Good morning all,
I got turned around this weekend regarding the different formats of LAT/LONG and was wondering if there is a CAP standard or preferred format. Also what is everyone's experience plugging them into foreflight and the best way to type those out?
Thanks!
Presumably you're referring to "Degrees, minutes, and seconds (DMS): 41°24'12.2"N 2°10'26.5"E", vs. "Decimal degrees (DD): 41.40338, 2.17403".
If so, there is no "standard", per se, as not all devices have the same capability, including the aircraft, and frankly, not all CAP people even know there is more then one way to report them.
This needs to be negotiated in advance of training, or at the beginning of actuals.
Generally a Planning Section or Situation Section job to work this out as they will use the info
as much or more then anyone.
It wrecks havoc when a GTM is reporting or using the numbers incorrectly, or an MRO interprets or filters them improperly.
I (think) most of our airplanes actually use decimal minutes
DD MM.MM out to 2 places right of the decimal
Most modern GPS's can set the coordinate format from the options
Lesson learned, if you're in an op, make sure if you're given coordinates you ask are these decimals or seconds (unless stated). Does make a difference.
I mean you can convert it if you are willing to do a little math.
Math is hard though :)
As Mission Pilot, I fly over the site, push the cursor on the G1000 MFD, and the G1000 shows the location in the top right corner. It doesn't stay long, so we take a photo of it closeup with a cell phone. Whatever coord system G1000 happens to be using at the time, we radio back to Mission Base. MB can deal with converting formats if needed. If cell service is available, I'll send the photo via text to MB and the ground teams. Usually gets to both before the radio operators can read off all the numbers and verify. Plus, helps eliminate mistakes.
Quote from: etodd on August 17, 2020, 06:22:44 PMAs Mission Pilot...
...I'll send the photo via text to MB and the ground teams.
As a technique recommendation, you should be letting your observer do this - especially while flying at / near 1,000 feet.
Quote from: Blanding on August 18, 2020, 12:22:39 PMQuote from: etodd on August 17, 2020, 06:22:44 PMAs Mission Pilot...
...I'll send the photo via text to MB and the ground teams.
As a technique recommendation, you should be letting your observer do this - especially while flying at / near 1,000 feet.
We do it that way. Should have said "we", as in aircrew.
Please consider that WMIRS uses two formats; Decimal Degrees and Degrees, Decimal Minutes.
Also that converting from a different format takes time.
Quote from: helper on August 19, 2020, 09:24:55 PMPlease consider that WMIRS uses two formats; Decimal Degrees and Degrees, Decimal Minutes.
Also that converting from a different format takes time.
Exactly. Which is why we don't need to worry about that in the airplane. We send whatever the GPS displays, and we let Mission Base folks deal with it.