 Converting GPS data onto ArcGIS map

1. Create an excel spreadsheet with the GPS coordinates you have acquired using a GPS
device. There should be a column for the Latitude and Longitude for all the points you
marked.
2. Make sure the Latitude and Longitude are saved in decimal degrees.
3. Save it on the C:\ drive and close the excel file.
4. Open ArcGIS. Add the base map geodatabase that you would like the GPS data points to be
added to by selecting”Add Data” and selecting the desired feature class.
5. Click “Add Data” and navigate to the excel workbook and select “add”.
6. Right click the excel table spreadsheet in the display window. From the drop down menu
select “Add XY Data”.

7. Browse for the excel spreadsheet with the GPS coordinates and select it.
8. Set the X field to the LON field and the Y field to the LAT field.
9. At the bottom of the window select “edit” to set the coordinate system.
10. Choose “select” , Geographic Coordinate systems, North America, North America Datum
1983.prj. Click Add, Ok, and Ok.
11. Right click the excel spreadsheet and choose “data” and “export data”.
12. Choose the same coordinate system as the data frame so that the data points will be stored
in the projection.

13. Click the browse button in that window and change the Save as Type to “File”. Change the
Personal Geodatabase feature class so that the base map geodatabase appears. Open it.
14. Name the output feature class according to the GPS data you have acquired.
15. Now change the display of the GPS coordinates on the base map geodatabase to your liking.