OB1 3 Word Navigation?

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Michael

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You will see 3 word navigation words throughout the app. The benefit of three word navigation is communicating precise location (within 10 feet) without having to list complicated GPS coordinates. Just tap any blue 3 word text to copy to the clipboard.

For members, 3 word lookup is also available offline for those cases when you are off grid sharing locations over ham radio.


Examples of 3 word navigation in our app:

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El-Dracho

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what3words really works perfectly and it's great that this position info is available in the OB1 app. It is also helpful when specifying meeting points in Rally Points.
 
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2WheelRob

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Just to add to this, I work at our 911 call center and we use what 3 words to help locate callers who don't know where they are. Its crazy accurate. I had been on the ambulance for 13 years before transferring, and I wish we had been using it when I was on the truck.
 

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I’ve used the app twice now to locate family members. Super accurate, GREAT APP, I highly recommend. Great job @Michael for integrating this to OB!!!
That is so good to hear! We have really tried to make location sharing as easy as possible with the variety of ways you can share location with the app.
 

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I’ve used the app twice now to locate family members. Super accurate, GREAT APP, I highly recommend. Great job @Michael for integrating this to OB!!!
That is so good to hear! We have really tried to make location sharing as easy as possible with the variety of ways you can share location with the app.
I believe this is a game changer! And am so happy you’ve integrated this, great job!

For anyone that wants more info, below is the Ted talk.


Have a great Labor Day weekend!
 

Michael

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I’ve used the app twice now to locate family members. Super accurate, GREAT APP, I highly recommend. Great job @Michael for integrating this to OB!!!
That is so good to hear! We have really tried to make location sharing as easy as possible with the variety of ways you can share location with the app.
I believe this is a game changer! And am so happy you’ve integrated this, great job!

For anyone that wants more info, below is the Ted talk.


Have a great Labor Day weekend!
Awesome! For us it’s a no-brainer. When you combine community with off grid navigation, communicating precise location easily becomes very important.
 
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2WheelRob

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Also, as said above not to detract from the Overland Bound app which I imagine uses the w3w API. 3 word addressing **as it is currently set up** has some pretty glaring issues. plurals of words, homophones, doesn't take height into account, even offensive combinations of words. (Like this one) This video explains a few of them.

All of that being said, 3 word addressing in 99% of situations is a superior way to locate someone or something when other detailed info is not available (turn right where the old barn used to be) and Overland Bound having it built in is great especially when you combine the ability to download maps for offline use. Brilliant to include it in the overland bound app.
 
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Michael

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Also, as said above not to detract from the Overland Bound app which I imagine uses the w3w API. 3 word addressing **as it is currently set up** has some pretty glaring issues. plurals of words, homophones, doesn't take height into account, even offensive combinations of words. (Like this one) This video explains a few of them.

All of that being said, 3 word addressing in 99% of situations is a superior way to locate someone or something when other detailed info is not available (turn right where the old barn used to be) and Overland Bound having it built in is great especially when you combine the ability to download maps for offline use. Brilliant to include it in the overland bound app.
Thank you. Another important consideration is that the OB1 App allows you to look up 3 word addresses while you are offline. We have included the entire database in our binary. This means that if you are completely disconnected from service, and get a 3 word location over a ham radio, you will be able to locate the individual off grid.
 

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Are the 3 words generated by OB1 unique to the app only? Or do they work with other apps? For example, OB1 gives a three word location for a spot in Colorado. That is relayed to the local sheriff’s office, but the words punched in the their computer or app, say you’re in Mongolia instead.
 

2WheelRob

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Are the 3 words generated by OB1 unique to the app only? Or do they work with other apps? For example, OB1 gives a three word location for a spot in Colorado. That is relayed to the local sheriff’s office, but the words punched in the their computer or app, say you’re in Mongolia instead.
The OB1 app uses the what3words api so the 3 words are consistent with anything using that database. And as far as I know what3words is the only one.
 

Michael

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Are the 3 words generated by OB1 unique to the app only? Or do they work with other apps? For example, OB1 gives a three word location for a spot in Colorado. That is relayed to the local sheriff’s office, but the words punched in the their computer or app, say you’re in Mongolia instead.
Yes. Exactly as @PolyM3dic said. What3Words has an app, but focuses on using their API within other apps, like OB1. They are also spreading their API use to many first responders. Dallas police and Fire recently integrated W3W to communicate exact location.
 
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2WheelRob

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Are the 3 words generated by OB1 unique to the app only? Or do they work with other apps? For example, OB1 gives a three word location for a spot in Colorado. That is relayed to the local sheriff’s office, but the words punched in the their computer or app, say you’re in Mongolia instead.
Yes. Exactly as @PolyM3dic said. What3Words has an app, but focuses on using their API within other apps, like OB1. They are also spreading their API use to many first responders. Dallas police and Fire recently integrated W3W to communicate exact location.
Austin area police/fire/EMS use it also. It's integrated into our cell tracking software. We get the info from the cell signal, and can relay it to the medics/fire fighters/officers on the ground in the field.

Don't worry, it's not as easy as us just typing in a phone number and seeing your GPS locatio. You have to have called INTO our 911 system before we can access it.
 

Michael

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Austin area police/fire/EMS use it also. It's integrated into our cell tracking software. We get the info from the cell signal, and can relay it to the medics/fire fighters/officers on the ground in the field.

Don't worry, it's not as easy as us just typing in a phone number and seeing your GPS locatio. You have to have called INTO our 911 system before we can access it.
it's good to know. I liked the idea a lot - so we integrated it (having lots of experience reading off GPS numbers over ham radio), then recently in Mojave, it came in very handy when we could hear an OLB Member, but comms was garbled - got the three words.
 
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Sparksalot

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Yes. Exactly as @PolyM3dic said. What3Words has an app, but focuses on using their API within other apps, like OB1. They are also spreading their API use to many first responders. Dallas police and Fire recently integrated W3W to communicate exact location.
That’s actually why I was asking. Austin Fire recommended the what3words app for the ACL festival last weekend.
 
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Sparksalot

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Austin area police/fire/EMS use it also. It's integrated into our cell tracking software. We get the info from the cell signal, and can relay it to the medics/fire fighters/officers on the ground in the field.

Don't worry, it's not as easy as us just typing in a phone number and seeing your GPS locatio. You have to have called INTO our 911 system before we can access it.
That’s pretty cool. Especially if a caller is unable to speak.
 
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Michael

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Yes. Exactly as @PolyM3dic said. What3Words has an app, but focuses on using their API within other apps, like OB1. They are also spreading their API use to many first responders. Dallas police and Fire recently integrated W3W to communicate exact location.
That’s actually why I was asking. Austin Fire recommended the what3words app for the ACL festival last weekend.
Yes, those 3 word combinations will be interchangeable, even offline.
 

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I don't know about anyone else, but when trying to search 3 words on the OB1 map, I get a notification that I need to upgrade and become a member. :confounded: