Skybase Solutions

12/09/2020

Use PatchMap ... or GET LOST !

Coming soon to PatchMap Web (www.patchmapweb.ca) ... our version of the western Canadian highway conditions, (Drive BC, 511 Alberta, Sask Highway Hotline, Manitoba 511) including cameras, starting with AB and BC. See what's going on from official sources; where the closures and incidents are, right from the ONLY routing tool for the oilfield, PatchMap.

11/14/2020

A very complete and balanced interview that should be watched by a few folks we all know and (almost) love.

10/28/2020

Are you tired of squinting to see your GPS?

Are you working in oil & gas and need the largest, most robust GPS possible with the most complete, continuously updated oil patch map for western Canada?

Guess what, you're going to like this rugged unit from Garmin that does it all ... anywhere in both north and south America. It's called the Overlander: buy.garmin.com/en-CA/CA/p/685257

10/01/2020

Do you like maps that look like maps?
Would you like to be able to add your own information to your maps?
Does sharing with others (friends, family, your crews, the boss?) make sense?
Care for a complete documentation tool, keeping track of ALL your work?

PatchMap ... that's all you need to know.

06/20/2020

Did you know?

In early February 2005 Google Maps announced it’s existence … derived from a combination of the companies, 'Where 2 Technologies' and 'Keyhole' (with some controversial investment from the CIA) along with a spin-off derived from 'Earth Viewer', now called Google Earth. A few months later in June 2005, their first Google Maps API appeared and there are now over a million websites using this free application … impressive for sure.

A year and a bit later in November 2006 SkyBase Solutions changed it’s emphasis from field work to oil & gas map creator for Garmin GPS units. It took a year to get a proof of concept and since, SkyBase has emerged as the premier oil & gas navigational mapping supply and service company. As a bootstrapped company, without millions of advertising funding, we can’t afford to give away very much of anything (although we have; with over $80,000 worth of charitable donations still on the books).

In the forteen years since SkyBase surfaced as a digital map supplier, we have not only successfully produced PatchMap, the best oil & gas Garmin map but also: an off-line PC version, a Win PC/Web version, a full web version for any operating system, a tile version for tracking companies to use as overlays, an API for other programmers to leverage and smartphone versions (replacing Google Maps for Oil & Gas); all of these updated each month with the same underlying dataset. Although we have had no funding from the CIA, we seem to still successfully compete against them.

Some would say that it’s impossible to compete in an environment where the competition (perceived or otherwise) gives their product away … yet we have. In order to do that we must have had some pretty significant and useful differences. Without the many millions in funding and 100s of software programmers, PatchMap holds it’s own as an efficiency tool beyond what even Google has … and gives away (however is not always accurate – 36 kph?). PatchMap is really about all the oil and gas features that Google has so far found no interest in … and we have built our system around.

They say “Build it and they will come” Well, we have.

** It’s your turn … come on, we’re ready … PatchMap still has only about 10% market pe*******on.

In this time of efficiency seeking, let’s get you geared up properly … the more PatchMap you use, the more efficient you (and all your service companies) will become … Even our Culligan Man uses PatchMap !

PatchMap is THE GPS Navigation system built for safe and efficient navigation anywhere in the Canadian oil & gas regions of Canada. It has over 100,000 kms of roads no other navigation tool has.

Small cost … big win.

First you have to get there … Use PatchMap or GET LOST !

*** PatchMap comes on an SD card for Garmin GPS units … the entire cost is less than front tires for the vehicle.

Maybe it’s time to clue your team in !

06/20/2020

We are back in the saddle ... for those who don't yet use maps on your phone, we have moved north of KFC ... this visual should help as the door to our upstair office is not easily visible from the front of the building.

06/19/2020

Did you know? …

PatchMap is a best kept secret … oops, I wasn’t supposed to tell you! There are many companies who leverage PatchMap completely … and they’d prefer that no one else knows … I guess that I can’t blame them … seems like there is such a thing as being too good ! If we were mediocre, they wouldn’t hesitate to tell everyone … but we give them too much of a business advantage, so “mum's the word”.

If nothing else, everyone should be using MapBuddy ... the best totally free Google Maps based tool available. https://skybase.ca/mapbuddy/ PatchMap is available at extra cost but there's a free trial available.

