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Converting to usable GPS

Posted: June 28th, 2019, 9:25 am
by Boudreux
Now to start off I am no wizard when it comes to GPS usage. When I looks at the reef coordinates on the Wakulla county gps page, the lat and long are in a different format than my GPS uses. Here is the page I'm talking about.

https://www.floridagofishing.com/reefs/ ... ounty.html

My question is, how do I translate those numbers into a format that I can use in my gps?

Re: Converting to usable GPS

Posted: June 28th, 2019, 10:07 am
by DEMON
We need more info. Are you trying to download to your machine or just get the coordinates to input them yourself? There are several different formats that your machine may be set @. Give us an example of what format you are currently using.

Check this site & see if it is the format that your currently use:

https://myfwc.com/media/19397/artificia ... ations.pdf

Re: Converting to usable GPS

Posted: June 28th, 2019, 10:52 am
by Steve Stinson
Those coordinates are degrees.minutes.decimal of minutes or DDMM.MMM The change between the lat and long is hard to see because the numbers are all shoved together. In this area the Lat. will begin with a number around 29 or 30 and the Long will begin with a number around 83 or 84 so that is where you switch from lat to long on each line in your list.

To get these numbers in your gps it would be easier to change the setting in your gps from DDMMSS.SSS (Degrees, minutes, seconds) to DDMM.MMMM (degrees, minutes and decimal of a minute). Once you have the new numbers entered you can switch the gps setting back to your preference and it will automatically convert the coordinates.

- Steve Stinson

Re: Converting to usable GPS

Posted: June 28th, 2019, 11:00 am
by doomtrpr_z71
Those numbers are like that because they want you to buy the gpx file from them, gps Babel will convert them, I think I have all the public big bend numbers as a gpx posted somewhere on here.

Re: Converting to usable GPS

Posted: June 28th, 2019, 1:05 pm
by Srbenda
It might be easier for you to download the Navionics app, and use that to enter your coordinates and get to the spot the first time. Then mark it on your GPS.
It'll cost you $10, but well worth it in frustration.

Re: Converting to usable GPS

Posted: June 28th, 2019, 1:46 pm
by Boudreux
DEMON wrote:We need more info. Are you trying to download to your machine or just get the coordinates to input them yourself? There are several different formats that your machine may be set @. Give us an example of what format you are currently using.

Check this site & see if it is the format that your currently use:

https://myfwc.com/media/19397/artificia ... ations.pdf
These coordinates on the webpage you listed is how my gps is set up, thank you.

Re: Converting to usable GPS

Posted: June 28th, 2019, 1:47 pm
by Boudreux
Steve Stinson wrote:Those coordinates are degrees.minutes.decimal of minutes or DDMM.MMM The change between the lat and long is hard to see because the numbers are all shoved together. In this area the Lat. will begin with a number around 29 or 30 and the Long will begin with a number around 83 or 84 so that is where you switch from lat to long on each line in your list.

To get these numbers in your gps it would be easier to change the setting in your gps from DDMMSS.SSS (Degrees, minutes, seconds) to DDMM.MMMM (degrees, minutes and decimal of a minute). Once you have the new numbers entered you can switch the gps setting back to your preference and it will automatically convert the coordinates.

- Steve Stinson
Learn something new everyday. I will check that out on my unit. Thank you

Re: Converting to usable GPS

Posted: June 28th, 2019, 1:48 pm
by Boudreux
Srbenda wrote:It might be easier for you to download the Navionics app, and use that to enter your coordinates and get to the spot the first time. Then mark it on your GPS.
It'll cost you $10, but well worth it in frustration.
I've thought about that but once I get about 5-6 miles offshore, I don't have any cell/internet signal. Does the navionics app require it?

Re: Converting to usable GPS

Posted: June 28th, 2019, 3:01 pm
by Srbenda
Boudreux wrote:
Srbenda wrote:It might be easier for you to download the Navionics app, and use that to enter your coordinates and get to the spot the first time. Then mark it on your GPS.
It'll cost you $10, but well worth it in frustration.
I've thought about that but once I get about 5-6 miles offshore, I don't have any cell/internet signal. Does the navionics app require it?
No, you can download the app and the maps when you are online, and then it maintains those without signal.
All you need is a GPS signal and a phone battery.

Re: Converting to usable GPS

Posted: June 28th, 2019, 9:07 pm
by Boudreux
Srbenda wrote:
Boudreux wrote:
Srbenda wrote:It might be easier for you to download the Navionics app, and use that to enter your coordinates and get to the spot the first time. Then mark it on your GPS.
It'll cost you $10, but well worth it in frustration.
I've thought about that but once I get about 5-6 miles offshore, I don't have any cell/internet signal. Does the navionics app require it?
No, you can download the app and the maps when you are online, and then it maintains those without signal.
All you need is a GPS signal and a phone battery.

Great, I'll check it out