Emergency Location Details

[PaulSB]

I played with the Google maps suggestion on my ride today and it worked quickly and simply.

I also played with my Wahoo app to discover it has a feature I wasn't aware of.

Open the app and at the bottom of the first screen is the map with a pin showing your current location. Easily solves one issue

Tap the map once and the map opens up to show more detail and one can zoom in and out to give more general area info.

Thirdly if one is recording the ride the map also shows the route one has covered to reach that point. Could be very useful for giving directions if required.

When I took the screen shots it occurred to me one could do that and text to a contact for help etc.

 

[jefmcg]

It’s so easy even my iPhone has a free app for it

It's so easy that your phone, that is literally thousands of times more powerful than the systems that steered Armstrong, Aldrin and ... um... Collins! to the moon, can do it.

(hint: your phone can do plenty of complicated things)

 

[Milkfloat]

If you are using a Garmin Edge then the compass screen also displays your lat/lon.

 

[Drago]

Don't even joke about this.

The state of our mobile phone infrastructure is currently lower than many Developing Nations
The masts were originally built to the lowest/cheapest possible spec and have been 'maintained' at that level ever since as they have passed from company to company.

None of the major providers has an incentive to bring them up to a decent specification except in the middle of the cities
They will be kept running as long as it makes sense to do so, but the actual mobile coverage will now start shrinking rather than expanding as it not financially worth while for the companies to maintain a mast in the remoter areas.

Yep, and from the end of next year the police are switching to a 4G (well, LTE, as there is no true, full spec 4G coverage in the UK whatsoever) RoLTE radio system that piggy backs of the mobile network. Imagine being a copper, single crewed on a night shift in the remote areas of Cumbria, Dartmoor of the Highlands with no comms.

 

[Brains]

Yep, and from the end of next year the police are switching to a 4G (well, LTE, as there is no true, full spec 4G coverage in the UK whatsoever) RoLTE radio system that piggy backs of the mobile network. Imagine being a copper, single crewed on a night shift in the remote areas of Cumbria, Dartmoor of the Highlands with no comms.

Here is the 2G coverage for North Wales (There is no 3/4 G)
The red bits are zero coverage, which includes most of the Snowdonia National Park

8 million visitors per year.
Plus 400,000 locals
Plus 2.3 million traffic movements along the A5

Obviously 11 million customers per year in the area is not enough to warrant spending the money on maintaining the mobile phone mast.
Consequently, the Mountain Rescue (and Police and Ambulance) have to rely on people being able to get to a land line.
Of which there are several dozen in the area.

In one case we had to organise our own mountain rescue and A&E run as the nearest phone/building was too far from our location

 

[sheddy]

what3words in the news

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-49319760

 

[AndyRM]

what3words in the news

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-49319760

Proper genius idea this. Blows my mind that they only use 40,000 words for the planet!

 

[cisamcgu]

Proper genius idea this. Blows my mind that they only use 40,000 words for the planet!

57,000,000,000,000 different squares ...

Cubed root, init ?

 

[Crackle]

I'm downloading that now, proper genius of an idea.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Okay, it's not a locator

BUT
When I'm out riding, other than to work, when I have my ID with me, & would be taken to work anyway

I wear https://www.dog-tags.co.uk/products/full-dog-tag-set-printed

These have stamped
Name
Phone numbers x 3; home. wifes mobile, parents
NHS number; a hospital number is different, it's tied to a Trust/Hospital (they should be cross-referenceable, but...)
Organ Donor
NKA
Contact Lens Wearer

They're good ones, not engraved like pet-tags


I also wear a SOS Talisman, but with bloody gloves, it may be awkward for a Paramedic/Police Officer to open it, along the possibility of obscuring details with said blood

And, on talking to a lot of Paramedics, the wrist bands can get ignored, & presumed to be charity bands, 'in the heat of the moment'
(although things are getting better on that point)
@Drago may be able to confirm that the Police are the same, although 'wallet surgery' can get an ID

Likewise, the USB type SOS devices, aren't liked
Would you plug an unknown device into your device, that's linked to your full network?
The way round this would be to have a 'stand alone' PC/laptop??

 

[Beebo]

I downloaded it last night, after reading the article.
It will be great for trips to the forest or the beach where it is hard to find people.

 

[Stephenite]

what3words in the news

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-49319760

You could have some fun with this.

///cycle.chat.rider

Or imagine trying to be taken seriously with this one:

Hiker: Hello.
Rescuer: Que?
Hiker: Do you speak English?
Rescuer: Yes. What's up?
Hiker: It's my friend. He's had an accident.
Rescuer: Where are you?
Hiker: I don't know. Somewhere in the Amaazon rainforest.
Rescuer: Three words?
Hiker: ///Wheeze.hymns.health
Rescuer: Fila du puta!

 

[AndyRM]

You could have some fun with this.

///cycle.chat.rider

https://w3w.co/cycle.chat.rider

 

[Crackle]

https://what3words.com/cycle.chat.fail

 

[Crackle]

https://what3words.com/cycle.chat.super