"what3words position identifier.

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"what3words position identifier.

Post by perentie » 29 Dec 2022, 3:36 pm

I belong to the radio club VKS-737 and have an HF radio in my camper.
The other day they sent a flyer saying that what3words is now used by emergency services to locate the point of call. A free app is available to download.
I now have that app as well as the normal what3words one.
Anyone else familiar with it? It does not seem widely known yet.
https://emergency.com.au/2022/07/05/42709/
https://what3words.com/
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Re: "what3words position identifier.

Post by on_one_wheel » 29 Dec 2022, 5:23 pm

I did hear about "what3words" on the radio some time back, apparently invented to solve the problem of people struggling with northing / easting, longitude / latitude and the fact that one wrong number in that jumbled mess puts the search party on the other side of the planet. :lol:
I wonder if it relies on an internet connection? Pretty pointless if it does.
Pretty much just an interesting reinvention of the wheel.
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Re: "what3words position identifier.

Post by perentie » 29 Dec 2022, 5:57 pm

If you click on the links it explains it.
Even if your phone cant get a signal the GPS is working and still supplies your position. You can then relay this by Satphone or HF radio.
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Re: "what3words position identifier.

Post by on_one_wheel » 29 Dec 2022, 7:05 pm

I'll put it to the test when I'm out of mobile range next weekend, it'll be interesting.
The app must download and save the grid.

I do keep a chicken band radio and gps in the vehicle but haven't ever bothered with beacons and satellite phones outside of the workplace before.

I'm sure it beats setting fire to your esky in the hope someone sees the smoke and a whole lot easier than using one of these :thumbsup:
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Re: "what3words position identifier.

Post by deye243 » 29 Dec 2022, 8:02 pm

Every police helicopter Surf Lifesaving helimed you name it they all have Doppler direction-finding equipment onboard that's what those 4 antennas are about 8 in long on the belly of every helicopter it's simple you tell them roughly where they are on 40m during the day or 80m during the night and then all you need to do is send out a 70 cm or 68cm band which is chook band or 2m signal and I will have your position fixed with in seconds with a helicopter at altitude even a 5 Watt UHF chook Band radio will send out a signal for hundreds of kilometres provided the chopper is it about 6 to 8000 feet.

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Re: "what3words position identifier.

Post by on_one_wheel » 29 Dec 2022, 8:27 pm

Thats a pretty good set of ears, I'm surprised that 70cm at 5w can be detected out that far.
Iv got a 27meg ssb (11m HF) with a ¼ wave antenna, If only I could be heared through the constant music carriers, grown-ups talking like teenagers and constant repeated Rodger beeping.
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Re: "what3words position identifier.

Post by deye243 » 29 Dec 2022, 10:18 pm

It is all about the helicopters elevation 100% line of sight at ground level you need inversion layers I never got into the e m e thing that I have mates who consistently bounce signals off the moon to the other side of the planet with 150 watts of power
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Re: "what3words position identifier.

Post by Sarco » 31 Dec 2022, 8:54 pm

Does this rely on having (apple or android equivalent) location services turned on?

I really on turn on location services on the rare occasion that I need to use maps. I started to do this when I came out, jumped in the car and maps loaded up and told me where I was going, even before I had left the garage. Worse still it was correct, regularly (Saturday morning, every fortnight trip to the range).
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