mapryan
We run a scheme called GPStogo which distributes GPS units to qualified mappers in developing countries. If you post it to OpenStreetMap Foundation, 16 Oakfield Glade, Weybridge, KT13 9DP, UK then I'll make sure it goes to someone who needs it.

GPStogo scheme: http://foundation.openstreetmap.org/gpstogo/
Recent blog entry: http://www.opengeodata.org/?p=361

Etienne

Congratulations.

Coincidentally, I just finished Ashford, so the whole adjoining stretch north of the A308 from the M25 to Sunbury is also complete.

Do you happen to know whether the Surrey county border, to the north of Sunbury, follows the same path as the Hounslow boundary?

Farnham is one of the last incomplete towns in Surrey. If we could get Farnham done then there would be very little left to complete the whole county.

Why not call in a mapping party during the time you are visiting?

OSMXAPI is not dead.

There was a server problem for a while - this is now resolved.

There have been some adjustments to the permitted size of the bbox, and for a while they were too strict, eg maximum of 20,000 nodes. The node limit is now 4,000,000. The bbox size limit has also been increased.

This bbox limitation is still BETA so let me know if you have a problem with it. Of course, if you can't read the error message that OSMXAPI was giving you then there is probably little point in me repeating it here :(

This is useful: http://www.planningalerts.com/

Yes, at last the t@h lowzoom is starting to realise its potential. You are doing an excellent job, keep at it.

Once the final bits of Staines, Ashford and Stanwell and Sunbury are complete I'll edge towards Feltham and Bedfont, but at my current rate of progress it will be a good few months before that happens.

The great thing about OSM is that your wish can come true. Just get out there and start fixing it up.

That's an opportunity, not a problem, right?

Steve
I'd really like to see pistes rendered on the Osmarender layer.

One of the very earliest ever uses of Osmarender was to create a piste map: osm.wiki/index.php/Image:LesCrosets.png That was in the days of black and white ;)

It would be really good to have proper maps for skiing instead of the dangerously inaccurate garbage they hand out in the resorts.

I'm currently focused on the area to the south of Heathrow. Sunbury and Ashford are nearest to me, but Stanwell is also in my sights.

I always use the turn-left method. Tracing from Yahoo! is boring whereas exploring by bike is always interesting.

I start off by looking at the current OSM map and plan out which area I'm going to cover. I then set out and when I get to my target area I'll start using the left-turn rule.

If I reach a major road that I know is they boundary of the target area then I'll break the left-turn rule. Sometimes though, I'll pick up a footpath or lane that leads me into a completely separate area. In that case if the new area is unmapped I'll just continue surveying the new area and leave the old area for another day.

On most expeditions I don't end up surveying the area that I planned to which is all part of the fun.

Recently I've started using a mobile phone that allows me to download OSM maps in the field. I use this from time-to-time to check that I haven't stumbled into an area that's already been mapped. As the unmapped stuff is starting to become a bit scarce around here this is becoming more and more important.

Can you explain Nils hack so that other people know how to do it?