locator.pheeble.net

[Scarab]

Pan was the one to first get the locator, maybe OUR lat and long don't matter - we just have to get HIS. That would make sense... Of course now he's locked up so maybe we have to help him first.

Or possibly some other fictional needs to look it up: the first image on the locator was of a sailor right? So maybe Long John Silver?

[Qara-Xuan Zenith]

WE'VE BEEN LOOKING INTO THOSE IDEAS.
PAN NEVER REPLIED WITH HIS COORDINATES OR COMPASSES; SOME PEOPLE TRIED PROXY SERVERS IN PITTSBURGH TODAY, BUT IT DIDN'T WORK.
AND I THINK SOMEONE TWEETED LJS ABOUT IT BUT GOT NO RESPONSE.

MAYBE YOU SHOULD ASK THE WITCH TO TRY IT, JUST BECAUSE SHE'S A GREAT SOURCE OF EXPERIMENTAL INFORMATION. THOUGH I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT IT WOULD HAVE TO DO WITH HER.

[Scarab]

WE'VE BEEN LOOKING INTO THOSE IDEAS.
PAN NEVER REPLIED WITH HIS COORDINATES OR COMPASSES; SOME PEOPLE TRIED PROXY SERVERS IN PITTSBURGH TODAY, BUT IT DIDN'T WORK.
AND I THINK SOMEONE TWEETED LJS ABOUT IT BUT GOT NO RESPONSE.

MAYBE YOU SHOULD ASK THE WITCH TO TRY IT, JUST BECAUSE SHE'S A GREAT SOURCE OF EXPERIMENTAL INFORMATION. THOUGH I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT IT WOULD HAVE TO DO WITH HER.

...THAT COULD BE AN IDEA, ACTUALLY.

I MEAN SHE'S GOOD WITH TECH... BUT WHAT WOULD I EVEN ASK?

[Victin]

WE'VE BEEN LOOKING INTO THOSE IDEAS.
PAN NEVER REPLIED WITH HIS COORDINATES OR COMPASSES; SOME PEOPLE TRIED PROXY SERVERS IN PITTSBURGH TODAY, BUT IT DIDN'T WORK.
AND I THINK SOMEONE TWEETED LJS ABOUT IT BUT GOT NO RESPONSE.

MAYBE YOU SHOULD ASK THE WITCH TO TRY IT, JUST BECAUSE SHE'S A GREAT SOURCE OF EXPERIMENTAL INFORMATION. THOUGH I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT IT WOULD HAVE TO DO WITH HER.

...THAT COULD BE AN IDEA, ACTUALLY.

I MEAN SHE'S GOOD WITH TECH... BUT WHAT WOULD I EVEN ASK?

WE'RE TRYING TO DISCOVER HOW TO TAKE YOU BACK. COULD YOU CHECK THIS *LINK* FOR MORE INFO?

[Dryunya]

ALSO, JOHN SILVER DIDN'T REPLY TO THE LINK.

[Genndy Oda C.O.G.]

CRACKERS. WHAT ELSE ARE WE TO DO?

[Scarab]

Just had the following exchange with Mister A

@YouHaveFailedUs You could make this a problem lot easier for us if you would just tell us which one it was

@GlyphSun THE EARTH IS NOT A MERCATOR PROJECTION.

...So it's not a flat map we should be using?

[Dryunya]

YEAH. GLOBE IT IS, THEN. CAN'T HELP WITH THAT UNTIL TOMORROW, THOUGH. AND GOOGLE EARTH STILL DOESN'T WORK FOR ME.
I HOPE YOU CAN FINISH IT BY THEN.

[Scarab]

YEAH. GLOBE IT IS, THEN. CAN'T HELP WITH THAT UNTIL TOMORROW, THOUGH. AND GOOGLE EARTH STILL DOESN'T WORK FOR ME.
I HOPE YOU CAN FINISH IT BY THEN.

NEW RESPONSE:

@GlyphSun THAT IS OUR ASSUMPTION. BEAR IN MIND THAT WE DID NOT DESIGN THIS DEVICE. WE ARE CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT RESULTS A GLOBE YIELDS.

Yeeeup. Definitely a globe as you suppose. I have no idea how that would be done but I presume somebody already knows, who is smarter than I...

[Dryunya]

Ok. My Google Earth has inexplicably stopped crashing, so I've began plotting on it.
Here is my current version (lifetime 5 days; Me, Sicon and Qara on the map), assuming I've saved it properly - I'm not sure about that.

