2010-11-01 53 10

This expedition was affected by mtu's Grand GPS Clustermug of 2010.

For his first five geohashes, mtu had the wrong map datum set on his GPS device—namely the Potsdam datum instead of the globally accepted standard, WGS 84—causing him to not visit the actual, canonical hashpoints, but places about 200 m away in SSW-erly direction.

In all cases, the actual hashpoints would have been easily accessible, but were missed by 20–200 m solely due to mtu's ineptitude.

In commemoration of this epic fail,

mtu earned the False Start Consolation Prize

by finding that all of his first 5 geohashes are invalid because the map datum on his GPS was wrongly set to the Potsdam datum instead of the WGS 84 global standard, causing the loss of 13 achievements and approximately 31 hours of lifetime, up to and including the (54, 10) geohash on 2010-11-10.

As a consequence, all achievements formerly claimed for this hash are null and void (except Drag-along achievements). Instead,

mtu earned the Blinded by Science Consolation Prize

by failing to reach the (53, 10) geohash on 2010-11-01 because he had set the wrong map datum on his GPS.

Please note that the expedition narrative was written before this became known!

A most romantic view from the hashpoint

Location

In the parking lot of an Aldi supermarket in Lüneburg, Lower Saxony, only half a kilometer from the train station.

Also, again with the disparity between Google Earth/OSM and what my GPS tells me! The actual hash and the projected hash were about 100 meters apart. Will have to investigate...

Participants

mtu and his girlfriend

Planning

The hash is easily reached from Hamburg by going to Lüneburg by train and walking no more than ten minutes. As it happened, I had been within ~500 meters of the hash earlier that day (while on a northbound train passing by), and even more luckily, I had other important business in Lüneburg. My girlfriend got off from university early, so I decided to drag her along!

Expedition

Getting to the hash was easy enough. After attending to my other business, we had a coffee, did some shopping and headed for the eastern side of town to get to the hashpoint. Closing in, it looked like we might have to settle for a No Trespassing consolation prize, but then the Aldi supermarket parking lot opened up before us, and we stood quietly on the corner of the building and did the geohasher's thing.

On the way back, mtu's girlfriend got to play with the GPS, and was instantly amazed and thrilled at its workings. In a curious reversal of roles, it was mtu who had to steer her around lamp and sign poles as she looked at the GPS' display and giggled while walking.

Photos

BTDTGTT.
The hash proper, at the right corner of the building.
View to the east.
"Why, look, it's a Stupid Grin!"

Achievements

Is it true that mtu earned the land geohash achievement?

In principle, yes.
But his GPS had a wrong map datum set, missing the hash by about 200 m (2010-11-01 53 10).

Is it true that mtu earned the Public transport geohash achievement by taking ME 80953?

In principle, yes.
But his GPS had a wrong map datum set, missing the hash by about 200 m (2010-11-01 53 10).

Is it true that mtu earned the level 1 of the Minesweeper Geohash achievement Minesweeper Geohash achievement by visiting coordinates in Hamburg, Germany (East) and 1 of the surrounding graticules?

In principle, yes.
But his GPS had a wrong map datum set, missing the hash by about 200 m (2010-11-01 53 10).

mtu earned the Drag-along achievement

by dragging his girlfriend to the (53, 10) geohash on 2010-11-01.


Mon 1 Nov 2010 in 53,10: 53.2520954, 10.4285807 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox