Accurate location App

[Paul & Julia]

Hi peoples

 

Does anybody have knowledge of an App that would give an accurate location of your boat on the cut if you were to require immediate aero med, fire service etc assistance. Basically it would need to be an accurate Lat & Long that the emergency services could feed into their kit as "just north of Bridge 27" is meaningless to a co-ordinating Ops Room or Helicopter crew.

 

I'm sure that I should be aware of some programme but..................

 

Thanks.

[Guest]

Hi peoples

 

Does anybody have knowledge of an App that would give an accurate location of your boat on the cut if you were to require immediate aero med, fire service etc assistance. Basically it would need to be an accurate Lat & Long that the emergency services could feed into their kit as "just north of Bridge 27" is meaningless to a co-ordinating Ops Room or Helicopter crew.

 

I'm sure that I should be aware of some programme but..................

 

Thanks.

Any very basic sat nav has this function.

 

Just touch the icon on the screen that indicates your position and a screen comes up with where you are including lat and long info.

 

There are a couple of apps such as 'where am I' that do the same.

Edited August 28, 2016 by MJG

[Arthur Brown]

Look for a sat nav! Maybe one for walkers, check with friends or the vendor that your satnav can actually give you position in lat/long often expressed as 8 digit pairs.

 

AVOId aps. I struggled to get GPS and google maps to work on Canvey Island all for lack of good mobile data for the tablet.

[Iain_S]

But be aware that some control rooms cannot cope with positions in other than postcodes or all numeric grid references. i.e. NT292827 becomes 32926827, and they might only understand 329200682700!

[magnetman]

I've got an application on my phone called "where's my droid" which allows anyone who knows my phone number to send me a text with a code word in it which will result in my phone sending back its gps location if available. It can also be used to pinpoint a displaced phone by activating the ringer at full volume (assuming the battery is not flat).

 

I have successfully used it several times including when I texted my phone with the other halfs phone as I had forgotten where I had put it. The gps location showed I have left it in my car. Quite handy as there was a theft risk with it being visible on the drivers seat.

 

Very useful option -specially for big brother

I have a very boring uneventful life so I don't worry too much about surveillance.

 

Typo.and addabit

Edited August 28, 2016 by magnetman

[Jrtm]

I just use google maps

[Scholar Gypsy]

I've got an application on my phone called "where's my droid" which allows anyone who knows my phone number to send me a text with a code word in it which will result in my phone sending back its gps location if available. It can also be used to pinpoint a displaced phone by activating the ringer at full volume (assuming the battery is not flat).

 

I have successfully used it several times including when I texted my phone with the other halfs phone as I had forgotten where I had put it. The gps location showed I have left it in my car. Quite handy as there was a theft risk with it being visible on the drivers seat.

 

Very useful option -specially for big brother

I have a very boring uneventful life so I don't worry too much about surveillance.

 

Typo.and addabit

 

Thanks - this looks very useful. Unfortunately my smartphone is now so old (Samsung Galaxy, bought in 2011) that the app won't install.

 

Does anyone know anything that would work on an old version of android (I have Kernel version 2.6.32.9, which I guess is the right piece of information)

[Alan de Enfield]

My watch (Garmin Quantix) has a MoB (Man Overboard) position which gives lat / long and, if you go away from the position it gives you course and position to get back.

It also has the tide times for several 1000 locations, a route planning function, 100s of waypoints, speed and direction, a 3D compass and an anchor drag alarm (not all of those are useful on the canal)

 

I also have a small GPS (£20 from ebay) which gives location and a few other features, of which I find the speed one interesting as you can select 'car' walking, cycling etc, and, at 'walking' it gives speed to 2 decimal places, even at slow canal speeds of a 2 or 3 mph.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PG03-Multifunction-MINI-GPS-Simple-operation-Wild-Guider-back-lit-display-W62T-/151910041631?hash=item235e8b481f:g:XjgAAOSwv-NWZ4q0

[keith.]

