Setting up QGIS for GDA 1994 Zone 55 (Australia)

Question

I am looking for help on how to set up QGIS for GDA 94 zone 55. (i.e. all the relevant settings etc.)[1.8 in lieu of 2.0]

Am working off Garmin GPS/GPX data in GDA/UTM format (I access this data in QGIS usually after dumping it in Garmin Base Camp) and want to finalise maps in the GDA 94 zone 55 CRS. I am using other ESRI/shapefile layers/data which are in GDA 94 zone 55.

Currently I am having issues with measure/buffers/grids/scales etc. i.e. to make a 50m buffer on a layer I have to enter 50m as 0.0005 as buffer distance. i.e. can't make grid at all in this CRS

I do not have formal training in GIS and am currently learning QGIS "on the fly".

Answer 1

If you have to enter the buffer values as 0.0005 this means it's not projected in the correct projection. All you need to do is save your layer out with that projection.

Answer 2

As far as I know GPX is always EPSG:4326 lat/lon degrees so make sure that the GPX data is actually in GDA94 zone 55.

Thats independent from any CRS you have selected in BaseCamp, QGIS or your GPS unit.

If you want to have your coordinates in GDA94 Zone 55, load the layer as EPSG:4326, and save it with rightclick -> Save As ... into the CRS you want.