Re: [cayugabirds-l] Use of GPS Coordinates
Hey All, I'm no expert and perhaps that makes my two cents more valuable. All I seem to need are the numbers and the first decimal point to be able to successfully plug the locations into both my car GPS and my iPhone. It would seem that anyone that needed a more sophisticated way of listing coordinates would be able to just use the numbers and put the proper notations that they needed, after them. Let's see what others say. Best Linda Orkin On Sun, Dec 18, 2011 at 8:24 AM, bob mcguire bmcgu...@clarityconnect.comwrote: The Cayuga Bird Club is in the process of finalizing the text of the new Basin Birding Guide. At the last minute we have decided to include GPS coordinates with the directions/maps for each of the 76 sites. I would like help and feedback with the following question: which format for coordinates to incorporate? I expect that folks will use GPS coordinates either at home (on their computers - Google Earth of Maps), or on car GPS units, or on smart phones. The simplest format seems to be so-called decimal degrees Latitude: ##.° Longitude: -##.° An alternative format is degrees minutes seconds Latitude: N##°##' ## Longitude: W##°##' ## (I know there are still other formats as well.) I would prefer to go with what seems to be the most straight forward: decimal degrees. Is there a good argument for any other format? Can I provoke a good Sunday discussion here?!! Bob McGuire -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Use of GPS Coordinates
Probably more important than DD (degrees decimal) or DMS (degrees minutes seconds) is that all submitted data uses the same system. Most common are NAD 27 and WGS 84. Everyone taking GPS coordinates in the field needs to use the same data system when submitting the DD or DMS to you. But back to your original question: I would look on Garmin's and TomTom's websites and find out which is their default mode. Judy Read -- From: bob mcguire bmcgu...@clarityconnect.com Sent: Sunday, December 18, 2011 8:24 AM To: cayugabirdlist cayugabirds-L@cornell.edu Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Use of GPS Coordinates The Cayuga Bird Club is in the process of finalizing the text of the new Basin Birding Guide. At the last minute we have decided to include GPS coordinates with the directions/maps for each of the 76 sites. I would like help and feedback with the following question: which format for coordinates to incorporate? I expect that folks will use GPS coordinates either at home (on their computers - Google Earth of Maps), or on car GPS units, or on smart phones. The simplest format seems to be so-called decimal degrees Latitude: ##.° Longitude: -##.° An alternative format is degrees minutes seconds Latitude: N##°##' ## Longitude: W##°##' ## (I know there are still other formats as well.) I would prefer to go with what seems to be the most straight forward: decimal degrees. Is there a good argument for any other format? Can I provoke a good Sunday discussion here?!! Bob McGuire -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Use of GPS Coordinates
Another use of these coordinates is tagging photography--taking a picture of a bird with a gps-capable camera produces the coordinates where the bird was sighted (actually, where the birder was standing when the bird was sighted). Looking on flickr, I see the flickr map function uses the decimal degrees format. Pictures that I've taken with my hand-held GPSmap camera have degrees and decimal minutes xx° xx.xxx', a third format added to your two below--the seconds converted to decimal minutes. There are converters available for whatever format is chosen. A quick web search produced http://www.csgnetwork.com/gpscoordconv.html --Elaina On 12/18/11 8:24 AM, bob mcguire bmcgu...@clarityconnect.com wrote: The Cayuga Bird Club is in the process of finalizing the text of the new Basin Birding Guide. At the last minute we have decided to include GPS coordinates with the directions/maps for each of the 76 sites. I would like help and feedback with the following question: which format for coordinates to incorporate? I expect that folks will use GPS coordinates either at home (on their computers - Google Earth of Maps), or on car GPS units, or on smart phones. The simplest format seems to be so-called decimal degrees Latitude: ##.° Longitude: -##.° An alternative format is degrees minutes seconds Latitude: N##°##' ## Longitude: W##°##' ## (I know there are still other formats as well.) I would prefer to go with what seems to be the most straight forward: decimal degrees. Is there a good argument for any other format? Can I provoke a good Sunday discussion here?!! Bob McGuire -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
RE: [cayugabirds-l] Use of GPS Coordinates
Hi Bob, Great question as I know different folks relate differently to numbers. My personal preference is the decimal degrees for lat-long. That is what I have my hand-held GPS unit set to. Jody Jody W. Enck, PhD. Research Associate, Human Dimensions Research Unit Department of Natural Resources Cornell University phone 607-255-8192 web www.dnr.cornell.edu/hdru/ -Original Message- From: bounce-39013239-3493...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-39013239-3493...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of bob mcguire Sent: Sunday, December 18, 2011 8:24 AM To: CAYUGABIRDS-L Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Use of GPS Coordinates The Cayuga Bird Club is in the process of finalizing the text of the new Basin Birding Guide. At the last minute we have decided to include GPS coordinates with the directions/maps for each of the 76 sites. I would like help and feedback with the following question: which format for coordinates to incorporate? I expect that folks will use GPS coordinates either at home (on their computers - Google Earth of Maps), or on car GPS units, or on smart phones. The simplest format seems to be so-called decimal degrees Latitude: ##.° Longitude: -##.° An alternative format is degrees minutes seconds Latitude: N##°##' ## Longitude: W##°##' ## (I know there are still other formats as well.) I would prefer to go with what seems to be the most straight forward: decimal degrees. Is there a good argument for any other format? Can I provoke a good Sunday discussion here?!! Bob McGuire -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Use of GPS Coordinates
My most common use is to plunk the DD decimal degrees coordinates into Google Maps on my phone. It works 100% of the time. My GPS mapping program uses DD or DMS. The other GPS driving applications I use, GPS Drive and MapQuest, always seem to get confused so I have to enter locations in address form. Google Maps is standard on the iPhone and probably on other phones as well. My vote would be for DD decimal degrees. Gary On Dec 18, 2011, at 8:24 AM, bob mcguire wrote: The Cayuga Bird Club is in the process of finalizing the text of the new Basin Birding Guide. At the last minute we have decided to include GPS coordinates with the directions/maps for each of the 76 sites. I would like help and feedback with the following question: which format for coordinates to incorporate? I expect that folks will use GPS coordinates either at home (on their computers - Google Earth of Maps), or on car GPS units, or on smart phones. The simplest format seems to be so-called decimal degrees Latitude: ##.° Longitude: -##.° An alternative format is degrees minutes seconds Latitude: N##°##' ## Longitude: W##°##' ## (I know there are still other formats as well.) I would prefer to go with what seems to be the most straight forward: decimal degrees. Is there a good argument for any other format? Can I provoke a good Sunday discussion here?!! Bob McGuire -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
