Lat & Long On Maps

[AJFate]

I see caches with Lat and Long info on the mapquest page. How do you get to where Mapquest works in these coordinates instead of address mode?

Thanks for any input.

[+Stunod]

Is THIS what you are looking for? This page used to be linked from the main mapquest page, but it seems to be orphaned now. You will need to enter the coords in DD MM SS or DD.ddddd format (as opposed to the DD MM.mmm format we use here on GC.com). You can convert between formats easily on your GPS or on THIS WEBSITE.

[AJFate]

Stunod

That is just what I was looking for. I have used the Jeep site before. thanks for your help!

[Tahosa and Sons]

When you look at Lat & Long on a map, just make sure you know what the datum is or you will be off. If I were you I would learn how to use UTM's when you want to play with a map.

[+CompuCash]

When you look at Lat & Long on a map, just make sure you know what the datum is or you will be off. If I were you I would learn how to use UTM's when you want to play with a map.

 

I have seen several discussions here regarding UTM -

 

how will this help with working with maps? and are you talking about paper maps?

 

Wouldn't a map have to have a UTM scale on it in order to use it?

 

I have found that few maps actually show the real Lat/Lon on them. So many just use an abc/123 grid. You really have to search for a good map these days.

 

But back to my question - how would UTM's help with a map?

 

thanks -

[+Prof_Fate]

what referance is this in?

http://nmviewogc.cr.usgs.gov/viewer.htm - you can go to a location by lat/long, but is it NAD27 or WGS84? USGS maps are NAD27, GPS defaults to using WGS84, but most maps i have played with so far (online and downloading) don't say which...but there is only 1 UTM, and the above site can use that as can most every GPS unit.

 

Also, UTM is a 'real' number from our human perspective - while the minutes and seconds of lat are failry consistent, long varies as to how far a second is in feet. with UTM, the numbers after the decimal are in meters. so when you are standing there looking at your GPS and trying to figure how far away you are (ignoring the 'accuracy' figure your unit is giving you) you can see that you are X meters away.

[+Alan2]

When you look at Lat & Long on a map, just make sure you know what the datum is or you will be off.  If I were you I would learn how to use UTM's when you want to play with a map.

 

I have seen several discussions here regarding UTM -

 

how will this help with working with maps? and are you talking about paper maps?

 

Wouldn't a map have to have a UTM scale on it in order to use it?

 

I have found that few maps actually show the real Lat/Lon on them. So many just use an abc/123 grid. You really have to search for a good map these days.

 

But back to my question - how would UTM's help with a map?

 

thanks -

Yes, UTM is used with paper maps and without the grid or "tick" marks indicating the UTM coordinates, you won't be able to fnd your location on it.

 

You can get topo maps with the tick marks or grids drawn in from the USGS or from third party software like National Geographic Topo. NG will allow you to print out the USGS topo maps with the 1,000 meter UTM grids so you can easily find your location from the UTM coordinates from your GPS.

 

UTM allows you to find your location more easily than Degree Minutes and Seconds since the grid is in 1,000 meter quadrants (hence the slang name of Quads for 24,000 scale UTM maps). You can quickly find you location to with 50 meter just with your "eye", calculate distances, project waypoints, etc.

 

There's no real advantage using UTM coordinates on you GPS without the paper map since distance are given in feet yards or meters to the cache regardless of the coordinate system used.

[virgo91967]

 

There's no real advantage using UTM coordinates on you GPS without the paper map since distance are given in feet yards or meters to the cache regardless of the coordinate system used.

not necissarily so, fellow cacher... there are many olcer units still in use out there that do not deal in anythng less than tenths of a mile or tenths of a Km.

[Tahosa and Sons]

I have seen several discussions here regarding UTM -

 

how will this help with working with maps?  and are you talking about paper maps?  Yes

 

Wouldn't a map have to have a UTM scale on it in order to use it? Yes

 

But back to my question - how would UTM's help with a map?

 

thanks -

Well lets see if I can explain it. On the sides of the map are the margins, they contain marginal data. This data needs to be understood in order to use a map.

 

On the map that I have in front of me are numbers that are on the right and left and top and bottom of the map. They are evenly spaced. And the numbers are known as the Northings (mN) and Eastings (mE). Now they do not have all of the zeros added to them, that is one thing you have to learn is how many zeros do I add to the numbers. The numbers are 1,000 meters apart.

 

The numbers on the left and right side are known as Northings.

• 4463
  
• 4462
  
• 4461
  
• 4460
  

The numbers on the top and bottom of the map are known as Eastings.

• 462
  
• 463
  
• 464
  

So all you would have to do is draw lines across the maps with a big ruler, add the zeros needed, know your datum (probably Nad 27), use a roamer scale and if your gps is set to UTM's well all you would have to do is find the number on your GPS on the map, and that is approximately where you would be.

 

The following map (NAD 27) should show you what it looks like.

 

And if you look real hard you can find a Cache some place in those hills.

Come to CO someday and I'll take you back in there and gladly show you how to use a map and a GPS that talk to each other.

Edited October 5, 2004 by Tahosa and Sons

[+Alan2]

...not necissarily so, fellow cacher... there are many olcer units still in use out there that do not deal in anythng less than tenths of a mile or tenths of a Km.

 

Sorry. I didn't realize there were units out there like that. It's so much easier when the GPS tell you you're 86' away. No pressure intended, but maybe you can convince your spouse to buy you a birthday present

[+RatFace]

I am a bit technically challanged.

 

Suppose I need to Drive to a Business and I have the address. Can I go to Mapquest or another program, enter the address, and get a map with the L.L. coordinates?

 

I need a way to enter the location into my GPS.

[+Stunod]

I am a bit technically challanged.

 

Suppose I need to Drive to a Business and I have the address.  Can I go to Mapquest or another program, enter the address, and get a map with the L.L. coordinates?

 

I need a way to enter the location into my GPS.

There are quite a few websites that will give you coodinates for addresses. Geocode.com is one of them.

Edited October 6, 2004 by Stunod

[+Markwell]

...and they must keep track of IP Addresses. I'm still on a block for having requested too many through Geocode.com.

 

Better long-term (and international) solution might be www.maporama.com

Edited October 6, 2004 by Markwell