Maps Near You – “Start Anywhere” Comes to MapLink

PARK STREET ORIENTEERING – MAPS NEAR YOU

August 2 – new restrictions mean new rules for local exercise.  You must stay within 5 km of where you live. You must exercise for no more than 1 hour per day, and with no more than one other person. You must be at home between 8pm and 5am. Use this link to find out what’s 5 km from your home

Need help finding maps close to home? Email us at voa@iinet.net.au, and we’ll assist.

New MapLinks since August 1: Wattle View (Boronia), Yarraman, Cremorne (2 versions), Blackburn Lake, Yarran Dheran (two different courses), Greenslopes (Dandenong North), Airport Amble (Tullamarine), Smiths Dell West (Hawthorn), Park Orchards (mostly off road).

MapRun options – check out the latest news on MapRunF, which has some new options to create your own events, including “Start Anywhere” and “QuickStart”.  http://maprunners.weebly.com/

Here’s how to find and use MapLink courses with Start Anywhere, which lets you start and finish a course at any control of your choice – perfect for orienteering from home! In good news for those using MapRunG with their Garmin, Start Anywhere is fully supported and functioning.

MapRunF Start Anywhere - Bringing MapLinks to Your Door

Using MapRunF Start Anywhere Feature With MapLink Courses

 A ‘new’ whizz bang challenge – Run45/Walk45 StartAnywhere coming to a course near you soon.

Make sure you have MapRunF 4.8.8 or later loaded on your phone.

We;ve loaded 70 MapLink courses with MapRunF’s “Start Anywhere” feature.  If you live on one of these maps, you can start a course from the control closest to your home or designated starting point, and stay within Stage 4 restrictions.

Two ways to find Start Anywhere maps:

In MapRunF or MapRunG, use “Events Near Me” and look for map names containing “StartAnywhere”

OR In MapRunF/G, use “Select Event”, then go to Victoria / Melbourne Park-Street O / StartAnywhere

All maps in this folder have the function enabled.

Then go to the MapLink Library

Download and print the corresponding map

Check the MapLink Index, which tells you which maps have Start Anywhere enabled – several maps have more than one MapLink course so you need to make sure you choose the correct one

How does it work?

Each map with Start Anywhere enabled, has two courses – Run45 or Walk45. This is to give you time to get to and from your selected start/finish, from home, within the allowed 1 hour for daily exercise.

Choose a control to start from.  When ready, press Go To Start.  The first control you visit becomes the Start/Finish – it is not scored. To compensate, the actual Start triangle on your map becomes a control worth 1 more point than the highest value control on your course – eg on a 20 control course, S1 is worth 6 points (as long as you go to it).  When you finish, return to the control you started at.  Everything else will operate as normal.

Note:  The HITMO function for reporting “missing” controls does not work with Start Anywhere.

In great news for those using MapRunG, Start Anywhere is fully supported and working.

What if there is no course near my home?

We can find or create one for you!  Send a request to voa@iinet.net.au.  Western courses can be requested via dwarwick@bigpond.net.au

July 31 – almost 600 Park Street maps added to the DIY Library!

Find a map near you, for local exercise.  This week we’ve added nearly 500 previous Park Street maps to the DIY Library – midweek and Saturday events from 2007 to 2020 – making it easier than ever to find a map in your neighbourhood.

New Park Street MapLink courses added in July:

Quamby Quandary (Ringwood North); Glen Iris; Kerrimuir; Fab Fitzroy; Balwyn North; Bulleen Ups&Downs; Mill Park Lakes; Blackburn South (two versions); Tunstall Junction (Nunawading); Middle Mullum; Donvale Pines Dilemma; Mitcham; Bellbird Dell (Forest Hill); Lower Mullum Mystery, Templestowe Heights, Notting Hill, MitchelHill (Oakleigh East), Wheelers Hill, Burnley Maze, Blackburn North, Bennettswood, Glenhuntly Gallop

Congratulations to Michael Hubbert, whose Lower Mullum Mystery course was the 100th MapLink!

There are now over 100 new maps in the MapLink Library, including all the courses set for Preseason and Winter Restart events (June/July) – but we need even more – especially in the northern and southern suburbs, and also to fill a few gaps in the outer east. Our aim is to have as many maps as possible so that everyone can stay in their local area while exercising, while Stage 3 (Stay Home) restrictions are in force.

Find them here: Maplink library

Check the Maplink Map in the Library, which shows the suburbs which have a course set (pink) and the ones that are still waiting (blue).

Invitation to set courses for anyone, any map, any time

In order to get as many Park Street courses online as possible during Stage 3 restrictions in Melbourne, we need your help!  We’re encouraging everyone to set courses from the comfort of home, send them to us, and we’ll share them as soon as they’re ready.  It might be a course you were working on for a postponed Winter series event; it might be a map that you live on; or just one you’ve always wanted to set a course on.

The more courses we have online, the easier it is for people to find a map near home for exercise. Most courses will also be made available in Maprun.

Here’s how it works:

  • Email voa@iinet.net.au and tell us which map/s and/or suburb/s you would like to set a course on
  • Set as many courses on as many maps as you like; multiple people can set courses on the same map.  The more maps we have, the better!
  • If you don’t already have one, we will forward a base map in your preferred format – Ocad 8 or 9, jpg or pdf, along with some simple instructions
  • For consistency, all controls should be set in Score format (which is also easier to set). Locate 20 or 25 control circles and numbers, and a start triangle, on the map.
  • If you are planning the course to be on Maprun, the controls must be on light poles Otherwise use control locations of your choice but make sure they are in obvious locations.  If your course includes a park, highlight that it is a Saturday style event on the map.
  • Add a few simple extras as per the Maplink course setting guide below.
  • Send your completed map back to us for a quick check before publishing.
  • If you’d like to have your map set up for MapRun, let us know.  Follow the additional instructions in the guide, and we’ll put you in contact with the right person to assist.
  • All of this can be done from home – an easy, fun, and different activity!

Maplink Course Setting Guide

Other news

We’ve added about 80 previous maps to the DIY Map Library, from the 2019 Winter series, and the 2019-20 Summer Series. Many of these are also in Maprun – look for Monday Winter and Northern Summer Series maps if you want to use the app with your map.  If you can’t find a map near you, let us know and we’ll track some down.

Virtual scoring – the spreadsheet has been re-set from July 9, so use the first tab to record your own results and share them with others

Maprun Quickstart – here’s how to easily set up a personal Maprun course on your phone – simply print the map, then replicate the control locations within the app.  Thanks to David and BK for the tip!

The OV website has a dedicated COVID-19 page which is updated regularly with news and developments.

 

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