GPS Position Format

[Harry Woods]

I just put a new GPS on the boat this afternoon and need some help with selecting a position format. Last time I did this I sat on the customer hotline for over an hour and was hoping that one of the faithful had an answer for the northeast. Somehow I think the last one I used was one of the three hddd options. So much for plug-and-play.
Harry

[In Memory of Vicroy]

Harry - I've always used the degrees/minutes/decimal minutes format.

UV

[Harry Woods]

Thanks UV for the feedback. Now I have to figure out if that is the hddd.ddddd, hddd.mm.mmm or hddd mm ss.s format.
Harry

[Capt.Frank]

What unit did you instale?

[Harry Woods]

Frank,
It is a Garmin 4212. The company sent me a replacement under warranty for my original one that crapped-out. Can't remember the settings on the original. Lost all my waypoints and routes. I should have backed-up the data.
Harry

[In Memory of Vicroy]

Harry - it would be the hddd.mm.mmm - that stands for Hemisphere (north, south, east, west, then the Degrees in 3 digits, such as 175 degrees West......then the Minutes in 2 digits, then the decimal Minutes in 3 digits.....for example, 030 degrees North lat. 56 minutes, point 335 minutes....the "ss" is for "seconds" which is 1/60th of a degree and less accurate than the decimal minutes and confusing to many. The USCG uses the decimal minutes format. And also, remember to set the "units" on nautical miles to make the position translate to n.m. and kts....a degree of long. or lat. is 60 natuical miles (at the equator) and a knot is one nautical mile per hour.

and the sun rises in the east, most of the time.

UV

[Harry Woods]

UV,
Thanks again for the explanation. I will configure it in the morning. This equipment is a far cry from the military surplus APN-9's (loran) I started boating with many years ago.
Harry

[Capt.Frank]

Harry,
Where are you mounting that unit? I am looking at the 4210 or 4208 because of space with mounting it.
What happened to the old unit?
Are you happy with it?

Frank

[Harry Woods]

Frank,
I mounted it on the starboard side. The screen works well with the radar and sounder options. I was concerned about the smaller unit being too small to split the screen. I have nothing but good things to say about the unit. I had the original for almost two years and was getting vertical lines in the readout. I sent it out on Saturday, they received it on Monday and the new unit was on my doorstep Wednesday Morning. Great warranty service.
Harry

[Capt.Frank]

Starboard side next to compass? I may look at it again in the AM. I think it would be a tight fit.
Thanks I plan on only using it as a chartploter and radar next year.

Thanks
Frank