[Closed] If you every get stranded and your phone is about to die...

If I have no signal I can’t change my voicemail message……

I’ve seen this posted a few times on fb and I’m not sure this is great advice. If I was in that much trouble I’d rather use my last 1% battery to send someone a text and phone 999.

Mountaineering Scotand are saying to ignore the advice in the OP.

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Text your what 3 words position to 999.

Make sure you register first though

https://firstaidtrainingcooperative.co.uk/can-i-text-999/?amp

Edit: it’s actually been developed for deaf people, but I guess there’s no reason it can’t be used by anyone unable to make a call.

That advice is viral guff. Please ignore it and please don’t share it. Mountaineering Scotland have shut this down with their accurate, expert statement.

You need a signal and battery to change your voicemail message. You are much, much better off using that to call or text 999 or another reliable contact.

your cell phone is either low on juice or has no signal, here is a tip that very well may save your life.
Change the voicemail on your phone

1) I don't have a cellphone, I'm not American.

2) How do you propose to change the voicemail when you're out of signal?

3) 999 works across all carriers, even if you're out of regular signal it could still work.

4) Tell someone where you're going and when you expect to check back in. They can raise an alert if you can't.

Text your what 3 words position to 999.

No no no. What Three Words is evil. Absolutely no emergency services will advise you to use it, it's not fit for that purpose.

Also, texting 999? You can set this up but it's really for accessibility issues like folks who are deaf. You'd need to provide actual details in an emergency, randomly texting "frog herringbone gremlins" ain't gonna do squat.

^^ or, what Frank said.

There is a place for W3W but do us a favour and download OS locate. You can get grid ref and share it via sms without need for data. It’s quick, reliable and free. Send a W3W to MRT and it will only end up being converted to grid ref anyway.

I'd have to be *really* desperate to rely on telemarketers to come to my rescue.

You could just ignore unknown numbers in case it's the rescue team trying to find you

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/26/hiker-lost-on-us-mountain-ignored-calls-from-rescuers-because-he-didnt-recognise-the-number?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

I do a lot of remote solo riding and kayaking. I ended up buying a SPOT tracker. They are not 100% because they do not work under heavy tree cover, but that is my emergency backup device now. You do need an ongoing contract but it probably works out pence per trip for me over the year.

No no no. What Three Words is evil. Absolutely no emergency services will advise you to use it,

And yet strangely some of them do, but we've already done that to death.

No no no. What Three Words is evil. Absolutely no emergency services will advise you to use it, it’s not fit for that purpose.

If that's what you've got, then use W3W. The emergency services will take whatever you've got, and most (if not all) call centres can locate you using it.

Was on an outdoor first aid course at the weekend - we were told this -

Rather than dialling 999 from your mobile, dialling 112 is better (from a mobile). 112 will connect your phone on any available network (not just your own) to help get the call through to emergency services. Apparently if the network is busy, it will also prioritise the 112 call over anything else trying to use the network (so when network frees up, it will connect a 112 call first).

What 3 Words does work, but isn't as quick as grid co-ordinates (something like OS Locate on your phone works well for grid coordinates). W3W also needs to be centred on your device each time you open it - it doesn't seem to locate your position immediately but shows your last position when you used W3W last. The emergency services person you have connected to may not have the ability to convert the W3W reading to coordinates so will then need to get them converted to get the call raised.

I suspect in reality 999 or 112 will work for almost all the times it is required; likewise, W3W is probably also good for most cases (just hope you don't have any plurals!), but the course was covering what could be done to speed up rescue and avoid confusion.

I thought that 999/112 thing had previously been discounted too.

nickc is spot on, a search manager will be delighted at any information received whether it's W3W or OS or whatever is available.

What 3 Words does work, but isn’t as quick as grid co-ordinates (something like OS Locate on your phone works well for grid coordinates). W3W also needs to be centred on your device each time you open it – it doesn’t seem to locate your position immediately but shows your last position when you used W3W last. The emergency services person you have connected to may not have the ability to convert the W3W reading to coordinates so will then need to get them converted to get the call raised.

The speed issue is a red herring, MRT deployment isn't quick, people have jobs/families and have to travel to an agreed RV point, my search manager would have a W3W point converted to a grid reference before I'm even out the street.

As Scotroutes says, I'm sure the 112 thing has been debunked.

as per the opening post, I'm pretty sure you'd have to be very lucky for that to work.

112 depends on what is programmed in your sim. TBH it makes no sense to use 112 over 999 on a UK sim.

