atolk Posted August 14, 2002 Share Posted August 14, 2002 My quest for the low-cost GPS/geocaching solution is well on Track (pun intented): a friend gave me his old Magellan GPS Tracker as a gift/unlimited loaner. Now I just have to find a GPS-friendly website or free software. I realize that as far as geocaching is concerned, coordinates are provided. But what if I want to drive (or hike) to a location that I found on MapQuest or Yahoo! Maps? I know the address - great. But I can't get the coordinates to enter into my GPS as a waypoint. MapQuest actually goes the extra mile to clarify in their Help: quote:We have received requests from users who would like to type in an address and view the latitude/longitude coordinate. Due to contractual limitations, we are only able to display latitude/longitude coordinates provided by users. I could not get the coordinates from Yahoo either. Is there a mapping website (I can't see how there would be - with MapQuest and Yahoo cornering the market) that provides coordinates? If not, what freeware should I get for this purpose? P.S. This Magellan is several years old. Even if it came with a CD and a PC interface, I'm not going to get them. So we are not talking about downloading maps and waypoints here. Just something that would display the coordinates that I would be able to - manually - enter. Thanks!! [This message was edited by atolk on August 14, 2002 at 05:15 PM.] Quote Link to comment
+Web-ling Posted August 14, 2002 Share Posted August 14, 2002 If you go to Mapblast.com, enter the address, then go to the PRINT page for the map, the coords are at the bottom, under the map, in DDD.DDDDD format. Also, at topozone.com, you can click on the map, and it will give you the coordinates. HOWEVER--- The coords are in a different datum (NAD27), so you'll either have to convert or set your GPSr to NAD27. Quote Link to comment
atolk Posted August 14, 2002 Author Share Posted August 14, 2002 Thank you, excellent answer!! quote:Originally posted by Web-ling:so you'll have to convert What's the best conversion tool? Quote Link to comment
wmas1960 Posted August 14, 2002 Share Posted August 14, 2002 I have been wondering about this as well. At the beginning of June, one of them, I can't remember if it was Mapblast or Mapquest, did provide the coordinates. I was trying to go to a riverboat in Indiana and didn't know the way so I looked up the map. On the top edge of the map they had the coordinates on the map. Yesterday I tried to get directions to a friends apartment in a large development. It was a little confused with all the little subdivision streets... I plugged in the address and could not get the coordinates. I looked all over and couldn't find how to get them. It seems that somewhere along the way they must have stopped offering the waypoints for addresses. I do recall that they weren't on the simple map that you get on their pages. There was a special map selection you had to select to get them. Like I said though, it seems that you can't do it anymore. One thing you might be able to do, Go to Mapquest or Mapblast and get a map for the address. Study the map and compare it to a similar map on a site called Tiger. http://tiger.census.gov/cgi-bin/mapsurfer With Tiger, you put in the city by zip code or name. Then you will be given a map with the waypoint for that city. Center of town(?). Then locate the same location on the Tiger map that Mapquest or Mapblast indicates and click on it. I have heard that the Mapquest and Mapblast maps are actually powered by this Tiger system which is run by the government. By selecting Zoom IN, you can center and zoom in on your selection with every click on the map. You can then zero in on a location. Tiger will give you the waypoint for your selected location. The problem that I have encountered though is with the format of the waypoint not being compatable with my format on my eTrex. I don't know if there is a preference setting with Tiger to change it or another site where you can put in their format and then get a conversion to a more compatable format. If anyone know that or a more simpler way, or even an explaination of the problem I would certainly be appreciative. Quote Link to comment
+unclerojelio Posted August 15, 2002 Share Posted August 15, 2002 quote:Originally posted by atolk:What's the best conversion tool? A calculator. Just multiply the decimal part by 60. ... Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, ... unclerojelio Quote Link to comment
Couch_Potato Posted August 15, 2002 Share Posted August 15, 2002 quote:Originally posted by unclerojelio:A calculator. Just multiply the decimal part by 60. Wow, multiplying by 60 converts from NAD27 to WGS84? I never knew it was that easy. (it's not - multiplying decimal part by 60 converts decimal degrees to degrees and minutes) To convert map datums, i.e. NAD27 to WGS84, I use the online converter at Jeeep.com's coordinate translation page. I'm not lost! I just don't know where I am. Quote Link to comment
Couch_Potato Posted August 15, 2002 Share Posted August 15, 2002 quote:Originally posted by unclerojelio:A calculator. Just multiply the decimal part by 60. Wow, multiplying by 60 converts from NAD27 to WGS84? I never knew it was that easy. (it's not - multiplying decimal part by 60 converts decimal degrees to degrees and minutes) To convert map datums, i.e. NAD27 to WGS84, I use the online converter at Jeeep.com's coordinate translation page. I'm not lost! I just don't know where I am. Quote Link to comment
+Markwell Posted August 15, 2002 Share Posted August 15, 2002 My FAQ page has the answers. Once upon a time, Jeremy said he would incorporate some of the stuff there into the Geocaching.com FAQ. Never happened. So, occassionally I link. Markwell Chicago Geocaching Quote Link to comment
+unclerojelio Posted August 15, 2002 Share Posted August 15, 2002 quote:Originally posted by Couch_Potato: Wow, multiplying by 60 converts from NAD27 to WGS84? I never knew it was that easy. Ooops. That is what I get for scanning instead of reading. Here is my second attempt at answering the question: Use your GPS. It can convert between formats AND datums. ... Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, ... unclerojelio Quote Link to comment
+unclerojelio Posted August 15, 2002 Share Posted August 15, 2002 quote:Originally posted by Couch_Potato: Wow, multiplying by 60 converts from NAD27 to WGS84? I never knew it was that easy. Ooops. That is what I get for scanning instead of reading. Here is my second attempt at answering the question: Use your GPS. It can convert between formats AND datums. ... Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, ... unclerojelio Quote Link to comment
+Markwell Posted August 15, 2002 Share Posted August 15, 2002 So does Jeeep.com. Markwell Chicago Geocaching Quote Link to comment
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