Waypoints not being located

[procell]

We are just starting and have found about 14 caches however when ever we find a cache that give us coordinates they seem to be taking us 26 km away and I know that is wrong.
We have the Magellan 1500 GPS and have checked the coordinates 3 times and they are in right eg. N44.15.781 and W 076.34.520 is sending me to Cape Vincent area. If anyone could help me out I would appreciate it.
Thanks:blush:

[Binrat]

Very odd, I just plugged that number into Google Earth and it shows me at the cache Spiritueux in Kingston.

I wonder if one setting on your GPS is out.

I am too far away, but I am more than sure a local will chime in and assist you.

Binrat

[procell]

That is where it is supposed to be. When I come home and put the coordinates into Vantage to upload into Magellan 1500 GPS it comes up with that location also however the coordinates change to N44.26302 W076.57533. I do not understand this at all. How am I to know what coordinates to put in to be the proper ones without coming home and putting it through Vantage software?

[swimmrguy]

Procell,

BTW, welcome to the KAG forum! Amongst all of us here, we should be able to help you.

I don't have a Magellan, so I can't tell you specifically how to change your GPS set up. But from what you have said so far, it sounds like your coordinate format on your GPS is different than the usual format that geocaching.com uses.

GC.com generally uses Degrees and Minutes: Ndd mm.mmm Wdd mm.mmm
It sounds like your GPS is set up for Decimal degress: Ndd.ddddd Wdd.ddddd

It should be an easy manner to set up your Magellan to put the coordinates in DegreesMinutes format. One of our Maggie users is bound to speak up and help you more specifically. And after a little caching, you will find all the conversion tools online that help you change from one format to another!

--SG

[procell]

There are 3 settings being DEG.DDDDD, DEG/MIN.MMM and DEG/MIN/SEC I have set it for DEG/MIN.MMM which is what I think it should be and now it has a red flag in NY and a Green one in Kingston. It also says Map Datum is WGS84 is this right?

I can only download >loc files and they will only upload as caches not waypoints, know anything about this?
Thanks

[swimmrguy]

procell wrote:

There are 3 settings being DEG.DDDDD, DEG/MIN.MMM and DEG/MIN/SEC I have set it for DEG/MIN.MMM which is what I think it should be and now it has a red flag in NY and a Green one in Kingston. It also says Map Datum is WGS84 is this right?

DEG/MIN.MMM and WGS84 should be correct. Any chance the green flag is pointing to the correct spot?

I can only download >loc files and they will only upload as caches not waypoints, know anything about this?
Thanks

LOC files only contain basic information such as the cache name and the coordinates. So it makes sense that they GPS doesn't recognize them as geocaches--they don't contain any of the information that identifies them as such. It likely requires the more detailed GPX file, which is only available to premium members. You will find quickly that getting GPX files and setting up Pocket Queries are well worth the Premium membership fee.

--SG

[hamburking]

Hi, and welcome to KAG!

You use the example of:
N44.15.781 and W 076.34.520

The trouble is from the decimal point...you only get one decimal, not two.

SO.... N44 degrees 15.781 minutes is in Kingston
BUT... N44.15781 degrees is near cape vincent, 26km away as you say.

I would suggest you double check how you enter the coords.

BTW, most people have trouble figuring out the GPS at first, so please don't let this disuade you from finding my hides. If you have found 14 caches already, you must be doing something right!

Good luck.

[procell]

OK I have changed the GPS to be at the setting of DEG/MIN/MMM and have inputted the coordinates of N44.15.781 and W076.34.520 and when I go to put in the N coordinates it says Invalid Coordinates entered. Please retry.

[SuperDave_GPS]

Hi Procell:

Your issue sounds simply like one setting in your preferences, or how you're entering the coordinates. Be aware that as Hamburking mentioned, there is NO decimal after the minutes. Enter each coord as 2 separate numbers. One number for the Degrees, then a SPACE, then the Minutes, for both the Latitude and Longitude.

As a bonus, it may be in your best interest to join all of us crazy folks at the KAG BREAKFAST EVENT (GC1NA2R) on Saturday, 28 March.

There's 3 reasons for this:
1) You'll get an opportunity to meet some of the fine local area cachers in person instead of just seeing their names in a log book,
2) Someone there will most likely be able to steer you in the right direction on setting up your GPS to get it to work the way it should, and
3) Simply by attending the Event and having a nice meal with us is considered as a geocache "find", which will increase the number of cache finds that you have by one. No bushwhacking or puzzle solving required. Just show up. It doesn't get any sweeter than that..

In the meantime, I'm confident that the issue that you are having is a very simple one. One that once you get it all working will make you go "D'oh"...

Hope to see you next Saturday. AND BRING YOUR GPS WITH YOU...

[hamburking]

SuperDave said:

Your issue sounds simply like one setting in your preferences, or how you're entering the coordinates. Be aware that as Hamburking mentioned, there is NO decimal after the minutes.

Not to nitpick, but I think you mean...no decimal after the DEGREES.

Maybe procell should drop by West Marine for some help?