GPS Coordinates & Google Maps

[InTheCube]

Hey guys

I'm busy developing a website and some downloadable/printable maps for a client.

He has requested that he wants the GPS co-ordinates to appear on the website, as well as on the downloadable/printable maps.

Now, I've used this website to get exact the co-ordinates, because I couldn't for the life of me figure out where to get this info on Google Maps.

The coordinates it produces are as follows:
Lat: -26.327211829550357
Lon: 27.82562255859375

Now there are a lot of digits after the decimal place. Is it safe for me to keep only the first 4 or 6 digits after the decimal point, and chop off the rest?

E.g:
Lat: -26.3272
Lon: 27.8256

How accurate do I need to be? What sort of accuracy do handheld/fitted GPS devices allow you to specify? How much is enough, how much is overkill. It needs to be simple, for use by truck drivers, suppliers, etc..

EDIT: Also, should I show the coordinates to the entrance of the property, or the middle of the property? One of the client's factories are situated on a huge plot, in a slightly more rural area. What's the right way of doing it?

 

[rljansen]

Cut it I say...

 

[InTheCube]

Cut it I say...

That's what I am thinking, but I don't want to lose any accuracy, hence my question......................................................

 

[nicvon]

GPS

You only need to go to 6 digits. Obviously if you cut a few you are becoming less accurate, but 6 digits is plenty to get a pretty accurate location fix.

This link below shows you how you can easily put them into google Maps and also have the point come up with your own Text if you want.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=-27.825622,+26.327211+(You+can+insert+your+text+here)

"http://maps.google.com/maps?q=" Latitude,+ Longitude+(Your Text)

You can also see here how to get co-ordinates from google maps.

http://lifehacker.com/267361/how-to-find-latitude-and-longitude

 

[InTheCube]

Thanks dude. Very useful info.

I also just figured out by messing around on this page that the minimum is 6 digits. If you go any lower it becomes quite noticeably inaccurate...

 

[KAY'GEE]

Does any 1 knw how to track a cellphone down or might knw of a service that might help me?

 

[nicvon]

More detail KAY'GEE? Depends what you're actually trying to do - there are ways and means depending on the application - generally you need to install software on the phone. I'm not sure about doing it without consent of the user etc, that's the whole privacy and legal thing.

 

[chickenbeef]

Start a new topic! You thread jacker

 

[arn00s]

Find your GPS coordinates

You should try this tool :

http://gps.studio9.be

 

[DarkStreet]

Hey guys

I'm busy developing a website and some downloadable/printable maps for a client.

***

It really depends what it is going to be used for in the end. If you expect people to punch it into their GPS to find the place, be as accurate as possible. On a zoomed out map I can set the co-ordinates for Port Elizabeth at (lat, lon) but if you zoom into these co-ordinates you'll find they're not anywhere near my place (even though it might be somewhere in PE).

 

[KobusDJ]

Using the following formula.....

Distance = Earth Radius X {arccosine [ ( sin(lat1) X sin(lat2) ) + ( cos(lat1) X cos(lat2) X cos(long2 - long1) ) ] }

.... at the equator, one degree span +- 111.31Km. (0.1degrees - 11.131km, 0.01degrees - 1.1131km and so on).

6 Decimal places will bring you within sub centimeter accuracy.