Pigout Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 (edited) I'm a little confused about Google Earth's GPS coordinates vs. my Garmin Gek301's GPS coordinates. They seem to be using different formats. According to the Garmin manual I should be using MAP Datum WGS 84 and position format H D(degrees)M.M' . OK, but Google Earth says Degrees, Minutes and Seconds and uses a slightly different format if I edit a placemark and look at the latitude and longitude of a location. All I'm trying to do at the moment is to pinpoint a location on Google Earth, go to geocaching.com and search for caches in that surrounding area by entering the Google coordinate into the "WGS84 Datum" search box. Of course it would also be good to be able to mark caches I've found, know that I'm using the right format in my Garmin device for entry of the cache locations, etc. Can someone help? I've search and search but can't find the answer. Guess I am very dense!! Thanks! Edited October 6, 2006 by Pigout Quote Link to comment
+smartboyathome Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 Just enter the coordinates as it says on the cache page, it will accept it that way. Quote Link to comment
+StarBrand Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 You can find converters at www.jeeep.com or download fizzymagics useful utility Quote Link to comment
+HaLiJuSaPa Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 For some reason Google Earth uses DD MM SS.S (degrees, minutes, and seconds to one decimal) for coordinates. This was the traditional way of showing latitude and longitude, I remember it when I first learned of these two concepts in upper elementary school in the late 70's. But in the last decade or so, using DD.DDDDD (just degrees and the decimal) or more so DD MM.MMM (Degrees and minutes to the 3rd decimal) are more common. The latter is the official geocaching coordinate method and is usually the default way that most GPSrs show coordinates (though a GPS I used to own, the Galileo by the Whistler radar detector people, ONLY showed coords the Google Earth way; and it seems one of the two GPSr I now have, the Lowrance IWay 100M, ONLY shows it the geocaching way). Most GPSr's nowadays have the ability to show coordinates in any of the 3 formats, so you could manually enter a waypoint the way it's shown on Google Earth, then ask the GPS to show it as DD MM.MMM format Hope that helps! Quote Link to comment
Anatomist Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 (edited) Most GPSr's nowadays have the ability to show coordinates in any of the 3 formats, so you could manually enter a waypoint the way it's shown on Google Earth, then ask the GPS to show it as DD MM.MMM format Hope that helps! The other way around is also true, you can setup google earth to show DD MM.MMM Edited October 7, 2006 by Anatomist Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 moving to correct forum Quote Link to comment
+roygpa Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 The other way around is also true, you can setup google earth to show DD MM.MMM How do I configure Google Earth to use DD MM.MMM? Roy Quote Link to comment
+TomandGina Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 (edited) The other way around is also true, you can setup google earth to show DD MM.MMM How do I configure Google Earth to use DD MM.MMM? Roy Look for an Options... or Preferences... menu item (depends if you are using the PC or Mac version). There is an option in the "View" tab for Lat/Lon as "Degrees" which is "xx.xxxxxx", or "Degrees, Minutes, Seconds" which is "dd mm ss.ss". I leave my gps in "dd mm.mmm" mode which is what geocaching.com uses. You can enter a location in that format directly into google earth in the fly to search box. When taking a location from google earth and searching on the gc.com site, you can select decimal degrees on the search page, and use the location given by google earth. Make sure your GPS is set for WGS 84 datum, otherwise your locations will be off. Even though the gc.com page says "WGS 84" for entering locations in "dd mm.mmm" format and "decimal degrees" for entering locations in "dd.dddddd" format, they both use the WGS 84 datum. It's just they way they labeled the boxes. Edited October 7, 2006 by TomandGina Quote Link to comment
Pigout Posted October 7, 2006 Author Share Posted October 7, 2006 (edited) The other way around is also true, you can setup google earth to show DD MM.MMM How do I configure Google Earth to use DD MM.MMM? Roy Look for an Options... or Preferences... menu item (depends if you are using the PC or Mac version). There is an option in the "View" tab for Lat/Lon as "Degrees" which is "xx.xxxxxx", or "Degrees, Minutes, Seconds" which is "dd mm ss.ss". I leave my gps in "dd mm.mmm" mode which is what geocaching.com uses. You can enter a location in that format directly into google earth in the fly to search box. When taking a location from google earth and searching on the gc.com site, you can select decimal degrees on the search page, and use the location given by google earth. Make sure your GPS is set for WGS 84 datum, otherwise your locations will be off. Even though the gc.com page says "WGS 84" for entering locations in "dd mm.mmm" format and "decimal degrees" for entering locations in "dd.dddddd" format, they both use the WGS 84 datum. It's just they way they labeled the boxes. OK, think I've got it. Would appreciate confirmation from those in the know. Google Earth on my Mac: Set preferences to "Degrees, Minutes, Seconds". This looks to be the default. Place marks show latitude - 41()41'52.60"N, longitude - 88() 8'13.70"W Garmin geko 301: Position format choices are - H D.D(), H D()M.M' and H D()M'S.S" Looks like H D()M'S.S" is the correct choice? This is NOT the default. Using the above, the Google Earth map location was pretty close to where I stopped my car on the way out of the dog park yesterday and marked the location in my Geko. It's probably within 15 feet. Using my home as an example, I marked my spot on the sidewalk but Google Earth put me the edge of the street. Again probably within 15 feet and I think the accuracy may have been 16 feet. I need to do some more testing but does the Geko position format choice seem correct?? So how would I enter the park location in the WGS84 Datum latitude longitude search boxes on geocaching.com? Edited October 7, 2006 by Pigout Quote Link to comment
