GPS Coordinates

[SWAMPFOX]

Are GPS coordinates the same as, i.e. equal to, latitude and longitude coordinates?
Thanks

 

[Oldstick]

I think they are the exact same, but someone will correct me if wrong on that.

 

[paulito]

It depends actually. LAT/Long is LAT/Long pretty much across the board. Although you can have it in degrees or decimal format. However, when you get into higher end GPS units you can change the coordinate system, Datum or zone to fit your needs. This basically changes the "projection" or end product. One example is US State Plane 83 (system), Georgia West (Zone) NAD 1983 (Datum). The data point you record is the data, but if i change the Datum in my settings for example, that point will show up in a different location on a USGA Quad map if the Datums don't match.

May be WAY more than you were asking but there ya go

 

[GeorgiaBob]

Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) transmit very specific radio signals with coordinated time hacks. Specially designed receivers can take those signals and determine, by the difference in the time a satellite's signal is received vs onboard time, a "line of position." A GPS receiver (like the one in a smart phone used in a mapping program) can accept multiple satellite lines of position and determine where they all cross.

Almost every commercially available GPS receiver translates the satellite determined positions into Lat/Lon position on a map. @paulito (above) has pointed out a few of the program methods and datum (overlay between received data and mapping program) used to translate GPS lines of position into Lat/Lon. The satellite signal is NOT transmitting lat/lon, the receiver you use will report the result of it's programmed interpolation into your latitude and longitude.

 

[SWAMPFOX]

So am I to understand that a GPS coordinate is fairly close to being a latitude/longitude coordinate?