I guess the real problem is making sure that the form caters for whatever
notation your particular device uses, as having to translate between them is
annoying and error prone. I'd suggest that where possible, forms should allow
for every notation that's likely to be used.
Otherwise, I don't care which notation is used, although decimal degrees can be
easy to get wrong because there are no breaks between the groups of digits,
e.g. you can leave out a digit or tranpsose them without noticing.
Peter Shute
> -----Original Message-----
> From:
> On Behalf Of Jim Smart
> Sent: Monday, 10 May 2010 1:33 PM
> To: Birding-Aus
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Decimal Vs Sexagesimal Notation for
> Geographical Location
>
> Decimal Vs Sexagesimal Notation
>
> Traditionally sexagesimal notation (degrees, minutes, and
> seconds) has been used to describe geographical location.
> More recently decimal degrees have become popular because of
> their ease of use in calculations and information technology.
> Almost all GPS devices and internet applications such as
> Google Earth, Earth Tools and Wikimapia have the option of
> using decimal degrees.
>
> The International Standard for the standard representation of
> latitude and longitude has recently been revised (ISO 6709 -
> 2008). Sexagesimal notation is still allowed but decimal
> degrees are now the preferred method of specifying a
> geographical location. Latitude is given by a number between
> +90 and -90. Longitude is a number between +180 and -180.
>
> The number of decimal places quoted gives an indication of
> the precision of the measurement. Two places imply a
> precision of around 1km. Five decimal places indicate a
> precision of around 1m.
>
> May I suggest to the Australian Birding Community that
> perhaps it is now time to address the question of how we
> specify geographical location.
> The main application concerned is atlassing, both at the
> Birds Australia level and local club level. The current atlas
> forms have boxes for degrees, minutes and seconds but could
> be easily modified to include a decimal point.
>
> Sexagesimal notation has been around a long time, since
> Sumerian and Babylonian times in fact. However I suggest that
> it is now time to use a simpler and more convenient method of
> describing location.
>
> Those of us who still lament the passing of pounds, shillings
> and pence and quarters, pounds and ounces may resist changing
> but I am sure most birders will welcome this change.
>
>
> Jim Smart
>
> East Maitland
>
> -32.7531+151.5884
>
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