HELP & AMPLIFIED DIRECTIONS
GRIDFINDER FAQs
FEATURE LIST
FUTURE FEATURES
KNOWN PROBLEMS

GRIDFINDER™ HELP & AMPLIFIED DIRECTIONS

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• 4. (Q)  I have a question about the NASA J-PASS applet. The satellites offered do not include anything called SARSAT, though there are several named COSPAS (Russian). May I assume that all the NOAA numbered spacecraft are SARSAT equipped? This info will be useful to us when we talk to AFRCCabout the "next pass" information on an ELT. 
  (A) Not every NOAA satellite is SARSAT equipped, but the ones shown on the J-Pass NASA applet ARE. For your information, the GOES (geostaionary earth orbiting satellite) are equipped with 406 MHz receivers but cannot provide location information unless the the 406 beacon in question has position reporting (GPS) capability.  I think you'll find, however, that AFRCC will generally be very helpful with pass information and will call you as soon as they get it.  >I have a question about the NASA J-PASS applet. The satellites offered >do not include anything called SARSAT, though there are several named >COSPAS (Russian). May I assume that all the NOAA numbered spacecraft are >SARSAT equipped? This info will be useful to us when we talk to Langley >about the "next pass" information on an ELT.

• GridFinder™ 4.0 now includes coordinate converstion to UTM and MGRS, as well as the USNG and GARS grid systems.  No small feat!
• GridFinder™ 3.0e and later includes a database of Airports & NAVAIDs (in addition to the AFRCC Crash Sites) included on the maps.   The key to the map items is as follows:
  
  • The SARSAT HIT should be at the center of the map
    
  • A publicly registered Airport as identified by its 3 letter identifier
    
  • An AFRCC historical crash site
    
  • An NDB as identified by its call letters
    
  • A VOR station (without DME) as identified by its 3 letter callsign
    
  • A VOR/DME station as identified by its 3 letter callsign
    
  • If the icons are nearly on top of one another, the computer may seperate them.   Try using one of the more zoomed-in maps for a better idea of the layout of everything.
    
  • PLEASE NOTE that there is no way to ensure this database is updated.   DO NOT USE these maps for navigation.
    
• GridFinder™ 3.0c and later includes a cool little graphic in the NSWE sectional border table that adds emphasis, clarity, and elegance to this section of the output.
  
