A few years ago when I needed a tow I didn't know how to read out my location. I told him I would just read what it said. That worked but I still don't know how to read it out. Isn't part of it in "minutes?" Here is an example pic with the coordinates at the bottom. How would I read it out over the radio?

Thats easy, um no it's not, I was taught Degrees minutes and seconds however you can see that it's not that simple and my knowledge is old school apparently

http://blog.oplopanax.ca/2011/02/on-coordinates/

"To any vessel reading this transmission- this is Mike Charlie number number number number letter letter. (Repeat registration number). I am a yellow and white twenty two foot boat. My Bravo busted and I require assistance. Current location is as follows- three-six degrees and five-two point zero four niner minutes North by eight-five degrees and two point one niner minutes West. Break. Bring beer with the tow-boat. Break. And hookers. Nothing else follows."

Maybe call them "escorts" on the air so the FCC doesn't freak out...

Old School

I'll learn the new school way right after some young chopper pilot tells me he can't find me.

You should be able to go into the settings and have it read whatever format you want or are comfortable with.

It looks to be in degrees and minutes. Seems your decimal is showing thousandth instead tenths. You should be able to change the settings. You could just round to the nearest tenth.

36 degrees 52.0 minutes N
85 degrees 02.9 minutes W

That's how I would read it out.

Tree-Six degrees, Fife-Two point Zero-Four-Niner minutes North. Zero-Eight-Fife degrees, Zero-Two point Niner-One-Eight minutes West. You could always move the North and West ahead of the Lat/Long if you'd like. Report the Lat first followed by the Long. This is how the Coast Guard passes it over the radio, I'd recommend using their technique. For clarification, 3 is pronounced "tree", 5 is "fife" and 9 is "niner". This is for radio clarity, so numbers aren't confused with words like 'fire' instead of five.

You guys are only doing it partially correct.

A female should always call. Females always get faster and more efficient response times. No matter what, boat, car, store, cable, electrician, plumbing, car wash, ..anything, you name it... unless they talk with trash talk, then that depends

See, I'd be worried to pronounce the numbers like that due to possible confusion... especially if I was near trees. Or near Oakland, CA, where the Niners gang is located (saw it on SOA).... But especially if some backward county marine patrol reservists responded instead of USCG... "Fife? You just call me Barney Fife, boy?! Why I'm fittin' ta let yer boat sink, son."