Question 1

What formats are used for coordinates?

Accepted Answer

Degrees-minutes-seconds (DMS), decimal degrees, and degrees-decimal minutes are common formats.

Question 2

How do I convert DMS to decimal degrees?

Accepted Answer

Use: decimal = degrees + minutes/60 + seconds/3600. For example, 40°26'46" = 40.446°.

Question 3

What is the precision of different formats?

Accepted Answer

Six decimal places gives ~10cm precision. DMS with seconds is roughly equivalent.

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