Let's Use GPS Coordinates to Identify Locations

[NW Mailing List]

Due to a very hectic Fall and Winter, I'm just now catching up on reading 4,000+ emails from a bunch of discussion lists I subscribe to.  And I note that late in 2007, there was much discussion on N&W List about the exact location of Boaz, Irving, etc.

May I suggest that we use GPS coordinates to identify things on the List?  That way, everyone can see aerial images of the places being discussed.  The nice thing is that most of today's cell phones will give you GPS coordinates, if you lay them down and don't move them for about two minutes.  After giving coordinates, my cell phone normally says something like, "5 satellites used - accurate within 10 feet."  WOW !

www.flashearth.com is a very easy-to-use source of satellite images for North and South America and Europe, and it also gives GPS coordinates.  Try it!  Click on the link given above and in the search box at lower right of screen, type in:  BOAZ, VA   You'll get a satellite image and longitude/latitude as well.

I'll fine-tune this interesting exercise for you...

At the upper left corner of the screen is a selection menu for 8 different types of satellite iamges.  Choose:  MICROSOFT VE (LABELS)    This particular type map will label the towns and roads for you.

Zoom in and zoom out using the tool at the upper right of the screen.  It looks like a position light signal (honest ! ) and the white horizontal rectangle is the slider bar.  Move it up or down to zoom in and out on the satellite image.

See the little white cross-hair in the middle of the screen?  That's where the longitude/latitude numbers apply.  The cross-hair never moves from the center of the screen.  Rather, you move the map around by left clicking and holding down your mouse, and sliding the map around: up or down, right or left.

So now Harry Bundy has two ways to give us the GPS coordinates for his house... He can take a cell phone out on his porch and punch the "Get GPS Position" button, or he can determine the coordinates by placing the image of his house right under the crosshairs on Flashearth.

It will take you about two minutes to learn to use Flashearth, and it will make our communication about obscure places so much more objective.

Not bad for some old guy who still taps his telegraph key, huh?  And no, I didn't have some teenager teach me this stuff !

-- abram burnett :)


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