Manually Entering Coordinates

shoab · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 03, 2008 Posts: 8

Hi all

I am new to this site and have had a Garmin etrex vista Cx for several months. I thought that I was getting quite fluent with it... until this weekend. I am in the process of changing a Tv aerial and wanted to be a bit flash and use my garmin to lign up the aerial with the transmitter (Sandy Heath in Bedfordshire) ! I googled the transmitter and got the GPS coordinates for it they are GPS: 52.1298,-0.242475. I have tried various methods of getting these coordinates into my garmin but cannot get anywhere near where the transmitter is... I know the general location from google maps !

My settings are:

Position format hddd.mm.mmm

Map datum WGS 84

No matter how I try I get to within 10 miles or way out ! If I point to Sandy town itself I get N 52.07.746 W 000.17.509 on my map screen as its location it is somewhere close to the transmitter I know so shouldnt be far out.

Can anyone advise me on what I am doing wrong or am I totally confused ?

PS I also got the following figures from Google maps which show two set of numbers !

52.129800, -0.242475‎

- - Placement on map is approximate
+52° 7' 47.28", -0° 14' 32.91"

regards

Graham

PaulB2005 · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:37 am Post subject:

Hi and welcome.

missing_user · Joined: Aug 30, 2008 Posts: -7

PaulB2005 · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 12:06 pm Post subject:

I am of course assuming you can change the format you enter the co-ordinates into the unit.

From Google Earth the location of the transmitter is

In Degrees, Minutes, Seconds
52° 7'48.60"N
0°14'30.35"W

In Degrees Decimal Minutes
52° 7.820'N
0° 14.496'W

if either of those conversions help.

Additional: Looks like strumble is the one with the answer. Had a weekend in The Lakes trying to get my head round the co-ordinates business. Thought I'd done quite well over the weekend but something seems to have become unravelled on the way home..... Crying or Very sad

shoab · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 03, 2008 Posts: 8

tHi all

Thanks for the replies !

I can indeed change the formay and I will try that and the other methods. The transmitter is 2 miles from Sandy 1 mile from Potton so that shows that you have got it right I will do that now and see if i get the same location now ! Smile

Regards

Graham

shoab · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 03, 2008 Posts: 8

Hi Strumble

Putting the coordinates in as you suggest "Should you not enter the details as:- N52.12980 W0.24247" Put the icon on map view as North of Bedford between the A1 and A6 which is north and west of the transmitter position !

Paulb2005

Changing the format and entering as N 52.01298, W 002.42.475, puts me in Wales ! Embarassed

putting W 000.24.247 puts me North of Hitchin West of Shefford !

I still must be doing something wrong !

Regards

Graham

PaulB2005 · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 12:57 pm Post subject:

shoab · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 03, 2008 Posts: 8

Hi Paulb2005

Sorry but I just checked my format and I had not set it as you said I must have knocked it back to another format... Embarassed

Changing to hddd.ddddd and inputting the figures gets me really close if not on it ! However I can only put in 24247 and not the last figure (5) but this gets me there or there abouts !

For info I have topo GB v2, Oct 2007 loaded on my Garmin. I know I am near to the transmitter as I can see the waypoint now just North of Sandy Lane and West of potton which is about right

Is there a clear explanation somewhere on coordinate formats I can read as this would seem to be what I need to get my head around ie what the formats mean and why they are in different configurations .... a recommended book would be good ? Obviously I need to understand where the decimals go when entering the data !

Thanks to everyone for their replies.

Regards

Graham

shoab · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 03, 2008 Posts: 8

Hi

Apologies also to Strumble.......... it now works as you said Embarassed

.... must get my head around the number formats though !!!

Regards

Graham

missing_user · Joined: Aug 30, 2008 Posts: -7

Have you put my N52.12980 W0.24247 into Google Satelite view?

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=N52.13019+W0.24146&ie=UTF8&t=k&z=16&iwloc=addr

shoab · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 03, 2008 Posts: 8

Strumble

I have now... and it places the arrow about 50 yards ? from the transmitter mast so i think that, that, is near enough. I still need to understand the coordinate formats though and could do with some light reading !! If you know of any let me know ?

My concern is that if someone gives me coordinates in the future I may get it badly wrong again ....

Thanks again

Graham

missing_user · Joined: Aug 30, 2008 Posts: -7

I thought I was a little tooooo accurate, as the location I gave should be at the base of the mast!!!!!!!! Very Happy

Here is what I see from the link I gave above.

It is easier to learn about the locations on the PC. Have you Mapsource on the PC?

shoab · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 03, 2008 Posts: 8

Hi Strumble

Yes I have mapsource on the PC.

I also invested in GB topo which I have downloded to the Garmin and I have Memory Map South England on the PC too ! Is there a way of learning about coordinates through Mapsource then ?

Regards

Graham

missing_user · Joined: Aug 30, 2008 Posts: -7

Just go to Mapsource on the PC.
EDIT-Preferences-Position
and play with the the main four options for the UK there - see the different formats.

The quickest way to input a new location on my units is to make a Waypoint wherever I am, and then change the co-ordinates to suit the new entry you wish to make. That way you will alway remember the format.

Make sure that unit and PC are using the same format!

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