Co-ordinate Systems

[hannieIII]

As a newbie with Garmin 60 and 60CS, I did not hesitate to use Deg.Dec.

I have recently met a guy with a Magellan and he is unable to use these only having deg min.xxx

I have told him how to convert by Jeep.com, FizzyMagics Geocalc and by hand, but he is reluctant/unwilling to.In effect he can't/won't do caches in Deg.dec

Also Gc.com publishes co-ords as deg min.xxx. with of course a Jeep converter

 

I know you guys are not into metric (decimals) so why is deg min.xxx

preferred and not even available on the Magellan I saw.?

[+Renegade Knight]

I think DDD MM.MMM is the default on GPS units. I can't say why this site uses it vs. Decimal degrees or even DD MM SS.

[+The Leprechauns]

I think DDD MM.MMM is the default on GPS units. I can't say why this site uses it vs. Decimal degrees or even DD MM SS.

You can't say? Actually, you did -- in the first sentence of your post.

[+Waterboy]

Why do we use deg min.xxx?

 

The only reason I know is that it is the wisdom of the ages. (Or maybe the stupidity of the ages.) Anyway it has been done this way for centuries by navigators and surveyors. Although historically sometimes we find deg min sec used instead.

 

Try reading some great nautical literature written in the first half of the 19th century, try Melville or Dana for the author. They will discuss, among other things the ships velocity in knots. Knots are nautical miles per hour. A nautical mile is one minute of arc on the equator.

 

Some other things to think about:

1. Why do we and geocaching.com use the mile (5,280 ft) instead of the nautical mile (6,076 ft)?

2. Why do we use a system that has 360 degrees, instead of a truly metric system?

 

If you follow my references in literature I am sure you will enjoy “Moby Dick” and “Two Year Before the Mast”.

 

Waterboy With Wife