The more you use PatchMap products in your operation, the more efficient you get. The more efficient you get, the better you can compete and the less likely you are to tell anyone how you always win the contracts … apparently we are too good, for our own good! No wonder we have to sell PatchMap to every single customer … they’ve never heard of us before ! … nah, it’s not quite that bad … just seems like it sometimes.

There’s barely a customer that doesn’t say that they tell everyone about how good the product is … and that word of mouth has sold over 6000 copies for GPS units to date … but it’s the drivers themselves that tend to do the buying … the boss thinks it’s a waste of money …. what? not a business grad I guess.

PatchMap is THE GPS Navigation system built for safe and efficient navigation anywhere in the Canadian oil & gas regions of Canada. It has over 100,000 kms of roads no other navigation tool has. GPS, PC and Web tools.

Small cost … efficiency or what.

06/18/2020

Did you know? …

PatchMap out performs 100% of all other apps built for the Canadian oil & gas regions. www.patchmapweb.ca

All the other apps shell (whimp) out to Google Maps for their routing … in this business, routing is the real test for whether you’re a man or a boy … PatchMap routes on it’s own roads, so … man up, get a tool that works!

PatchMap is the only navigation tool that knows the difference between surface and bottomhole names and makes sure that whichever one you use or are given, that you go to the correct surface location … and you see everything in the map, both the surface location and the line to the bottomhole, so everything makes sense … like a real map.

Want to test this out?… see what you find … try searching for 12-21-61-5-W6 in whatever system you think is superior .. which is the correct wellsite ? and which road gets you there? PatchMap takes you to the correct lease and even directs you to the correct wellhead on a multipad location!

How about 3-33-81-15-W6 … does your tool even respond? If it doesn’t, I know why … and yes there is a well there … just get the tool that was built by a surveyor (PatchMap) instead of an opportunist (all the rest)!

Maybe try 2-26-84-8-W6 or 9-27-84-8-W6 … does it take you to the north or south side of the Peace River? … are you bravely going to follow your app? … there are 1000s just like these … PatchMap is just simply a better tool, built for the real world.

The reality is that all the other apps just point you to the center of the L*D, not to a wellsite at all … and if you don’t understand the difference, then that’s why they are able to sell you a ‘better than a kick in the ass’ tool … and why you passed on PatchMap.

If you’re serious about being efficient, comfortable and safe, just get PatchMap, available in any of several platforms … there’s nothing to regret except how long it took you to get around to it!

PatchMap is THE GPS Navigation system built for safe and efficient navigation anywhere in the oil & gas regions of Canada. It has over 100,000 kms of roads no other navigation tool has. GPS, PC and Web tools.

Small cost … easy decision.

First you have to get there … Use PatchMap or GET LOST !

*** PatchMap-Web is a constantly updated web connected logistic map system … the cost is almost negligible … GET LOST a few times then do the calculation.

Maybe it’s time to use a comprehensive and inclusive tool !

The PatchMap family consists of 6 products - all with a different focus, but maintaning the common theme of providing highly-detailed maps and easy-to-use functionality. Whether you're dispatching from the office, or in the deep bush with no phone service, the PatchMap family has a option suitable f...

06/18/2020

Did you know? …

Once each month PatchMap is reprocessed and updated? That is so you have the most complete dataset at your fingertips whenever you have to head to the field … no more waiting months for updates !

Keeping current is no small investment … and doing that right means automation … PatchMap is the only system that is that dedicated to the user and not just to selling you a barely usable product … and it actually looks like a map, not just a collection of freckles. So if PatchMap costs a bit more … that’s ’cause it’s worth it !

Local knowledge is KING … if you find something erroneous in any way while you are out navigating … there’s a system in place for you to feed that back to us … and your corrections will be included in the next update …. who else does that? Don’t just complain … do something about making it better ! Look, we don’t charge any different for having better information here and there but it benefits everyone following you, so help us all out!

Use the FREE MapBuddy to share your changes.

PatchMap is THE GPS Navigation system built for safe and efficient navigation anywhere in the Canadian oil & gas regions of Canada. It has over 180,000 kms of roads no other navigation tool has. GPS, PC and Web tools.

