EBT Dot Safari — live GPS map for dot hunters

[lmviterbo]

EBT Dot Safari is out!

Every Dot Hunter on the road: Have I crossed into the next dot yet?

EBT Dot Safari was made to answer that question on your phone. It combines your own EBT note data with a live map and GPS, so you can see your conquered dots, your current position and the nearest unconquered target while travelling.

Live GPS view - current dot, border distances and nearest unconquered target.png (343.17 KiB) Viewed 458 times

What it does

• Loads your EBT Notes CSV and displays your conquered dots as a heatmap (like your official EBT dotmap)
• Follows your position on the map when you activate GPS
• Shows the distance and compass direction to the nearest unconquered dot
• Lets you inspect individual dots and their note counts
• Can be installed on your home screen and used like an app

Privacy

• Your CSV file itself is read locally in your browser and is not uploaded. Its public EBT user number may be used only for an online username lookup.
• A compact summary of your conquered dots is saved in your browser so it can be restored next time; the Clear conquered dots button removes it.
• Your GPS position is used to update the live map and target compass, but Dot Safari does not save a history of your locations or contain analytics or advertising trackers.
  
  Your browser, mobile network operator and map provider still handle the ordinary data needed to make an online map work, of course.

Try EBT Dot Safari:
https://shortokapi.github.io/ebt-dot-safari ⁽¹⁾

On your phone, open the link, load your EBT Notes CSV and allow location access. You might like to use your browser’s Install app or Add to Home screen option.

⁽¹⁾ Note: the "shortokapi" on the URL above is me. My nickname on some other websites is ShortOkapi.

European overview after loading an EBT Notes CSV.png (273.55 KiB) Viewed 458 times

Project History

The project began with a request from Tuscac in the English-language EuroBillTracker WhatsApp group. He was, in fact, the latest of several EBTors over the years to ask for live GPS tracking on their personal Google dotmaps. Several real developers had tried before me, but their Google Maps–based tools eventually stopped working as the platform changed. Dot Safari therefore uses Leaflet and OpenStreetMap instead. I am not a developer, but I am stubborn and had the nerve to grab the bull by the horns. A lot of AI later, Dot Safari is ready. Many thanks to elpeza s̶p̶a̶s̶i̶b̶a̶ for field testing and technical feedback.

I would be very glad to hear how this tool behaves on real dot-hunting trips, as well as any problems or suggestions.

Source code (open source, under the MIT licence):
https://github.com/ShortOkapi/ebt-dot-safari


EBT Dot Safari is an independent community tool and is not an official EuroBillTracker service.

[Kleman]

Wow !!
Very intersting !!!!

I will try it soon. (even my dothunting is very poor this year... )

Thank you, great job !

[lmviterbo]

I will try it soon.

Thanks, Kleman!

Please note that this morning I realized that this is not working for big files like yours. I'm working on a fix.

[braga21]

Wow, what a great tool!

Thank you for the work, lmviterbo!

[Montgomery Burns]

Indeed, very impressive.

[MDeen]

Whoa!! The tool you have been missing for 24 years!

[bhoeyb]

Great job! This will safe so much work.
It seems my nearest dot is Dot [505,433], in the northsea?

[lmviterbo]

It seems my nearest dot is Dot [505,433], in the northsea?

Yes, making dots eligible as target if and only if they don't fall entirely on water is actually priority number 1⁽ᵃ⁾ in my roadmap (I don't want you to try to obtain a banknote from Schouwenbank). The basic version (every grid cell containing any mapped land is eligible, regardless of country or likelihood of finding a euro banknote there) is actually very easy to fix. I guess that by the end of the week this will be implemented. (And then off you go birdwatching and be the first EBTor to conquer @ 3199 KD Maasvlakte Rotterdam. )


________________
⁽ᵃ⁾ Priority #0 is making the installation clearer for everyone, including better iPhone instructions and maybe a slightly different flow.