Why Don't More Places Publish Their GPS Co-ords

July 27, 2006

When ever I go somewhere, be it a business, campsite, conservation area or any area of interest. I always look it up on the web, get directions, sometimes use google maps then convert their co-ords to my GPS co-ords.

Why places don't publish their GPS co-ordinates on their web-pages is beyond me. You would think that it would be in their best interest, especially places that cater to outdoor activities.

July 27, 2006

This has nothing to do with ham radio, so moving it to the proper forum.

18.9k · July 28, 2006

Enough time and education and they will. GPS technology is still not real common outside of our little hobby.

July 28, 2006

Enough time and education and they will. GPS technology is still not real common outside of our little hobby.

GPS technology is very popular in the hunting/fishing industry. I used to work part time at a sporting goods store. The gps sales were mostly for hunting/fishing. I had very few customers that wanted one for caching. However using Lat/Long. in the advertising would be an interesting spin.

Edited July 28, 2006 by Lt32

July 28, 2006

I agree that it has just not caught on yet. I was looking at a pamphlet for a city the other day (can't remember where) and all the hotels listed has coordinates listed under the address and phone numbers. I think it is just the start.

July 28, 2006

I have often thought the same thing. It would be tooo easy!

9.2k · July 28, 2006

You mean like this?

22k · July 28, 2006

Oh, I completely agree. I think the place to start would be hotels. List their locations with coords and others will soon follow.

How to get them to do it? Tell them.

That simple. Get the ball rolling.

July 28, 2006

Ocean Lakes Family Campgrounds in Myrtle Beach, SC has their coords on their website.

2.1k · July 28, 2006

Sounds like a job for.....

http://www.Waymarking.com

:lol:

5k · July 28, 2006

Guidebooks especially. I've been wanting to write a letter to Lonely Planet to tell them if they published coordinates to the locations in their books, life would be much easier. Oftentimes, there's no map to follow, and even then, not all places use addresses, so you're left with a somewhat hard-to-follow description of how to find someplace. Coordinates would solve that in a jiffy.

Jamie

3.1k · July 28, 2006

It will probably start to become more widespread soon. There are now commercials for TomTom and other in-car GPS navigation systems, so the coords are soon to follow.

I was somewhere and a man and woman were wearing shirts for some grill and bar at some beach and on the back it had big coords for the location. I don't remeber what place or what beach though.....

July 28, 2006

Here's one CLICK ME

July 28, 2006

Bass Pro Shops and Cabelas list their coordinates. That's all I need.

6.5k · July 28, 2006

Why do you need coords for the general public? Most navigation based GPS systems allow you to enter an address and then route you there. GPS coords are only truly essential when there are no roads leading to a location, or you need to find the cache.

Edited July 28, 2006 by wimseyguy

July 28, 2006

that and Gps's dont give directions to co-ords (am I right?). If GPS's gave directions to co-ords, then I think it would become bigger.

July 28, 2006

that and Gps's dont give directions to co-ords (am I right?). If GPS's gave directions to co-ords, then I think it would become bigger.

With the additional software, yes they do.

July 28, 2006

that and Gps's dont give directions to co-ords (am I right?). If GPS's gave directions to co-ords, then I think it would become bigger.

My hand-held GPSr gives street directions to coordinates. Our truck's navigation system uses street addresses.

July 28, 2006

I've got them on my place of business: West Houston ATA

Edited July 28, 2006 by Clothahump

July 29, 2006

I saw an advertisment with GPS cord's listed for a booth at the huge Warrington antique fair in texas. Didn't visit it but I did find a few caches nearby. :blink:

July 29, 2006

I think they are more common that some of you think. I work in a 15 man shop where 5 people have them. Now that may not be typical but still.

Also not only hunters and hikers but they are very big with motorcyclist. That is evident by Garmins new Zumo a motorcycle specific GPSr. Most of the touring and long distance riders have them.

