Last Post 13 Oct 2014 10:26 AM by  kevin nicholes
gps issue
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kevin nicholes
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09 Oct 2014 11:47 AM

    Hi everyone,

    Got a question about gps coordinates.

    The mining guide shows lat/long format with seconds. My garmin 62sc handheld only inputs with minutes.   SO, my question is if I have say,, (and this is a fake coordinate btw)    100 12' 34.567" N      Could I input it as 100 12.34567' N and get the same result? If not, I need to find out how to format my garmin to show what the book has for coordinates. There is an area where I can type it with the " but it will convert it to '. Sorry for being so unclear and noobie it's coming across clearly. 

    Gary Trayler
    Greenhorn
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    11 Oct 2014 06:25 PM

    With your device I think you go to Position Format and change the format to match what you want.  It will give you the layout you are looking for.  Changing the numbers like you put in your post will not work.

     

    Ronald Peterson
    New Member
    New Member
    Posts:97



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    11 Oct 2014 10:56 PM
        Kevin, 60 is the magic number when using GPS. 60 seconds = 1 minute and 60 minutes = 1 degree. 60 is also the number used to convert the decimal point seconds to the full numeral seconds and vice versa. This can be a little confusing at first and can take some time to get the hang of. Lets say the mining guide gives 33 degrees, 40 minutes, 55.431 seconds. We take the 55.431 seconds and divide it by 60, giving us .92385. Now we have 33 degrees, 40'.923" or you can round it to 40'.924" because the GPS is never 100% dead on, only close by several feet or meters. The best advise is to buy a good book on using GPS and learn how to convert coordinates for your type of GPS unit or buy a unit that reads in the 55.431" mode and is more accurate in the field.       Ron
    WALTER EASON
    Buzzard
    Buzzard
    Posts:581



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    13 Oct 2014 06:34 AM

    Hi Kevin

    Go to the setup Menu

     

    Set up System, Unit, Position Format & Time

    Tracks: turn on/off current track

    Map: change map settings.


     

    Position Format (including Map Datum) should be set to the communication format for the incident.

    For Latitude and Longitude options are:

    Degrees Minutes Seconds (DMS) 

                     hddd°mm’ss.s

    Decimal Minutes (DM)               

                     hddd°mm.mmm

    Decimal Degrees (DD) (rarely used)

                     hddd.ddddd°

    I also included a file of "GPS Pocket Guide GPA map 62" this is in power point.

      

    ...

    GPS_Pocket_Guide_GarminGPSMAP62_GTU_2013.pptx

    Hope this helps

    kevin nicholes
    Greenhorn
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    13 Oct 2014 10:26 AM
    Thanks guys. GREAT info. I figured it all out. The real issue was going from one format to another. I just didn't know the conversions. The /60 concept that Ron posted up was a life saver.
    I'm using Garmin's BaseCamp software and I would plot my waypoints, but when I loaded them to my gps the waypoints wouldnt upload. It was driving me nuts. I found in my gps settings under the maps option/settings that there were two map software options. The default and the BirdsEye software that I purchased. I highlighted/saved the BirdsEye and now it works much better.

    As for the coordinates I was getting hung up because in BaseCamp I would click Find/coordinates. Then when I was typing the coordinates from the claim book, the two formats werent the same. Now that I've learned to divide the seconds by 60 and change it to a .000 decimal after the minute it's dead on!


    Thanks for the guide Walter. I'll check it out when I get time .
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