+MarkRobb Posted December 21, 2002 Share Posted December 21, 2002 Is there a way to determine what coordinates the system uses for various zipcodes. The one for my zip appears to be right near the interstate kinda on what I would consider the outskirts of town. Just Curious! Mark Link to comment
+MarkRobb Posted December 21, 2002 Author Share Posted December 21, 2002 Located at: http://www.census.gov/tiger/tms/gazetteer/zips.txt Listing 32174 as 81.088216 29.283305 and 32176 as 81.058432 29.322192 Could somebody confirm if this is what this site uses? Mark Link to comment
+welch Posted December 21, 2002 Share Posted December 21, 2002 quote:Originally posted by MarkRobb:Is there a way to determine what coordinates the system uses for various zipcodes. The one for my zip appears to be right near the interstate kinda on what I would consider the outskirts of town. Just Curious! Mark Hey, isnt there a rule about not have a avatar that is bigger that your post Link to comment
+MarkRobb Posted December 22, 2002 Author Share Posted December 22, 2002 I guess I'll just have to write longer messages. Thanks for the heads up Mark Link to comment
+worldtraveler Posted December 23, 2002 Share Posted December 23, 2002 You could always just use the "distance" and "direction to" info from several nearby caches to plot a reasonably accurate spot. But you can also just enter the coordinates of a KNOWN spot (home coords, etc.) and do your search from that spot instead of using the zipcode search. When I'm away from home, I use airport or hotel coords to search for the "nearest" caches in the area. Worldtraveler Link to comment
+MarkRobb Posted December 24, 2002 Author Share Posted December 24, 2002 If I had actual maps of the area. If someone was so inclined I am trying to figure out the location of two zip codes. 32174 and 32176. I would like to visit these locations and consider the possibility for a cache. This is exactly the opposite of how I normally place a cache....(Normally find suitable location then place cache, Not travel to location cache in hand to see if location is suitable). Was thinking if the location is where I think it is... It would make a great travel bug depot close to I-95 Mark Link to comment
+worldtraveler Posted December 24, 2002 Share Posted December 24, 2002 You can do it all on your GPSr. 1. Get a list of caches from your zipcode search and load them into your GPSr manually or using EasyGPS. Or just enter them into your computer mapping sofware, if you have any. 2. If a cache is located "1.2 miles SW" of the zipcode location, project a waypoint 1.2 miles NE of that cache. Or use the distance measuring tool on your GPSr or mapping software to do the same thing. 3. Repeat the procedure for several other caches. You should soon have a relatively close cluster of waypoints very near the zipcode location. Worldtraveler Link to comment
+MarkRobb Posted December 25, 2002 Author Share Posted December 25, 2002 I was hoping Jeremy and crew might reveal .... Link to comment
Rubbertoe Posted December 26, 2002 Share Posted December 26, 2002 *laugh* Yeah - I like how people give solutions to the problem... but that didn't seem to be what you were asking for. It is like a post I made in a Nascar newsgroup the other day - asking if it looked like there would be enough full-time teams this year to be able to field 43 cars in every race. Got replies like: "It doesn't matter, nobody says there has to be 43 cars to race" "The TV contracts say they HAVE to have 43 cars to race" "What, if 43 cars don't show up there is no race? You're nuts" Heh... someone finally did end up posting a list of confirmed full-time teams this year, and it looks like there are only 40 confirmed as of a few days ago. But anyway - I would also like to know how the zip code "center" is determined on the site. I'm kinda hoping some insane mathmatics and area averaging are involved in the whole shmeal - somehow determining the mathmatical center of a zip code. The Toe Pages Link to comment
+Jamie Z Posted December 26, 2002 Share Posted December 26, 2002 I'm guessing (and I think I remember a post about it, but I did a search and came up empty) that the info is provided in the public domain by the USGS. Jamie Link to comment
+Stunod Posted December 27, 2002 Share Posted December 27, 2002 I think the site Jamie was referring to is THIS ONE. EDIT: I just noticed that if I enter the coords from the above site into the "Hide and Seek a Cache" page, I do not get the same results as when I enter the zip code. Close, but not the exact same. "Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand." [This message was edited by Stunod on December 27, 2002 at 01:29 PM.] Link to comment
+Stunod Posted December 27, 2002 Share Posted December 27, 2002 Here's a way to solve your problem! Go to "Hide and Seek a Cache" and enter the zip code. When you get the list of caches nearest to the zip, click the link near the top labled "Make these my home coodinates." When you get the page confirming the chage to your home coords, click "Seek nearest caches from your home coordinates." At the top of the results page you will see your new home coords. For your ZIPs I got: 32174: 29.2872, 81.1237 32176: 29.3264, 81.0562 According to Map Maker on lostoutdoors.com, the first seems to be by a rest stop on I-95 and the second in someone's front lawn near the beach. Hope this helps! "Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand." [This message was edited by Stunod on December 27, 2002 at 01:32 PM.] Link to comment
+MarkRobb Posted December 28, 2002 Author Share Posted December 28, 2002 Exactly what I needed! You have slayed the zip code giant. Mark Robb Link to comment
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