ossumguywill Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 (edited) No, all that google earth does is make you write the coordinates with an apostrophe, a quotation mark and a space before you put the hemisphere symbol (like W or S) when you set the coordinate system to DMS. Just type it in like this: 00 00'00.00" N, 00 00'00.00" W You can also insert the degrees sign after the first set of digits if you want to. On geocaching.com, enter the coordinates as shown above the coordinate entry box. Edited October 7, 2006 by ossumguywill Quote Link to comment
+TomandGina Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 You may be confusing two different things here. WGS 84 is a datum. It is a standard that says how positions on the globe are determined from a given reference point. Then you have the different coordinate formats. They all represent the same point, and all are using the WGS 84 datum: 36°14'55.35" N 96°36'53.95" W 36°14.9226 -96°36.89928 36.24871 -96.614988 You can paste any of the above coordinates into google earth and it will read them. GC.com can search by the two formats listed on the search page. As long as you are all speaking the same datum (which google earth and gc.com are, and you've set your GPS to use WGS 84) then any of the above formats would work. As for the 15 foot accuracy, that's pretty good. The best you may see is around 7 feet with WAAS enabled on your GPS. Quote Link to comment
+TomandGina Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 I should add that the accuracy also depends on the number of satellites your gps can see, as well as tree cover and signal reflections from nearby buildings or other tall objects. The point I picked in the example was just a random click on the map in google earth. It looks like a good spot for a cache! Quote Link to comment
John E Cache Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 I'm a little confused about Google Earth's GPS coordinates vs. my Garmin Gek301's GPS coordinates. They seem to be using different formats. According to the Garmin manual I should be using MAP Datum WGS 84 and position format H D(degrees)M.M' . OK, but Google Earth says Degrees, Minutes and Seconds and uses a slightly different format if I edit a placemark and look at the latitude and longitude of a location. All I'm trying to do at the moment is to pinpoint a location on Google Earth, go to geocaching.com and search for caches in that surrounding area by entering the Google coordinate into the "WGS84 Datum" search box. Of course it would also be good to be able to mark caches I've found, know that I'm using the right format in my Garmin device for entry of the cache locations, etc. Can someone help? I've search and search but can't find the answer. Guess I am very dense!! Thanks! Entering and displaying are separate on Google Earth. It is pretty smart at figuring out what you entered. There are 60 minutes in a degree so 57.5 degress equals 57 degrees 30 minutes. If you enter two numbers GE guesses degrees and minutes. 60 seconds in a minute so three numbers are DMS. Also, You can drop loc or gpx files on GE:Do a search in geocaching.com(zip code, home coords etc.) At the bottom click check all and download click save file click open folder drag the saved file from the folder onto google earth Quote Link to comment
+roygpa Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 I guess I should have posed my question differently. What I meant was, is it possible to configure Google Earth so that when I put the pointer a certain place, it will return the latitude and Longitude in DD MM.MMM, so t hat I don't have to convert it before entering it into my GPS? In Tools, Options, Show Lat/Long I see options of Degrees, Minutes, seconds, or Degrees or UTM No biggie, it's not difficult to convert. Roy Quote Link to comment
robertlipe Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 Change your GPS to match one of the options available. Better yet, write Google and ask them to add DD MM.MMMM as an option within Earth. Quote Link to comment
+roygpa Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 I wandered over to the Google Earth Communiity and searched... only to find out that DD MM.MMM is considered obsolete, and then I found a kmz placemark file here: Decimal minutes that places a bookmark in the center of the screen and you just mover the map to the place that you want. Then it gives the coords in DD MM.MMM format. Not perfect, but it works for me. Roy Quote Link to comment
+HaLiJuSaPa Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 I wandered over to the Google Earth Communiity and searched... only to find out that DD MM.MMM is considered obsolete, and then I found a kmz placemark file here: Decimal minutes that places a bookmark in the center of the screen and you just mover the map to the place that you want. Then it gives the coords in DD MM.MMM format. Not perfect, but it works for me. Roy Obsolete? I would think that DD MM SS.S is the one no longer used, that is strange. Quote Link to comment
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