And yes even my hand held 60cs has door to door routing for use on the street. The mapsource software is not required but will give better road details than the base maps that are built in.

9.4k · July 29, 2006

When ever I go somewhere, be it a business, campsite, conservation area or any area of interest. I always look it up on the web, get directions, sometimes use google maps then convert their co-ords to my GPS co-ords.

Why places don't publish their GPS co-ordinates on their web-pages is beyond me. You would think that it would be in their best interest, especially places that cater to outdoor activities.

Most people look up maps by address, not coordinates. There aren't enough geocachers in the world to creatwe enough demand for them to change

6.5k · July 29, 2006

I think plenty of people are getting used to GPS technology for all kinds of applications. Heck most rental car companies are using them as upsells now.

It's just that most people use street addresses, intersections, and lists or categories of needed items, and not coordinates to find what they are seeking. I've used the other functions on my 60c hundreds of times to find things besides caches. Offroad usage is really the only application that needs the coords for navigation.

July 30, 2006

I posted this in another thread last year, but seems appropriate here. My mother-in-law mailed this newspaper clipping to me about a GPS church...

Perhaps this is taking it a bit too far!

Edited July 30, 2006 by Beowulf83

9.2k · July 30, 2006

I posted this in another thread last year, but seems appropriate here. My mother-in-law mailed this newspaper clipping to me about a GPS church...

Perhaps this is taking it a bit too far!

When I need guidance from above, I'd rather rely on military satellites. <_<

July 30, 2006

While van shopping recently, I called a car lot that was a little over an hour away, in a bigger city, that I was unfamilier with. I actually asked the dealer if he could give me the "coords" to his lot. Luckily, his reply was "huh?" to which I simply said, "nevermind!"

July 30, 2006

Don't forget to let your guests know where they are when they come to visit your house. My wife loves this and we'll probably be getting one soon. Anyone else have something similar?

Personalized Latitude And Longitude Doormat

July 30, 2006

Don't forget to let your guests know where they are when they come to visit your house. My wife loves this and we'll probably be getting one soon. Anyone else have something similar?

Personalized Latitude And Longitude Doormat

Wow, if your house is ever sinking we will know where to send rescue people... :rolleyes: <_< <_< :unsure:

Dale

July 31, 2006

This has nothing to do with ham radio, so moving it to the proper forum.

Many hamfest flyers display GPS coordinates, but that is a rather limited market. They probably do that because many hams sre buying GPS units, just as many GPS peepz are getting into ham radio.

A lot of in-dash GPS systems will list coordinates, but will not provide location searches based on the lat/long coordinates; they only search for addresses and names of places. Must be their manufacturers think the average person does not care about such details as lat/long stuff......

July 31, 2006

that and Gps's dont give directions to co-ords (am I right?). If GPS's gave directions to co-ords, then I think it would become bigger.

I use a Garmin V and it allows you to enter a waypoint using coordinates. I then create a route to that waypoint. It is MUCH easier and faster to find a place based on coordinates than an address because in larger cities like Dallas, there are different subtle names for streets. It is VERY easy to get the address wrong. No such problem exists when navigating to specific coordinates. Besides, I keep an address book for all of my waypoints sorted by name and coordinates.

Edited July 31, 2006 by orionshunter

24.7k · July 31, 2006

When ever I go somewhere, be it a business, campsite, conservation area or any area of interest. I always look it up on the web, get directions, sometimes use google maps then convert their co-ords to my GPS co-ords.

Why places don't publish their GPS co-ordinates on their web-pages is beyond me. You would think that it would be in their best interest, especially places that cater to outdoor activities.

It's not a bad idea. Their address can contain a hyperlink to a GPX file that autoloads into your GPS.

GPX would have to become a universal standard supported by all makers. Plus the use of a hyperlink in the address (or universal "gps coordinate" hyperlink symbol become accepted). Plus GPS use more mainstream...

