I am using NoNumber's Component Anywhere to place your map into various locations on my site without the use of the iframe trick. This works using the non-sef URL for the component as long as I don't have any other variables associated with it. In talking to Peter at NoNumber, the url portion after the # cannot be carried over.

For example:
This works: {component index.php?tmpl=component&Itemid=1467&option=com_hotspots&view=hotspots}
This does not work and I get a blank screen with no map: {component index.php?tmpl=component&Itemid=1467&option=com_hotspots&view=hotspots#38.9684100/-77.3168330/15/cats/1/hotspot/20}

I believe this to be because of the variables after the # to have / instead of a variable assignment such as &cat=1 or &lat=38.9684100.

I searched the forums and documentation looking for the possibility of passing arguments to a structured URL that were not in the SEF format. What I am trying to accomplish is to have the component displayed on the website but zoomed in on a particular Hotspot while retaining the ability to zoom out and explore other hotspots. I want more than what the included module can handle.

I have everything working except for the zoom variable on a particular hotspot.

Can I pass variables into the url using &cat or similar and avoid using the # and /?

BTW, First, this is the ONLY mapping solution that works out of the box and can handle tons of points. I tried the $100 HelloMaps and that was a dismal failure. Terrible. THANK YOU for your work on this. Nothing better.