What three words

[suavecarve]

So how many accidents do you have? Actually new to me so trying to work through how useful it is outside of the emergency point. Any pointers, does it work on navigation systems?

I am an extremely regular user of this system, perhaps even 3 to 4 times a day some days.

Our campus is 1,000 acres but only 200 or so are interesting, and i get to deal with every type of emergency and the emergency services really dont have a clue with their mapping because our addresses are known by different names. (I must take that back for the fire service who know exactly everything when they turn up). And if they did know the address they have to try and find it on their mapping system, then find which block within that map. Nightmare scenario for them. So before WTW they just used to come to the control room and ask to be taken wherever they needed to go

Using it for us is a complete no brainer otherwise we just end giving instructions from us reading google maps to them reading google maps and interpreting what we say so that they can pass it on to the persons attending. Very well used locally by officers and paramedics.

 

[Thross]

I like What 3 Words in the UK, I also like Google Maps when abroad.

Google Maps provides coordinates which all recovery services know how to use, and the user nees a much smaller grasp of a foreign language to communicate, basically the numbers 0 to 9.

What3words can link straight into Google Maps - so easy!

 

[Coolcats]

Never had the need to use it, I’m sure some may find it useful but map and compass doesn’t need batteries or a computer. It’s an old skill but one that everyone should learn.

 

[Nasher]

Never had the need to use it, I’m sure some may find it useful but map and compass doesn’t need batteries or a computer. It’s an old skill but one that everyone should learn.

My phone has a map & compass - but it needs a battery

 

[Stonemags76]

Lots of folk are using WTW to save parking spots & Aires now. A lot easier to input & save on your favourites, & then can just ask it to navigate & you get a choice of Google maps, Apple maps, or maps.me. I agree that if you are mountain walking the skill of a map & compass is invaluable, but if you fall, you may be in no fit state to start taking bearings etc to tell the rescue services your exact location. WTW tells them to within 1 square metre, so an excellent back up. Also, as Jim says, meeting friends, remembering where you’ve parked the car in a big car park - endless uses!

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[Jim]

Never had the need to use it, I’m sure some may find it useful but map and compass doesn’t need batteries or a computer. It’s an old skill but one that everyone should learn.

I am an expert with a map and compass. I love them. I used them for so much and so long I can look at a map and see a complete, accurate detailed image in my mind, just like I’m there, I’ve used every type of compass and probably own at least ten. (Years of orienteering). But if I want to point someone else to exactly where I’m parked at Malvern or in that 30 acre car park at the NEC. W3W. Is much better than getting out a map and compass and doing an intersection or resection.

 

[MajorClanger]

I was a fan of WTW until a friend of mine got a “cease & desist” order from them for reverse-engineering their algorithm and publishing it.

 

[Coolcats]

I am an expert with a map and compass. I love them. I used them for so much and so long I can look at a map and see a complete, accurate detailed image in my mind, just like I’m there, I’ve used every type of compass and probably own at least ten. (Years of orienteering). But if I want to point someone else to exactly where I’m parked at Malvern or in that 30 acre car park at the NEC. W3W. Is much better than getting out a map and compass and doing an intersection or resection.

Jim I guess you have a found a need and use it and am sure others will appreciate your use of such technology.

My favourite compass is the Suunto M3 and go everywhere with it so what is your favourite when not relying on W3W

 

[Jim]

My favourite compass is the Suunto M3 and go everywhere with it so what is your favourite when not relying on W3W

I'm not sure what you mean when you say, relying. They are two different things. The compass is a direction finding navigational aid. While W3W is a postcode. They exist for different reasons.

But seeing as you ask, the one in my desk drawer somewhere is a £10 Silva Militaire as i tend to still think in mills

 

[Northernraider]

Thats not the apps fault. What is your precise location at the moment? If you're French is poor you'll struggle with that too. Don't forget you can ping the three words to most nav systems

How do you do this?
I've had the app for a while but never needed it for an emergency so i was gonna delete

But if it has an alternative purpose like using to navigate it would make it more valuable to keep hold off

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[Jim]

Bottom of the screen. Click share to send your location to others. Or click the button marked navigate.

 

[The Dotties]

As an aside re language, is the NATO alphabet understood world wide, at least by the emergency services? Could be a way of giving location wherever you are

As this thread has been resurrected, any body know the answer?

 

[MajorClanger]

NATO phonetic alphabet - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Short answer: yes

 

[Janine]

From Facebook yesterday...

 

[pappajohn]

I know the three words for my location but just took four voice searches to find me.
It did not understand my voice.
Deleted the app as crap.

