Datum? Uk Coordinates? Wha?

[+Ozbods]

So, I've got a shiny new Etrex Venture full of coordinates, a PDA loaded with GPX files and I'm all ready for my first weekend of caching. Genuinely excited. Then I read something on the beginners forum about british datum settings and OS coordinates needing to be set up correctly otherwise you could be 100 yards off!

Does anyone know anything about this? I don't want to spend a weekend clocking up DNFs. Can anyone let me know what settings their etrex is set up for when caching in the UK to save me wandering aimlessly and progressively losing my hair.

Thanks folks.

[+The Forester]

Always use WGS84 for geocaching -- in any country.

 

Cheers, The Forester

boldly edited for emphasis

Edited July 12, 2005 by The Forester

[+Ozbods]

Thanks. That's a releif. No idea what those other guys are talking about.

It's a thread called 'British Grid' if anyone wants confusing.

cheers forester.

[+Eckington]

Always use WGS84 for geocaching -- in any country.

 

Cheers, The Forester

What The Forester said in Large Bold Upper Case Letters

[+John Stead]

As the real experts have said WGS84 is the datum to use if you are using latitude and longitude for your coordinates, as you should for geocaching, e.g. N 53° 12.345 W 002° 34.567.

British Grid is what we lesser mortals use if we are using Ordnance Survey references, e.g. SJ480213 or SJ4801121309. So we don't use it for geocaching though it is there if we want it.

The thing is don't mix them or you will have errors, well greater errors than you will have anyway!

 

Have fun.

Edited July 12, 2005 by John Stead

[+crunchiespg]

i find with my gps 60, if i load geocaches using the cable , and i change my gps to british os grid, it still is spot on for the caches. however if i also get it to display lat lon co ords, it gives an incorrect reading, but it still puts me in the right place for the cache.

but as i say, you cant mix the 2, even tho the gps will let you show both. the lat lon will read wrong unless in wsg84.

 

i have compared this to another gps 60, in wsg84, and they both guide us to the same place, but just say we are somewhere different in lat lon, but the british grid co ords do match the ones printed on the cache page,