# GPS Coordinate Convert



## Hockeyfan960

I am looking for a quick way to convert the Deg Min Sec reading from my GPS to State Plane Coordinates which are in Feet so that I can plot them in AutoCAD. I found one converted but it converts Deg Min Sec into State Plane in meters which I can not convert to points in my AutoCAD drawing.

Anyone got a starting spot...???


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## frazil

I don't have any tool for you. I would do it in ArcGIS. It will be a different conversion for each state though, right? Have you googled conversion tools for your state? I think some GPS units will do it for you.


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## MA_PE

If you get State Coordintes in meters, can't you scale the values by 3.28084 to convert them to feet and then go to Acad?

I don't work with GIS data but this sounds like a linear conversion of rectangular coordintes after performing the conversion from polar coordinates irrespective of the State.

hope this helps


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## Hockeyfan960

MA_PE said:


> If you get State Coordintes in meters, can't you scale the values by 3.28084 to convert them to feet and then go to Acad?
> I don't work with GIS data but this sounds like a linear conversion of rectangular coordintes after performing the conversion from polar coordinates irrespective of the State.
> 
> hope this helps


The Coordinates do not simply convert by meters to feet. I found a tool in the surveyors MicoAcad/Micro Survey program, but hate having to go to them everytime I need something converted. I have a survey drawing already in the correct State Plane NAD83 coordinates, just need a simple converision of DD-MM-SS into that plane....


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## MA_PE

Hockeyfan960 said:


> The Coordinates do not simply convert by meters to feet. I found a tool in the surveyors MicoAcad/Micro Survey program, but hate having to go to them everytime I need something converted. I have a survey drawing already in the correct State Plane NAD83 coordinates, just need a simple converision of DD-MM-SS into that plane....


OK I believe you, but I'm curious... Why not?


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## civilsurvey

MA_PE said:


> OK I believe you, but I'm curious... Why not?



Search for Corpscon. It is a program made by the Army Corp. of eng. It's easy.


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## MA_PE

GPS conversion to State Coordinates

If I read this page correctly metric data CAN be linearly converted to feet (but it appears that the Survey Foot conversion is slightly different from the standard length conversion.)

FWIW: the link appears to have links to other conversion utilities that might be useful for your application.


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## Hockeyfan960

I am in NJ and for my specific site the State Plan Coordinates are around 336708.92, 379246.19 (in Feet). The state plane is in NAD83. If I do the DD-MM-SS conversion with the program that I have, into NJ State Plane NAD 83 it comes out as 3425850.30, 36596880.19 (in Meters)....converting by 3.28084 doesn't reduce the number into the area of the "correct" coordinates. That's why I was wondering if I was missing something or if someone had a better converter....

http://www.deltadatasystems.com/prod02.htm

Here is the converter that I am using, but it converts to Meters instead of Feet.


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## Hockeyfan960

civilsurvey said:


> Search for Corpscon. It is a program made by the Army Corp. of eng. It's easy.



I looked at this one, but can't figure out how much of the program or page needs to be downloaded...it looks like it works are part of another program...Have you used this before....does it run on it's own...???


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## MA_PE

Hockeyfan960 said:


> I am in NJ and for my specific site the State Plan Coordinates are around 336708.92, 379246.19 (in Feet). The state plane is in NAD83. If I do the DD-MM-SS conversion with the program that I have, into NJ State Plane NAD 83 it comes out as 3425850.30, 36596880.19 (in Meters)....converting by 3.28084 doesn't reduce the number into the area of the "correct" coordinates. That's why I was wondering if I was missing something or if someone had a better converter....
> http://www.deltadatasystems.com/prod02.htm
> 
> Here is the converter that I am using, but it converts to Meters instead of Feet.


Hockey: The link I provided states the following:



> IMPORTANT NOTE: The "Foot" specified for NAD 27 and NAD-83 are what are commonly called "U.S. Survey Foot," which is related to the meter by 1 m = 3.280833333333.... ft. This is important, as you will often find the conversion listed in many sources as 1 m = 3.280839895 ft, which is referred to as the International Foot, adopted by the U.S. Bureau of Standards in 1959. Ignorance of these differences can easily distort your conversions by 10-15 ft!


