Fishing Victoria Forum

ok every one what datum do you use on your gps

WGS 84 . Is the one most charts are drawn to. If you use the Australian 66 datum you will be approx 120 mtrs different for the same numbers. The thing that gets most people is not the datum but the format of the LL.
Degrees . minutes and decimal minutes is the most common. Degrees minutes and seconds and degrees decimal degrees are sometimes used. ,
EG 38.75000 degrees is 38deg 45.000 minutes

Minutes max is 59 same for seconds but decimal is 99.
So 45 minutes is 0.75 of a degree. 45 seconds is 0.75 of a minute. So 38 d 45.75 minutes is 38.45.45 in D M S.
Most GPS can change in the setup without altering the marks position.

WGS84 all the way. I personally haven't seen a chart for Australia in anything other datum. And what retired said about syntax is also important, it's not hard to convert between the formats but I've seen a few different ones that could be traps for young players.

Degrees^minutes'seconds"
Degrees^minutes.decimal
Degrees.decimal

I prefer the first buts it handy to know how to convert between them and recognise the difference. It's also handy to know that 1 nautical mile (1.8km) is 1 minute of latitude and 1 second is 30 meters.

I use GDA94 in decimel format.

Cheers,

Mappo.

GDA94 is basically the same as WGS 84

So here is the Eagle Rock Isolated Danger Mark coordinate in Westernport:

S 38 15 905 E 145 16 795

That cannot be degrees, minutes, seconds, so what format is it. It has no decimal points.

EDIT:

I seen some info in the GPS Fishing Marks Australia book, and it said latitude and longitude are express in degree, minutes, and points of a minute.
However, the GPS locations in the book were written 38 41 875 (latitude), and 146 40 769 (longitude), so I can only guess that means 38 degrees 41.875 minutes, and 146 degrees 40.769 minutes.

If that's the case, I don't get it why the decimal point is not put in the number in the first place, instead of a space that makes it look like two separate numbers.