FatBoy wrote:I hope you don't mind me asking Redkite, but how old are you? I accept that older people and younger ones need larger scale maps for different reasons. So does the rules:IOF Map Rules wrote:3.1 Scale
The scale for an orienteering map is 1:15 000. Terrain that cannot be fieldworked at a scale of 1:7500 and legibly presented at a scale of 1:15 000, is not suitable for international foot-orienteering.
Maps at 1:10 000 may be produced for relay and short distance competitions. The scale 1:10 000 is recommended for older age groups (45 and above) where reading fine lines and small symbols may cause problems or for younger age groups (age classes 16 and below) where the capacity of reading complex maps is not fully developed.
Maps at 1:10 000 must be drawn with lines, line screens and symbol dimensions 50% greater than those used for 1:15 000 maps.
Where practical the same dot screens as used at 1:15 000 will give the most legible map and are therefore to be preferred.
So what we see is this rule being broken continually, including by the Finns in IOF's back yard?
Also of note is the last paragraph - the sandy dot screen at 1:10 I find obliterates everything underneath it. Seems IOF agree with me!
At the moment Sweden seems to be the only country that bothers to follow the IOF map rules for national competitions. This year SOFT, in a bold move, decided that there will be no ranking points on long distance races with a scale bigger than 1:15000 and middle distances with a scale bigger than 1:10000. The idea is of course that this will make all maps produced from now on readable in 1:15000.
Sadly, the rest of the world seems to be moving the other way with maps produced exclusively for 1:10000 which has to be blown up to 1:7500 to be readable by old people.