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What3Words app

Re: What3Words app

Postby crfishwick » Thu Feb 13, 2020 12:58 pm

nigheandonn wrote:crfishwick, I'm equally confused by your question. Do you really believe that MRT teams have developed a way to locate a phone via a text message, but are prevented from using it because the police have banned them from speaking directly to people who are lost? What would be the purpose of this ban? If it *was* in place, why wouldn't the police just send the text message instead (or pass on the phone number to MRT)?

There's a good article about SARLOC at https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/skills/using_sarloc_for_rescue_on_your_smartphone-10917

Confused by my question? Never said anything about a text I don't think.

I have read that article and I got the impression that Sarloc being used by MRT is/was used to coordinate team members when out searching although maybe has been updated. Must ask a MRT volunteer.

I think in hindsight I will stick with the old fashioned way. Dial 999 ask for the police and go on from there. A grid ref or 3 words😃
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Re: What3Words app

Postby Culardoch » Thu Feb 13, 2020 4:02 pm

crfishwick wrote:
Culardoch wrote:
If all fails just set off your PLB which you all carry----------don't you? :D


What is a PLB? Not being a technophobe nor geek😀


Personal Locator Beacon
https://www.marinesuperstore.com/safety-beacons/plb-ais/mcmurdo-fastfind-220-gps-plb
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Re: What3Words app

Postby crfishwick » Fri Feb 14, 2020 10:49 am

Culardoch wrote:
crfishwick wrote:
Culardoch wrote:
If all fails just set off your PLB which you all carry----------don't you? :D


What is a PLB? Not being a technophobe nor geek😀


Personal Locator Beacon
https://www.marinesuperstore.com/safety-beacons/plb-ais/mcmurdo-fastfind-220-gps-plb


I think I knew that :wink: But rather expensive for an individual. Also how long wou8it be for the information being relayed to the relevant MRT?

Maybe in few years it could well be the norm. Even the ultra marathons et al use a similar system to follow competitors as a safety measure. A one push button to send in an emergency to their own safety team that includes a few MRT members.
crfishwick
 

Re: What3Words app

Postby Culardoch » Fri Feb 14, 2020 3:17 pm

If all fails just set off your PLB which you all carry----------don't you? :D[/quote]

What is a PLB? Not being a technophobe nor geek😀[/quote]

Personal Locator Beacon

I think I knew that :wink: But rather expensive for an individual. Also how long wou8it be for the information being relayed to the relevant MRT?

Maybe in few years it could well be the norm. Even the ultra marathons et al use a similar system to follow competitors as a safety measure. A one push button to send in an emergency to their own safety team that includes a few MRT members.[/quote]

Interesting to think, isn’t it, that you consider that £199.95 is rather expensive for an individual’s life. Always something to mull over the next time that you break you leg somewhere without a mobile signal! :shock:
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Re: What3Words app

Postby china88 » Fri Feb 14, 2020 4:37 pm

Curlardoch makes a good point

In the absence of mobile phone signal and you are walking alone and if you were injured how would you get a message out that you were injured?

Here's my story

I walked the Scottish National Trail alone in 2018. I knew for the latter stages (ie Cape Wrath trail) signal would be intermittent to non existent. My wife insisted I find a device that could send a signal to her to let I know i was safe wherever i was so I purchased a Garmin In Reach:

https://hikingguy.com/hiking-gear/in-depth-garmin-inreach-explorer-review/


This allowed me to send a pre defined message which you can set up before you leave at no cost. The recipient receives the message together with a link which shows where you on a map together with the Lat\Long coordinates. the device can also send track points to the recipient etc. I do not use it for navigation

