outdoors4me Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Hey guys, Still trying to get a handle on things and I have another question. Since I can't afford to purchase Topo maps for my unit yet so a friend of mine has been teaching me to plot UTM coordinates. I think I'm getting it. Getting those into my unit is another matter however. I pulled up some existing waypoints in my unit and they are all long/lat. Is there a way to convert them in the unit to UTM? Or can you just overtype? Thanks, Beck Quote Link to comment
+coggins Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 (edited) Just change the GPS to display UTM: On a Vista HCx it's: Main Menu-Setup-Units-Position Format and select "UTM UPS", should be about the same on your unit. This page will also let you match the Datum to your map. Edited April 7, 2008 by coggins Quote Link to comment
+deeperrin Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 If you were not wanting to change the datum in your unit you could use a converter such as the one found on http://home.hiwaay.net/~taylorc/toolbox/ge...phy/geoutm.html That works or there are multiple others online. But coggins is right, it is easier to change your device setup. Here is how: On your unit go to the menu Next click on Setup In the Setup menu click on Units You will not be in the section to change you Datum The Datum will be the second space. Choose WGS 84 and you should be good to go. Hope this helps Derrick Perrin Lets Go Caching, A Video Podcast About Geocaching Quote Link to comment
Forkeye Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 So now you know what an easting and a northing are.Get a compass with a romer on it,an "L" shaped scale to match your map scale,and a paper map with UTM grid lines.Get him to show you MGR ,a variation of UTM.Get your position from the GPS,use the compass romer to show where you are on the map. Quote Link to comment
outdoors4me Posted April 7, 2008 Author Share Posted April 7, 2008 Guys....great info. Tells me exactly what I need. Im going to make a post now about a better manual for this unit. The one that comes with it seems really skimpy. Thanks! Beck Quote Link to comment
Grasscatcher Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 (edited) If you were not wanting to change the datum in your unit you could use a converter such as the one found on http://home.hiwaay.net/~taylorc/toolbox/ge...phy/geoutm.html That works or there are multiple others online. But coggins is right, it is easier to change your device setup. Here is how: On your unit go to the menu Next click on Setup In the Setup menu click on Units You will not be in the section to change you Datum The Datum will be the second space. Choose WGS 84 and you should be good to go. Hope this helps Derrick Perrin Lets Go Caching, A Video Podcast About Geocaching You are getting both good information and bad information..... For changing the coordinates of waypoints already in your unit from Lat/Lon to UTM, doing it by just changing the device setup is definitely the easiest way. All you are really doing is changing the way they are DISPLAYED to you. Internally, ALL GPSrs work, or think, in WGS 84 datum. What you choose to have it "show" you is up to you, depending on your needs, and your NEEDS change based on what you are doing with the information. Don't assume that you need WGS 84 datum. You mentioned plotting the points.....If you are plotting the points on a paper map, then you MUST have the GPSr set to the same datum as the paper map.(controlled by whatever the Datum the paper map is) Most USGS Topo maps were made in NAD 27 Datum. so to plot a point on one of those maps, you would need to change your unit to NAD 27 Datum , read the coordinates for the point and plot them on the map. The reverse is also true. If you are taking coordinates off of a paper map to put into your unit, then you must be sure that your unit is set to the same datum (as the map) WHEN YOU ENTER THEM into your unit. It's just when you are crossing different types of "mediums" that you have to be careful. That is true whether it be Map to GPS, or GPS to Map, or GPS to GPS (someone else's), or GPS to software.etc. Just remember apples to apples..... The same applies to coordinate Format, Degrees minutes seconds,or Decimal Deg,or Deg minutes decimal minutes..... If you get coordinates from ANYWHERE, the first and most important question to ask are "What datum (and format) are they in ?" Enter them into your unit with it set on the same as they are "coming from" , and you are good to go. Edited April 7, 2008 by Grasscatcher Quote Link to comment
Forkeye Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 check out gpsinformation.net lots of gps info and other links to maps,datums and co-ordinate systems etc.,write ups and reviews on various units. Quote Link to comment
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