UTM Reference

[Guest nkingston]

I am very interested in Geocaching and anxious to get started. I have 3 or 4 Cache sites in mind but have a question regarding using the UTM reference. I prefer UTM and would like to define the cache location by using UTM coordinates. Is that permissable?

 

Regards,

NeilKingston

[Guest sar6cm]

Hello:

 

There is no problem using UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator). It is actually a more accurate way of placing the cache on the grid. Your gps is able to convert L/L to UTM. Welcome to Geocachemania!

 

c&a desert rockhounds

[Guest nkingston]

quote:

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Originally posted by sar6cm:

Hello:

 

There is no problem using UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator). It is actually a more accurate way of placing the cache on the grid. Your gps is able to convert L/L to UTM. Welcome to Geocachemania!

 

c&a desert rockhounds

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[Guest Cape Cod Cache]

UTM is great for land areas out in nowhere(or used to be). WGS84 is global. Lat & Lon are international, Utm keeps a fix from lat/lon to make a localized map. Try driving across the country via UTM, you may end up in Viginia instaed of Florida...

[Guest fairbank]

UTM is a coordinate system, WGS84 is a datum, two entirely different things. UTM is also international, (see http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/coordsys/gif/utmzones.gif). Waypoints in UTM work just as well as waypoints in lat/lon.

 

Eric

[Guest BigFig]

ea navigation. The UTM zone changes would drive you crazy in a fast moving plane.

[Guest 300mag]

I also like better UTM grid.But i use degrees when geocaching.This is the standard for the game.When i use my gps for other activities (hunting or walking through the bush etc i then switch it to utm.I find it easier to use and locate spots with my NAD 27 maps.We need to all use the same standard to save some confusion.

[Guest 300mag]

I also like better UTM grid.But i use degrees when geocaching.This is the standard for the game.When i use my gps for other activities (hunting or walking through the bush etc i then switch it to utm.I find it easier to use and locate spots with my NAD 27 maps.We need to all use the same standard to save some confusion.

[Guest nkingston]

quote:

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Originally posted by 300mag:

I also like better UTM grid.But i use degrees when geocaching.This is the standard for the game.When i use my gps for other activities (hunting or walking through the bush etc i then switch it to utm.I find it easier to use and locate spots with my NAD 27 maps.We need to all use the same standard to save some confusion.

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[Guest nkingston]

quote:

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Originally posted by 300mag:

I also like better UTM grid.But i use degrees when geocaching.This is the standard for the game.When i use my gps for other activities (hunting or walking through the bush etc i then switch it to utm.I find it easier to use and locate spots with my NAD 27 maps.We need to all use the same standard to save some confusion.

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[Guest nkingston]

Thank you very much for your replies. I really do not understand how to reply to you individually thru this system so hopefully this will arrive sucessfully somewhere. I will try to be more specific. If I record the waypoint for my cache with my Gps using the WGS84 datum and the UTM format may I simply submit the UTM Easterly/Northerly reference points or do I have to use the WGS84 datum with Lat/Lon coordinates only. I will certainly follow the rules of the game but I would like to submit my "Caches" using WGS84 with UTM coordinates. I would like to understand this because one of my cache sites might be kind of tough and I do not want to make it impossible.

[Guest BigFig]

If you take a look at the web page where you post the cache you'll see that degrees and decimal minutes in WGS84 format is the only coordinates it will accept. So, you are forced to submit in that format. What I do is either put my GPS in that format when I hide a cache, or take the reading in UTM/NAD27 and convert before posting. You just have to trust that other geocachers can translate between coordinate systems and datums to get information in the format that makes them most happy.

 

I try to use the "approved" system because there seems to be an abundance of confusion caused by folks trying to convert into some other system using the links on the geocaching page. Sometimes the conversion seems to give bizzare results....

[Guest nkingston]

Thank you all for your responses. Your comments indicate that Latitude/Longitude is the standard and UTM seems to confuse the issue so Lat/Lon it will be. My GPS appears to switch easily so off I go to my first Geocaching adventure!

[Guest nkingston]

Reply to BigFig: I hope this is reaching you as I am not sure how to submit a reply. I am curious as to how you convert the NAD27/UTM to WGS84/Lat-Lon. Do you do it manually from a Topo map or does your GPS make the conversion somehow? I do not plan to participate in Geocaching by making this conversion but I would like to understand it.

 

quote:

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Originally posted by BigFig:

If you take a look at the web page where you post the cache you'll see that degrees and decimal minutes in WGS84 format is the only coordinates it will accept. So, you are forced to submit in that format. What I do is either put my GPS in that format when I hide a cache, or take the reading in UTM/NAD27 and convert before posting. You just have to trust that other geocachers can translate between coordinate systems and datums to get information in the format that makes them most happy.

 

I try to use the "approved" system because there seems to be an abundance of confusion caused by folks trying to convert into some other system using the links on the geocaching page. Sometimes the conversion seems to give bizzare results....

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[Guest Jude]

quote:

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Originally posted by nkingston:

Reply to BigFig: I hope this is reaching you as I am not sure how to submit a reply. I am curious as to how you convert the NAD27/UTM to WGS84/Lat-Lon. Do you do it manually from a Topo map or does your GPS make the conversion somehow? I do not plan to participate in Geocaching by making this conversion but I would like to understand it.

 

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I've notice some have problem doing convertions of datum.Well I'm going to put my two cents.I have a Mag 315 and that is my converter.I have a screen that allowes me to set a "pri" and "sec" datum.Exemple I have my GPS set at NAD27 UTM as the primary datum and coordinates for use with my compass and my topomaps.For Geocache WGS84 LAT/LONG as the secondary.I will be given a coordinate for Geocache.I move to my "projection" screen,enter the coordinates in lat/long in the secondary that is already set at WGS84,punch that in and the projection screen gives me the coordinates in the datum set in the pry & sec NAD27 and WGS84,also the deg ºM and distance for the compass.I also can keep the both of them together on one screen (NAD27 in UTM & WGS84 in LAT/LONG).This is done on my first NAV screen and done by toggling the L/R button.No calculation for me I let the GPS do the math !!

 

Jude

[Guest dhaipola]

p://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/mapproj/mapproj_f.html

Geodesy can be confusing

 

D.

[Guest BigFig]

Reply to NKingston.

 

You can do the conversion on your GPS by just entering the coordinates you want and switching datums and coordinate systems.

 

That's not the way I do it - I use a program developed by the Corps of Engineers called corpscon. Do a search on corpscon and you should come up with a website that will allow you to download it.

 

Doing it with the GPS is the most straightforward option in the field.

 

Have fun!