Techy Questions

That last post generated a few good questions that require some links, so here's an answer or two:

Q: People have made reference to listening to the phone call-ins, how do we get to do that?
A: There should be an audio control panel graphic (from Gabcast) visible with each post. It requires Adobe Flash Player, which is an easy and free download if not already installed. That may take care of the problem.

Q: How do we convert UTM coordinates to Latitude/Longitude?
A: Well, there's a long answer and a short one. The long version employs any number of complicated equations, involving exciting computations such as Meridional Arcs, footprint latitudes and plain algebra. If you're curious, check out Steven Dutch's explanation (he's a professor of natural and applied sciences at the University of Wisconsin).

The better answer is an online calculator. Just plug in the coordinates and zone, and click away to get your answer (select NAD 83 as your datum...WGS 84 was adopted from it as a world standard). The map on the site doesn't seem to be accurate, but the converted coordinates are spot on.