The MAP GRID system in the Netherlands and your GPS

Very good maps of the Netherlands with good detail (1:25,000 or 1:50,000) are Military-like maps published by the 'Topografische Dienst'. They have a degrees and minutes scale along the edge, but also a 1 square-km grid.
There are THREE very similar kinds of maps available.

How can you recognize those maps?

There are two true UTM maps. You will recognize these because the grid lines run on a slight angle with the edge of the map. When you have an older map, the map datum will be 'EUROPE 1950' or ED50, but this may not be mentioned on the map. Newer maps have a datum of WGS 1984, and are now more in accordance with the surrounding countries.
In The Netherlands, UTM zone 31 and 32 are used.

The third kind of map has a grid not unlike the UTM grid, but is completely different. It is called the 'RijksDriehoeks meting' or RD for short. On the RD maps the gridlines run in parallel with the edge of the map. Furthermore you will not find the UTM zone indication, but less complicated and smaller numbers.
These maps and atlasses are available in most large bookstores, the ANWB and VVV.
Also you can buy a CD-ROM called 'Easy Travel' or Easy Travel Pro. It shows ALL towns, ALL STREETS, motorways and so on, in the Netherlands, even the very little ones. It uses the same RD grid, and displays the position with an accuracy of 1 meter. This works much faster and better than using maps, but you must have access to a PC with a CDROM player....
You will not find any individual houses and waterways on this CD as can be found on the military maps.

Various examples of all these maps will show you the differences mentioned above.

Unfortunately there is no way to use this CDROM in combination with a GPS unit, but you can use the very accurate coordinates.
As an example: my home position reads as 158540 377915. (51° 23.422'N, 5° 26.282'E using WGS84)
If you use a GPS 12XL, GPS II+ or a GPS III (or others?), you can program a USER GRID and USER DATUM.

Programming a USER grid and USER datum.

(Following method is true for the GPSIII, but may be different for other types of GPS)
Using SETUP, UNITS, first set the 'Distance and speed' to Metric.

Then go to POSITION, POSITION FORMAT and press MENU.
You can now set up a DATUM and a GRID. Use the figures below: 

-USER DATUM-      -USER GRID-

Dx   593 mtr      Longitude origin: E 005° 23.258'

Dy    26 mtr      False Easting: 0155000 mtr

Dz   478 mtr      False Northing: -316592 mtr

Da   740 mtr      Scale: 0.9999079

Df 0.1003748

This may seem a lot of work, but you only have to do it once!
If you then select User datum and grid you will see, and can use the RD coordinates.
You can always change back and forth between your usual map datum and this RD grid.
One more thing, the northing is always preceeded by a figure 5. Ignore this, when reading the number. But if you input a number yourself, don't forget to add a '5' in front of the numbers.
So my home position looks on the screen like:

    0158540

USR 5377915

Some maps display only the first digits (f.i. 158). This represents kilometers.
On 1:25,000 maps this is a square of 4 c.m. to a km
The Easy Travel CD-ROM will give you the full number (f.i. 158540). This represents meters!

A new Easy Travel Pro CDROM!

There is a new version of ET Pro. The older one being version 1.3, the new one has version 2.02. An important difference is the added use of UTM WGS 84, and the degrees, minutes, seconds notation. The map is still calibrated in the above mentioned RD system, but in the SEARCH menu, under the 'SPECIAL' tab, you can select these new extra options. Be sure, when buying such a CDrom, that you get this new version!

Waypoints in The Netherlands

If you like, I can find waypoints in Holland for you! I need to know the name of the city or town, the name of the street, or a postal code, and I will email the coordinates to you. (it may take a few days, since mostly I read my mail once a day)



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