New Map or POI or something else

[Boyd]

I was thinking the same thing - a raster map would be a lot easier to make. I don't think you can do this with the free demo of Globalmapper. You can "make" the map, but you won't be able to export it. However, in the past they would give you a special key that unlocks all the program features for 30 days (I think this is what Popej refers to).

Globalmapper was bought by a larger software company about a year ago though, so I don't know if the 30 day free evaluation is still offered. You could e-mail them and ask.

There would be no way to add proximity alarms to polygons on a raster map, and no way to get any info as you "mouse over" it. This kind of map is just a "picture" that has been georeferenced. Therefore, as you zoom out everything gets smaller, including any labels so it is only useful within a relatively limited zoom range.

G-raster is another program for making this type of map, and the author is also a member here who helps users when they have questions: http://moagu.com/?page_id=155

[popej]

I have tested Global Mapper with limited time demo, I think this offer is still valid. There are some limits with number of file processed but all functions are available. Quoted PDF can be read directly and there is explicit function to export kmz for Garmin, so I hope it will take care about all nuances of conversion. I can try it all except saving kmz to disk, since my demo has expired.

Map is a bit too big for a single custom map, but it can be divided or maybe better resampled for lower resolution.

[maps4gps]

In the past 5 1/2 years the longest unlock code I have seen for GlobalMapper was 2 weeks, and if it was obtained 'mid-week' it would be for less than 14 days.
Last summer the unlock for GM14 only allowed a few saves (perhaps only 6 or 8 ??). 

[Seldom]

I was thinking that the map was too big to work as a CustomMap.  If not, then popej's and Boyd's suggestion would be the easiest.  But if it had to be saved as a JNX then all the Dakota owners would either need to get Birdseye licenses (expensive) or hack their firmware (troublesome and risky). 

Airhead, JOSM is available here: http://josm.openstreetmap.de/wiki/Download 

Re. proximity alarms: I didn't know you could steer balloons except up and down.

[AirHead]

Fortunately, I have some time (except for that pesky day job thing) to investigate these so the 2 weeks is not too bad - especially, if I get familiar enough with the demo mode.

@Seldom - thanks for the JOSM link. 

As far as steering - you're right it is just up and down, but if the pilot is paying attention and has some skill, the wind blows in different directions and speeds at different altitudes.  Here in Albuquerque we have a North-South valley and on a good morning (calm clear night before), you can get 4 nearly orthogonal directions at different altitudes.

The 'red zones' often have live stock or other reasons for not wanting balloons around.  Its up to the pilot to stay an appropriate distance away, but it would be nice to have a little electronic help in the way of proximity alarms.   But it looks like a separate POI file can do this to an extent (make the proximity warning radius large enough).