GPS Location via telstra GSM phone

[KLR]

Found this (quite by accident) on a camping/4wd site


Assuming this doesnt simply just give the co-ordinates of the tower
you are connected to -
How exactly does this work - if it does give an actual location, or
more importantly - are there currently mobile phone locating systems
currently in the system, if so - how do they work (triangulation?) and
how accurate are they ?

I cannot test this immediately as I have CDMA not GSM.




http://www.noboundaries.com.au/Hints and tips.htm

"Haven't got a GPS to find out where you are? Then use your mobile
phone. Found this on the MSN Group Sites: 'Golddetecting' and '4WD
Australia'. To get your GPS position send an SMS message (without
any text typed) to 1715678 and you will receive a message back with
your GPS Lat/Long. position, have a pen ready to write it down. I'm
on the NSW Central Coast area and this is what I received 33.511938,
151.326392. Works on GSM using the Telstra Mobile Network."

 

[Cunning Linguist]

I tried this and got the co ords of 33.272992 149.110675, I don't currently
have a map handy so can't say if this is correct, I am in Orange, central
west NSW by the way
Cheers
Tony..

 

[Heywood Jablome]

I tried this and got the co ords of 33.272992 149.110675, I don't currently
have a map handy so can't say if this is correct, I am in Orange, central
west NSW by the way
Cheers
Tony..

I tried it. It says "message not sent this time". What a shame. I have a GPS
right here so I could have confirmed its accuracy. I'm in Melbourne on
Vodafone pre paid.

Anyone else in melbourne want to try it? Looks like Telstra network might
work from other reports.

-H

 

[Brian Goldsmith]

Found this (quite by accident) on a camping/4wd site


Assuming this doesnt simply just give the co-ordinates of the tower
you are connected to -
How exactly does this work - if it does give an actual location, or
more importantly - are there currently mobile phone locating systems
currently in the system, if so - how do they work (triangulation?) and
how accurate are they ?

I cannot test this immediately as I have CDMA not GSM.




http://www.noboundaries.com.au/Hints and tips.htm

"Haven't got a GPS to find out where you are? Then use your mobile
phone. Found this on the MSN Group Sites: 'Golddetecting' and '4WD
Australia'. To get your GPS position send an SMS message (without
any text typed) to 1715678 and you will receive a message back with
your GPS Lat/Long. position, have a pen ready to write it down. I'm
on the NSW Central Coast area and this is what I received 33.511938,
151.326392. Works on GSM using the Telstra Mobile Network."

***** The following message presents itself when 1715678 is sent to the
Telstra network.

"(Two Cordinates are shown followed by ):-171LOST is a Telstra Research
protype.It should not be used for any health and safety purposes".

Brian Goldsmith.

 

[Ken Taylor]

Found this (quite by accident) on a camping/4wd site


Assuming this doesnt simply just give the co-ordinates of the tower
you are connected to -
How exactly does this work - if it does give an actual location, or
more importantly - are there currently mobile phone locating systems
currently in the system, if so - how do they work (triangulation?) and
how accurate are they ?

I cannot test this immediately as I have CDMA not GSM.




http://www.noboundaries.com.au/Hints and tips.htm

"Haven't got a GPS to find out where you are? Then use your mobile
phone. Found this on the MSN Group Sites: 'Golddetecting' and '4WD
Australia'. To get your GPS position send an SMS message (without
any text typed) to 1715678 and you will receive a message back with
your GPS Lat/Long. position, have a pen ready to write it down. I'm
on the NSW Central Coast area and this is what I received 33.511938,
151.326392. Works on GSM using the Telstra Mobile Network."

***** The following message presents itself when 1715678 is sent to the
Telstra network.

"(Two Cordinates are shown followed by ):-171LOST is a Telstra Research
protype.It should not be used for any health and safety purposes".

Brian Goldsmith.

On the back of E911 development I suppose.

Ken

 

[Dennis Nolan]

I tried it. It says "message not sent this time". What a shame. I have a GPS
right here so I could have confirmed its accuracy. I'm in Melbourne on
Vodafone pre paid.

Anyone else in melbourne want to try it? Looks like Telstra network might
work from other reports.

-H

The coords of Australian capital cities are:
longitude latitude city name
138.60 -34.93 Adelaide
153.02 -27.47 Brisbane
149.13 -35.30 Canberra
130.83 -12.45 Darwin
147.32 -42.88 Hobart
144.97 -37.82 Melbourne
115.85 -31.95 Perth
151.20 -33.87 Sydney

So assuming that you missed the minus in front of the latitude (ie you
are in the southern hemisphere) you seem to be more or less directly
north of Canberra and West of Sydney, most likely Bathurst whose
coordinates are -33.273 : 149.110

Regards
Dennis

 

[John Palmer]

While browsing for something else entirely I came across this site...

