Messing around on the DNR site and came across the fish attractor maps http://www.dnr.sc.gov/fish/fishattract/keoweeloc.html Well after looking at my hand held Lowrance H2O Ifinder I can’t get the number to match up . My gps shows numbers as ,say , N 34 48 375’ but the DNR site has more numbers on the last digits like ,34 41 52.20 . What’s am I missing here , this site matches up with my GPS http://boulter.com/gps/#34%2048%20523%20-%2082%2054%20046 . .I know about degrees , minutes and seconds in surveying but something don’t match up right .
Anybody ?
I can change the format on my handheld. If yours can’t use that link above.
quote:
Originally posted by TheIslanderI can change the format on my handheld. If yours can’t use that link above.
I can change mine to degrees , but I don’t think the DRN site is in degrees
1 34 41 52.20 82 57 59.90
2 34 42 40.82 82 57 57.15"
3 34 43 52.25 82 58 24.07
4 34 44 38.20 82 59 39.50
5 34 45 08.14 82 57 28.18
6 34 46 51.80 82 58 26.80
7 34 47 36.74" 82 55 50.99
8 34 47 48.10 82 56 27.60
9 34 48 03.76 82 54 15.79
10 34 48 40.65 82 55 19.19
11 34 49 35.20 82 53 19.90
12 34 49 58.90 82 57 12.10
13 34 50 31.16 82 56 26.08
14 34 50 50.70 82 52 07.10
15 34 53 49.30 82 50 48.50
16 34 54 09.30 82 53 53.00
17 34 56 46.40 82 52 45.80"
The last row of numbers on Latitude and longitude don’t seem to match anything . Am I thinking right by saying line 17 is 34 degrees 56 minutes and 46.40 seconds ? My gps will not show 46.40 , only 3 numbers . I tried your link and it doesn’t convert using DNR numbers , ???
Site Latitude Longitude
1 34 41 52.20 82 57 59.90
2 34 42 40.82 82 57 57.15"
3 34 43 52.25 82 58 24.07
Maybe a little easier to read , did I do it wrong if I wanted degrees ?
DNR site is in (D)DD MM’ ss.ss". Your GPS is using (D)DD mm.mmm’
Basically .1 minutes= 6 seconds
For example:
40 Degrees, 21.300 Minutes=40 Degrees, 21 Minutes, 18.0 Seconds
Thanks TheIslander , I changed the format , just a different set of numbers so I guess it doesn’t matter . Another question is what does the console type or the more expensive GPS use in case I get one . Another thought , if one was broke down out in the big pond which numbers would one send for help ??
As of now I just use mine to navigate through the fog on Keowee on the bad days, plus saving fishing spots 
Glad to help.
I would think most higher end units can be set to whichever format you want to use.
Any official agency you call for help should be able to convert the #'s well enough to find you. Keep in mind tenths of seconds of lat/long translates to a few yards.
Although you would think that “Official Agencies” would be able to convert any GPS numbers to find you with whatever GPS numbers you give them, think again. In the 12 years I’ve been with Sea Tow, I can think of at least a dozen or more times that the “Official Agency” took lat/lon numbers from a boater in distress, and then spent an untold of amount of time looking in the wrong place.
GPS 3 can be expressed in 3 formats. Make sure your format is set to this format
N33 03.958 W70 55.363 Thsi is the format all rescue agencies (USCG) use. And they either cannot convert OR most likely are so attuned to this format they think everyone uses it and do not THINK about how the numbers are expressed.
IF your GPS gives you a number N33.06597 W79.92272 this is the same posit as the GPS numbers above: take .06597 X 60 =03.958
If your GPS gives you N33 03 57.5 take 57.5 divided by 60 = .958
Last year a boater called out for the CG off the Edisto 40 and gave their GPS as the third format. The CG took the numbers and tried to plot with the wrong format. It put them near the 17 bridge in Greenpond, not the 40. So the CG spends 4 hours looking in the wrong place. And then would not believe anyone when we said they were plotting wrong. They already had a helo in the air and went to the “corrected” numbers and found the two boys.
Moral of the story, know your GPS format,know how to change it and send your GPS numbers in a format that will not confuse your positiion to these “Official Agencies”
Mike Crouch
Sea Tow Charleston
843-881-8949
The USCG is where I learned to convert all formats. Granted it was many moons ago but it was requied knowledge.
