Longitude/Latitude question?

[+Ark_Glad]

Hey people...

 

Was just wondering if someone could clear up a query I have over longitude and latitude.

 

I have an app that allegedly provides a more accurate GPS position and when it displays it's results, they are shown in the following format:

 

Latitude:38° 41' 7.8351"

Longitude:-96° 30' 14.0625"

 

However on my Geocache App the same coordinates are shown as:

 

Latitude:N 38° 41.1306'

Longitude:W 96° 30.2344'

 

I can see the obvious difference where N and W are used in the second set of coordinates but don't quite understand the differences in the figures at the end of each of the coordinates (the ones I have highlighted in red)

 

Would love an explanation if anyone has one.

 

Many thanks

 

Arkwright

[Keystone]

Your app is more precise due to the format used (decimal seconds). That is a separate question from accuracy. The second coordinates express the same location in a different format (decimal minutes) that's the standard on Geocaching.com. The "minus" sign is the same as saying the western hemisphere or the southern hemisphere.

 

It would be helpful to know what smartphone you are using, and what navigation app. For example, many iPhone users try to record coordinates using the built-in compass app that comes on their iPhone. That's useless for geocaching, since it can only use DD MM SS (Degrees Minutes Seconds) format. In my part of the world, the difference between the two formats is dramatic. DD MM SS can only be precise to an area of 7300 square feet, whereas decimal minutes format is precise to an area of 36 square feet.

 

I see time after time where iPhone compass app users have to adjust their coordinates. Reviewers are doing a better job lately of catching these issues in advance and working with the cache owners to point them towards more precise measuring tools.

 

What are some other apps that do a better job than the iPhone compass? For example, the Geocaching® app for iPhone displays the user's location in decimal minutes format.

[+HHL]

Hey people...

 

Was just wondering if someone could clear up a query I have over longitude and latitude.

[...]

 

It's the same as with the clock:

1 degree° contains 60 minutes'. 1 minute' contains 60 seconds".

You can explain one and a half hour as:

1h 30min or as 1.5 hours | where 30mins are 0.5

For coords:

Latitude:38° 41' 30.0000" is the same as 38° 41.5'

 

Hans

Edited July 22, 2016 by HHL

[+T.D.M.22]

It's a different form of coordinates. There are several different types, each being written in a different way, but representing the same location. Just like using miles, feet, or kilometers to measure distance.

 

Also, it's not really the app that gives you co-ords. All apps get it from the same GPS chip. It's really the same difference as saying my car is faster because it's red. Its just presented differently to you.

[+HHL]

[...] It's really the same difference as saying my car is faster because it's red. Its just presented differently to you.

 

No, the colours are Garmin Montana or Oregon. It would be the same difference as saying "My car is going 60 miles" or "My car is going 96 kilometers". Same speed, different figures.

 

Hans

[+Ark_Glad]

Your app is more precise due to the format used (decimal seconds). That is a separate question from accuracy. The second coordinates express the same location in a different format (decimal minutes) that's the standard on Geocaching.com. The "minus" sign is the same as saying the western hemisphere or the southern hemisphere.

 

It would be helpful to know what smartphone you are using, and what navigation app.

 

I'm using a Samsung Galaxy running Android M and an app called 'Precision GPS' which apparently provides average coordinates if you leave it running for a while. I think I read somewhere that this provided a more accurate location (though I could have imagined that)

 

So if I used the app to provide coordinates for a hide, how would I convert them to be able to enter them in Geocaching.com?

[+J Grouchy]

Your app is more precise due to the format used (decimal seconds). That is a separate question from accuracy. The second coordinates express the same location in a different format (decimal minutes) that's the standard on Geocaching.com. The "minus" sign is the same as saying the western hemisphere or the southern hemisphere.

 

It would be helpful to know what smartphone you are using, and what navigation app.

 

I'm using a Samsung Galaxy running Android M and an app called 'Precision GPS' which apparently provides average coordinates if you leave it running for a while. I think I read somewhere that this provided a more accurate location (though I could have imagined that)

 

So if I used the app to provide coordinates for a hide, how would I convert them to be able to enter them in Geocaching.com?

