GPS Co-Ordinates Mapping Problem

[Scuttler]

I've a feeling I'm missing something obvious here!

I've a list of marks that I'm trying to plot on a google map. The format is from the GPS so DDD MM.mm or mmm. Under normal circumstances I'd just take the degrees as given and then divide the MM.mmm by 60 but this does not seem to be working!

An example.

The M2 stern is at 50°34'.396 N 002°33'.985 W if I divide the 34.396 and 33.985 by 60 then I get 50.57327 and 2.566417 which puts me somewhere between Calais and Lens!

If I divide the 34 and 33 by 60 and then divide the 396 and 985 by 3600 and add it all together I get 50.67667 and 2.823611 which puts me somewhere between Dunkirk and Lille!

All lovely places I'm sure but not somewhere I'm planning on going diving and I'm fairly certain I won't find the M2 there!

Anyone know what I'm doing wrong??

[Paulo]

Google Earth allows you select the format off the coords you put in IIRC

[SimonK]

Not sure what you are trying to do but I just cut "50°34'.396 N 002°33'.985 W" from your post and pasted it into the search bar on google maps and got a pin off chesil beach.

[Scuttler]

Google Earth allows you select the format off the coords you put in IIRC

You're absolutely correct, it does but I have 170 co-ordinates to drop out of excel into another map that is looking for co-ordinates in decimal, I'm trying to write a macro to do it quickly rather than go through plotting all of them in Google and then trying to get it to print them in the right scale and format.

[cotochris]

Try this: N50°34.396 W 002°33.985

I took out the ' symbol after 34 and 33. You had both the ' folowed by the . It is either one or the other. For example if I use Garmin it is the dot, if Tom Ton GPS it is the ' (I think or the other way round)

[Scuttler]

Not sure what you are trying to do but I just cut "50°34'.396 N 002°33'.985 W" from your post and pasted it into the search bar on google maps and got a pin off chesil beach.

:)
It does, but if you put 50.57327, 2.566417 or 50.67667, 2.823611 it puts a pin in France! I'm trying to produce a single map with over 170 marks. Ive got a map software but it wants everything in decimal.
:(

[Scuttler]

Try this: N50°34.396 W 002°33.985

I took out the ' symbol after 34 and 33. You had both the ' folowed by the . It is either one or the other. For example if I use Garmin it is the dot, if Tom Ton GPS it is the ' (I think or the other way round)

The Excel formula already ignores ' and degrees.

I've tried 50+(34.396/60) and 2+(33.985/60) and I've tried 50+(34/60)+(396/3600) and 2+(33/60)+(985/3600)

[Adrian]

I think the value should be -ve for West and +ve for East. That's the only explanation I can think of for a result around Calais which is East of the zero meridian.

[SimonK]

As Adrian said -Ve West, +Ve East

So put in 50.57327, -2.566417

[cotochris]

A question but I hope the answer will help you as well:

If you have many co-ordinares how can you place it all in one .gpx file?

[Scuttler]

I think the value should be -ve for West and +ve for East. That's the only explanation I can think of for a result around Calais which is East of the zero meridian.

Cheers Adrian, that's sorted it.

The GPS co-ordinates get divided by 60 and of course W is -ve!!! Oops :)

[Scuttler]

A question but I hope the answer will help you as well:

If you have many co-ordinares how can you place it all in one .gpx file?

No idea, I'm not trying to do that. I'm just trying to plot them all onto one map on my PC and print it out.

Hopefully someone can give you a pointer on it :)

[cotochris]

No idea, I'm not trying to do that. I'm just trying to plot them all onto one map on my PC and print it out.

Hopefully someone can give you a pointer on it :)

I'll find that out through my Geocaching friends so I'll ask around next couple of days.

[timthefish]

Fairly simple to do with a standard scientific calculator. Put in as degrees, minutes, seconds and change into decimal

[MikeF]

I've a feeling I'm missing something obvious here!

I've a list of marks that I'm trying to plot on a google map. The format is from the GPS so DDD MM.mm or mmm. Under normal circumstances I'd just take the degrees as given and then divide the MM.mmm by 60 but this does not seem to be working!

An example.

The M2 stern is at 50°34'.396 N 002°33'.985 W if I divide the 34.396 and 33.985 by 60 then I get 50.57327 and 2.566417 which puts me somewhere between Calais and Lens!

If I divide the 34 and 33 by 60 and then divide the 396 and 985 by 3600 and add it all together I get 50.67667 and 2.823611 which puts me somewhere between Dunkirk and Lille!

All lovely places I'm sure but not somewhere I'm planning on going diving and I'm fairly certain I won't find the M2 there!

Anyone know what I'm doing wrong??

the coordinates you have will be degrees / minutes / 1000's of a minute and you are looking for degrees / minutes / seconds?

so deg/min/mmm 54.34.500 is 54 degrees / 34 minutes / 30 seconds

sorry read the post better if you want to convert from d/m/mmm to decimal degrees you'll find a useful converter for positions into various datums here: http://www.fieldenmaps.info/cconv/cconv_gb.html

[SimonK]

A good general purpose coordinate translator covering most of the worlds systems (and the F16s unique take on MGRS) provide by those fine people the US taxpayer

http://http://earth-info.nga.mil/GandG/geotrans/

[Decosnapper]

A question but I hope the answer will help you as well:

If you have many co-ordinares how can you place it all in one .gpx file?

Mac or PC?

[cotochris]

Mac or PC?

PC please :)