UK Street map

[Guest Clyde]

I've tried using UK Street map http://www.streetmap.co.uk/ to locate roughly where a cache is hidden for parking purposes but it is always inaccurate by about a quarter to half a mile. Their site says they use WGS 84 datum and I use the form N51:46:54,W0:18:37 (location of my cache http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=10058) Anyone had a similar experience or know a reason why?

[Guest steveky]

quote:

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Originally posted by Clyde:

I've tried using UK Street map http://www.streetmap.co.uk/ to locate roughly where a cache is hidden for parking purposes but it is always inaccurate by about a quarter to half a mile. Their site says they use WGS 84 datum and I use the form N51:46:54,W0:18:37 (location of my cache http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=10058) Anyone had a similar experience or know a reason why?

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Look at Help Wanted I posted a few days ago, the explanation may cover your problem. When I finally clicked the co-ordinates have been spot on

Steve

[Guest Kimrobin]

Streetmap.co.uk uses the form

degrees.minutes.seconds

but geocaching.com uses

degree.minutes.decimal minutes

which means that your Jersey Farm cache at

N 51° 46.545 W 000° 18.374 needs to be translated to

N51:46:32 W0:18:22 to get you to the right place.

 

You need a degree/minutes/seconds converter. http://www.mentorsoftwareinc.com/FREEBIE/FREE1198.HTM

 

HTH

Alex.

[Guest jeremyp]

Or you could convert degrees, minutes.decimal to degrees, minutes, seconds by taking the decimal part and multiplying it by 60 to get the seconds which you can do with any ordinary calculator.

 

Personally, I use Autoroute 2002 which costs about 50 UKP and allows me to plot a position with an accuracy of 5 decimal places (it uses the degrees.decimal format). This is good enough to tell you which side of the road you should be on. 0.00001 degree of latitude is about 3 to 4 feet.

 

The other advantage of Autoroute is that you don't need an internet connection so if installed on a laptop you can carry it around.

[Guest Lost in Space]

Forget the maps. As they say in Star Wars....."Use the Force".

Just plug the coordinates into your GPS and follow the arrow..........

I have had many an exciting encounter using this method! (Not to mention golf balls whizzing past my head, and 200yd treks through solid undergrowth only to find a pathway only 5 yards from the cache)

It's all part of the fun! (Fun??)

[Guest Clyde]

As usual you can count on one of our fraternity having an answer. Many thanks everyone.

[Guest jeremyp]

Forget the maps? try that in London where there is virtually no chance of getting a signal or in a car where I personally have nearly killed several people while trying to figure out which direction the little arrow is pointing in or in London in a car where I have nearly killed several people while trying to figure out why the little arrow is no longer there :-)

[Guest davehinns]

P.S. With Autoroute (I have 2001) you can link your GPS to it so that you trace your route as you drive.

 

Plus I agree with Jeremy. Getting a signal in London is pants.