Mike are you saying the DNR site has the cords in the wrong format to report if you were lost , http://www.dnr.sc.gov/fish/fishattract/keoweeloc.html
I changed mine to read , say 34 47.133’ <<<< is this what it should be ,
I still am lost why the DNR posted it to be , 34 41’ 52.20’’
I wonder now if I am in the 3rd zone , I’ll just keep bumping into the walls till it comes clear .
Nope, the DNR coordinates are right, just in a different format than what is most often used by “Official Agencies”.
And as TheIslander learned to convert in the CG, I learned to convert in the Navy and it seems this is not the case in the SAR office.
Do not count on the CG to know where the Chas 60 is or the Ledge.
And fishingpox…thats what I think you should be set to. And if you need to navigate in snotty weather on your chartplotter alone, run a good track in clear weather, save the track and next time zoom in as far as you can and you’ll stay on that track line. I ran the ditch for ever at night on saved track lines.
Mike Crouch
Sea Tow Charleston
843-881-8949
Thanks Mike
After reading a bit I found
Latitude-longitude is expressed in three basic formats
–degrees/minutes/seconds
–degrees/minutes/decimal minutes
–degrees/decimal degrees.
So the DNR posts it as degrees/minutes/decimal minutes , correct?
It doesn’t really matter ,like you said I just go by my saved trails . I guess I am just trying to learn something I never looked into , I hope I never get to old to learn Thanks again i’ll keep reading Sid
DNR #'s are in Deg. Min. Sec.
And most boaters that I know use degrees/minutes/decimal minutes (DD MM.MMM)… Essentially, you just want to make sure that you GPS is set to the right format when you ENTER THEM into the unit. Once they are entered, then you should be able to switch to the other formats and the conversions will be done automatically…
In retrospect, from a “search and rescue” perspective, either format will be fine… Each minute of latitude is 1 nautical mile… So, if you have them 32d 30.500m and they interpreted it as 32d 30m 50s, the are going to be less than a half a mile away. However, that is a LONG way away if you are trying to find a sunken object…
Also, I’ve seen some people write numbers as 32 30.65 (like mapsunique)… What format is that in? On the surface, it looks like it is 32d 30m 65 seconds, but it’s pretty obvious that it is not because seconds will never be > 59. So, in that case, it would be equivalent to 32d 30.650m
The most common mistake by “Official Agencies” is when a boater gives them a number like 33.06597 which is interpreted as 33 06.597
And 33 03 57.5 which is interpreted as 33 03.575
Can you see how they would be confused?
Mike Crouch
Sea Tow Charleston
843-881-8949
So a call comes into the Coast Guard : Help sirs my boat is sinking so I want to give you my location ,hold on , well I am somewhere out here on the big pond and I can’t read this GPS thing I have as when I look on maps unique , wait hold on , ok I think I am using the Deg. Min. Sec. ,no wait ,ah shucks I can’t figure this out I sure wish they made things using the metric system or Spanish slang or maybe ,oh well I got to go Mr. Coast Guard, I gotta ask forgiveness for catching black sea bass to short . I hope yall get this in one format for othe ,gurggl gurggl gurggl
quote:I think it's their job to not be confused.
Originally posted by mike7653The most common mistake by “Official Agencies” is when a boater gives them a number like 33.06597 which is interpreted as 33 06.597
And 33 03 57.5 which is interpreted as 33 03.575
Can you see how they would be confused?
Mike Crouch
Sea Tow Charleston
843-881-8949
Thanks for this topic. It clears up a few things for me
quote:
Originally posted by mike7653Nope, the DNR coordinates are right, just in a different format than what is most often used by “Official Agencies”.
And as TheIslander learned to convert in the CG, I learned to convert in the Navy and it seems this is not the case in the SAR office.
Do not count on the CG to know where the Chas 60 is or the Ledge.
And fishingpox…thats what I think you should be set to. And if you need to navigate in snotty weather on your chartplotter alone, run a good track in clear weather, save the track and next time zoom in as far as you can and you’ll stay on that track line. I ran the ditch for ever at night on saved track lines.
Mike Crouch
Sea Tow Charleston
843-881-8949
True story on the way in once we had the CG helo ask us where the c buoy was…