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[LesW]

Most phone based mapping apps allow sharing of your location, which is fine if you're broken down in your vehicle so hence are on a road.

However if up a mountain or somewhere in the countryside on a public footpath these maps (generally) do have the amount of detail to show your location, but some will also show a map reference... these are what you should be looking for.

I use Ordnace Survey based maps when walking in the UK.

 

[pandas]

Jim I guess you have a found a need and use it and am sure others will appreciate your use of such technology.

My favourite compass is the Suunto M3 and go everywhere with it so what is your favourite when not relying on W3W

Mines the compass app on my iPhone but I also have one of those Boy Scout manual gizmos - the one mounted on a piece of acrylic with a red arrow.

 

[Pikeman]

I have had the app on my phone for some time. Never had cause to use it for an emergency, thankfully, but as I like to mountain bike and hike in some fairly remote regions, both UK and abroad, it gives me a degree of peace of mind, should things go 'tits up'. It is a brilliant idea, why would you not have it on your phone, just in case.

Keith

 

[Coolcats]

I'm not sure what you mean when you say, relying. They are two different things. The compass is a direction finding navigational aid. While W3W is a postcode. They exist for different reasons.

But seeing as you ask, the one in my desk drawer somewhere is a £10 Silva Militaire as i tend to still think in mills

That is a good compass and a very useful tool, I suspect you also know that gps can be even more accurate the the W3W, 'out there' I personally use as little technology as possible and its never the first 300 miles of a journey but the last 300 yards. In someways I think a lot of technology has either de-skilled or is de-skilling people. I don't need W3W for coordinates and like your self can plot where I am on a map and where I need to be, but not all have the skills I guess.

 

[The Dotties]

Therese, (beloved) can’t use a compass and OS. But she can find out where she has broken down simply. She has all the information she needs for me to find her, in a short phone call or text.
So could the emergency services if they should ever need to.
W3W and OS are two totally different beasts, meant for completely different needs.
And yes I can use a compass an OS, though like Jim I’m used to mils.

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[The Dotties]

NATO phonetic alphabet - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Short answer: yes

 

[Googlebot]

I work in Emergency Services both in Control and out on the road.

We use it now all the time, twice today I have been able to direct specialist resources directly to a patients side using it. We can use OS grids, lat and long and roads and postcodes, however in just three words we can exactly pinpoint it in seconds.

I would recommend everyone uses it, there isn’t anything as quick and accurate at the moment.

 

[Solwaybuggier]

We broke down in the car on the M6 last month - very useful in pinpointing location for the AA, and much safer than walking along (narrow) hard shoulder to identify nearest marker post.

 

[GarryP]

What a brilliant little app. I just downloaded it and after giving it location access it landed right on our house here in Mexico. My wife and I will make use of this regularly.

 

[Coolcats]

Longitude and latitude works just as well and can be more accurate. Whilst a previous post says it’s faster I suspect it is not that much faster than typing in the longitude and latitude or postcode and house number

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[Janine]

Longitude and latitude works just as well and can be more accurate. Whilst a previous post says it’s faster I suspect it is not that much faster than typing in the longitude and latitude or postcode and house number

Really?

Which one would you prefer to give (accurately and under pressure) to emergency services?

Shack.stale.ridge
or
51.759193,-1.254755

 

[Revolvor]

Longitude and latitude works just as well and can be more accurate. Whilst a previous post says it’s faster I suspect it is not that much faster than typing in the longitude and latitude or postcode and house number

What's the post code if you've fallen off your mountain bike in a forest and need help? You don't need to "type in" the words. Just press the Share button.

 

[Langtoftlad]

Hanging upside down in a car that had slid off the road into a ditch, the emergency services operator want the name of the road/junction... was an unnamed lane... Google could give me longitude & latitude but surprisingly the operator couldn't handle.
What3Words got an (excess) emergency services response...
.

 

[Janine]

Hanging upside down in a car that had slid off the road into a ditch, the emergency services operator want the name of the road/junction... was an unnamed lane... Google could give me longitude & latitude but surprisingly the operator couldn't handle.
What3Words got an (excess) emergency services response...
.

Crikey! How recent was this because emergency services seem to be getting on board with w3w now.

 

[carolyn]

If the emergency services want us to have it then that’s good enough for me. Thank you , I’d never heard of it. I’ve installed it and will get family and friends to do so if they haven’t already.
Our address causes lots of confusion for deliveries & I wouldn’t want the same to happen if we’d called an ambulance.

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