I would look forward to being able to add them. The indication of trailheads and the like seems less necessary, though, since simple waypoints are just as useful. Over the years I have saved many dozens of tracks which I store on the computer and upload to the GPS when needed. (I don't use oziExplorer myself for this, but another very similar programme called 'GARtrip'.) This provides each time a full-length trail which, now in conjunction with the contour map, gives a great feel for the terrain and a sure path in low visibility.2007-04-01 21:56:43
GPS Maps
Padodes, I had not read your last post before I posted mine. I have since downloaded ximage and have updated the previously mentioned link with Garmin screen captures.2007-04-01 21:12:07
GPS Maps
Padodes, I could not get a decent screen capture from my Garmin because of the limitations of my camera. However I have posted some screenshots from a MapSource capture on the following site; http://www.johnos37.utvinternet.com/index.htm. These should give you an idea of the what you are likely to see on the Garmin. If there is sufficient interest and I get some time over the coming weeks I will try and put together a tutorial on the process of creating these maps.2007-03-30 16:19:43
Re: Erratics
Take a look at http://www.theshortspan.com/2007-03-29 20:16:14
GPS Maps
Beckett, it would be interesting to have a GPS screen shot of one of your completed maps, if you happen to have one, just to see how it works in practice. (To save screen shots from your unit you could use Garmin xImage. It can be downloaded gratis at http://www.garmin.com/ximage/ ). There are in fact some points in your explanation that remain pretty vague. You seem to suggest that it is possible to superimpose a section of the imported SMC contour map on a corresponding calibrated map within oziExplorer, then to add some of the calibrated map detail to the contour map (using drawing tools?), and finally to save the overlaid contour map for onward transfer from MapSource to the GPS. Indeed, oziExplorer is useful for many mapping purposes. You can certainly use it to join maps, end-to-end. But I see no reference to any functionality that would allow you to use it to layer two maps or to use drawing tools to trace the "polygons and polylines" you speak of. (I would welcome any correction on that point.) But even if this is possible, to use the contour map accurately within oziExplorer it would have to be to scale. How do you calibrate it, then, and adjust it to the other map beneath, since it has no grid lines to facilitate this task and the 10m contours on this map are notional ("guesstimated")? Even small discrepancies between the contour map and the calibrated map could translate into notable discrepancies on the ground afterwards. I can think of several other possible sticking points as well. As far as I can see, the "relatively simple" process you speak of must have a number of hidden secrets if it is working for you.2007-03-29 09:38:48
Re: GPS maps
Just to add some detail to my comment regarding creating Garmin maps. I take the SMC data. Load it up in MapEdit. I then trim the map down to a particular area, say the Galty Mountains. I take the paper OS map for the area and scan it into a tiff format. I then calibrate the scanned image in OziExplorer. The calibrated map can then be added to the Galty mountains contour data. Using the calibrated map as a base I then add a new level to the Galty mountains contour map and start tracing polygons, polylines and points of interest in to the new level. When this process is complete I compile the map as a Garmin image file using cGPSmapper, add it to mapsource and download it to the GPS. You end up with a detailed map with approach roads, water features, tracks and other points of interest that you gleaned from the OS map. When I walk I gather other features, for example, new tracks, streams etc. I then update the map with these over time and the map grows into a really useful topographical map of the area. The software I mentioned is freely available on the web. Some of the free editions have limited features, but they work fine for my purposes. The process seems involved, but it is actually relatively simple once you have done it a few times.