 

The site will actually automatically translate the most common coordinate formats. Just type them in and submit them and you'll see.

[+rosebud55112]

On your app, the one that gave you the .1306 and the .2344 above:

 

Take the decimal portions of the minutes and multiply each by 60. That will give you the seconds under the familiar DD MM SS method.

 

So .1306 * 60 = 7.836 (close enough to the 7.8351 you show); and .2344 * 60 = 14.064 (compare to 14.0625)

 

To reverse the process, divide by sixty.

 

As stated above, neither description is necessarily more accurate than the other, but precision levels are slightly different.

[+Touchstone]

Your app is more precise due to the format used (decimal seconds). That is a separate question from accuracy. The second coordinates express the same location in a different format (decimal minutes) that's the standard on Geocaching.com. The "minus" sign is the same as saying the western hemisphere or the southern hemisphere.

 

It would be helpful to know what smartphone you are using, and what navigation app.

 

I'm using a Samsung Galaxy running Android M and an app called 'Precision GPS' which apparently provides average coordinates if you leave it running for a while. I think I read somewhere that this provided a more accurate location (though I could have imagined that)

 

So if I used the app to provide coordinates for a hide, how would I convert them to be able to enter them in Geocaching.com?

 

The site will actually automatically translate the most common coordinate formats. Just type them in and submit them and you'll see.

....and make sure you double check the planning maps, to make sure the location on the map coincides with what you entered. It's very easy to mistype something and end up submitting something at the wrong location.

[ohgood]

Hey people...

 

Was just wondering if someone could clear up a query I have over longitude and latitude.

 

I have an app that allegedly provides a more accurate GPS position and when it displays it's results, they are shown in the following format:

 

Latitude:38° 41' 7.8351"

Longitude:-96° 30' 14.0625"

 

However on my Geocache App the same coordinates are shown as:

 

Latitude:N 38° 41.1306'

Longitude:W 96° 30.2344'

 

I can see the obvious difference where N and W are used in the second set of coordinates but don't quite understand the differences in the figures at the end of each of the coordinates (the ones I have highlighted in red)

 

Would love an explanation if anyone has one.

 

Many thanks

 

Arkwright

 

"gps averaging" is a better application. it lets you choose the coordinate formatting, and directly exports to either Google maps, Locus, sms, email, your clipboard, or whatever mapping applications you have installed. then you paste that directly into the website if you like.

 

no conversion needed, and reliably gets very good averages in less than a minute.

[+HHL]

@ohgood: could you please stop your full post quoting? Thanks.

 

Hans

Edited July 22, 2016 by HHL

[Pup Patrol]

@ohgood: could you please stop your full post quoting? Thanks.

 

Hans

 

 

Why?

 

It's an excellent way to make sure that the full post is saved, should the OP decide to completely change it.

 

And to make sure that one is posting a reply that one can address all pertinent points.

 

Why is ohgood doing it a problem for you, but not the other posters?

 

I think if there was a problem, a Moderator would be the one to tell folks how they should do things here, no?

 

B.

Edited July 22, 2016 by Pup Patrol

[+narcissa]

@ohgood: could you please stop your full post quoting? Thanks.

 

Hans

 

 

Why?

 

It's an excellent way to make sure that the full post is saved, should the OP decide to completely change it.

 

And to make sure that one is posting a reply that one can address all pertinent points.

 

Why is ohgood doing it a problem for you, but not the other posters?

 

I think if there was a problem, a Moderator would be the one to tell folks how they should do things here, no?

 

B.

 

+1

[+bflentje]

Latitude:38° 41' 7.8351"

Longitude:-96° 30' 14.0625"

 

However on my Geocache App the same coordinates are shown as:

 

Latitude:N 38° 41.1306'

Longitude:W 96° 30.2344'

 

To better illustrate it..

 

7.8351 / 60 = .1306 and .1306 * 60 = 7.8351

 

same math holds true for longitude.