Coordinate Conversion

[+DE_Cryptoman]

I have a Gamin Dezl 770 in my vehicle.  It allows me to navigate to coordinates.

However, it asks for the coordinate inputs in the format:

N DD  MM.SSSS

W DDD  MM.SSSS

 

All of the coordinates I see here in GC.com are

N DD  MM.SSS

W DD  MM.SSS

 

I have tried inputting the coordinates as the GC format and adding a zero ... Does not get me close.

I have tried inputting the coordinates as the GC format with an extra zero before the three SSS GC numbers...Does not get me close.

 

Is there a conversion for the GC   .SSS  to the Garmin  .SSSS?

 

I suppose if I get desperate enough, I can switch to UTM as that option seems to be valid for both but that would sure confuse the daylights out of me.

Appreciate any assistance!

 

 

[+niraD]

If that is truly a decimal, then adding a zero at the end is the right thing to do:

 

N 37° 15.722' W 121° 57.260' = N 37° 15.7220' W 121° 57.2600'

 

But that isn't DD MM.SSS or DD MM.SSSS format. That's DD MM.MMM or DD MM.MMMM format, which isn't the same thing.

 

If your device really use degrees-minutes-seconds, then you'll need to convert the numbers, rather than adding a zero to the end. Conversion is the same as with time. Half a minute is the same as 30 seconds, and 45 seconds is the same as 0.75 minute, and so on.

 

So in the example I started with...

 

N 37° 15.722' W 121° 57.260' = N37° 15' 43.320" W121° 57' 15.600" = N 37.26203° W 121.95433°

 

There are a number of tools that can do this conversion. The online tool I just used was

https://www.geocachingtoolbox.com/index.php?lang=en&page=coordinateNotation

[+kunarion]

In the Navigation settings, see if there's a setting more like "DDD mm.mmm", Degrees, minutes and decimal minutes.  Set it to that.

Also look for the "Datum" setting which should be "WGS-84".

[+Team Christiansen]

Are you sure of your Garmin's configuration?

 

Some formats consider only degrees and decimal degrees, that is DD.DDDDDD°. Some include decimal minutes such as at GC.com, DD° MM.MMM'. And other may have degrees, minutes, and seconds, that is DD° MM' SS". I've added the symbols. Sometimes they are listed without.

 

The format you gave doesn't make sense. Double check

[+DE_Cryptoman]

2 minutes ago, kunarion said:

In the Navigation settings, see if there's a setting more like "DDD mm.mmm", Degrees, minutes and decimal minutes.  Set it to that.

Also look for the "Datum" setting which should be "WGS-84".

The setting isn't there but I do have the WGS-84 selected.

 

[+kunarion]

Geocaching.com is "DD° MM.MMM'", degrees, minutes and decimal minutes.  I'm pretty sure you can set your device to work that way, but I don't see the exact screen picture in the "dezl" manual. Can you post the coordinate format options in the menu?

[+DE_Cryptoman]

4 minutes ago, niraD said:

If that is truly a decimal, then adding a zero at the end is the right thing to do:

 

N 37° 15.722' W 121° 57.260' = N 37° 15.7220' W 121° 57.2600'

 

But that isn't DD MM.SSS or DD MM.SSSS format. That's DD MM.MMM or DD MM.MMMM format, which isn't the same thing.

 

If your device really use degrees-minutes-seconds, then you'll need to convert the numbers, rather than adding a zero to the end. Conversion is the same as with time. Half a minute is the same as 30 seconds, and 45 seconds is the same as 0.75 minute, and so on.

 

So in the example I started with...

 

N 37° 15.722' W 121° 57.260' = N37° 15' 43.320" W121° 57' 15.600" = N 37.26203° W 121.95433°

 

There are a number of tools that can do this conversion. The online tool I just used was

https://www.geocachingtoolbox.com/index.php?lang=en&page=coordinateNotation

4

I think you may have me going in the correct direction.

My options on the Dezl are:

h ddd.dddddd°

h ddd°  mm.mmmm'

h ddd°  mm' ss.ss"

 

I am going to look at the conversion tool.  Thank You!

 

 

[+kunarion]

2 minutes ago, DE_Cryptoman said:

The setting isn't there

 

If you can't set it to "DD° MM.MMM'", you can convert the coordinates pretty easily, as niraD mentioned.  There are many online tools and Apps for that.

The good new is if you can send a "GPX File" from a cache page, the device converts it for you.  But the display may then create some confusion.

[+DE_Cryptoman]

7 minutes ago, Team Christiansen said:

Are you sure of your Garmin's configuration?

 

Some formats consider only degrees and decimal degrees, that is DD.DDDDDD°. Some include decimal minutes such as at GC.com, DD° MM.MMM'. And other may have degrees, minutes, and seconds, that is DD° MM' SS". I've added the symbols. Sometimes they are listed without.

 

The format you gave doesn't make sense. Double check

You are correct.  Thank you for making me look again.

My options on the Dezl are:

h ddd.dddddd°

h ddd°  mm.mmmm'

h ddd°  mm' ss.ss"

I will regroup!  Thank You!