I think the moral of the story here, WCA, is don't ever, for any reason, suggest anything, to anyone, for any reason, ever, no matter what, no matter where, or who, or who you are with, or where you are going, or where you've been, ever, for any reason whatsoever, because the know-it-alls will shoot you down in flames.

Was on an outdoor first aid course at the weekend – we were told this –

Rather than dialling 999 from your mobile, dialling 112 is better (from a mobile)

I think the moral of the story here

112 or 999 work, no difference.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/999-and-112-the-uks-national-emergency-numbers

I think the moral of the story here, WCA, is don’t ever, for any reason, suggest anything, to anyone, for any reason, ever, no matter what, no matter where, or who, or who you are with, or where you are going, or where you’ve been, ever, for any reason whatsoever, because the know-it-alls will shoot you down in flames.

I don't think anyone is really shooting anyone down, but if there's nonsense being spouted by folk on Faceboak, then it needs called out, but more importantly, the right way to do things offered instead.

I don’t think anyone is really shooting anyone down

I’ve seen this posted a few times on fb and I’m not sure this is great advice.

That advice is viral guff. Please ignore it and please don’t share it.

Is it the first thing I'd do? No
Is it worth knowing as a 2nd/3rd/whatever layer of backup? Yes

randomly texting “frog herringbone gremlins” ain’t gonna do squat.

“Here is a precise what3words address, made of 3 random words. Every 3 metre square in the world has its own unique what3words address.”
https://w3w.co/frog.herring.gremlin
///frog.herring.gremlin

As close as I could get it😅

I do a lot of remote solo riding and kayaking. I ended up buying a SPOT tracker. They are not 100% because they do not work under heavy tree cover, but that is my emergency backup device now. You do need an ongoing contract but it probably works out pence per trip for me over the year.

Same for me but with the Garmin InReach. Not had much use this last year though.

I don't use voicemail and have no idea how to set a message - in fact no one I know uses voicemail

What 3 words is very second best to a grid reference

Inreach here too, expensive but work bought me it for a charity trek, I pay the monthly fee. Good for keeping my wife updated that I'm safe when doing multi day stuff, and the ultimate hope-you-never-need-it SOS button too.

There is one that doesn't have a monthly fee, fast find 220, but it's SOS only, may suit some folks better.

https://marinestore.co.uk/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=cs11060-c&msclkid=27b1a01bd1da13dd8285c16c66f759d0

I'm slightly stunned that the Myth of 112 is still alive and well.

112 = 999. End of.

What 3 words is very second best to a grid reference

Of course, but lots of folk have it (my daughter for instance) and are familiar with it and it's easy to use and couldn't give an operator a grid reference. Bear in mind that the first thing the emergency operator might ask for is a postcode. We've done this argument to death, if you want to use Grid or Lat-Long go ahead, there's nothing to stop you, and whatever one's own feeling about how a business conducts itself, who cares about that when it could mean the difference between being found quickly or not?

you might as well shout at the wind as leave me a voicemail.

IF its important you'll call back - most likely people leave the message AND call back which is an irritant

IF your phone goes to voice mail - ill hang up and try again later - People know you called - their phone tells them you called.

if its something im willing to leave in a message ill text it.

LAst time i needed an MRT - it was at fords of Avon - a german tourist with what looked to me to be either dislocated or broken ankle(blue foot , lots of swelling and at a jaunty angle) . Between us we had three phones on three different networks - not one of us got signal before we got to linn of dee(my works phone has had signal in the middle of the karokuram desert and in the middle of the black sea yet ......cairngorms foxed it) - and the phone at derry lodge had been vandalised as per standard issue (Those people if caught should be castrated)

- we left Fords of Avon (and the IP) at 9am on bikes MRT were alerted by 10.30. The IP was extracted at 6pm.

The chat about W3W is predicable and has been done. I've posted on it extensively before and would be happy to do so if the debate demands it. W3W is fine but OS locate is better. I'd still recommend having W3W on your phone though in case the call handler asks for it (as they are now known to do)

This new chat about Voicemail is just silly. If you have signal and battery use it to call for help, don't waste it on voicemail.

112 / 999, doesn't make the slightest jot of a difference.

If you want to speed things up and help the process along, the one thing you can do that you probably don't realise will make a big difference (but does) is to make sure when you call 999 / 112 make sure you ask for Police / Mountain Rescue rather than asking for Ambulance.

Of course, but lots of folk have it (my daughter for instance) and are familiar with it and it’s easy to use and couldn’t give an operator a grid reference.

