[Loadstone] Data Testing

[Michael O. Hanson]

I'm back and still alive.  Sorry Rob, I had to get one wisecrack in.  I did 
some day-hikes to test data in Shenandoah National Park last week.  I will 
describe the results briefly. Appalachian Trail Conservancy data worked as 
well as I could expect.  Shelters were within 19 yards of where the data 
said they were.  That is about as good as it gets unless you mark the points 
yourself in my experience.  Maptec data weren't so good.  They were within 
five hundred yards of where they should have been.  I need to find out what 
is going on with Maptec.  I believe it is their error or a data extraction 
error.

Loadstone did everything I thought it would.  It worked fine.  I had no 
problems with it what so ever.

I wish I could say the same of the sighted people who were with me.  for 
some reason, they thought GPS would tell me when I came to cliffs.  I have 
no idea why.  I had no cliffs marked.  That is why I use a white cane.

I need to clean up some data.  I still have too many data points to make the 
system and database easy to use.  Once I do that, I expect to try another 
test in August or so.  I'll let you know how it goes.