Questions on GPS co-ordinates
 

I use a Garmin 2610, What I would firstly like to know is, can this model change the mode of measurement to a different format? (I have tried but with no success)

My friends 'bmw' Garmin can be set to many formats including OS.

My GPS reads its co-ordinates for example 59 27 612 N; 24 50 227E, so what is this type of reading called? I tried googling and have landed up totally confused.
Can anyone out there give brief user friendly advice?, Many thanks.

sorry I do not know your gps
Here are the formats you can use/change to in MapSource
Manual here

Yours is showing Degrees and decimal minutes. I believe this is the name you are looking for.

check that your unit is not in 'safe mode' designed to prevent you using gps on the move- manual indicates safe mode prevents access to some settings as well. Most people use degrees minutes and seconds.

look here for naming.

and another useful page here

In your gps, look for settings- IF the format is changeable, it will probably be there but due to the age of the unit- you may not be able to -

Personally I prefer Decimal degrees- easier, less cumbersome and less easy to misunderstand when sending coords by sms.

Many thanks for your input so far Bertrand, but my head is now spinning and I am nowhere nearer to coverting what I need.:confused1:


So, I now know that my 2610 is operating on degree, decimal minutes.

I wanted to try and convert Ordnance Survey points to my 2610, this is to mark 'wetroads' to find in the Isle of Man.

To try out what I thought was 'sorted' I used Google earth which is in the same format as my 2610(I hope)

The OS point SC304 893 was put through an online converter and the result 'cut n pasted' on Google earth, and it put me 126kms SW of Cornwall:eek3:
Why does it all so confusing??????????

some converters are....dodgy at best-
GE is a very very smart piece of software that stiches together drawings, pictures, scans, maps, photos all of various age/origin etc all together to give the impression of a 'real' map.
Use with those limitations in mind !!

I once received an sms saying "I am waiting for you here" with lat & long coords and , as I sat on the beach, looking west out to sea.... as the sun came down and stretched its orange glow over the gentle waves lapping the sand, I really tried hard to understand and see where he had parked his bike was waiting for me....:rofl: out there....

Life and Coordinates often gives us interesting and memorable moments!!!
Enjoy!

BTW- You can change the coords format in GE by looking in 'options'
see pic

and have a read of this here too-
"Ordnance Survey uses ‘OSGB-36’, based on an elliptical model of the earth’s surface which is a good fit to the UK. GPS systems generally use the world-wide ‘WGS-84’, based on an elliptical model which is a best approximation to the entire earth"

Palace15
I just asked Ted on here the question re the possibility of changing the coords format setting in your gps which is the same as his-
His answer is " Nope- it's set" !