What Three Words W3w

[Cockatoo]

Well I have 'Memory Map' on my 'phone.  1 in 50 and 1 ni 10 scales. OS mappinig of the whole UK. At home in doors on the 1 in 10 maps the gps location indicates which room I am in. If you gave the emergency services 3 words they will never find you.  Alternatively, you could download onto your phone the app that uses gps to tell you the post code of your location, then the emergecy services can use it on their sat-nav.
Clive.

Clive the issue is that not many people have access to Memory Map or other similar apps that cost money. The free mapping apps make it hard to get lat/long or an OS grid reference. Postcodes, especially in rural areas can cover a huge area. W3W addresses cover a 3m square.

Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

[Smoggy]

If I needed emergency services for me or anyone nearby while on the boat I would certainly use the VHF and use DSC distress button (followed up with voice call obviously) and let the CG deal with it as they will know straight away where I am, what boat I am calling from, and what the type of problem is and can probably get the best type of response from the most appropriate bunch compared to a 999 call centre as they are dedicated to water bourne issues, I'm not saying there's any issues with 999 call centres as they are generally very good just better to go straight to the specialists.

If away from the boat it's another matter.

[Mouldy]

Found the following on Faceache this morning.  Would have screen dumped, but lacking technological savvy!

We're encouraging people to download a smartphone app that’s helping to save lives by quickly identifying even the most remote of locations with pinpoint accuracy.

What3Words has divided the world into a grid of 3m by 3m squares and given each one a unique three-word address. If someone is lost or cannot describe their location they can use the service to get a three-word combination that can be passed directly to the emergency services.

Northamptonshire Police is now using the mapping system when taking emergency calls, joining 72 other emergency services across the UK.

It has already helped the Force Control Room to send officers straight to the scene of road traffic collisions, a violent assault, fuel theft, an abandoned vehicle and even an unexploded mortar.

In the case of the assault, the caller wasn’t sure of the house number involved, but using What3Words allowed it to be quickly pinpointed to officers, enabling the prompt arrest of a suspect.

Alison Morris, Resource and Systems Manager in the Force Control Room, said: “Instead of relying on vague descriptions of a person’s location, What3Words can immediately provide them with a unique three-word address, allowing us to pinpoint their exact location much quicker.

“It has been used successfully on a number of occasions in the control room and has saved valuable time locating incidents. We encourage the public to download this simple app as one day, it could help you in an emergency.”

What3Words is free to use and is available as an app and on the What3Words website.

[unclemike]

stil not a clue

[unclemike]

tried it on aweigh, every time i try i get a different set of 3 words all of which seem to be gobbledegook

slime,script laying

quick, alive riots

kinds, teach, living

vivid, faster ,belts

can someone explain how this works

 

[Smoggy]

The words don't have to make any sense, they just show the person on the other end which 3m x 3m square of the country you are in, I guess it is easier to get numbers wrong when in a panic especially if you don't understand the position format shown.

The next challenge will be to find the funniest sounding square in the UK, there must be some rudes out there.....

[unclemike]

doesnt explain how my location has at least 4 different sets

[Matt]

I like it!

If you have your 3 words and you need to dial 999 you give them the three words. This is then passed to responding officer/crew etc.

They then press a button on their phone and say those three words into the App. They then press another button which opens google maps which provides directions.

It really is that simple.




Sent from my iPhone using Norfolk Broads Network

[Smoggy]

3 words often gives away my exact position very accurately! in,the,pub

[grendel]

1 hour ago, chameleon said:

tried it on aweigh, every time i try i get a different set of 3 words all of which seem to be gobbledegook

slime,script laying

quick, alive riots

kinds, teach, living

vivid, faster ,belts

can someone explain how this works

 

well I have done a search, and you were obviously sitting in your car in the car park, as the 4 sets of words are from 4 vertically adjacent 3m squares in the end bay of the car park

This is probably down to the inaccuracies inherant in using a mobile for GPS coordinates (+- 9m accuracy) so each time the app is queried, it is falling into a different 3m square.

this is still better than the original gps system initiated by the military, where there was a deliberate margin added to gps coordinates of anything up to +- 100m, (only overcome by a decoding pack in a military grade GPS). if you were in your house, you could easily be in any one of up to about 9 squares

but how about if the dispatcher of the ambulance mishears the word, or just misses the s of the end, eg vivid faster belt comes up as pitcairn, pennsylvania.

Another thing is that coordinates obtained from Google Earth pro, dont match the UK grid coordinate system, they are based upon the US grid coordinates, thus putting a grid location in London, somewhere in northern ireland. no system is foolproof.