Small cost … a no-brainer.

First you have to get there … Use PatchMap or GET LOST !

*** PatchMap-Web is a constantly updated web connected logistic map system … the cost is almost negligible … GET LOST a few times then do the calculation.

Maybe it’s time to use a comprehensive and inclusive tool !

06/18/2020

Did you know? …

only 4% of the oil & gas vehicles with vehicle tracking systems use PatchMap overlays on their Automated Vehicle Location mapping solution. That means that the rest are looking at white space, pointing and saying “Where the hell are they? … does that look right? … is there a bridge out or are they on location?”

Having a PatchMap overlay on top of the tracking company’s map (usually Google or Bing) allows users of the tracking system to actually see if their vehicles are on the proper location or can suspect that they are in the ditch, 2 km short … kind of important, especially if they are out of cellphone range.

Many … most in the real frontiers, users of tracking solutions are using the system so that they have a certain amount of ‘Work Alone’ coverage but a real world, practical problem almost guarantees that they don’t. As soon as the vehicle leaves cellular communication, nobody knows where they are or if they are safe and sound. When the vehicle returns to cellular contact, the hardware that has been storing all the data, dumps it into the system … so if you looked at a daily cycle of in and out of cellular coverage, you would have the entire day recorded … but what if the vehicle does not return ? … you have no idea where or what circumstances your crew is in.

There is a solution but it is more expensive … typically the same providers that are now being used, offer combined cell / satellite communication boxes. These are the only ones that will give constant communication for a real ‘Work Alone’ solution.

This goes similarly for the helicopter companies that use flight following software. (none use PatchMap now, but all of them could). As you could imagine, helicopter companies working the oil & gas circuit know that they will need a satellite system due to the remote locations that they know they will be going to.

Mostly they use Google Maps as their base map, which PatchMap can be added to with about three lines of code … where they can see that the helicopter has stopped moving, the Lat/Long, last recorded speed and direction etc but as the ‘pings’ are two minutes apart, a lot can happen in that short period of time …. there’s a great deal of comfort knowing that the bird has quit moving on a wellsite and not suffered a hard landing somewhere nearby.

Both of these scenarios should concern anyone with employees in these situations … and all it would take to make it happen is whisper into the right ear (which I understand is also the correct one) “we would like your service better if you used a PatchMap overlay” … competitive spirit would do the rest.

PatchMap is THE GPS Navigation system built for safe and efficient navigation anywhere in the Canadian oil & gas regions of Canada. It has over 100,000 kms of roads no other navigation tool has. GPS, PC and Web tools.
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Small cost … isn’t it about safety ?

First you have to get there … Use PatchMap or GET LOST !

*** PatchMap-Web is a constantly updated web connected logistic map system … the cost is less than one helicopter’s flight following cost. Maybe it’s time to play it safe !

06/18/2020

Did you know? ...

As our only off-line PC product, PatchMap-PC 2.0 can be used as a large size GPS for navigation (via the included nRoute program) and for upload/download GPS communications for interaction with PatchMap. Designed to go off-line for an extended period … to plan a project or collect data and assess it or transfer ideas and data back and forth from a PC and Garmin GPS … If you need this functionality, this is your tool.

2.0The ‘2.0’ means we have redesigned how all the communication, deployment and updating processes function so that we can leverage the older but most capable and stable platform … MapSource.

PatchMap-PC 2.0 is now a yearly subscription product. It is deployed as a download, as are the monthly updates. Updating is not mandatory and are at no cost. Obviously, an internet connection is necessary for these downloads. Please note: Subscriptions will expire even if the computer is off-line but you will have no excuse not to be current!

Welcome to the new version … of what is actually an old product with a new face and capabilities … and of course the most complete map money can buy, PatchMap!

PatchMap is THE GPS Navigation system built for safe and efficient navigation anywhere in the Canadian oil & gas regions of Canada. It has over 100,000 kms of roads no other navigation tool has. GPS, PC and Web tools.

Small cost … happier customers.

First you have to get there … Use PatchMap or GET LOST !

*** PatchMap comes on an SD card for Garmin GPS units … the entire cost is less than front tires for the vehicle.

Maybe it’s time to be more productive !