Maybe this adjustment will take care of your discrepancy. good luck


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## DVINNY

Are you using AutoCAD MAP?

It allows you to bring points in that are LAT &amp; LONG to start with. If you have ArcGIS, then the tool box will have a converter to bring it from LAT&amp;LONG directly to your state planes coords.

Other than that, you'll have to find a 3rd party software.


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## Hockeyfan960

DVINNY said:


> Are you using AutoCAD MAP?
> It allows you to bring points in that are LAT &amp; LONG to start with. If you have ArcGIS, then the tool box will have a converter to bring it from LAT&amp;LONG directly to your state planes coords.
> 
> Other than that, you'll have to find a 3rd party software.


I have an AutoCAD drawing (using Land Desktop) that was provided by our surveyors which is in NJ State PLane NAD 83. I went out in the field and took some shots with a hand held GPS (pin-point accuracy not required) and I want to be able to put the points into the drawing "relatively" close to the spot where I was standing.

I am trying to find a 3rd party or otherwise available program to convert the hand held GPS points (DD-MM-SS) to the NJ State Plan coordinate system.


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## DVINNY

Ours is a Trimble and uses a software called Trimble GPS Pathfinder Office to do the differential correction from the raw data, and then it can be exported to your state planes coords as an ASCII file, which AutoCAD Land Development will bring right in as a point set.

In short, you need 3rd party software such as Pathfinder Office


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## tm_PE

Put the Lat Lon into a csv or Excel format (and then csv) and import into ACAD Land Development after assigning a coordinate system. Let ACAD do the coord conversion for you.

I have gotten many data layers in the UTM17, State Plane East (Florida) and Albers coord system and converted them all to UTM17 coord system for data layer use.

Also, the Garmin iQue 3600 (ebay &lt;$240) will do coord selection while you take the point readings (I have one and it is great...also does the voice navigation).


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## djtimmy

Everyone, try Franson Coordtrans. If you plan to do a lot of converting, it's really useful, and it's not too expensive (around $25), so you could probably get your company to cover the cost.

http://www.franson.com/coordtrans/

If you only need to use it once, there's a 7 day free trial.


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## jfusilloPE

djtimmy said:


> Everyone, try Franson Coordtrans. If you plan to do a lot of converting, it's really useful, and it's not too expensive (around $25), so you could probably get your company to cover the cost.
> http://www.franson.com/coordtrans/
> 
> If you only need to use it once, there's a 7 day free trial.


This is the one that I've previously used as well. It seems to be a little more user friendly than Corpscon.


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## NCcarguy

Geopak has a translator in the Survey Module, if anyone where you work has the "Suite"


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## jartgo

Hockeyfan960 said:


> I am in NJ and for my specific site the State Plan Coordinates are around 336708.92, 379246.19 (in Feet). The state plane is in NAD83. If I do the DD-MM-SS conversion with the program that I have, into NJ State Plane NAD 83 it comes out as 3425850.30, 36596880.19 (in Meters)....converting by 3.28084 doesn't reduce the number into the area of the "correct" coordinates. That's why I was wondering if I was missing something or if someone had a better converter....
> http://www.deltadatasystems.com/prod02.htm
> 
> Here is the converter that I am using, but it converts to Meters instead of Feet.


I've been using Corpscon for this type operation for quite a while. It's a stand alone program and works very well. I ran your numbers through it (several different ways)with the following results (_you have to be careful what is Northing and what is Easting_):

*Input 1:*

NJ State Plane, NAD 83, feet

Northing 379246.19

Easting 336708.92

*Output 1:*

Geographic NAD 83

Latitude: 39.873298440

Longitude: 75.053766258

This appears to be a residence on Kingston Avenue (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Barrington, NJ.



Input 2:

NJ State Plane, NAD 83, feet

Easting 379246.19

Northing 336708.92

*Output 2:*

Geographic NAD 83

Latitude: 39.757141654

Longitude: 74.901524888

This appears to be in a wooded area off of Cooper Folly Rd., near a creek run, upstream of Atco Lake, near Berlin, NJ.

Location Descriptions are just from Google Earth.


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