Format of summit lat/long data

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I’m vaguely aware of a cunning plan to migrate all summit position data to a single common format. I suspect that the chosen format will be degrees and decimal degrees of latitude and longitude, as currently used in the revised DM Association data. Whilst I can see that such a format is easier for a computer to store and manipulate, it is not a user-friendly system.

In order to look up any summit on a conventional map, or to convert to a Maidenhead locator, one must first make the conversion to “traditional” dd mm ss format. Whilst there are programs and websites allowing this, it is a time consuming process, and one subject to error at each stage.

Is it possible, whilst storing the data in a convenient format, that the “displayed” positional information, on summit search or similar function, is given in a more helpful form? I would suggest dd mm ss N dd mm ss E/W, or Maidenhead locator, or, ideally, both.

Does anybody else have any thoughts on this?

73 de Les, G3VQO

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In reply to G3VQO:

Good thinking Les,

I can’t see any problem with displaying the data as you suggest. Once we have all the data migrated, I’ll work on this.

73, Jon

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In reply to GM4ZFZ:

Coverting from Lat/Long in its various formats is easy. Converting to Maidenhead locators is fairly easy but… converting between lat/log and UK OSGB NGR is very complicated indeed!

73

Richard

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In reply to G3VQO:

In order to look up any summit on a conventional map, or to convert to
a Maidenhead locator, one must first make the conversion to
“traditional” dd mm ss format. Whilst there are programs and websites
allowing this, it is a time consuming process, and one subject to
error at each stage.

Converting decimal degrees to degrees/minutes or degrees/minutes/seconds is very easy with pencil and paper. You merely need to know the 6x table and do a bit of trivial addition. If you only want it to the nearest minute its fairly easy mental arithmetic.

Is it possible, whilst storing the data in a convenient format, that
the “displayed” positional information, on summit search or similar
function, is given in a more helpful form? I would suggest dd mm ss N
dd mm ss E/W, or Maidenhead locator, or, ideally, both.

One of the huge advantages of storing in a common format is that variant formats for display become easy. Web sites might even be able to offer a choice.