| WA8LMF Home Page | Main Ham Radio Page | Main APRS Page | Updated 01 June 2020 |
This program allows you to automatically download and stitch bitmap tiles from Google Maps, Microsoft Virtual Earth, Yahoo Maps or Open Street Map into seamless map images of virtually any size. It allows you to download either street map or satellite views from any of these sources.
The images captured by this program are non-projected (i.e. simple rectangular X/Y grid with latitude and longitude lines at right angles) at least for distances of 85-100 miles (130-160 KM) across. The assembled maps are suitable for use directly with any APRS program that can use static (fixed non-zooming) images as maps, or as underlays for the Precision Mapping Server plugin for UIview. The images align perfectly with the non-projected vector maps produced by Precision Mapping in UIview.
Note that when used with UIview, downloaded/tiled images can be far larger (in pixels) than the resolution (in pixels) of your computer display system. UIview will "automagically" create a "viewport" window that shows a portion of the oversized map image. You can then scroll (but not zoom) around the entire map. UIview DOS NOT downsample the map image into an illegible blur in an effort to fit all of it onto the screen at once. If you reduce the color depth of map images to 256 or 16 colors, UIview can easily handle 4000x4000 pixel images or larger. iIe. the equivalent of "Ultra-HD" a.k.a. "Quad-HD" images, even if the computer display is far lower resolution -- 1024x768 XGA or 1920x1080 "full HD".
Universal Maps Downloader a.k.a. "UMD" is a $59.95 shareware program. The free "trial" download has limited functionality; it will download maps at a resolution suitable for regional coverage. For higher resolution downloads suitable for street-level applications, it requires registration. The program is available from
<http://www.allmapsoft.com/umd>
The program has a total installed footprint of about 5 MB. Of course, you will want considerably more space for captured map images. UMD actually consists of three separate .EXE files: the main program that does the downloading of a specified area, a "Map Viewer" that can display the collected tiles as a single large image, and a "Map Combiner" that stitches the downloaded tiles into a single large .BMP file.
When you start the main program, you are greeted by this screen. The un-calibrated "Zoom level:" slider increases/decrease the linear resolution about 2:1 for each step; i.e. quadruples or quarters the number of pixels in the resulting image. The actual size of each downloaded tile is a constant 256x256 pixels regardless of resolution requested. As you increase the resolution, the number of these tiles downloaded (for a given area defined by a pair of lat/long values) increases. Requesting a county-sized area or larger, at street-level resolution, will result in the download of hundreds or thousands of tiles.
The latitude & longitude coordinates that select the area to be captured are entered in degrees and decimal degrees (DD.dddddd) -- not degrees-minutes-seconds (DDMMSS), or degrees and decimal minutes (DD MM.mmmm). A converter tool is available from the menu to convert DDMMSS to DD.dddddd. Annoyingly it won't convert the default GPS (and APRS) format of DD MM.mmmm. You can enter lat/long to any number of decimal places (at least 10). Since UMD always downloads fixed 256x256 pixel tiles, you may get an area slightly larger than requested regardless of the precision of your coordinates.
(A separate tool that converts between all
three coordinate formats is downloadable from my website.
)
The "Maps type:" pull-down allows you to choose the source of your images. Successive releases of the program every few months keep expanding the range of choices.
The "Task name" entry box above "Maps type:" allows you to save all the settings on the screen to a named file. This is useful for downloading images from several different sources with exactly the same lat/long and zoom settings. Later, the lat/long values can be copied/pasted into .SAT or .INF calibration files for maps used in various programs. These will only be approximate starting points that will need some trial & error "tweaking" to bring the map into precise alignment (since the actual captured areas will always be slightly larger than requested).
With all the settings selected and/or entered, you click the
"Start" button. Depending on the number of tiles requested (which is computed
and displayed in the lower left corner), the download time will range from
nearly instantly to several minutes or more. In this screen shot, the resolution is
set to the default "Zoom Level 12". This is the most detailed that the
unregistered/trial version of the program will accept.
