Help with coordinates

[ShaeRoseM]

I’m trying to hide my first cache. It’s not too close to any other caches, I have everything except the coordinates done. I’m using the geocache compass to tell my coordinates. I copy down my coordinates exactly, but for some reason it keeps asking me to write them in DDM. I know I’m doing it right but the same error keeps popping up. I’ve ran the coordinates through google and google brings me to where my cache is. Help please, as I’ve been trying to do this right for the past half hour and I just wanna be done with it.

[Keystone]

Moved from website bugs and features forum. 

[+niraD]

DDM refers to Degrees and Decimal Minutes, which is a coordinates format that looks like this:

N 37° 15.722' W 121° 57.260'

 

Other options include Decimal Degrees, which is a coordinates format that looks like this:

N 37.26203° W 121.95433°

 

and Degrees, Minutes, and Seconds, which is a coordinates format that looks like this:

N 37° 15' 43.320'' W 121° 57' 15.600''

 

Note that all three examples above are for the same location, but that the digits are different. Minutes and seconds work the same way in GPS coordinates as they do in time: 60 seconds in a minute, and 60 minutes in a degree (hour). So if you can represent 30 seconds as 0.50 minute, and you can represent 45 minutes as 0.75 degree.

[+DyverDown]

Maybe have a look at a published cache and see what the coordinates there look like, yours should be in a similar format, as indicated above.

 

DD

[+NYPaddleCacher]

On 7/3/2018 at 3:45 PM, niraD said:

DDM refers to Degrees and Decimal Minutes, which is a coordinates format that looks like this:

N 37° 15.722' W 121° 57.260'

 

Note that when entering in coordinates you can (must?) omit the degrees and minutes symbols.

[+hozarkexpress]

Shae, I’m right here with you actually. Very new to the entire process, and am very excited to start hiding. 

I have a decent understanding of how the DDM (required) form of coordinates work for the site, but every time I enter them, exactly right to the number, it’s all over the place. I’ve e mailed reviewers about it but no luck yet (just a couple days ago), I’m literally going nuts about how easy this should be, but won’t come up right. There may be something we don’t know :/

[+DyverDown]

My best advice is to look at a nearby cache page and compare the coordinates listed there to the ones you are entering.  The format should be quite similar (ie: if you are near N43 27.155 W079 52.189, your coordinates should appear in the same format and the numbers - depending on distance from the cache you are looking at, should be "close" as well.... if yours are N53 10.100 W060 14.100 there is a big problem as this is a large distance away...)

 

I think, given you say google brings you to the correct spot that it is probably an issue of coordinate format, or notation. Try putting you coordinates into :https://www.geocachingtoolbox.com/index.php?lang=en&page=coordinateNotation

on the lower "single input field" and then use the coordinates as they are given above (second line DDM) to enter into the publication page.

 

Hope that helps.

 

DyverDown

[+kunarion]

2 hours ago, hozarkexpress said:

Shae, I’m right here with you actually. Very new to the entire process, and am very excited to start hiding. 

I have a decent understanding of how the DDM (required) form of coordinates work for the site, but every time I enter them, exactly right to the number, it’s all over the place. I’ve e mailed reviewers about it but no luck yet (just a couple days ago), I’m literally going nuts about how easy this should be, but won’t come up right. There may be something we don’t know :/

 

It seems that the OP figured out the error, set up the caches, and never returned to mention what the issue was. Super.

 

If this is on a phone, use an App designed to save waypoints, such as Spyglass.  Or look for "free GPS" in the App store.  NOT picking a point on Google Maps, and NOT using the built-in iPhone compass App. I've never had to use an "averaging App", that's way overkill if you're doing it right (and if not doing it right, might as well not even do that).  But I do go check on different days at different times, in various cloud conditions, before deciding on the coordinates I'll use.  It's a "permanent hide", might was well get decent coords.  In any case, be sure you know how your device works (find caches with it), and do some decent tests at the place to be sure the coordinates consistently direct people to the cache spot.  The OP needs to work on that.

 

And be a lot more specific about what you're trying, such as what kind of device you obtained the coordinates and on which device you're typing them.  For example, handheld GPS, iPhone, or Android phone, or PC.  Remember that all of them and the Apps may be set to various coordinate formats, some by default.  You cannot shoe-horn the coordinates into the form, the coordinates must first be in proper format.  It's a good idea to set everything to match the Geocaching.com web site's format where possible.

 

Where are you typing the coordinates?
What exactly right number are you typing?

 

Looks like in you area, the coordinates will be something like N 38° 15.394' W 085° 34.657'

In that case, you can enter N 38 15.394 W 085 34.657 into the cache page (so the special symbols are omitted, for ease of typing).  As mentioned, "N 38" may be the Degrees for "North", and "15.894" the Decimal Minutes.  Type the "N" and "W" (for example) exactly as the device shows.  Note where the decimal point is, and that there's a space between "Degrees" and "Decimal Minutes".  If your format is different, you must make a mathematical calculation to convert it to DDM.

 

I tried all kinds of things with spacing, commas, a "zero" for "038", the site seems to be OK with most anything.  Even something like this works fine:

N038 15.394, W085 34.657

 

But there is more than one style of entry form, and some can be changed.

Edited July 22, 2018 by kunarion