GOM - the Global Overlay Mapping System

User Details, and how to update them

When you first run the Global Overlay Mapper, the main screen will tell you that this copy is licensed to EI8IC, with a Registered Position of 54.08N 008.24W. When you look at any of the maps and glance down at the Status Bar, you will see that the position of the cursor is referenced to the same location. This is because these values have been stored as the default position. They can be easily changed by clicking 'Help > User Details'. Try this now. A small window will open with boxes for your home location in Longitude and Latitude, and your callsign. These can be changed at any time, and the new values will be used when you next open a map. Note that if a map is already open, you should close and re-open the map for the new values to come into effect. You DON'T need to close and re-open the Global Overlay Mapper.

There is a lot of confusion generally about how accurate a position needs to be in a mapping display program. The scale of the maps determine how accurate you need to be. If you were looking at a map that covered only a small area, such as your local town or district, then you would need greater accuracy when setting a reference point. In the case of the Global Overlay Mapper, which only contains continental and sub-continental maps, then a position defined by 2 decimal points is QUITE SUFFICIENT. Any greater accuracy is worthless, and thus is ignored.

You can enter your postion in 3 different formats: Decimal degrees, Degrees/Minutes/Seconds, or Degrees/Minutes/Minute-Tenths. The Decimal degree format is quite straightforward - you should use something like 123.45 and don't forget to set the correct hemisphere (West or East for Longitude, North or South for Latitude) using the additional drop-down selectors. A position in Degrees/Minutes/Seconds is usually written something like 123° 55' 28" but to enter that value here you should format it as 123.5528 and don't forget to click the 'DMS' selector underneath. If you are obtaining your position from a GPS receiver, it will probably be giving it in the Degrees/Minutes/Minute-Tenths format. To enter a value in that format you should use 123.5528, where '55' represents the minutes, and '28' represents the tenths of the minute. Don't forget to click the 'DMT' selector underneath. Note that whichever format you use, the value will be converted into the Decimal format, with 2 decimal-places, for use in the Global Overlay Mapper.

If the program has not been registered, you will have to enter your details each time you start it. If you would like the program to remember your details, you will have to register it. Find out how to do this on the Register page.