Coming off the Falls of Glomach I was hit by a very severe storm. I made it to Maol Bhuidhe Bothy. Sent my wife a signal to say I was ok. Leaving Maol Bhuidhe Bothy the following day I was hit again with a severe storm and fell into the River Ling (which was in spate) I completely submerged. I got out and eventually after 3 hours + finally made it to Bendronaig Lodge. I then sent a another message to my wife. She received the message but thought I was in trouble. as it looked as though I had not moved far (which I had'nt) my mistake was not to have sent her a free text email message from the device. My wife concerned rang Police Scotland and they coordinated with MRT to locate me via the co-ordinates on the predefined message which my wife was able to read out to MRT and Police Scotland. Later that evening the Head Stalker from Attadale (Tom W) came into the lodge and asked for me by name as there was another walker sheltering from the storm. Police Scotland etc were absolutely brilliant. Tom indicated that the storm was the worst he had ever known

I take out a contract to send messages etc which is about £30 I think for the Inreach but i can suspend the contract once i have finished the walk. i will be taking the device again on SNT this year. while trying to raise money for Childens Hospices Across Scotland and yes I will be walking alone


I have also purchased a PLB review here registration simple.

https://hikingguy.com/hiking-gear/acr-resqlink-view-plb-review-acr-plb-or-garmin-inreach/

Response times for both devices is per standard there is no lag to my knowledge in alerting rescue services

Expensive'? My family want me to return home.

I often see You Tube videos with the super light gear etc being displayed but rarely do I see a torch or whistle or PLB amongst the kit

Stay safe out there

ps : I am an experienced walker. I did send Tom a very large bottle of whisky
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Re: What3Words app

Postby Pastychomper » Fri Feb 14, 2020 5:31 pm

Culardoch wrote:Interesting to think, isn’t it, that you consider that £199.95 is rather expensive for an individual’s life. Always something to mull over the next time that you break you leg somewhere without a mobile signal! :shock:


This is a phenomenon well known in risk management circles: if a human life is in immediate danger, no expense will be spared in trying to save her/him - life has infinite value. If a life is not immediate danger, people and organisations are only willing to spend a limited amount on reducing risk - a theoretical life does not have infinite value. That isn't just a matter of bad planning, it's more that it's impossible to reduce all risks to zero, so someone has to decide where to draw the line.

As for me, if I couldn't afford to buy a PLB I wouldn't let it stop me going out in the wilds. For one thing, "normal" life drives me crazy leading to depression (small d, thankfully), weight gain and inactivity, all of which carry a risk of premature death.
On the other hand I think a beacon is a far better use of satellite technology than endless repeats of the A Team, and more worthy of spending money on. :-D
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Re: What3Words app

Postby davekeiller » Fri Feb 14, 2020 6:45 pm

@CRFishwick
Sarloc works using the following series of events
1. You dial 999 or 112 and ask for the police and then mountain rescue, and give them the relevant information as requested
2. The police call out the mountain rescue team and pass information on to them
3. the Mountain Rescue team use the sarloc system to send a text message to the mobile number that dialled 999
4. The text message contains a link, which when clicked on interrogates the GPS in the phone and sends the mountain rescue team a grid reference of where the phone is
5. The mountain rescue team use this information to guide their search

Obviously it's helpful if you can give a precise location when you make the initial 999 call (including grid ref if possible), but a significant proportion of people who call out MR teams are either sufficiently lost that they can't give an accurate grid ref or don't have a map or GPS, and people do get confused and read the numbers out incorrectly, especially if they are injured and/or hypothermic.
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Re: What3Words app

Postby Marty_JG » Fri Feb 14, 2020 7:13 pm

Culardoch wrote:Interesting to think, isn’t it, that you consider that £199.95 is rather expensive for an individual’s life. Always something to mull over the next time that you break you leg somewhere without a mobile signal! :shock:


If your disposable income a month is £4k a month it's cheap, if your disposable income a month is £200 then it's significant.

But since you don't feel it's a lot of money I'll happily let you buy one for me - or is my life to you not worth £200? 8)
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Re: What3Words app

Postby Culardoch » Fri Feb 14, 2020 7:32 pm

Marty_JG wrote:
Culardoch wrote:Interesting to think, isn’t it, that you consider that £199.95 is rather expensive for an individual’s life. Always something to mull over the next time that you break you leg somewhere without a mobile signal! :shock:


If your disposable income a month is £4k a month it's cheap, if your disposable income a month is £200 then it's significant.