• GridFinder™ versions 3.0b and later now include the AFRCC Crash Locator Database!   You don't need to do anything to access the database, existing crash sites will automatically appear plotted on your map as a red bullseye with supplemental information as the label.   For clarity's sake, the sites are only plotted on the 1x1 degree and larger scale (smaller area) maps.
• GridFinder™ 3.0e and later fixes a display problem with the East-West Sectional Borders.   Earlier versions had an error on the sectional information page that pops up after inputting the lat-long: the sectional boundary information did not display correctly.   It showed the east/west boundaries as the same number while the north/south have always been correct.
• While GridFinder™ does provide some new technology to Civil Air Patrol users, even more it congregates available technology into one location.   Mission Coordinators and others should find the features of GridFinder™ useful in dispatching Emergency Services air and ground crews.
• When you give the program a Latitude-Longitude (lat-long) Coordinate, it will compute and show you a CAP search grid using the Cell (new) grid system.   This eliminates the need for plotting SARSAT hits on a map solely for the purposes of locating a grid.   Aircrews can be dispatched to a Cell Grid more quickly than to a specific lat-long coordinate.  
• Error Checking: if you enter an invalid parameter, such as a latitude greater than 90º, a longitude greater than 180º, or any value in minutes greater than or equal 60 (the next degree), the application SHOULD either not execute or give you an error.   If your coordinate lands exactly on the boundary (e.g., 30') the computer will default to the grid quadrant immediately to the NORTH and or WEST of that border/coordinate.   This is consistent with the system since all grids are to the Northwest of the original reference point.
• You will see both the 15 Minute Cell Grid and the 7.5 Minute (subdivided) Cell Grid.   The Cell grid system works anywhere in the Western half of the Northern Hemisphere (Northwestern Quadrant).   All of North America is therefore covered by this system.   The output of this program will issue both the standard 15-minute by 15-minute grid AND the 7.5-minute by 7.5-minute grid applicable to the selected set of coordinates.   Users of the Cell (new) grid system and this application should be familiar with The Cell (new) CAP Grid System and/or can view this document for self-training and/or clarification.
• It will also show you the C.A.P. Grid Number using the Conventional (old) grid system.
• It will give you the subdivided (A-B-C-D) 7.5-Minute Conventional Grid.
• The program will tell you which (primary) Sectional Chart contains the coordinate pair and how many Conventional grid squares that sectional contains.   Versions of GridFinder™ v2.3 Beta and later fully support overlapping Continental United States (CONUS) Sectionals.   The Denver-Albuquerque, Kansas City-St Louis, St Louis-Cincinnatti, Cincinatti-Washington, Atlanta-Charlotte, Los Angeles-Phoenix, and Los Angeles-Las Vegas overlaps are supported.   Note that the Sectional Chart to the North and West is considered the Primary chart.
• You may input the lat-long coordinates in one of four widely recognized formats.   This is useful in when using different types of GPS equipment that utilize differing coordinate formats.
  • Degrees with Decimal Minutes
  • Decimal Degrees only
  • Degrees and Minutes with Decimal Seconds
  • Negative Longitude Format: Version 2.8 and up of GF2K now corrects for a fundamental error in the computation of "negative" format latitude-longitude coordinate pairs.   To mentally convert from West Longitude to positive-negative longitude, you can simply think to add a negative sign instead of using "West."
• Grid Finder 2000™ will convert the format you gave into the other three remaining formats; this is useful if your GPS, LORAN, moving map, or other equipment utilizes a format that is different than the original.
• If you use United States Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps, the 7.5-minute by 7.5 minute quadrangle will likely interest you.   Versions 2.9 and later include the USGS map index number for the point.
• An automated table will be generated that represents the appropriate sectional chart.   The grid that contains the coordinate will be highlighted in blue.   WARNING! It may take up to a minute, or even longer, for the Grid Diagram to appear.   You may get a screen flicker while this occurs.   Be patient and you will be rewarded.
• In preparation for future functions, Versions 2.9.6 and above have a semi-streamlined input interface.   It is simpler and the first-time user can understand how to input the relevant information more quickly.
• You can now (v 2.9.8+) print the results of Grid Finder 2000™ simply by clicking on the "print this page" button.   This feature is not supported by older versions (3.0 and earlier) of Microsoft Internet Explorer.
• In previous versions, if your point was exactly on a border of a Conventional Grid (every 15' or .25 degrees of latitude and/or longitude), GridFinder™ was confused.   Now if you land exactly on a border of a Conventional Grid, the program will give you the grid number to the North and/or West (upper left) of that border.
• Previous versions will occaisionally mangle, due to rounding error(s), the conversions between formats within an error of one minute.   For example, if you entered 32.1 deg N 115.1 deg W you get an erroneous output (in the first set ONLY) of 32º 6' 0"N 115º 5' 0"W, which should be 115º 6' 0"W.   It only seemed to mangle the Longitude--in any case, this error is believed to be FIXED.   Please report anything to the contrary at the address below.
• Version 3.0+ changes eliminates extraneous output such as the 7.5 minute letter when that parameter is unavailable or does not make sense.
• Version 3.0 and later adds grid boundaries (North, South, West, East) to the Sectional Information section.
• Version 3.0 and beyond have a help and information page that is seperate from the data entry page.   This allows for uncluttered appearance, smaller download size, and overall easier operation.   Links are provided to the appropriate sections from the data input screen.
  
