GPS coordinates

[HawkMachine]

How precise are GPS coordinates? Anyone know much about them?

I went to a local lake tonight to fish because the DNR provided GPS coordinates of some fish structure.

I found a compass app already on my phone that gave GPS info.

I couldn’t get the numbers to match even though I was pretty sure I was in the vicinity.

Eye thought it wood bee pretty ez but I’m two stoopid apparently.

 

[sultanofsuede]

Easy, narc.

 

[noleclone2]

It depends on the unit. If you are on your cell phone app you are talking probably sub 20 feetish. Maybe better or worse depending on tree coverage / buildings.

If you have a cheap hand held you are probably sub 5. Sub 20 and 5 sound good but remember you almost have to double it and I can tell you when you are looking for something hidden in a 10x10 or 40x40 box it can be hard. Expensive units will get you sub foot which are great and needed for my type of work.

So same is true for given coordinates. It all depends on how accurate the measurement is from device. If they are using good equipment it will be spot on but you need good equipment. Heaven help you if theirs was bad and yours is too. That will make your error box even bigger. If they made on cell and you are using cell you may be looking at a 100’x100’ area.

In your case though should have still seen the structure. Could be recording error

 

[HawkMachine]

It depends on the unit. If you are on your cell phone app you are talking probably sub 20 feetish. Maybe better or worse depending on tree coverage / buildings.

Thanks for the reply.

I’m just going to make a number up.

N 98 24.216 - My destination.

My phone read N 98 24.12

I had everything close but couldn’t get the last part.

Sorry I sound like a complete moron. Lol

What does the last part represent?

 

[GOHOX69]

The civilian signal can be deliberately degraded and a small error can be introduced. The exact error is classified but most say about 10 meters plus or minus. If you have an accurate civilian receiver, there's still an error of at least 20 meters. Military receivers, especially on missiles etc are far better and have redundancy.

 

[noleclone2]

Thanks for the reply.

I’m just going to make a number up.

N 98 24.216 - My destination.

My phone read N 98 24.12

I had everything close but couldn’t get the last part.

Sorry I sound like a complete moron. Lol

What does the last part represent?

Ok. Any chance you were in minutes and seconds on your phone and looking for decimal minutes coordinate? Because that would for sure be off.

Lat/Lon Formats and Symbols

MapTools - Tools and instructions for GPS users to work with UTM, MGRS and lat/lon coordinate systems.

www.maptools.com

 

[BelemNole]

It depends on the unit. If you are on your cell phone app you are talking probably sub 20 feetish. Maybe better or worse depending on tree coverage / buildings.

If you have a cheap hand held you are probably sub 5. Sub 20 and 5 sound good but remember you almost have to double it and I can tell you when you are looking for something hidden in a 10x10 or 40x40 box it can be hard. Expensive units will get you sub foot which are great and needed for my type of work.

So same is true for given coordinates. It all depends on how accurate the measurement is from device. If they are using good equipment it will be spot on but you need good equipment. Heaven help you if theirs was bad and yours is too. That will make your error box even bigger. If they made on cell and you are using cell you may be looking at a 100’x100’ area.

In your case though should have still seen the structure. Could be recording error

Yeah, and it gets multiplied when the device that captured the data was only good to about 20-30 feet and you’re trying to find it with a unit that’s just as bad.
But op should be able to get to that location on his phone, it just probably won’t be the exact spot the person who capture the data meant.

 

[HawkMachine]

I’m going to have to do some research before I go back.

I have a Garmin handheld GPS unit from probably 10 years ago, maybe that will be better than my phone.

 

[BelemNole]

I’m going to have to do some research before I go back.

I have a Garmin handheld GPS unit from probably 10 years ago, maybe that will be better than my phone.

You should be able to set it to decimal degrees and enter a target lat/long on that.

 

[Whiskeydeltadeltatango]

The GPS on OnX is pretty damn accurate.

 

[BelemNole]

The GPS on OnX is pretty damn accurate.

OnX is an app. It does not have it's own GPS and relies on the GPS on the device that is using it.