But since you don't feel it's a lot of money I'll happily let you buy one for me - or is my life to you not worth £200? 8)


Well as you obviously don't value your life at £199.95 who am I to disagree. :twisted: :twisted:
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Re: What3Words app

Postby Marty_JG » Fri Feb 14, 2020 7:37 pm

But I am The Highlander and I am immortal.
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Re: What3Words app

Postby crfishwick » Fri Feb 14, 2020 8:39 pm


Interesting to think, isn’t it, that you consider that £199.95 is rather expensive for an individual’s life. Always something to mull over the next time that you break you leg somewhere without a mobile signal! :shock:


They've come down in price then? Must read up again. Are they the same thing as that you have to have a contract with the company that runs the service? Plus the same thing to get the MRT out has to be passed to them by a third party.

As for phones use a a satellite one. Has more coverage than a smartphone although these are improving there coverage slowly.
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Re: What3Words app

Postby crfishwick » Fri Feb 14, 2020 8:52 pm

davekeiller wrote:@CRFishwick
Sarloc works using the following series of events
1. You dial 999 or 112 and ask for the police and then mountain rescue, and give them the relevant information as requested
2. The police call out the mountain rescue team and pass information on to them
3. the Mountain Rescue team use the sarloc system to send a text message to the mobile number that dialled 999
4. The text message contains a link, which when clicked on interrogates the GPS in the phone and sends the mountain rescue team a grid reference of where the phone is
5. The mountain rescue team use this information to guide their search

Obviously it's helpful if you can give a precise location when you make the initial 999 call (including grid ref if possible), but a significant proportion of people who call out MR teams are either sufficiently lost that they can't give an accurate grid ref or don't have a map or GPS, and people do get confused and read the numbers out incorrectly, especially if they are injured and/or hypothermic.


Therefore Sarloc has actually improved since its inception. :wink:
Noticed recently they do have a Sarloc app in the public domain unfortunately only with apple not android. Don't use these phones so had no idea. Will borrow one and have a look @ it.
crfishwick
 

Re: What3Words app

Postby crfishwick » Fri Feb 14, 2020 9:22 pm

:D
Marty_JG wrote:
Culardoch wrote:Interesting to think, isn’t it, that you consider that £199.95 is rather expensive for an individual’s life. Always something to mull over the next time that you break you leg somewhere without a mobile signal! :shock:


If your disposable income a month is £4k a month it's cheap, if your disposable income a month is £200 then it's significant.

But since you don't feel it's a lot of money I'll happily let you buy one for me - or is my life to you not worth £200? 8)

:D :D :D
crfishwick
 

Re: What3Words app

Postby crfishwick » Fri Feb 14, 2020 9:29 pm

Culardoch wrote:
Marty_JG wrote:
Culardoch wrote:Interesting to think, isn’t it, that you consider that £199.95 is rather expensive for an individual’s life. Always something to mull over the next time that you break you leg somewhere without a mobile signal! :shock:


If your disposable income a month is £4k a month it's cheap, if your disposable income a month is £200 then it's significant.

But since you don't feel it's a lot of money I'll happily let you buy one for me - or is my life to you not worth £200? 8)


Well as you obviously don't value your life at £199.95 who am I to disagree. :twisted: :twisted:

Let me know where I can get one for less than £200 all in?
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Re: What3Words app

Postby Culardoch » Fri Feb 14, 2020 10:15 pm

Let me know where I can get one for less than £200 all in?

See: https://www.marinesuperstore.com/safety-beacons/plb-ais/mcmurdo-fastfind-220-gps-plb

That's where I got mine from and the batteries are replaceable after I think about six years. Not replaceable by the user.

If you want a satellite phone it will definitely cost. Marty might be interested in a cheapie at just over £600. Monthly charge is a bit on the steep side as well. Works in most of the world. I've used one in the past (not mine) and the signal was good as was the communication.

The proviso, of course, is that if you're on your own and dead none of the technology is of any use! :shock: :shock:
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