Now, the problems with the globe:

1. The Earth is round (duh), which is why the directions are mostly my estimation. I have no idea how to plot them properly.
2. The Earth is not exactly round. I see that Google Earth accounts for that by using not-quite-square grid, and I have no idea whether to take it into consideration. And, mind you, that influences the results greatly. If we used a physical globe, we sure would have to treat it as completely round.
3. I haven't found a "line in the direction" function in Google Earth. It sure would make it much easier.
4. The lines on the globe are plotted in some weird manner (OK, I know that it's geometrically correct, but whatever). The problem is with horizontal lines (W / E). I have to choose between the line looking actually straight at the start, and making it go parallel to the grid (in that case it bends in a weird manner).

In short, I still think I'm going to fail on this one. Too many assumptions. Also, I can only use Google Earth at home, which, in the next couple of days, boils down to an hour or so per day. Somebody neeeds to Take Up My Sword if we are limited by time.

On the bright side, Google Earth allows to hide the lines in an arbitrary manner. I've sorted them by folders, so we can show/hide the same lines in a single click. Convenient. ^_^

[Tohrinha]

I'm trying out a Google Sketchup model. Right now I have all the east-west lines plotted. I'll post again when I'm closer to finished.

[Dryunya]

I'll try to make several more lines (much) later today (2-3 entries if I keep my pace). If I get any results, I'll post.

[Dryunya]

...I did one.
Here are my results so far: pew
We seem to be getting somewhere, but the greens are still stubborn.

[Dryunya]

Oh. Update. I found a perfect way to plot lines more precisely. I think I'll make some improvements now.

[Scarab]

Oh. Update. I found a perfect way to plot lines more precisely. I think I'll make some improvements now.

You're awesome, Dryu. I have no idea how this works, but you're awesome.

[Dryunya]

I beg to differ. I'm still don't understand how diagonal lines work...

[Qara-Xuan Zenith]

I beg to differ. I'm still don't understand how diagonal lines work...

Genius Ditz?

[Dryunya]

C'mon.

I've completed about a half of the records.
Google Earth data
As images

Basically, I seem to get more definite results, but that's still not exactly enough. I'm still not sure if I'm plotting diagonal lines properly (if I try to keep them... direct, if that word is even applicable, they change direction after a while), and the green lines still don't fit any particular pattern.
And now that we get some areas, what the hell should we do with them?!

[Victin]

Update.

[Blurred_9L]

The locator has updated, as Victin says. It now shows values in miles for every compass. One of the compasses is hightlighted too.

Here's an example:
http://tinypic.com/r/1977rb/6

[Pixelmage]

It did work for me now.
Here's the image.

Pixelmage.updated.Locator

Pixel.Locator.png (119.92 KiB) Viewed 20080 times

[Qara-Xuan Zenith]

Time to update the thread with our updated information, I think!

Dryu, you already have my coordinates. My compasses now read as follows (the highlighted one is in bold):

Top centre: NE, 3397 mi
Second row, left to right: SE, 348 mi; NE, 3556 mi; NW, 11268 mi;
Bottom row, left to right: ENE, 1313 mi; NE, 3753 mi; SSE, 9 mi

I'm thinking there are now a couple of possibilities to what we should be doing with this:

1. Use the direction values given to plot the vectors tail-to-tail, as before (ignoring the highlighting)
2. Use the direction values given to plot the vectors tail-to-tail, beginning with the highlighted one and wrapping around if necessary
3. Use the direction values given to plot the vectors tail-to-tail, beginning with the highlighted one and ignoring any compasses listed before the highlighted one
4. Use the direction values given to plot the vectors tail-to-tail, starting at the beginning and ignoring any compasses listed after the highlighted one
5. Only plot the line generated by the highlighted compass, ignoring the direction vector
6. Only plot the line generated by the highlighted compass, and only plot it for the exact distance listed
7. Plot all the compasses except the highlighted one (this idea thanks to Blur)

Edit: Looks like we all have the same compass highlighted. Not sure what that's supposed to signify, or if it's a coincidence due to small sample size.

[The Finch]

My highlighted compass at the locator shows that they are located 10,887 miles to the west of my current location, Pattonville High School.

I am at a latitude of 38.7, with an ion of -90.5.

[WackyMeetsPractical]

Here's my info:

lat: 29.5
lon: -95.1
Compass points (Going from top to bottom, left to right):
1: NE 4703 mi
2: NE 1340 mi
3: NE 4859 mi
4: Highlighted WSW: 10599 mi
5: NE 2567 mi
6: NE 5058 mi
7: NE 1306 mi

[The Finch]

Pixel just stated in the Chatroom that we should REVERSE the highlighted compass, as it seems to break the path of the other ones.