What Distances Do The Coordinate Numbers Represent

[+Miragee]

Forgive me if this is a really stupid question. Then, I need to say I am really terrible at math. I flunked college algebra . . . twice!

 

I've looked at the FAQ and found out that the distance for .001 in latitude is 6.074 feet.

 

Can someone help me figure out what distances the other numbers represent.

 

If the coordinates were, for example:

 

12 34.567

 

I now understand the distance between the 7 and an 8 would be 6.074 feet for latitude.

 

How many feet between the 6 and a 7? Is this 6.074 feet multiplied by 10?

 

How many feet/miles between the 5 and a 6? Would this be 6.074 feet multiplied by 100?

 

How many miles between the 4 and a 5?

 

How many miles between the 3 and a 4?

 

Is there somewhere I can find this information or do you know how to figure this out?

[+Jamie Z]

The coords could be analyzed like you're doing, but they're usually not.

 

UTM is a coordinate system which was designed to make measuring distance easier, so if the distances matter to you, you might try using UTM instead.

 

That said.. we'll use your example.

 

12° 34.567

 

The 7 is in the thousandth of a minute space. One minute is roughly one mile (nautical mile, actually) so a the 7 is 1/1000 of a nautical mile, or about 6 feet.

 

The 6 is 1/100 of a nautical mile, ~60 feet.

 

The 5 is 1/10, ~600 feet.

 

The 4 is nautical miles (more or less, there's a slight discrepency).

 

The three is 10s of nautical miles.

 

Since each degree is 60 minutes, the 12 represents how many groups of 60 nautical miles you are from your reference point, in this case probably the equator.

 

This all assumes latitude, because the distances are mostly constant. With longitude, the distances will vary based on how close you are to the poles.

 

Jamie

Edited March 7, 2005 by Jamie Z

[+Sputnik 57]

What Jamie said.

 

More info in Markwell's great Update to the FAQ

[+DMflyer]

You got the idea. From .001 to .010 is 10x or 10 times.

You can also use mapping software to have it tell you the distance.

 

You can also use projection to reverse the .1 mi to decimal equivalents.

RE: N xx 31.469 W xx 31.267 to go .1 mi directly north: N xx 31.556

would be .087 = .1 mi = 528 ft, or about 6.06 ft per .001 on the coordinates.

 

.001 = 6.06ft

.010 = 60.6ft

.100 = 606ft

 

...so a .1 on the decimal portion of the coordinates is a little further than .1 miles.

 

[+Miragee]

Thanks very much. All those numbers make my head hurt.

 

I appreciate that others can figure these things out so easily. Thanks again.

[+The Leprechauns]

Since I suck at math, when I'm curious how far apart two sets of coordinates are, I go here: Surface Distance between two points of Latitude and Longitude.

[+noosh9057]

What Jamie said.

 

More info in Markwell's great Update to the FAQ

I think I know how to use a compass now: 1) use gps to guide you to the general location of the cache, 2) retrieve bearing from gps, 3) set compass to bearing and follow the arrow?

Quoted from "Clay" from Pontiac, MI

That's it! After you've walked the aprox. distance your gpsr said, you should be in the location of the cache. If you have trouble finding it, walk a way, take another bearing, and try it again. Once you get to the spot, think,"OK, if I was going to hide something 'here', where would I put it." That's where you will usually find it.

Back to the top.

 

Well this mite be a stooped question but can you tell me how to set the Bering on the campus. I have never rely used a campus.

 

Thanks

[+Markwell]

Really a new topic, but I'll bite (first I had to make sure I didn't mis-spell campus/compass )

 

 

Most compasses will have tiny numbers of the degrees. The full circle of degrees is 360° starting at 0/360 for north, 90° for straight east, 180° for straight south, 270° for straight west.

 

If your GPS says that the cache is at a bearing of 42°, that means that the cache is north-east of your location. Holding your compass level so the needle finds north, you should be able to see about where 42° is. Head in that direction and you'll be headed toward the cache.

 

If you're consistently going to use this method, you should make sure that your compass is set to magnetic north instead of true north. I usually use the magnetic compass only when I'm having difficulties with my GPS showing consistent directions.

[+Cardinal Red]

DMflyer Posted on Mar 7 2005, 03:46 PM

.001 = 6.06ft

.010 = 60.6ft

.100 = 606ft

 

I like this explanation best so far. But as was stated somewhere this only applies 100% to Latitude (the North or South component). For rough estimates, Latitude can be considered to be a constant anywhere on the Earth. It would also apply to Longitude ONLY at the EQUATOR.

 

A quick Rule Of Thumb is to find the COS (Cosine) of the Latitude to find the Longitude to Latitude Ratio at that spot on Earth.

