GPS units ( hddd mm ss.s )

[UT mountain slayer]

I fund my first two cashs last weekend. my Gps was set on WGS84 and the position was on hddd mm ss.s why do most cashers use the hddd mm mm . I changed my gps to hddd mm mm to set the lat & long and then changed my gps back to hddd mm ss.s and had no trouble at all finding the cash box. what is the differents in the two setting ? is one better to use then the other ?

I like to use the hddd mm ss.s because the topo map web site that I have been using to find lakes with uses it and I have fund every lake I have looked for including small ponds 5 to 10 in Dia.

 

any answers ? I just did not want to switch back and forth if I didn't need to.

 

UT mountain slayer

[+EraSeek]

No difference. Just that this site, (and your GPSr's default) is in Hddd mm.mmm, so you will have to convert that by changing it to what ever you want anytime you grab a coordinate from here.

 

[Kerry.]

Input whatever format in the right format then change to whatever format preference and one won't have a problem but mix things up and one could be half a mile out.

 

Cheers, Kerry.

 

I never get lost everybody keeps telling me where to go

[Tahosa and Sons]

If you are going to use your GPS with a map make sure your GPS is set to the same datum that the map is. Most TOPO maps are Nad27 not WGS 84.

Here in CO the same way point moves about 600 ft with the different datums. One thing to learn is UTM's, they are by far the easiest way to plot your coordinates on a map.

http://www.maptools.com/UsingUTM/index.html

 

Tahosa - Dweller of the moutain tops.

[+ApK]

quote:

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Originally posted by UT mountain slayer:

I fund my first two cashs last weekend. my Gps was set on WGS84 and the position was on hddd mm ss.s why do most cashers use the hddd mm mm . I changed my gps to hddd mm mm to set the lat & long and then changed my gps back to hddd mm ss.s and had no trouble at all finding the cash box. what is the differents in the two setting ? is one better to use then the other ?

I like to use the hddd mm ss.s because the topo map web site that I have been using to find lakes with uses it and I have fund every lake I have looked for including small ponds 5 to 10 in Dia.

 

any answers ? I just did not want to switch back and forth if I didn't need to.

 

UT mountain slayer

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I believe I read here somewhere that the mm.mmm format was chosen simply because that is how most GPS come by default.

 

ApK

[Eeyore and Shadow]

Decimal minutes are slightly more acurate than minutes, seconds. Decimal minutes are 1/100th of a minute where as a second is 1/60th of a minute.

But the margin of error in gps can easily make the difference irrelavent. And as to why different people prefer the different method I believe is a matter of personal preference. I work in a field where I use angular measurements almost daily. For measurements I prefer DD°MM'SS.SS" but for cutting an angle i find DD°MM.MMM' is easier.

 

"Geocaching" - A nature hike with a mission!

[+ApK]

quote:

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Originally posted by Eeyore and the Shadow:

Decimal minutes are slightly more acurate than minutes, seconds

"Geocaching" - A nature hike with a mission!

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Interested readers will please search for previously hashed out explainations of the difference between accuracy and precision.