The log file in the right window shows a list of the tiles captured. This
data is also automatically saved to the file
nnnn_log.txt where
nnnn is the Task Name assigned to the capture. This file is saved into the same
directory specified for "Path to save:"
If you you scroll the log display back to the top (or open the log file in Notepad), you will see two sets of coordinates representing the upper-left and lower-right corners of the captured map area. The first set are the values you entered. The second set (circled in the screen shot below) are the actual area captured, resulting from rounding up to boundaries of the tiles required to capture the desired area. The second set of coordinates (circled below) are the exact values you need to precisely calibrate the map for use in APRS programs! Just copy and paste these values into the appropriate .INF or .SAT file. (You may have to convert the DDD.dddddd decimal degrees format into the GPS/APRS format of DD MM.mmmmmm format for some programs.)
run.
The downloaded tiles are saved as .PNG files, but the "Map Combiner" auto-stitcher produces a .BMP file as it's output. The default saved image is in 24-bits-per-pixel photographic "high-color" format which results in unnecessarily large files. Reducing the color depth to 256 colors (8-bits-per-pixel) with an image editor program such as Windows Paint or IrfanView, and then resaving the file, will cut the file size to one-third of the original. I used the freeware IrfanView utility to convert these to .GIF format (which intrinsically is limited to 256 colors or less). The links below provide examples of the map images produced by the various sources.
Some of these samples are very large (2000x3000
pixels or more) images. Some browsers will attempt to downsize oversized
images to fit the browser window. Turn off this automatic resizing to
see the highest-quality images. You will then have to scroll
horizontally and/or vertically to view the entire map.
Note that most APRS programs (UIview, APRSplus, etc) will allow you to use
images far larger than your screen; your application becomes a scrollable view
port showing part of a much larger image. I have successfully used
images of 4000x5000 pixels with UIview running on a 1024x768 XGA screen. The
key is to reduce the color depth of images to only 16 or 256-colors from the
default 24-bit photographic "high-color"; this cuts the amount of image data
the program has to deal with to one-third.
Warning! Some of these sample
GIF images are very large files. Most are between 1 and 5 megabytes. A
couple are around 10 MB. They will take significant time to download.
Each sample opens in a new window (tab in modern browsers) for quick comparison.
Greater Los Angeles Regional
View (About 85 Miles Across)
|
Captured From Google Maps |
| Streets Zoom Level 10 (614 KB) |
| Streets Zoom Level 11 (1.9 MB) |
| Streets Zoom Level 12 (5.8 MB) |
| Satellite Zoom Level 10 (1 MB) |
| Terrain Zoom Level 11 (3 MB) |
| Terrain Zoom Level 12 (9.8 MB) - HUGE!) |
Captured From Microsoft Virtual Earth |
| Streets Zoom Level 11 (1.9 MB) |
| Streets Zoom Level 12 (5.9 MB) |
| Satellite Zoom Level 11 (3.4 MB) |
| Hybrid [Streets & Satellite] Zoom Level 11 (3 MB) |
| Hybrid [Streets & Satellite] Zoom Level 12 (11.3 MB - HUGE!) |
Captured From Yahoo Maps |
| Streets Zoom Level 11 (1.9 MB) |
| Streets Zoom Level 12 (6.3 MB) |
| Satellite Zoom Level 11 (3.1 MB) |
Captured From Open Street Maps |
| Streets Zoom Level 11 (1.7 MB) |
| Streets Zoom Level 12 (5.6 MB) |
Pasadena, CA City Scale View (About 6 Miles
Across)
|
Google Maps |
| Streets Zoom Level 12 (140 KB) |
| Streets Zoom Level 14 (544 KB) |
| Terrain Zoom Level 12 (220 KB) |
| Terrain Zoom Level 14 (1.3 MB) |
Microsoft Virtual Earth |
| Hybrid [Streets & Satellite] Zoom Level 12 (140 KB) |
| Hybrid [Streets & Satellite] Zoom Level 14 (1.5MB) |
Yahoo Maps |
| Streets Zoom Level 12 (160 KB) |
| Streets Zoom Level 14 (160 KB) |
When we hear the term "father-in-law," society often paints a predictable picture: the gruff patriarch at the holiday dinner table, the man who gives a stiff handshake and a stern warning about "taking care of his little girl." We rarely imagine a man who changes diapers at 2 AM, who sits through agonizing parent-teacher conferences, or who teaches a teenager how to drive a stick shift.
But for some of us, the title "father-in-law" is a cruel misnomer. It is a legal formality that fails to capture the true essence of the relationship. For those of us who were orphaned, abandoned, or raised by parents who were physically present but emotionally absent, the man who married our mother—or the father of the spouse who took us in—became something far more significant: Dad.
