Thread: "what3words position identifier.

Originally Posted by trout1105

Lat and Long work in ANY language, Does W3W ?

Yes, widely used by the transport industry in Europe.

Originally Posted by p38arover

I've previously used Eastings and Northings as they can localise you to within a metre. My 20+ yo old Garmin GPS (not a street directory type GPS) is set for that.

Topo maps have both deg min secs or degs & decimal degs as well as Eastings and Northings.

Street directories are also marked in Eastings and Northings.

But this system may be easier.

Easting and northing - GIS Wiki | The GIS Encyclopedia

I just opened the NSW EmergencyPlus app on my phone and, at the bottom, it has my location in W3W.

It says:

"My Location
Tell the operator your location"

then it has my address, lat, long and W3W

Yes, use either. Whatever is easier.
Back in the 70,s when my wife and I were cruising the Pacific in our home built ferro centre cockpit ketch "Hartley South seas" all navigation was done with sextant and sight reduction tables for air navigation. Still have them up in the roof somewhere. We had HF in the form of a Kenwood TS520 Ham radio bought from Dick Smith. Picked a call sign from somewhere and joined the other yachties checking into the Maritime Mobile (Mickey Mouse) net run by Tony in Auckland. All my position reports were in Degrees, Mins and Secs. Trying to read them over the mike in a rough sea was no easy job. Just reading three words would have been easier and more accurate I guess.
Trying to bring the sun down to a rough horizon was no easy task and not very accurate either. Still we got there.

Originally Posted by 123rover50

We had HF in the form of a Kenwood TS520 Ham radio

I have a TS520 out in my electronics workshop (alongside my Yaesu FT-840, my Alinco 2m/70cm rig and my Philips FM900 2m rig).

Originally Posted by p38arover

I have a TS520 out in my electronics workshop (alongside my Yaesu FT-840, my Alinco 2m/70cm rig and my Philips FM900 2m rig).

Do you ever tiptoe in to see if they are talking to one another? I think I would.

Originally Posted by trout1105

Lat and Long work in ANY language, Does W3W ?

Of course it does. Which map datum are you using for Lat Long?

That can put you off by a significant margin and I’m talking 100+ meters which in certain terrain could mean the difference between finding you or not.

Of course it does. Which map datum are you using for Lat Long?

GPS.
Not so sure about the Hema unit in the car But the Lowrance unit in the boat is pretty spot on (This still works on land as well of course) for getting a reasonably accurate Fix.
As for +/- 100m , Well that why we carry flares (even on land)

I also carry paper charts/maps But the accuracy of a fix using these alone is questionable.

I have the app.
I also spoke to a friend who is a sergeant in the police radio division- For the uninitiated, they are who you speak to when you first dial 000.
She could not talk highly enough of what 3 words. Said it was very useful for them in their work for locating an emergency, and I would presume, this then gets relayed to the ambulance drivers / patrol cars / firefighters etc as required- in a format that helps them to be navigated to the emergency.
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Originally Posted by trout1105

GPS.
Not so sure about the Hema unit in the car But the Lowrance unit in the boat is pretty spot on (This still works on land as well of course) for getting a reasonably accurate Fix.
As for +/- 100m , Well that why we carry flares (even on land)

I also carry paper charts/maps But the accuracy of a fix using these alone is questionable.

GPS still uses a datum. Lat and long are not just 2 numbers. They relate to a datum (basically a model of the spheroid).

And seriously. Who carries flares in suburbia/surrounds?

When MTB riding, I have my phone and watch and Camelback… not throwing pyro in there.