How do I use my gps

red hilux

Well-Known Member
Im sure theirs a thread on this, but I need baby terms please.

I have a garmin GPS60, I know how to use it to log, back track etc, but I dont know exactly how to use co-ordinates and what it means.

For example S33 00.808 E115 54.653, if someone gave me that, how do I find that location??
 

bmurray2250

4x4 Earth Contributer
Using S33 00.808 E115 54.653 in Mapsource as a wayward point and save it. By clicking show on map with take you straight there. If correct upload it into the GPS60
 

red hilux

Well-Known Member
hmm, ok, I may have asked the question wrong.

I was more interested in knowing on how to take that info to find my way, using the coordinates, (excludes using mapsource), or is that really the only way
 

bmurray2250

4x4 Earth Contributer
I just rechecked my GPS60 and I couldn't find a way to input the information. The easiest way is to create the waypoints in mapsource or any other map s/w and load it up into the GPS. Then select Find - waypoints which will give you a direction and location of that co-ordinates. I use Shonkymaps, contour and track4Australia in mapsource which help to plan trips and marks I need to hit on a trip or just track the new routes we find
 

DazzGUIV

4x4 Earth Contributer
hmm, ok, I may have asked the question wrong.

I was more interested in knowing on how to take that info to find my way, using the coordinates, (excludes using mapsource), or is that really the only way

You should be able to input the coordinate as a waypoint then "find" the waypoint. it should at the least give you a bearing from your current location to the waypoint and distance to the waypoint.

Check out the geocaching feature - its the same principle...

I have a 60Cx and use it alot to find specified waypoints, im sure yours will be able to do the same.
 

red hilux

Well-Known Member
that waypoint I gave you is on the way to the harvey 4x4 track. normally I track the 4wding tracks I go, but I was wondering on if I had a spacific way point and then had to go there, how would I do it. That question has now been answered, thank you.

Now I have a new question, using my old example S33 00.808 E115 54.653, what does it mean?? I can figure out s33* but what does the 00.808 mean, is that the degree south that Im heading
 

hazza

New Member
Now I have a new question, using my old example S33 00.808 E115 54.653, what does it mean?? I can figure out s33* but what does the 00.808 mean, is that the degree south that Im heading
No that is just a co-ord not a heading, the co-ord is South 33 degrees, 0 minutes and 48.48 seconds (that's the 0.808 x 60 seconds)

The other one is easier to understand:

E115 54.653 = East 115 degrees, 54 minutes and 39.18 seconds
 

billolga

4x4 Earth Contributer
I just rechecked my GPS60 and I couldn't find a way to input the information. ....................

On the Garmin EMap GPS (And most others)- To input a WAYPOINT, just press & HOLD the ENTER KEY (You can be anywhere in the World) - it will make a Waypoint & show that Lat & Long.

WHILE THAT WINDOW IS OPEN, Edit the NAME & Change the Lat & Long to what you want.

You can call up waypoints & use GOTO.
 

bmurray2250

4x4 Earth Contributer
GPS can be setup many ways but in your example of S33 00.808 E115 54.653 means

South of the Equator by 33 degrees, 00 minutes and 808 seconds.
East of Greenwich mean time by 115 degree 54 minutes and 653 seconds

This appears to cover everything about a GPS A Practical Guide to GPS -UTM
 

Swaggie

Moderator
Now I have a new question, using my old example S33 00.808 E115 54.653, what does it mean?? I can figure out s33* but what does the 00.808 mean, is that the degree south that Im heading


Degrees,Minutes,(Seconds)....Basically seconds is a bees dick in the general direction...:)
 

bmurray2250

4x4 Earth Contributer
This site is good too. The distance between 153 degrees and 152 degrees has 3600 seconds or 60 minutes and 60 seconds per minute. The distance between varies on where you are on Earth. Distance at the equator is difference at the poles. More precisely the circumference of the earth t the equator is 24,902 mi / 40,076 km. So at the equator, 1 degree = 111.3KM, 1 minute = 1.85KM and 1 second = 0.03KM

GPS Latitude and Longitude Distance Calculator
 

hazza

New Member
GPS can be setup many ways but in your example of S33 00.808 E115 54.653 means

South of the Equator by 33 degrees, 00 minutes and 808 seconds.
No it does not, 808 seconds is nearly another 13 and a half minutes, which would put you in the completely wrong position. The "808" is point 808 of a minute, which is 48.48 seconds. So it is really:

South of the Equator by 33 degrees, 00 minutes and 48.48 seconds
 
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bmurray2250

4x4 Earth Contributer
Check you GPS settings they should be on Map Datium: WGS84, Position Format can be MGRS, hddd mm.mmm or hddd mmm ss.s. These tell you the position type. WGS84 needs to be set to the map you are using but WGS84 is most new maps.
 

bmurray2250

4x4 Earth Contributer
No it does not, 808 seconds is nearly another 13 and a half minutes, which would put you in the completely wrong position. The "808" is point 808 of a minute, which is 48.48 seconds. So it is really:

South of the Equator by 33 degrees, 00 minutes and 48.48 seconds

My bad, fixed that in other reply
 
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