Recording Locations

[Mutley]

Ah, are your lot from a "Londony" sort of way?
If you stick in 51.5010°, 0.1425° without the "N", you get a hit with Google Maps which seems to suggest Eastern Way over in London at Crossness.

Crossness is quite a bit further east than where my lot lived in SW1A 1AA (hmmm!) Chalk and Cheese

So it still seems easier to me to find somewhere by postcode than by lat/longs.
What do you think Mark, you are good at this?

I am more than happy to be proved wrong providing it is done in 'plain English'

[cmollekin]

When obtaining the long/lat from Google maps, it generates a reference which points to a general location BUT which can locate the general location just by copying and pasting the long/lat straight into a Google search engine. So, for example:-

53.42285, -1.28940

Copying and pasting the above into Google will take you to the general location. Now, if you remove the comma from the above reference and then paste it into Google maps, it will take you to the EXACT plot. However, the reference can no longer be searched through the Google search engine, it has to go into the map search field:-

53.42285 -1.28940

^ A green arrow pinpointing the exact spot can now be seen.

So, I’m going to start recording my location data in the following format:-

109 Melciss Road, Listerdale, Wickersley, Rotherham, Yorkshire, England (53.42285 -1.28940)

I should then be able to extract the lat/long using a query/report in my genealogical software so that I can populate a map. Still some way off this though, lol. I haven’t achieved the goal of generating a clickable link from within my software which will take me to the exact location. I’ll have to live with copying and pasting, lol.

Postcodes would be easier and more practical, but, some locations do not have postcodes and postcodes may change in the future whilst a long/lat reference never will - unless the earth spins into the sun or gets hit by a meteorite, LOL. Also, the Post Office website only lets me carry out x quantity of searches for postcodes on a daily basis. I suppose weighing up all the advantages and disadvantages, Post Codes would be the best way to go with this – maybe I just like making things more complicated, lol.

Hope I haven’t bored people too much with this.

[Mutley]

Well, I am not bored, I am just so curious.

I live in a tiny village, high up in the mountains, in Portugal. Our postcode is miles away and applies to the whole of the nearest town. It certainly would not find me
I don't have a house number or a street name. Our post has to be collected from the town Post Office.
Anyone coming to call that does not know us (tradesmen) need to be met at the bottom of the mountain and shown the way up.

Recently many of the 'estrangeiros' have been worried about how the emergency services would find us if necessary and there must be an easier way to receive deliveries.
I've been given some GPS cordinates. Not sure what to do with them yet. I am hoping this thread might give me a clue.

[cmollekin]

Your location sounds perfect, Mutley - nice and peaceful :-) That mountain would keep you fit too, lol. The GPS code would be the same as the long/lat, in that it would pin point your location, but does it look the same as long/lat reference? I'm guessing it would.

[cmollekin]

Mutley, try putting your GPS coords. into a Google map and see if it finds you.

[Mutley]

I tried putting the co-ords into this site but could not seem to make anything happen. Perhaps it is UK only?
https://
boulter.com/gps/

This site is fun
by typing in the address, as near as possible Google Earth almost found me and gives the co-ords.
https://
itouchmap.com/latlong.html

[Mutley]

I've learnt how to put the co-ords or the address into the above site and guess what?

I now know where I live.