[unclemike]

in the first pic, go one sq right and 2 down ,am sat in my flat on the corner

[Mouldy]

1 hour ago, Smoggy said:

  . . . . . . . . . . The next challenge will be to find the funniest sounding square in the UK, there must be some rudes out there.....

I wonder who has very, merry, Christmas?

I have to move house.  Couldn't live with that!!!!😁

[FairTmiddlin]

The answer to very.merry.christmas is no one

[TheLaird]

So here is a screenshot of a post code finder. Free on google play on a mobile.

And, below that is a gps fix on my house, actually taken in my conservatory. Bang on.

I agree that post codes are not acurate. My post code covers about 1/2 mile of the High street so you just add the house number.  Works with any sat nav and I believe all the emergency sevices have sat nav.

The amercans did away with the offsets they set up on the satelites about 8 years ago.

W3W will not tell the responders the route to get to the location.

As an aside, I use digital charts coupled to a gps in my boat. I have a binacle compass, I also carry  paper charts for the area I am using my boat in. As Smoggy said, On the water use the emergency services the are there for the job, the Coast Guard. I also have a fixed DSC VHF radio in the boat and I carry a hand-held too. Both registered  on the international register and with the Coast Guard. The coast guard also has pictures of my boat on its system.

Ofcom supplied my call sign, It's on my ships radio license.   (MRHA6)  The radio is programmed with an 'MMSI' number (stands for Maritime Mobile  Service Identity, mine is 235064399) which identifies the radio (hence the boat) to the Coast Guard.  I also have an AIS receiver  attached to the charts on the screen. I won't explain that here, I'll let you google that one.

Clive.

[Matt]

[quote post="
W3W will not tell the responders the route to get to the location.



There is a navigate to button down the bottom. Mine then offers me a choice of apps to use for hands free directions.


Sent from my iPhone using Norfolk Broads Network

[TheLaird]

2 hours ago, Matt said:

[quote post="
W3W will not tell the responders the route to get to the location.



There is a navigate to button down the bottom. Mine then offers me a choice of apps to use for hands free directions.


Sent from my iPhone using Norfolk Broads Network

I apologise if I am wrong. But how long is this looking things up then going to another app etc then transfering it to the e/services all going to take?  'Phone the e/services, give them a post code and house number (yours or nearest) and all sorted. Post code comes up in most mapping software.

I am not convinced that W3W will replace what we have and I don't think it has legs. Just my opinion.

Clive.

[TheLaird]

There was a bit missing. I took too long editing it!

Just quoting the 3 words can cause confusion, Remember the mis-quote that is often quoted?   "Send three and fourpence we're going to dance". For those that don't know it;  it should be " send re-inforcements we're going to advance".

It could take an age to get three words understood if comms are difficult or you are not familiar with the phonetic alphabet.  A post code on the other hand, seven letters and numbers and a house number.

Clive.

[MauriceMynah]

I tend to agree Clive. This really does seem like re-inventing the wheel.

[Smoggy]

45 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

I tend to agree Clive. This really does seem like re-inventing the wheel.

W3W, 'kin, green, innit. As rumour would have it......

[Islander]

2 hours ago, TheLaird said:

A post code on the other hand, seven letters and numbers and a house number.

That's OK in an urban area but what about somewhere between Acle and Gt Yarmouth and the person phoning for help is not sure where they are. This app is just what was need when in the middle of nowhere. In the middle of town a postcode and house number is fine but what about halfway down the Chet or somewhere along the Yare with no landmarks. I will keep this on my phone. I hope I never have to use it. 

Horses for courses.

Colin

[unclemike]

going of topicf(how unusual) google earth has stopped talking to me for directions, and yes it is unmuted

[FairTmiddlin]

1 hour ago, chameleon said:

going of topicf(how unusual) google earth has stopped talking to me for directions, and yes it is unmuted

Maybe you didn't leave review on play store and google is having a hissy fit

 

[Cockatoo]

On 25/10/2019 at 11:17, chameleon said:

doesnt explain how my location has at least 4 different sets

Those sets of words are for adjacent squares. That will be down to GPS accuracy :)

 

(oops see this had been answered.

 

[Cockatoo]

18 hours ago, TheLaird said:

I apologise if I am wrong. But how long is this looking things up then going to another app etc then transfering it to the e/services all going to take?  'Phone the e/services, give them a post code and house number (yours or nearest) and all sorted. Post code comes up in most mapping software.

I am not convinced that W3W will replace what we have and I don't think it has legs. Just my opinion.

Clive.

The problem with postcodes Clive is that in rural areas they can cover a huge area.

 

 

This shows the postcode EN9 2DH.(I think there are two exceptions). Getting an ambulance to my workshop by postcode would have been a right mission.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/CcE925LEx6DpaJR7A

 

This is the W3W location https://w3w.co/along.grants.voters