 

Cosine of Zero Degrees Latitude (Equator) = 1 so: 6.06' x 1 = 6.06' of Longitude per .001 Minute

 

Cosine of 41.409 Degrees Latitude = .75 so: 6.06' x .75 = 4.545' of Longitude per .001 Minute

 

Cosine of 60 Degrees Latitude = .50 so 6.06' x .50 = 3.03' of Longitude per .001 Minute

 

Cosine of 75.522 Degrees Latitude = .25 so 6.06' x .25 = 1.515' of Longitude per .001 Minute

 

Cosine of 90 Degrees Latitude (Pole) = Zero so 6.06' x Zero = Zero' of Longitude per .001 Minute (Touching)

[+noosh9057]

Really a new topic, but I'll bite (first I had to make sure I didn't mis-spell campus/compass )

 

 

Most compasses will have tiny numbers of the degrees. The full circle of degrees is 360° starting at 0/360 for north, 90° for straight east, 180° for straight south, 270° for straight west.

 

If your GPS says that the cache is at a bearing of 42°, that means that the cache is north-east of your location. Holding your compass level so the needle finds north, you should be able to see about where 42° is. Head in that direction and you'll be headed toward the cache.

 

If you're consistently going to use this method, you should make sure that your compass is set to magnetic north instead of true north. I usually use the magnetic compass only when I'm having difficulties with my GPS showing consistent directions.

Ok thanks I got it. I understand how to use it now.

 

 

THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!!!!

 

 

Roger

[+Poindexter]

Well this mite be a stooped question but can you tell me how to set the Bering on the campus. I have never rely used a campus.

 

Thanks

Here's an excellent web site explaining how to use a compass.

[+AtoZ]

it is NOT true that for every thousands of minute is 6.74 feet because it depends up on you latitude as you get close to the poles the distance decrease. But for a rought rule of thumb I use 6 feet for every thousands of a minute for latitude or longitude. If you want better then use UTM where a meter is a meter is a meter in every direction. There is no need to be really precise for what geocaching does.

cheers

[+Markwell]

If you're consistently going to use this method, you should make sure that your compass is set to magnetic north instead of true north.  I usually use the magnetic compass only when I'm having difficulties with my GPS showing consistent directions.

...you should make sure that your GPS is set to magnetic north...

 

[+Cardinal Red]

idiosyncratic Posted: Mar 7 2005, 03:22 PM

I've looked at the FAQ and found out that the distance for .001 in latitude is 6.074 feet.

 

Nautical Mile: A unit of distance used primarily at sea and in aviation. The nautical mile is defined to be the AVERAGE distance on the Earth's surface represented by one minute of Latitude. Because the Earth is not a perfect sphere, it is not easy to measure the length of the nautical mile in terms of the statute mile used on land. For many years the British set the Nautical Mile at 6080 Feet (1853.18 Meters), exactly 800 Feet longer than a Statute Mile; this unit was called the Admiralty Mile. Until 1954 the U.S. Nautical Mile was equal to 6080.20 Feet (1853.24 Meters). In 1929 an International Conference in Monaco redefined the Nautical Mile to be exactly 1852 Meters or 6076.115486 Feet, a distance known as the International Nautical Mile. The unit is designed to equal 1/60 Degree, although actual degrees of Latitude vary from about 59.7 to 60.3 Nautical Miles (Minutes).

 

So: The Earth is not a perfect Sphere. By International agreement One Nautical Mile (1/60 Degree of Arc or 1 Minute of Arc) = 1852 Meters ( determined to be the Average ).

 

If One Minute of Latitude averages 6076.115486 Feet then .001 Minutes average 6.076115486 Feet.

 

Cardinal Red Posted on Mar 7 2005, 05:29 PM

For rough estimates, Latitude can be considered to be a constant anywhere on the Earth.

 

Now, can we all live with this ROUGH ESTIMATE (but more thoroughly explained) answer to the original question.

 

And then don't forget to read my previous post to get an IDEA of your Longitude spacing (based on the Latitude you are at), because it does vary from about 6' to 0' (touching) per .001 Minute.

Using Cosine to Determine Rough Longitude Spacing

Edited March 8, 2005 by Cardinal Red

[+slapshot52]

OK... does anybody know of a Pocket PC program that calculates these distances? While I'm at, how about a program that converts between all of the ways to discribe LAT\LONG and UTM?

[+AtoZ]

OK... does anybody know of a Pocket PC program that calculates these distances? While I'm at, how about a program that converts between all of the ways to discribe LAT\LONG and UTM?

I do not kow of any program but why would you need one???? I have a spread sheet some place that has the distance of a minute, second and 0.001 minute every 10 degrees of Latitude. But what are you trying to do???? If you really want to get good meausirement and do caclulations for determing a waypint from a know waypoint then UTM is the best as the cacluations are pretty straight forward.

So if you can tell us what you are trying to do then maybe we can help you get the correct tools to do it.

cheers

[+Haffy]

There is a program called "Geocalc "that might be of help, I don't have a link but I just did a Google search and it came right up so you might want to try that.

[+Sputnik 57]

There is a program called "Geocalc "that might be of help, I don't have a link but I just did a Google search and it came right up so you might want to try that.

link. But it runs on a PC, not a PDA.