OS Map Coordinates - converting 10 figure GPS Coordinates to 6 figure OS Coordinates

Q. Hello I have downloaded one of your route maps and can only see 10 reference coordinates, I wonder if you provide 6 figure OS coordinates for the walks? Thanks Danny

Danny Hoggett, Ilkley

A. The Two Letter and 10 Figure OS Coordinates on our walks (e.g. NY 21538 07204) indicates a location on the ground that is accurate to 1 metre.

Traditional OS Coordinates consist of two letters and a 6 figure number (e.g. NY 215 072) which indicates the same location on the ground but is only accurate to 100 metres.

If you were to convert the traditional Two Letters and 6 Figure number OS Coordinates to 10m accuracy it would appear as NY 2150 0720.

If you were to convert the traditional Two Letters and 6 Figure number OS Coordinates to 100m accuracy it would appear as NY 21500 07200

go4awalk.com walks have Two Letter and 10 Figure OS Coordinates printed on our walks so you can load them into a hand held GPS device and establish the location of each critical decision point to 1m accuracy.

If you prefer to read your OS Coordinates as tradtional Two Letters and 6 Figures, just remove the last two numbers of each group - so NY 21538 07204 becomes NY 215 072

Incidentally, NY 21538 07204 is the OS Coordinate for the summit of Scafell Pike accurate to 1m.

For more information about Reading and Giving a Grid Reference see Reading and Giving a Grid Reference

For more questions and answers about GPS Waypoints see Walking & Hiking Questions & Answers about GPS Devices and GPS Waypoints

Hope this helps . . .

Mike (Editor)

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