What's the most cost-effective way to get a detailed aerial topo?

[Mike Cirba]

We need a recent aerial map, with 1" - 100' topographical detailing, couple hundred acres.

First estimate is cost-prohibitive for a small group of amateurs looking at something slightly more ambitious than a feasibility study.

What are our best options?   

Please feel free to contact me via email, as well at mik4cj@yahoo.com

Thanks for any advice.

[Brian Phillips]

Mike,

We buy all of ours from getmapping.com.  The actual cost of the file is quite small (€100-150) and plotting will vary depending on where you get it printed (we plot our own stuff).

Brian

[Ally Mcintosh]

Now there's a question I was just going to post myself... perfect timing...

Thanks for the info Brian... So you reckon I can get two areas (one near Aberdeen, the other County Kerry) for about €150 each for a couple of hundred acres with getmapping?... What contouring detail (and tolerance) will you get?... OS can really do only 5m contouring which isn't accurate enough... I think they can do spot heights in 10m grids meaning I could draw my own contours but it's expensive for a few square kilometres...

[Brian Phillips]

The aerial photo is accurate to about 20cm detail and the contour mapping is up to 1m mapping but not for Aberdeen area...ahem ahem   

[Adrian_Stiff]

I used to buy off ordnance survey (special products) average cost was about £1500 per golf course with 1m vI. Recently got 250 acres done in Bulgaria for £2500. In 2008 I used a local surveyor for a couple of jobs because I wanted tree canopys aswell,  sites were 50 acres and 35 acres, its hard to get inside £1000 its a few days work for someone afterall. Brian does getmapping provide good accuracy or is it a bit straight-liney?

[RJ_Daley]

Mike, it depends on the land location, but sometimes the state depts of transportation have really good aerial and topo maps when the land is within a mile or so of a major state hwy.  Also, many county land planning or other county offices have good topo maps and aerials.  I obtained several from our county.  Often aerials are on a transparent negative, and have to be brought to a blueprinter for obtaining useable copies.  But the times I did that, the blueprint copies were only about $10.00, back in about 1992-3, IIRC.

[Mike Cirba]

Brian/Adrian/RJ,

Thank you for the good information.   We're also going to see what's available from the local government.

Thanks!