Decimals vs. degrees, mins. and secs.
 

The AFE UK En-route Guide lists the latitude and longitude co-ordinates in decimals “so that they can be input directly into a GPS receiver”.
However, the Garmin 296 formats are: hddd.dddd°, hddd° mm.mmm’ and hddd° mm’ss.s” plus various international grids but no decimals as far as I can make out.
Is there any way to change this to decimals so that they can be input into the 296? :confused:

most GPS you can select how they have there coords, look in the set up and see if you can change it to decimal.

Hello Mike? – You are absolutely right – except the decimal point is in the “wrong” place, ie
If I set the 296 to hddd.ddddd° I get N51.32383° for Blackbush but AFE gives N5119.43. The same for Bembridge: 296 = N50.67804 and AFE = N5040.68.
I don’t seem to be able to move the decimal point which means I cannot input any of the waypoints listed in the AFE En-route Guide.

you tried the hddd mm.mmm one? when I first looked it at that looked like the one to use for decimals. Other then trying them all to see what works I'm afraid I don't know.

Basic Maths to the rescue.

The AFE Guide is actually saying

North 50 deg 40.68 minutes.

To convert 40.68 minutes into decimal Degrees

40.68/60= 0.678

So North 50.678. The 296 and AFE are in agreement.

Hope this helps.

2D

2Ds – Thanks! Hmmm, why did I stray? ;) Unfortunately I don’t do basic maths, not even very basic maths. :{ I really should have a look at “Maths for Pilots”. Anyway, it’s a nice day, so off to the airfield. Conversions will have to wait. :O

Pianorak

No conversions needed. I was attempting to demonstrate to you that the AFE figures are published in

hddd° mm.mmm’

format.

The only hard bit is that you have to imagine a space after the "Degrees" bit.

So when AFE says, N5040.68, you will enter 50 40.68. It is as simple as that.

2D

Got it! I think I might be able to manage that. Ever hopeful! :ok:

What is it that you do that requires you to define your position so accurately?

In the RAF we wre quite happy with degrees and minutes!

I find that most of the skill test candidates I fly with can't position an aircraft over a turning point to better than half a mile and thats looking out of the window!