POI66/Subscribe to the journey track function for your trip

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What is GPS2SMS?

GPS2SMS is a way of sending GPS coordinates by means of SMS text messages. The receiver, for instance the POI66 server, stores those coordinates and generates a Google map showing that GPS location.

Nowadays you'll find a whole bunch of dedicated devices capable of send SMS text messages containing GPS coordinates (we call that GPS2SMS). Reasons to use those devices could be enhanced safety, like in the case of vehicle or vessel theft, or when you enter an unsafe area. Some people like the idea of creating a digital track of bread crumbs by sending their GPS position by SMS text message.

Register at POI66

You have to tell the system your cell phone number once. You can add a second phone number (your holiday prepaid number, your friend's mobile number, or the number of your GPS2SMS device) later when configuring the album.

Create user account

SMS 
USER <User>
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
USER johnwilliams
+316 381 57 313

Create an album

SMS 
ALBUM <Album>
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
ALBUM springholiday
+316 381 57 313
Make sure your username and albumname don't already exist. You can log in into your album with the password. This is equal to the last 5 digits of your phone number. Change this password right away!
Send a text message (SMS) to create an account. There is no extra cost.

Compose your user name

Short name (no spaces, no interpunction, lower case)

SMS Command overview

POI66 uses text messages (SMS) to collect data from her users like waypoints, trails etc. In order to join this service you'll have to register by SMS. There is no extra cost and you will not receive an SMS message back.

Please make sure you have the right sign in your coordinates, for example Portugal has a NEGATIVE longitude, Australia has a NEGATIVE latitude! Also make sure your GPS is set up with map datum WGS84 and the display is set up in degrees (ddd.ddddd or hddd.ddddd). All other settings will result in wrong waypoints!

Many waypoint formats have not only a latitude and longitude, but also extra information like speed, driving direction, temperature, battery voltage etc. If you programmed any of these fields in your album, the values will be copied from the given string to the corresponding waypoint field. This is only possible with predefined fields.

All messages sent will be shown on the POI66 website's main page. Check this after sending. After about 5 seconds your message will be there.
  1. ALBUM - Create an album
  2. GB - Go Back
  3. GC - Create waypoint based on city name only
  4. GG - Write message into a guestbook
  5. GH - Log waypoint with altitude
  6. GHT - Log waypoint with altitude earlier today
  7. GHDT - Log waypoint with altitude with date and time
  8. GP - Log waypoint
  9. GPT - Log waypoint earlier today
  10. GPDT - Log waypoint with date and time
  11. GL - Write into log book
  12. GLT - Write into log book earlier today
  13. GLDT - Write into log book with date and time
  14. GM - Declare extra phone number
  15. Plain text - Write into log book
  16. USER - Create user account

Basic commands

Log waypoint

You can add a waypoint text, but this is optional.
SMS 
GP <Latitude> <Longitude> <Message>
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GP 52.12332 5.34332 We arrived at the camp site safely
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GP 52.12332 5.34332
+316 381 57 313

Log waypoint with altitude

SMS 
GH <Latitude> <Longitude> <Height> <Message>
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GH 52.12332 5.34332 960 We arrived at the camp site safely at almost 1 km high
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GH 52.12332 5.34332 960
+316 381 57 313

Write into log book

Just create travel log without coordinates. If this is sent directly after a waypoint or other plain text message, the new text is added to the existing text! Very long text messages will be split up by your phone into more small messages. The message order may be changed by the phone network, so if youre far away, the chance to break the order exists. Text will then become a bit hard to read.
SMS 
<Message>
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
We arrived at the camp site safely. We try to find wireless internet now.
+316 381 57 313

Create waypoint based on city name only

The server will calculate the coordinates of the city given (if unique)
SMS 
GC <Place>
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GC Paris
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GC SAN FRANCISCO
+316 381 57 313
SMS 
GC <Place>. <Message>
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GC basel. We speak French here
+316 381 57 313
SMS 
GC <Place>,<Country code>
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GC Bergen,NL
+316 381 57 313
SMS 
GC <Place>,<Country code>. <Message>
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GC amsterdam,nl. We are in the hotel
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GC Bergen,no. At the campsite
+316 381 57 313
SMS 
GC <Place>,<Country code> <Message>
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GC wijk aan zee,nl and we're doing fine
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GC wyk auf fohr,de alles klar, herr kommissar
+316 381 57 313

Write message into a guestbook

SMS 
GG <Album> <Message>
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GG springholiday Thanks for your message, we will answer as soon we have WIFI.
+316 381 57 313

Write into log book

SMS 
GL <Message>
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GL All is well. Tomorrow more news about the baby.
+316 381 57 313

Go Back

Tell the album you reached the destination and from now on you go back. Your track color will be different. You can also configure this half-way point in your album.
SMS 
GB
+316 381 57 313

More complex commands

Log waypoint earlier today

SMS 
GPT <Latitude> <Longitude> <Time> <Message>
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GPT 52.12332 5.34332 11:45 We arrived at the camp site safely
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GPT 52.12332 5.34332 11:45
+316 381 57 313

Log waypoint with date and time

SMS 
GPDT <Latitude> <Longitude> <Date> <Time> <Message>
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GPDT 52.12332 5.34332 2007-08-31 11:45 We arrived at the camp site safely
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GPDT 52.12332 5.34332 2007-08-31 11:45
+316 381 57 313

Log waypoint with altitude earlier today

SMS 
GHT <Latitude> <Longitude> <Height> <Time> We arrived at the camp site safely at almost 1 km high
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GHT 52.12332 5.34332 960 11:45 We arrived at the camp site safely at almost 1 km high
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GHT 52.12332 5.34332 960 11:45
+316 381 57 313

Log waypoint with altitude with date and time

SMS 
GHDT <Latitude> <Longitude> <Height> <Date> <Time> We arrived at the camp site safely at almost 1 km high
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GHDT 52.12332 5.34332 960 2007-04-22 11:45 We arrived at the camp site safely at almost 1 km high
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GHDT 52.12332 5.34332 960 2007-04-22 11:45
+316 381 57 313

Write into log book earlier today

SMS 
GLT <Time> <Message>
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GLT 01:22 All is well. Tomorrow more news about the baby.
+316 381 57 313

Write into log book with date and time

SMS 
GLDT <Date> <Time> <Message>
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GLDT 2007-12-22 23:50 All is well. Tomorrow more news about the baby.
+316 381 57 313

Advanced features

Logging extra fields


Once you created extra fields in your album, you can fill them, let's say you configured these fields:
  1. Snow
  2. View
  3. ...
SMS 
GP <Latitude> <Longitude> [<Value 1>] [<Value 2>] [<Value...>] <Message>
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GP 52.12332 5.34332 [4][5] We arrived at the mountain, beautiful view on very good snow
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GP 52.12332 5.34332 [4][5]
+316 381 57 313
These fields end up in your waypoint giving value 4 to Snow and 5 for the View. You can also log temperature etc.Tell the album you reached the destination and from now on you go back. Your track color will be different.

Declare extra phone number

SMS 
GM <Mobile phone number>
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GM 0031 6 25 541 562
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GM 0031625541562
+316 381 57 313
Preview: SMS 
GM +31625541562
+316 381 57 313