Coverting GPS Coordinates

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At some point in time, degrees, minutes and seconds that had been used to designate coordinates on a chart were changed into degrees and decimal minutes. In another step, the morphed into decimal degrees. Google maps uses decimal degrees. Charts use degrees, minutes and seconds, and some chart plotters and other mapping tools use degrees with decimal minutes. It drives me crazy to try to figure out one from the other.




I finally found a website that does the conversion very easily. Plug in one number and out come the other two versions.

DMS -9 56 46
DM.m -9 56.76
D.d -9.946

 They even give you the formulas for converting. 
The formulas are as follows:
Degrees Minutes Seconds to Degrees Minutes.m
Degrees = Degrees
Minutes.m = Minutes + (Seconds / 60)

Degrees Minutes.m to Decimal Degrees
.d = M.m / 60
Decimal Degrees = Degrees + .d
Much easier than the horribly scary conversions on Wikipedia.  Try also tools for Google Earth. 
Hallelujah. Now I can find things on Google maps and translate to Navionics charts without hassle. Thank you Directions Magazine. 

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