Progress: March 28, 2009

I decided I wanted to use Google maps along with the Mapquest maps to examine the different mapping formats. For the former, I needed my waypoints in decimal format. I found a great site to do Latitude/Longitude Conversions. This would have been useful when I was creating my digital maps in the beginning of this process. All the Quebec topographical maps were in the degrees, minutes, second format, while the Swedish maps were in the decimal format. At the time I didn't know the difference. I simply reformatted the decimal data into the degrees, minutes, second format, not realizing that I was bypassing the mathematical formula. I didn't realize that latitude and longitude values can be set using different notations: Decimal Degrees (DDD) (For example, 58.7500N) and Degrees, Minutes, and Seconds (DMS). (For example, 58°45'00"N). You can even use the Degrees, Minutes with Decimal Seconds (DMM) notation. The result is that my three Swedish maps were slightly off.

S-1 N 58°45'00" E -17°00'00" or 58.75N,17E

(not N 58°75'00" E- 17°00'00")

S-2 N 66°19'01" E -22°49'59" or 66.317N,22.833E

(not N 66°38'00" E- 22°83'00")

S-3 N 60°32'60" E 16°16'59" or 60.55N,16.283E

(not N 60°55'00" E- 16°28'00")

I didn't take note of the discrepancy until I was tweaking the Google code for each map. This is what happens when you learn as you go along. I really don't mind looking foolish, as so many of my creative choices in the past have stemmed from errors and accidents. Getting lost and taking detours in the physical realm (cycling), has its affinities in the creative realm as well. The chance happenings that you cannot plan. You can only set the stage for them to happen by being open.