Here is a crash course on how any one can make simple clear, precise maps with out having fancy software or fancy skills.

All of the maps I have made for the H2S postings here have been made on google maps and google earth, I then edited some a bit with Adobe Illustrator, but you can use the free paint program that comes on your computer, just as easily.

In order to create and save your own maps with google maps, you need to have a gmail account, which you can get here.

mail.google.com/mail/signup

You can download google earth for free here. You actually can do everything in google maps, I just like using google earth, because it saves all my information in the program, and I prefer the interface, it is also a more powerful tool.

http://www.google.com/earth/index.html

The nice thing about using google is you can share all your information, and link to pictures too.

Here is an example of that: https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=203794360311850514876.0004c6a603e5e4e10b497

Click on icon to see images of site and results

So when you are logged into gmail, go to maps, my places, create new map.

Find your location by typing an address or GPS coordinates into the search bar. Right click will allow you to place markers, and measured lines (the more zoomed in you are, the more precise your measurements become) on your map.

If you want to add photos, first your photos will have to have a URL, so they will need to uploaded to a site like flickr. Then you just click on the icon you have drop, go to rich text, click on the picture image and add the URL.

You can share these maps with others, either by making them public, or sharing the URL with people.

If you want to make your own graphics for the map because you think the graphics in google are corny. Simply take two screen shots of your map, one with the lines and markers and one of just the aerial image. Open the map you have created in a program like paint, add your re-vised icons over the google map, then delete the original map and paste the black aerial image. You now have a pretty and accurate map, that will convey your information.