Need some Mapping UTM guides.

[LOCKEE]

I am running a small navigation event for my club and am looking for some basic instructions on plotting UTMs for the club magazine.

Does anyone have something that I can reproduce.

PM me.

Thanks

[LOCKEE]

Sorry need to clarify.

Most of the club people are only at Street Directory level and I need to give them right from the basics up.

Thanks for the PM's, I have spoken to Robert Pepper and looked at his book, but need something a bit more basic.

[WRXZook]

Probably not what you want, but as I am stuck in the age of topographical maps and orienteering compass rather than them new fangled gps systems, perhaps I need to receive some of your instruction.


http://www.maptools.com/UsingUTM/


Plenty of sites like this on the net. At the top of the page is a link to download a map reading guide.

http://www.ga.gov.au/nmd/products/maps/publications.htm

Old Boy Scout handbooks are good for basic and a bit beyond information. Most places that sell topographical maps have a simple booklet for beginner map readers.

http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/manual/mapcompass.shtml

http://www.tartantammy.co.uk/map_reading.htm

If using internet, depending where the information comes from, remember variation is different in northern and southern hemispheres.

[rowan]

Basics as in what UTMs are exactly? what are you trying to do? give them a UTM and tell them to nav to it using a GPS? using a map? what are you trying to teach them exactly?

[Mowie]

Probably not what you want, but as I am stuck in the age of topographical maps and orienteering compass rather than them new fangled gps systems, perhaps I need to receive some of your instruction.

I had to convert from maps and compass to GPS also.

For reading your UTM position (Grid Reference) off a map I remeber being taught in the Army "You have to walk across the dance floor before you can pick up the girl"

[+dj_hansen+]

I am running a small navigation event for my club and am looking for some basic instructions on plotting UTMs for the club magazine.

Does anyone have something that I can reproduce.

PM me.

Thanks

By plotting UTM's i assume you mean plotting Universal Transverse Mercator Projection co-ordinates onto a map.

A bit about projections......
Geocentric Datum of Australian, 1994 (GDA94) exactly the same as World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84) for all practical purposes, and thus directly compatible with GPS, unlike Australian Geodetic Datum 1966 which differers approximately 100m - 200m in a North Easterly direction depending where you are.

Hence, GDA94 latitude and longitude, projected onto a flat plane using the Universal Transverse Mercator projection as MGA94 are directly compatible with GPS readings/positions. Any basic GPS receiver will display both GDA94/WGS84 and MGA94 co-ordinates.

In any cartesian co-ordinate system; that is Easting & Northings (AMG66 or MGA94), X's and Y's, in Australia the easting, or x value will always be quoted first, and then the northing/y second, this is by convention, much the same as North is always up the page.

It doesnt really matter which you plot first, aslong as you publish your co-ordinates consistently according to this convention.

Will you be dealing with both Zone 54 and Zone 55 co-ordinates? as this can be confusing to people who arent aware of zones at all.

If you are only working in the 1 zone, 55 for instance, there is no real difference in plotting MGA94 Eastings and Northings compared to working out a grid reference from a Melway, you just have to interpolate between the grid when using UTM co-ordinates..

My suggestion would be to buy a 'roamer' from mapland/anaconda as this has various scaled grids which will allow your users to directly plot positions on the map by lining up the graduated marks.

As stated,

"You have to walk across the dance floor before you can pick up the girl"

[The Fish]

Go to the Melbourne Map Centre just off warrigul road and buy a handful of the Map Reading Guides. They come with a "roamer" and are very helpful for explaining the priciples of using a topographic. And even better they only cost $2