North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

Could someone please advise what map datum and position format is used within this folder as to date I haven't been able to work it out eg. WGS 84 hddd'mm'ss.s.

Recently I did a trip to the Tiwi Islands and had intended on using some of the marks that Back-Cast had posted, but unfortunately I wasn't able to decipher the positions.

I am getting confused with there being more than 60 minutes to a degree on some of the points listed. ??:

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

DNO

Usual format is WGS 84. You had it set on that and it didnt make sense?

You will need to set your GPS to WGS84 Datum. The position format is just in Degrees and Decimals of Degrees. You should be able to set your GPS to input this format. Or do a google search for a postion converter, so you can change them to degrees,min or whatever you use.

Anymore questions let me know.

Cheers

Jason

The waypoints on the World Fishing Map (WFM) are displayed in degrees and a decimal of degrees and your GPS must be changed to this display format before you input the data. Changing the GPS unit setting should be quick and easy.

Once it is changed and you have input all the data you can then change the GPS display format back to any of the three types that most GPS units allow, which are:

dd.mm.mmm (degrees, minutes, decimal)
dd.mmmmm (degrees, decimal)
dd.mm.ss.ss (degrees, minutes, seconds)

Your GPS will do all the required conversions of your data.

In the North Australian Fish Finder book I use dd.mm.mmm

The display format can't yet be changed on the WFM website but it will be changeable in the next software upgrade.

Almost all Australian fishing GPS marks are recorded and written in the WGS84 map datum nowadays.

The above issues (display method and datum) have caused countless confusion and responsible for many 'dud' marks, especially on website "GPS libraries" where the data is often wildly wrong.

But the problems are easily solved.

Thanks Guys in particular Matt, your assistance in clearing this up for me is most helpful and greatly appreciated.

I have changed the format to WGS 84, dd.mm.mmm and presto it all makes sense now.

GPS and modern technology is supposed to make life easier and once you sought it out I have no doubt it will. I would never have survived in days of old where blokes would go 30 miles off shore in the middle of the night and still find their way home in poopy conditions the following day.

Once again thanks.

DNO