Convert Co-ordinates

[MathMMath]

Hi guys, I am still fairly new to geo-caching and the idea of differnet co-ordinate systems has always puzzled me for some reason. So I was wondering could anyone explain in simple terms how to convert between co-ordinate systems?

 

For example, I found the co-ordinates of a mystery cache in the form Nxx°.xxxxxx, Wxxx°.xxxxxx (Which is apparently decimal degrees?) and I was wondering how I can change that into the form Nxx°xx.xxx', Wxxx°xx.xxx' which is how I input them into my app?

 

Sorry if this is a simple question and has been asked before but I couldn't seem to find it.

Edited December 17, 2015 by MathMMath

[+Isonzo Karst]

There's a Help Center article on this,

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=207

 

There are 3 common systems

 

Decimal - base unit of degrees, and the remainder expressed as tenths, hundredths, thousands, ten thousands, etc, of a degree

 

Degree, Minute, Second - base unit of degree, then 1/60th of a degree = a minut, 1/60 of a minute = a second. Further divisions of parts of seconds are expressed in decimals (ie, tenths hundreds thousands of a second, NOT 60ths of a second;-) just to further complicate this system.

 

Degree, Minute, Decimal Minute (used as the default on Geocaching.com) Degrees, then Minutes (60th of a degree) then the remainder expressed in decimal parts of a Minute

 

I mention the possibility that you can alter the App defaults to simply accept Decimal Degrees.

Any gps can do this. I can't speak to any particular app.

[+HHL]

[...] in the form Nxx°.xxxxxx, Wxxx°.xxxxxx (Which is apparently decimal degrees?)[...]

 

It seems so. But the correct form for DecDegrees would be: Nxx.xxxxxx°, Wxxx.xxxxxx°

DecDeg: Nxx.xxxxxx°

DecMin: Nxx° xx.xxx'

DMS: Nxx° xx' xx.xx"

 

This is a nice translator (all forms at a glance):

 

http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/calculators

 

Hans

[+Team Microdot]

Ironcially there used to be a link on every cache page to a coordinate conversion tool provided by geocaching.com.

 

Then they removed it and numerous pleas to have it returned haven't managed to see it brought back

[+Walts Hunting]

If you are using windows download FizzyCalc for all kinds of neat coordinate uses.

[+hzoi]

I find it highly ironic that I have to give this advice to someone named MathMMath, but:

 

There are 60 minutes in a degree.

 

To convert decimal degrees to minutes, multiply the decimal bit by 60.

 

Example:

 

110.5984352 degrees

 

Multiply 0.5984352 by 60 = 35.906112

 

Round to the nearest thousandth: 110 degrees 35.906 minutes

[+Mockingbird559]

Ironcially there used to be a link on every cache page to a coordinate conversion tool provided by geocaching.com.

 

Then they removed it and numerous pleas to have it returned haven't managed to see it brought back

 

+1

[+NYPaddleCacher]

[...] in the form Nxx°.xxxxxx, Wxxx°.xxxxxx (Which is apparently decimal degrees?)[...]

 

It seems so. But the correct form for DecDegrees would be: Nxx.xxxxxx°, Wxxx.xxxxxx°

DecDeg: Nxx.xxxxxx°

DecMin: Nxx° xx.xxx'

 

That should be Degrees DecMin (Degrees Decimal Minutes) and the minute mark is typically not displayed. Although, for geocaching Degrees Decimal Minutes format is used for *displaying* lat/long coordinates, a GPX file actually uses Decimal Degrees format. They also don't use N/S/E/W, but instead use the following:

 

Positive latitudes are north of the equator, negative latitudes are south of the equator. Positive longitudes are east of Prime Meridian, negative longitudes are west of the Prime Meridian.

 

 

This is a nice translator (all forms at a glance):

 

http://www.gpsvisual...com/calculators

 

Hans

 

That's a good one but just a simple search for "Coordinate converter" will show many more. I also miss the coordinate conversion page that was available from every cache page.

[+niraD]

Hi guys, I am still fairly new to geo-caching and the idea of differnet co-ordinate systems has always puzzled me for some reason. So I was wondering could anyone explain in simple terms how to convert between co-ordinate systems?

It's really the same thing as time. Two and a half hours is the same as 2 hours and 30 minutes, so it really doesn't matter whether which of these you write:

2.5 hours

2 hours 30 minutes

 

With degrees, it's exactly the same thing, except instead of 60 minutes per hour, you have 60 minutes per degree. So it doesn't matter which of these you write:

2.50000° (that is, 2.5 degrees)

2° 30.000' (that is, 2 degrees, 30.000 minutes)

 

If you can figure out how many minutes are in a half hour or a quarter hour, then you can figure out how many minutes are in a fraction of a degree.