• Version 3.0+ has the Canadian-style search grid, as described in the Canadian SAR Manual.   One may also derive the GEOREF location (within 7.5') of the point with this grid style.
• Version 3.0 now supports Alaskan series of NOAA/NOCA Sectional Aeronautical Charts.   There are not yet expanded grid diagrams for these sectionals, but the abbreviated ones can be viewed.   Note that due to the small distance between lines of longitude that these grids will be very small and that a particular sectional may contain more than 1,000 grids.   This is compounded by the fact that Alaska is a VERY large place.   For the extreme Western Aleutian Islands in Alaska (that is, West of the 180º longitude) you will need to enter your data in WEST longitude.   For example, 178º East Longitude must be entered as 182º West Longitude.
• Version 3.0.1 fixes the leading zero error.   That is, previously if a user input "092" as the longitude, the computer would read that as "09."   Now leading zeros are accepted.
• Version 3.0.1 fixes the intermediate zero error.   Previously, if you entered a zero for any intermediate point, for example, 45º 0' 12", the computer will think you left that block blank and gave you an error.   You may now enter intermediate zeros.
• Version 2.9.9 and later have an "No Extras & Offline" check box available.   Checking it will restrict the output and not print any online features.   The only feature you need to be connected to the internet for when you click "Find CAP Grids" is the "Maps" option (default).   Remember that even if your computer is NOT connected to the internet when your links are generated by GridFinder™, you can connect to the internet at a later time and click on the link to navigate to that desired feature.
• If you save this page as an .html document and refer to it later in your web browser, you will be able to get the program to run with the features listed above.   This is called "client-side" processing and it allows you to use this application even though you are offline (not connected to the internet).   This feature allows you to utilize this program on-the-fly, such as on a laptop in a mobile or austere mission base situation.   The following features, however, are only available if your computer is connected to the internet (online).
• Version 2.9 and later integrate a map-plotting function in 4 different scales.   You will need to be connnected to the internet, however, for the automated map system to work.   The maps feature may appear as broken-picture links if you are offline.   Additionally, the U.S. Census Bureau's Tiger Mapping Server, or TMS, must be up and operational.   If it isn't, email them and ask them to get it back online.   If it is working, email them and ask them to continue their wonderful support.   In any case, the maps you will see are:
  • 10 by 10 Degree Quadrangle: Multiple-State View
  • 1 by 1 Degree Quad: Locality View
  • 0.5 by 0.5 Degree Quad: Local Area View
  • 0.1 by 0.1 Degree Quad: Detail Street View
• Grid Finder 2000™ versions 2.9.3 and later provide links to additional features.
  • The point you selected can be viewed on a Sectional Aeronautical chart via MapTech.   This site will center the map at the Lat-Long coordinate given.   This site does not mark the coordinate pair on the map.   You may access additional features from that site using the browswer window that it opens in.
  • Imagery (aerial photographs) of the coordinate point can be retrieved via the link to MicroSoft's Terraserver project.   The site will initially display a small topographic-type map of the area of interest.   This site does not mark the coordinate pair on the map.   You may access additional features from that site using the browswer window that it opens in.   Specifically, you will want to look to the right of the map to view the list of available overhead imagery (photographs), if they are available.   Imagery exists in at LEAST one format (USGS orthophoto and/or SPOT imagery) for most parts of the Continental United States.
  • The TopoZone link will display a 1:25,000 scale USGS topographic chart with excellent detail.   TopoZone will display a small red cross at the coordinate pair.  
  • The link to the diagram of the Conventionally Gridded Sectional is described below.   Requires a connection to the internet.
• Versions 2.9.4 and later incorporate a selective-output feature that allows the user to tailor the output (somewhat) to greater or lesser degrees.   Specifically, it allows the user to 1) cut down the computer's display time for the sometimes-lengthy grid diagram by allowing it to be eliminated and 2) allows the user to eliminate the broken-picture-link symbols when not working online.
• A link to a diagram of the Conventionally Gridded Sectional is available in versions 2.9.5 and later.   This link is available regardless of whether or not the user chooses to see the "grid diagram," and displays greater detail (specifically, it shows the cardinal lat-long degrees) and graphical depictions of Sectional Chart overlaps.   The diagram does not provide these features, but does highlight the Conventional grid of interest.
• A link is provided to NASA's real-time tracking of SARSAT-COSPAS satellites.   You can now know when the next pass will be by watching it on your computer!   Initially loading the tracker requires a connection to the internet, but if you leave the window open you can go offline and the tracker will still predict the location of the satellites.   Please don't use this tool to pester AFRCC--they'll get you your updated hits as soon as they can.
• When the point is located on a border, GridFinder™ defaults to the grid immediately to the North and West of that point.   Future versions may include additional options, but for now that is our convention.

PLEASE SEND IN YOUR SUGGESTIONS!

Currently Alaska grids are not supported by GridFinder™.  The coordinate conversion to UTM and MGRS work correctly, as doCell, GARS, and USNG grid location.  This is a high-priority fix and will be addressed as soon as possible.

This page of the CAP Emergency Services Resources™ website was last updated 12/20/2007

©1998 - 2007 Scott E. Lanis.  All Rights Reserved.