GPS question

[Badger999]

By default my garmin chartplotter takes position data in the following format<br />N 27' 59' 19.6<br />W 080 38 51.7<br /><br />But Top spots charts gives a position like this........................................ <br /> North West<br />28' 37.46 80 25.30<br /><br />So what position format should I be using to match the top Spots map?<br />As you can see the number of numerals is different. Obviously W80 is the same as W080 but you are still dropping the last numeral that comes after the decimal point at the end of each lat/long. So it seems the numbers need to be converted or the format changed on the GPS unit?

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: GPS question

Badger, go into your GPS and under preferences look for "units". Change your units to the dd*mm.mmm option. I think that's how it looks in there. Degrees minutes and tenths, hundredths and thousandths of minutes. Don't worry about the last, or 3rd number after the decimal point. Not all charts go that much into detail. It won't change your charted position. That last digit represents about 5.5 feet per thousandth. Unless you're trying to drop a smart bomb down somebody's chimney from 30,000 feet, you don't need to worry about it. Your GPS isn't that accurate anyway. Just make sure the format in your GPS looks like what I typed above and you're good.

 

[Badger999]

Re: GPS question

Thanks. Then for that last digit I assume I just enter zero?

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: GPS question

That's right badger or better yet enter a 5 so you're right in the middle and the error will be as small as possible.

 

[Badger999]

Re: GPS question

Originally posted by Drowned Rat:<br /> That's right badger or better yet enter a 5 so you're right in the middle and the error will be as small as possible.

Hey that's creative thinking