okansas.blogspot.com
Occassional thoughts about orienteering


Tuesday, October 15, 2002

Map scales - 1:10,000 v 1:15,000

 

The Southern Michigan A-meet used 1:15,000 maps for the blue and red courses and 1:10,000 for all other courses. The maps appeared to be color copies of ink jet prints.

Comparing the two versions of the maps was startling. The 1:10,000 maps were much more readable. Some features were much easier to read on the 1:10,000 version. For example, the small tick marks on depressions stood out clearly on the 1:10,000 map and were difficult to see on the 1:15,000 map.

I asked some of the SMOC members why the blue course didn't use a 1:10,000 map. They said that USOF either told them they couldn't or suggested that they shouldn't. I'm not sure who "USOF" would have been - maybe the sanctioning committee or maybe the course consultant.

I wish we'd had the 1:10,000 version of the map and I can't understand why a 1:15,000 version would be preferable.

I discussed map scale with a few people at the meet and got a few lame arguments for 1:15,000:

1. A 1:10,000 map is too big a piece of paper -- it is hard to carry. That seems a bit ridiculous. You can always fold the map in half (don't blue course runners know how to fold the map?). At SMOC the blue courses could have been printed at 1:10,000 on an 8 1/2 x 11 inch piece of paper. I've never heard people complain that a 1:15,000 map is too big. We've orienteered on some big pieces of paper: Silvermine and Surebrigde Mountain are good examples. Have people complained that the paper is too big?

2. Using a 1:15,000 map is good because top elite races use 1:15,000 maps. The concept seems reasonable....except it isn't correct. The last WOC used maps at 1:10,000, 1:5,000 and 1:15,000. The European Champs used maps at 1:5,000, 1:10,000 and 1:15,000. The top elite races force competitors to use different scales in a relatively short period of time.

3. Some people have difficulty adjusting to "different" scales (i.e. if they're used to 1:15,000 then it is hard to use 1:10,000). I'll buy that it might be true. But, it doesn't seem like a good reason to stick with a specific scale.

4. 1:10,000 maps are over detailed because the mapper squeezes too much detail into the map. The level of detail is more a function of the scale the fieldchecker works at than the scale the map is printed at. Maps fieldchecked at 1:7,500 or 1:10,000 aren't usually over detailed.

5. Course setters tend to set fewer long legs on 1:10,000 maps than on 1:15,000 maps. That's finally an argument I buy (at least a bit). To me, the harm of fewer long legs is less than the harm of making it hard for orienteers to read the map.

The argument for using 1:10,000 seems stronger -- the map was much easier to read at 1:10,000. Orienteering is about using the map to navigate. It shouldn't be about testing eyesight and individual abilities to make educated guesses about features that aren't clearly shown.

I don't think I suffered from the 1:15,000 scale map. I carried my magnifier and was able to read details fairly well. In fact, the hard to read map probably helped me (because I carry a magnifier).

If the map had been offset printed, 1:15,000 would have been fine. But, it wasn't. Maps printed on ink-jet printers are not as easy to read as offset printed maps.

posted by Michael | 7:46 PM

0 comments


Comments: Post a Comment
March 2002April 2002May 2002June 2002July 2002August 2002September 2002October 2002November 2002December 2002January 2003February 2003March 2003April 2003May 2003June 2003July 2003August 2003September 2003October 2003November 2003December 2003January 2004February 2004March 2004April 2004May 2004June 2004July 2004August 2004September 2004October 2004November 2004December 2004January 2005February 2005March 2005April 2005May 2005June 2005July 2005August 2005September 2005October 2005November 2005December 2005January 2006February 2006March 2006April 2006May 2006June 2006July 2006August 2006September 2006October 2006November 2006December 2006January 2007February 2007March 2007April 2007May 2007June 2007July 2007August 2007September 2007October 2007November 2007December 2007January 2008February 2008March 2008April 2008May 2008June 2008July 2008August 2008September 2008October 2008November 2008December 2008January 2009February 2009March 2009April 2009May 2009June 2009July 2009August 2009September 2009October 2009November 2009December 2009January 2010February 2010March 2010April 2010May 2010June 2010July 2010August 2010September 2010October 2010November 2010December 2010January 2011February 2011March 2011April 2011May 2011June 2011July 2011August 2011September 2011October 2011November 2011December 2011January 2012February 2012March 2012April 2012May 2012June 2012July 2012August 2012September 2012October 2012November 2012December 2012January 2013March 2013April 2013May 2013July 2013September 2013
archives
links