[+kunarion]

2 minutes ago, DE_Cryptoman said:

You are correct.  Thank you for making me look again.

My options on the Dezl are:

h ddd.dddddd°

h ddd°  mm.mmmm'

h ddd°  mm' ss.ss"

I will regroup!  Thank You!

 

Cool!  It looks to me like it's "h ddd° mm.mmmm'", and then it's just a matter of filling in the blanks.

Let us know if it seems to work OK. 

Edited May 11, 2018 by kunarion

[+DE_Cryptoman]

Okay, I think I understand:

h ddd.dddddd°    IS   Decimal Degrees

h ddd°  mm.mmmm'    IS    Degrees and Decimal Minutes

h ddd°  mm' ss.ss"   IS   Degrees,  Minutes,  and Decimal seconds.

 

And if I understand GC.com, they are providing Degrees and Decimal Minutes to THREE Decimal places and the Garmin Dezl is looking for Degrees and Decimal minutes to FOUR Decimal places.  Therefore, all I have to do is add a trailing zero when I enter my data into the Dezl. 

 

It appears that I have made a mountain out of a molehill. 

Thank you, everyone, for your inputs and guidance!

[+Team Christiansen]

2 minutes ago, DE_Cryptoman said:

Therefore, all I have to do is add a trailing zero when I enter my data into the Dezl

That would be correct assumming your source coordinates are in the same format.

 

Minutes (which have up to 60) don't equal decimal degrees (which could be 10, 100, 1000, or more). 

[+Team Christiansen]

1 minute ago, Team Christiansen said:

That would be correct assumming your source coordinates are in the same format.

 

Minutes (which have up to 60) don't equal decimal degrees (which could be 10, 100, 1000, or more). 

Such as our time system is effectively HH:MM for hours and minutes. But if we switched to decimal hours, HH.HH, then 10:15 a.m. would actually be 10.25.

[+DE_Cryptoman]

44 minutes ago, niraD said:

If that is truly a decimal, then adding a zero at the end is the right thing to do:

 

N 37° 15.722' W 121° 57.260' = N 37° 15.7220' W 121° 57.2600'

 

But that isn't DD MM.SSS or DD MM.SSSS format. That's DD MM.MMM or DD MM.MMMM format, which isn't the same thing.

 

If your device really use degrees-minutes-seconds, then you'll need to convert the numbers, rather than adding a zero to the end. Conversion is the same as with time. Half a minute is the same as 30 seconds, and 45 seconds is the same as 0.75 minute, and so on.

 

So in the example I started with...

 

N 37° 15.722' W 121° 57.260' = N37° 15' 43.320" W121° 57' 15.600" = N 37.26203° W 121.95433°

 

There are a number of tools that can do this conversion. The online tool I just used was

https://www.geocachingtoolbox.com/index.php?lang=en&page=coordinateNotation

Thank you for pointing me to the tool.  That and a lesson in learning how to read has helped a lot.  I have been looking at those numbers for 10 years now and always thought it was DD, MM.SS.  I have just been taken to the woodshed and have received a royal whooping!   .    

 

[+NYPaddleCacher]

18 hours ago, DE_Cryptoman said:

Okay, I think I understand:

h ddd.dddddd°    IS   Decimal Degrees

h ddd°  mm.mmmm'    IS    Degrees and Decimal Minutes

h ddd°  mm' ss.ss"   IS   Degrees,  Minutes,  and Decimal seconds.

 

And if I understand GC.com, they are providing Degrees and Decimal Minutes to THREE Decimal places and the Garmin Dezl is looking for Degrees and Decimal minutes to FOUR Decimal places.  Therefore, all I have to do is add a trailing zero when I enter my data into the Dezl. 

 

It appears that I have made a mountain out of a molehill. 

Thank you, everyone, for your inputs and guidance!

 

Sounds like you got it.  The thread actually provided a pretty concise summary of the most common coordinate formats.  BTW, I won't often see DDM (Degrees Decimal Minutes) as  

h ddd°  mm.mmmm'.  Consumer grade GPS devices are not accurate enough to make use of that extra digit of precision.  

 

I don't want to be pedantic but there were a couple of mentions of DDM format as Degrees Minutes Decimal Minutes.  That's not really accurate.  It's Degrees and Minutes, where the Minutes portion is expressed as a decimal number.  

 

A bit more about that "h" in the example shown.  The "h" stands for hemisphere and will be N, S, E, or W.  It's actually optional.   The latitude value is relative to the equator, where a lat value would be 0 00.000.  If you move north it will increase  until you get to 90 00.000 at the north pole.  A positive value indicates that the lat coordinate is north of the equator.  If, starting at the equator you moved south, the value are negative.  For example,  37° 15.722 would be north of the equator and -37° 15.722 would be south of the equator and the same as S 37° 15.722.  Similarly, longitude values are relative to the Greenwich mean line.  Coordinates east of the line are positive and west of the line they can be expressed with a negative value.  DDM coordinates are typically expressed with the hemisphere character to avoid confusion but it's a lot more common to see coordinates in Decimal Degrees  using positive and negative values rather than the hemisphere.