VLOOKUP function within Great Circle Distance calculation function

[greg1075]

I'm slowly trying to make way in my distance calculation project...

Here is the current problem.

I have function in order to calculate as-the-crow flies distance between two sets of coordinates.

=6371*((2*ASIN(SQRT((SIN((RADIANS(Lat1)-RADIANS(Lat2))/2)^2)+ COS(RADIANS(Lat1))*COS(RADIANS(Lat2))*(SIN((RADIANS(Long1)-RADIANS(Long2))/2)^2)))))

The Lat1 and Long1 values will be on the same worksheet as the above function (columns B and C) so it's an easy point and click:

However I need the Lat2 and Long2 values to be populated via user entering a zipcode in cell E109 of the "Minnesota" worksheet . I have thus come up with a VLOOKUP:

(=VLOOKUP(Minnesota!E109,zipcodes!A:C,2,FALSE)

for Lat2

(=VLOOKUP(Minnesota!E109,zipcodes!A:C,2,FALSE)

for Long2

giving me the following final function:

=6371*((2*ASIN(SQRT((SIN((RADIANS(=VLOOKUP(Minnesota!E109,zipcodes!A:C,2,FALSE))-RADIANS(zipcodes!B2))/2)^2)+COS(RADIANS(=VLOOKUP(Minnesota!E109,zipcodes!A:C,2,FALSE)))*COS(RADIANS(zipcodes!B2))*(SIN((RADIANS(=VLOOKUP(Minnesota!E109,zipcodes!A:C,3,FALSE))-RADIANS(zipcodes!C2))/2)^2)))))

However Excel tells me the formula above contains an error. Any idea why? Is having a few VLOOKUPs within the original function not possible?

Thanks!

 

[Misca]

Try removing the "="-signs before the VLOOKUP functions.

 

[greg1075]

Duh. Such a long post for such an easy answer. Thanks Misca!