I like OS Locate https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.ordnancesurvey.oslocate.android&hl=en_GB

 

It doesn't need a phone signal and gives an OS map reference which can be read to the emergency services.

[tagulablue]

I have recently been told to ring emergency services on 112 if using mobile because they can immediately determine your location ..is the true and accurate

[Alan de Enfield]

I have recently been told to ring emergency services on 112 if using mobile because they can immediately determine your location ..is the true and accurate

 

Totally untrue.

 

http://www.mountainsafety.co.uk/EP-999-or-112-Which-is-Best-aspx

 

The Bottom Line

In the UK, 999 and 112 do the same thing, namely connect you to the emergency services. Neither number has priority over the other, and neither number provides location information better than the other. They are the same.

 

Ofcom issued a consultation paper in 2013 on the subject of location information, and how it could be enhanced further in the future. Within the paper there is clear reference to the fact that 999 and 112 are the same. Take a read of sections 2.3 & 2.4 of the consultation document.

 

 

Edit to add :

 

ECLI = Emergency Caller Location Information

CP = Call provider

EA = Emergency Authorities

NRA = National Regulatory Authority

 

".........Further, under Article 26(5) of the USD, Member States are required to ensure that CPs make ECLI available free of charge to the EAs as soon as the call reaches the authority. This applies to calls made on both emergency call numbers “112” and “999”. NRAs must also set down criteria for the accuracy and reliability of the ECLI provided. It is this aspect of Article 26 which is of particular relevance to this Call for Input......"

 

 

Edited August 29, 2016 by Alan de Enfield

[keith.]

I have recently been told to ring emergency services on 112 if using mobile because they can immediately determine your location ..is the true and accurate

 

112 is the European wide number and theoretically should give access to an English speaking operator when in mainland Europe. There is no way of determining your location when using a mobile phone without a big faff. Whatever number you call the mast that your phone is connected to is known and if nothing else is known that is the location that the emergency services will get given.

[tagulablue]

sorry just read up on 112 and found the info i had been given was totally wrong..

[rustydiver]

I got Tom Tom on my phone

[Mal in Somerset]

There's a geocoding App called What3words, which has divided the whole world into 57 trillion unique 3 metre squares using three words. It was launched in 2013 and It is designed primarily for remote rural areas around the world where there are no post codes or other means of identifying locations. It's free for individuals to use and enables you to give your exact location using just three words which should be easier to remember than full grid references.

 

However, I do not know whether the UK emergency services are using it as yet.

 

The words were generated by an algorithm but its quite interesting to see what comes up!

 

For instance Braunston Tunnel NW portal is walking.stop.ambushes or trouble.liquid.having and my boat is currently moored at coasting.tilts.beast.

 

Some info about the app from Wiki:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What3words

 

Link to website:

 

http://what3words.com/

 

I've just seen it was used at Glastonbury festival this year to get medical response teams to people on the site!

Edited August 29, 2016 by Mal in Somerset

[rusty69]

GPS status app . Gives OS grid ref or Lat and Long. Not tested it though

 

 

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eclipsim.gpsstatus2&hl=en_GB

[magnetman]

There's a free android application called "LocSMS" which looks quite good

Output format is nice and easy to use - I just texted myself using it :

 

Current Location: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=51.54386361,-0.89839756

An emergency service would not be able to remotely extract the data you would have to send it to them.

Edited August 29, 2016 by magnetman

[Paul & Julia]

To all who responded thank you very much.

 

I will work my way through the responses and then maybe come up with my location which with my navigation will come as a surprise.

[magnetman]

Interesting article about using SMS with emergency services

 

http://www.sterling-adventures.co.uk/blog/2013/02/21/emergency-services-sms-text-message-registration/

[Chop!]

I have posted about I.C.E. (In Case of Emergency) app before. This is an amazingly useful app which allows first responders to access medical notes, next of kin etc. on your locked phone, also has a 'where am I' function. And many more useful things.

Search for it, it's by Matrix Mobile Communications. I bought the paid for, but still very cheap version which has full functionality.

Highly recommended, especially for single-handers.