Bluetooth/GPS Person Tracking

[parsonjack]

Has anyone tried to use a GPS or Bluetooth tracking app or device to locate friends in Glastonbury crowds?  

While both technologies will easily locate someone once you're within 50m or so I can't find any detail of how close such they'll get you ie. how close to your mate will it get you....10m...2m?

Accuracy is important obviously....otherwise they're still going to need the 'I Love Sausage' flag to help you back from the Cider Bus..... 

[Platt073]

Maybe call/text instead?

[parsonjack]

8 minutes ago, Platt073 said:

Maybe call/text instead?

The call to your mate so he can tell you he's stood by the bloke in the pink hat near the girl in the orange shorts is exactly what I'm trying to avoid......

[Hugh Jass]

Get a flag!

[Platt073]

Try stupid big hats?

[parsonjack]

yeah....thanks guys....why didn't I think of that?

 

[The Nal]

Gets you within 4-5 metres in non urban areas. In a packed Glasto crowd that can be a big area! Although not sure what impact another 150,000 phones would have.

But please don't do it. Losing friends and using flags and blokes in pink hats to locate them is what Glasto is all about! I've met some great people from being lost/them being lost.

Edited January 10, 2016 by The Nal

[carlosj]

Are you after a way to track your mate's phone or just to know and then get to his position? Either way is going to drain your battery pretty quickly I think.

I prefer the '10 feet to the rear left of the fish flag' approach, although tbh, my cousin didn't fully appreciate there were 3 fish flags at that Stage....

I use a Find My Car app on my phone which is good to 15 feet. Maybe you could both look for a way to discern your GPS position and text it over to then search for it once you're nearer?

Depending on the phone's OS, you could use MyLookout on Android and Apple Cloud (?) to locate the phone relative to where you are, but you'd need to log in as your mate to see his device's location. Fiddly at best, nonexistent at worst with no signal on site.

Edited January 10, 2016 by carlosj

[hfuhruhurr]

there's http://what3words.com/
Daft as it may sound, my friends are stupidly good at finding each other. Before the Friday opener last year, I said "where we were for the Stranglers" and my mate walked straight up to me. Same with the huge crowds - spooky  - Lionel Richie - usual place at the pyramid - straight away, 4 ciders in hand - marv.

[VolumetricFox]

If you're on iOS Find My Friends is the easiest thing, worked perfectly with my brother finding me no problem and its already built into the OS.  https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201493

If you don't want to set it up you tap 'details' at the top right when sending an iMessage, you've got a 'share my location' option there and choose for how long.

[Woffy]

Lordy, how the fuck did we manage in the 90s when fucko'd?*

 

*#Gillespied

[lucyginger]

That what3words thing worked for our mates to find us in the car park at silly o'clock on Wednesday morning:)

[Pbird81]

Managed to randomly bump into people quite successfully last year... 

[willutalk]

23 hours ago, lucyginger said:

That what3words thing worked for our mates to find us in the car park at silly o'clock on Wednesday morning:)

Dad and I were using this, absolute nightmare!!! It located me to 100 meters out (in another field!). Led to a 'small' argument and then a couple of apologies.

Edited January 11, 2016 by willutalk

[guypjfreak]

On 10/01/2016 at 10:43 AM, parsonjack said:

Has anyone tried to use a GPS or Bluetooth tracking app or device to locate friends in Glastonbury crowds?  

While both technologies will easily locate someone once you're within 50m or so I can't find any detail of how close such they'll get you ie. how close to your mate will it get you....10m...2m?

Accuracy is important obviously....otherwise they're still going to need the 'I Love Sausage' flag to help you back from the Cider Bus..... 

why ......just go old school and have fun .................better than a flag tho old son lol

[lucyginger]

13 hours ago, willutalk said:

Dad and I were using this, absolute nightmare!!! It located me to 100 meters out (in another field!). Led to a 'small' argument and then a couple of apologies.

Oh dear! I'm rubbish at directions, I left it to other people to work out!! 

[Room to sway]

Triangulation's what you need.

Pick three points around you that would place you in that exact spot. "Right-hand screen", "ice-cream van" and "big tree" for example.

Now I feel like playing the trumpet.

[grumpyhack]

7 hours ago, Room to sway said:

Triangulation's what you need.

Pick three points around you that would place you in that exact spot. "Right-hand screen", "ice-cream van" and "big tree" for example.

Now I feel like playing the trumpet.

Yep, triangulation is the way to do it.  Works for most stages. Once you've found your spot and need to leave and return (for example for a pee or to buy an ice cream in the blistering heat) you can add in extra local details - like 10 yards to the right of the pratt with a flag.

The other way is to arrange to meet up with a group periodically at pre-agreed spots like a particular food stall or one of the Meeting Points.