I appreciate that this has been done to death, but the "but W3W is easy" thing doesn't really wash, as it's just as easy to have an app that'll give a grid reference. I've got one, called Grid Reference, it's tiny (2mb!) and free.

but W3W is easy

spelling three separate words letter by letter over the phone to ensure 100% accuracy of W3W is not as easy as reading an OS Locate GR such as NT 654 786.

Locally though I know our control rooms (ambulance and police) seem very determined to get W3W off a caller, even when this means them talking the caller through the process of downloading the app whilst running out of battery on a windy wet hillside! Therefore, whatever your thoughts on the merit of it, it is still worth having W3W in case you are asked for it.

Mleh, I'm completely agnostic when it comes to location devices on my phone, I've got everything from W3W to Lat Long (apple compass)  to Grid (OS locator.) Hell, sometimes I've even got a paper map with me. Whatever folk want from me I can give it to them.

Spelling three separate words letter by letter over the phone to ensure 100% accuracy is not as easier than reading a GR such as NT 654 786.

(imaginary scenario) "Was that 654 or 564, can you repeat it for me, you're breaking up..." EVERYTHING has an upside and a downside. For folk who're unfamiliar with what a Grid or Lat-Long is then you may as well ask in Urdu.  Whatever your own personal feelings are, or your own experience is, great. Other people (shocking I know) have different views. I will guarantee you that my daughter can fire up and give you a W3W location faster than you can give anyone a Lat long. Mostly because like most young folk, she has better FPF (fast phone fingers) than you do.

TL;DR: whatever works for you, use that.

Final thought on the matter, irrespective of what location platform you use, most MRT will send you a PhoneFind or SARLOC SMS message anyway. This will prompt you to share your location via SMS. Just make sure your phone GPS is on and grant permission . In most cases, this will then be the single source of truth for the troops coming to get you (assuming that you are in the same place as the casualty).

What Frank said (I believe there's some kind of GDPR requirement to ask your permission to use your location, crazy - yes, but there you go).

spelling three separate words letter by letter over the phone to ensure 100% accuracy of W3W is not as easy as reading an OS Locate GR such as NT 654 786.

I don’t type. Open app click share and send. What’s not to like?

Here is a precise what3words address, made of 3 random words. Every 3 metre square in the world has its own unique what3words address.
https://w3w.co/quarrel.adopt.blur
///quarrel.adopt.blur

Is what goes into a message.

I don’t type. Open app click share and send. What’s not to like?

Exactly the same as OS locate then.

I don’t type. Open app click share and send. What’s not to like?

How do you do that with a police or ambulance control room call handler?

I don’t type. Open app click share and send. What’s not to like?

But... the *whole point* of w3w was that it was easier to dictate. If you're sharing a location using an app, then *any* other coordinate system is just as good. Better, in fact, as not reliant on a closed-source service being available.

No, the whole point of W3W is a location device. How you transmit that information to a third party is totally irrelevant. I get that people don't like the closed nature of the code an' all. But who gives a **** when people are lost on the hillside and they've no idea what a Grid Ref is or how to read a Lat-Long? And people in the actual emergency services have repeatedly said on threads like this is that they'll take whatever information they can get.

It seems to me that people have taken offence to it, and that's fair enough don't use it, but for people for whom it's going to be useful because they can understand it why put them off just because you have a personal beef about it. It's stupid.

I assume W3W may be very helpful to someone who suffers from Discalculia?.

I’m slightly stunned that the Myth of 112 is still alive and well.

I remember on a first aid course years ago when the tutor seemed to be suggesting that 112 was some sort of magic number that would connect even if you were in a cave/underwater.

I'm still not sure if he was confused by the thing about *your* network having no signal but it might be able to pick up A.N.Other network and use that or if he genuinely thought it would work at the bottom of a mineshaft.

I think the original post information is more relevant for large areas OZ outback parts of America parts of Africa. Where phone signal is bizarrely good (as it's cheaper to erect masts that lay cable, I was in Zambia and everyone had two mobiles but no-one had a landline). For UK MTN rescue not so good.
The original post I saw certainly seemed to apply to a broken down in the outback scenario.

And people in the actual emergency services have repeatedly said on threads like this is that they’ll take whatever information they can get.

I've been one of those people. I also said that a high percentage of W3W locations I get are wrong, nearly always as a result of spelling errors. Caller - Police Call Handler - MRT means more than one opportunity to get it wrong. Sometimes the error is obvious, sometimes not. OS Locate GR is easier to read over the phone and doesn't rely on a call handler being able to spell (and very often they cannot spell).

But hey, any location tool is better than the olden days and will always be backed up with PhoneFind message.