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=-33.272992&lon=149.110675&scale=25000&icon=x

I haven't yet found a location on their site where you load the coordinates,
so I actually load them into the address bar.

This link returns a location adjacent to the Orange Showgrounds.When I tried
the coordinates for my location it returned a location within 100 metres.

 

[Lord-Data]

I get (-32.93,151.65)
Followed by:

"Unable to find a suitable street directory reference"

Looks like theyr trying to turn this into a pretty full blown service ..

 

[Desmond Wong]

Seems that the co-ordinates are switched around. Interesting. Will try later
today with my GPS and see how accurate it is.

 

[Dave]

On the back of E911 development I suppose.

Actually it's seems to be just triangulation since it works with any
digital mobile - mine doesn't have built in GPS which is what E911
mainly relies on.

It's probably why it reports my position as being 6km away from where I
am, (when compared to my Geko 201 with 8 satellite lock and EPE of 5m).

Mobile reception where I am is marginal and only one tower to access.

Dave

 

[Ken Taylor]

Actually it's seems to be just triangulation since it works with any
digital mobile - mine doesn't have built in GPS which is what E911
mainly relies on.

It's probably why it reports my position as being 6km away from where I
am, (when compared to my Geko 201 with 8 satellite lock and EPE of 5m).

Mobile reception where I am is marginal and only one tower to access.

Dave

E911 has to work even with mobiles without GPS fitted. It sounds like you're
getting the cell site position rather than your position - 6km is too big an
error for triangulation (I think technically it'd be trilateration, but who
cares?

Ken

 

[s b]

I get (-32.93,151.65)
Followed by:

"Unable to find a suitable street directory reference"

Looks like theyr trying to turn this into a pretty full blown service ..

Aren't SMS to these kinds of numbers considered to be premium and cost
heaps?

 

[Mike Harding]

Aren't SMS to these kinds of numbers considered to be premium and cost
heaps?

I'll let you know in 30 days

500m out for me.

Mike Harding

 

[Brian Goldsmith]

"Brian Goldsmith" wrote

The following message presents itself when 1715678 is sent to the

Telstra network.

"(Two Cordinates are shown followed by ):-171LOST is a Telstra Research
protype.It should not be used for any health and safety purposes".

Brian Goldsmith.


***** Terry,my reply to your email is bouncing,please contact me.

Brian Goldsmith.

 

[Desmond Wong]

They seem to be fairly accurate, mine which I did today and compared to my
in-car gps were only out after the hundredth digits (ie 0.0x)

I suppose it will only be as accurate as triangulation from the towers
around.

 

[KLR]

after seeing how other people on here were getting reasonably accurate
results, I got hold of a Telstra GSM and tried it


Lat: 25:16:50S (-25.2806) Lon: 152:50:22E (152.8394)



In my case - this is the precise location of the local telephone
exchange and phone tower - about 8km away from where the call was
made

Its interesting.

Phone used was a Nokia 6100 if thats of any relevance.

 

[Ken Taylor]

Were you close to a cell tower at the time? There seem to be two sets of
data coming in from people - that the coordinates would seem to be the cell
sites, or that they are really the user's location. I suspect the former, as
triangulation, if it were used, should be essentially spot-on.

A point to note is that if you can send an SMS and get back your location,
then "......they know where you are".......

Ken

 

[budgie]

Found this (quite by accident) on a camping/4wd site

Assuming this doesnt simply just give the co-ordinates of the tower
you are connected to -
How exactly does this work - if it does give an actual location, or
more importantly - are there currently mobile phone locating systems
currently in the system, if so - how do they work (triangulation?) and
how accurate are they ?

(snip)

The name for this type of facility is MOLI (mobile location information). I
first came across it when working in 000 systems at WAPOL. It's been in the
wings and under various levels of testing here in Oz for at least five years
that I'm aware of.

Early phases simply give the coords of the handling cell site. Next level is
lateralisation by timing comparisons between cell sites - obviously requires
three sites minimum for a fix. This has actually been used successfully (driven
manually) in locating a lost tourist here in WA roughly a year back IIRC.

Do google search on MOLI and GSM. The first hit I got (aca) gives some info on
this.

 

[Eddie]

Early phases simply give the coords of the handling cell site. Next level
is
lateralisation by timing comparisons between cell sites - obviously
requires
three sites minimum for a fix.

not so
one site with 3 sectorised basestations can give a 120degree arc direction
from the base as well as measuring the time slot sync advance can give a
distance to the mobile.

 

[Jim]

not so
one site with 3 sectorised basestations can give a 120degree arc direction
from the base as well as measuring the time slot sync advance can give a
distance to the mobile.

Handy for the spooks , not so handy for the bad guys ?