Install Field Notes

On your iPhone, about two minutes. Free, no account.

Scan with the iPhone camera, or open this link in Safari:
nickjsykes.github.io/gridref

1. Open it in SafariNot Chrome or Edge: only Safari can install it, and only the installed version works offline.
2. Tap ••• then ShareThe ••• button is next to the web address at the bottom of the screen. Tap it, then tap Share . On older iPhones the Share button is already at the bottom.
3. Tap "Add to Home Screen", then "Add"Scroll down the list if you can't see it.
4. Open Field Notes from the new iconWith signal (WiFi is best), leave it open for about a minute the first time. It downloads the offline OS maps and LiDAR (about 31 MB) for the team's seven reserves: Walney, Duddon, Roudsea, Gait Barrows, Hallsenna, Blelham Bog and North Fen.
5. Say AllowTo location when you tap the GPS button, and to "Motion & Orientation" the first time you tap Navigate (that's the compass).

Good to know

• Always open it from the icon. Safari and the icon keep separate notebooks.
• In a hurry? Hold the + button until three little arcs light up, then let go: a pin drops on the crosshair. Rename it later.
• Your notebook lives on your phone only.
• Tap anything to copy it: location, lengths, areas and more. It highlights green when copied.

Opening exports in QGIS or ArcGIS

• Spreadsheet (CSV) into QGIS: Layer › Add Delimited Text Layer. Pick Easting as X and Northing as Y, and set the coordinate system to EPSG:27700 (British National Grid). These are OS grid numbers already, so nothing gets converted and nothing can shift.
• ArcGIS (GeoJSON): drag it straight into ArcGIS Online, Field Maps or QGIS. It's in GPS lat/long and they know that.
• If points look a few metres off in a British National Grid project: QGIS is converting lat/long with a rough method. When it asks how to convert, pick the one that mentions OSTN15 (download it if offered).

If something's not right