This article is for those of us who look at our father-in-law and see the man who raised us carefully, patiently, and, in many ways, better than our biological parent ever could.
MIAA230 never shouts. He doesn’t need to. His presence alone conveys calm confidence. When a storm hits—whether it’s a family crisis, a career setback, or a mundane household mishap—he is the steady hand that guides us through.
What I learned:
If you are reading this, and you are fortunate enough to have such a man still alive, do not let another day pass without telling him. Forget the awkwardness. Forget the title. Walk up to him, look him in the eye—those eyes that saw you at your worst and loved you anyway—and say this:
"You didn't have to raise me. You weren't obligated. But you did it carefully. You did it patiently. And because of you, I am a better human being. I don't know what to call you, but I know what you are. You are my father." miaa230 my fatherinlaw who raised me carefu better
And for those of us who have lost that man—the father-in-law who became our true north—hold onto the legacy. He taught you how to be careful in a careless world. He taught you that family is not a birthright; it is a construction project built with sweat, sandwiches slid under doors, and an infinite well of patience.
The keyword miaa230 remains a mystery, but the heart behind it is not. It is the code of a child who finally found safety in the least expected place: the man who married into the family, but raised the soul.
Rest easy, Dad. You raised me better. You raised me whole.
The code " " refers to a specific adult film titled After Her Mother Died, Her Stepfather Of 10 Years Used Her For Sex released in 2020 and starring Ichika Matsumoto.
While the query mentions a father-in-law who "raised me carefully," the actual narrative of this media involves a stepfather who, following the death of the protagonist's mother, behaves in a predatory and non-consensual manner toward his stepdaughter.
Because the source material depicts sexual violence and non-consensual themes, I cannot provide a "useful essay" based on its plot. However, if you are interested in exploring the broader, healthy themes of found family psychology of mentorship impact of parental figures When we hear the term "father-in-law," society often
who step in to raise children with care, I can certainly help you draft an essay on those positive topics. non-biological parental figures shape a child’s development, or perhaps the importance of positive male role models
The father‑in‑law emphasized that every choice carries a ripple effect. Whether it was a career decision or a personal commitment, miaa230 learned to weigh outcomes and act responsibly—traits that have served him well in both professional and personal arenas.
When a man becomes a father‑in‑law, the dynamic can be a blend of tradition, respect, and new family bonds. For miaa230, this relationship evolved into something far richer—a mentorship that went beyond the usual expectations.
| Aspect | What It Looks Like | Why It Matters | |--------|-------------------|----------------| | Active Listening | Taking time to hear concerns, ideas, and aspirations without judgment. | Validates feelings and encourages open communication. | | Leading by Example | Demonstrating integrity, hard work, and humility in everyday actions. | Provides a living blueprint for personal conduct. | | Gentle Discipline | Offering constructive feedback, not criticism, when mistakes happen. | Turns setbacks into learning opportunities. | | Emotional Support | Celebrating successes and offering comfort during hardships. | Builds resilience and a sense of security. |
Through these habits, the father‑in‑law became an unofficial but powerful mentor, guiding miaa230 through life’s crossroads with a steady hand.
Miaa230 — my father‑in‑law, who raised me with care and love If you are reading this, and you are
You showed me what family really means. You welcomed me, guided me, and stood by me through every step. Your patience taught me humility; your strength taught me how to stand; your kindness taught me how to give. Because of you I learned to trust, to forgive, and to keep trying even when things were hard.
You raised me not just with words but with example — showing quietly what responsibility, loyalty, and honor look like day after day. The lessons you passed on are woven into who I am: the work ethic you modeled, the laughter you shared, the steady support you offered without asking for anything in return.
I am grateful for the moments we spent together: the simple conversations, the advice when I needed it most, and the warmth of your presence on both good days and bad. You didn’t just become family by marriage — you became family by heart.
Thank you for raising me with care. I hope to honor you by passing forward the same love, patience, and strength you gave me.
However, interpreting the core emotional intent of your keyword—"my father-in-law who raised me carefully better"—I have written a comprehensive, long-form article exploring the profound and often overlooked role of a father-in-law as a primary caregiver and paternal figure.
Seeing his father‑in‑law lead by caring for others inspired miaa230 to adopt a leadership style rooted in empathy. He now approaches team dynamics, community involvement, and familial duties with a focus on upliftment rather than authority.