It's got a way to go but I like the idea.

24.7k · July 31, 2006

...Besides, I keep an address book for all of my waypoints sorted by name and coordinates.

That's one way to organize your black book. <_<

July 31, 2006

Don't forget to let your guests know where they are when they come to visit your house. My wife loves this and we'll probably be getting one soon. Anyone else have something similar?

Personalized Latitude And Longitude Doormat

My wife saw this in the Sky Mall magazine on a plane and was excited to show it to me. I feel a little bad that I shot back that it was only accurate to about a mile. <_< I should learn to think before I speak.

August 1, 2006

Why do you need coords for the general public? Most navigation based GPS systems allow you to enter an address and then route you there. GPS coords are only truly essential when there are no roads leading to a location, or you need to find the cache.

Not necessarily. There is a family amusement park in Glen, NH called Story Land. On their website is the following FAQ:

What is Story Land's street address for GPS/on-line directions?

Well, we're still rural enough up here in the North Country that we haven't quite been assigned a street number yet -- really! Fortunately, Glen is small enough that once you're in town, you can't help but find us. There are only two routes into and out of town, Routes 16 and 302, and we're right near the northern junction of the two. You can get directions from your starting address to Glen from randmcnally.com and, once you're in town, follow the signs or ask just about anyone where we are.

Of course, even with that disclaimer, they don't post the coords. <_<

3.3k · August 1, 2006

Actually GPS technology is becoming quite popular with people who don't know how to read a Thomas Guide, or any other form of road map.

August 1, 2006

Why do you need coords for the general public? Most navigation based GPS systems allow you to enter an address and then route you there. GPS coords are only truly essential when there are no roads leading to a location, or you need to find the cache.

I have a simple GPS, doesn't do addresses or maps. But if I had the coords, I'd be able to better navigate the streets to tell when I'm getting to where I'm going.

August 1, 2006

I've actually begun to see this happening on some commercial websites. If I could remember which, I'd share the URL with you. I'd also like to start seeing lat/lon grids on AAA and Rand-McNally maps.

August 4, 2006

I finally got around to watching a show on the Food Network that I'd tivo'd -- Feasting on Asphalt. In it, Alton Brown and his crew ride motorcycles across the country on backroads, stopping along the way to eat at the best roadside stops. They show the coordinates on the TV show as well as on the website for all the places. I thought it was a great idea!

August 15, 2006

I finally got around to watching a show on the Food Network that I'd tivo'd -- Feasting on Asphalt. In it, Alton Brown and his crew ride motorcycles across the country on backroads, stopping along the way to eat at the best roadside stops. They show the coordinates on the TV show as well as on the website for all the places. I thought it was a great idea!

This is a great show - I'd love to have Alton Brown's job. There is some information on the Garmin website about the GPS equipment he's using on his travels. There is also an article about the show on Wikipedia which provides another chart with lat/long coordinates.

August 15, 2006

Thanks for the links, the Wikipedia one especially!

2.1k · August 16, 2006

Why do you need coords for the general public? Most navigation based GPS systems allow you to enter an address and then route you there. GPS coords are only truly essential when there are no roads leading to a location, or you need to find the cache.

Or when the address isn't even in the GPS navigation system. The in-dash navigation in my father's truck cannot locate my house, nor his own. He has to use a bogus address at least for his house in order to get the starting point close.

August 16, 2006

Another advantage to using coordinates. With the maps, the coordinates by address aren't all that specific, as I recall. (I don't have detailed maps in my GPS, so I've never tried this.) But doesn't each block contain an address range, and the GPS interpolates based on "available" addresses, not necessarily the addresses that are *actually* used?

This will get you close, but true coordinates would do a better job of getting you to a specific location. Granted, getting to the correct block is sufficient in most cases, but some of us are perfectionists! I'd much prefer to load coordinates that would bring me to the front door.

Why Don't More Places Publish Their GPS Co-ords

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