This is a recent suggestion on how to improve the map. Some concerns have been expressed about how “fresh” the map is. Well, it’s crowdsourced, voluntary, and depends on users to keep it updated. Frankly, with so much human work fixing all those potential issues required, it does have its limits. It was never intended as the sort of “real-time” features many expect from everything these days or it just doesn’t convey enough “earnestness” or something, despite the fact that such things are largely automated. I like the fact that the map is made by human effort for the most part.
Yes, just working the GUID into the textual description you can enter works fine.
Thing to remember is that Shouts do NOT relay, so even where a network exists, you can’t just do the CB radio thing and ask if anyone “has a copy?” Emergency Shouts do relay to the max number of hops available and one could be used in a pinch to ask for others to send their GUIDs (be sure to include you own in such a message) back that way, but only in a real emergency and then only in this very limited way, like once, while noting those hearing the message should reply via a direct message addressed back to you via the GUID you just sent. Otherwise, if everyone started using ES as a party line it would risk tying up a vital emergency link just when it’s needed most.
Collecting GUIDs that way sounds like a very stressful project in the middle of an emergency, which is why folks should build their emergency Contacts list now, before you really need it.
There are several ideas in this thread: https://community.gotennamesh.com/t/meet-firefly-lightweight-improvised-portable-relay-nodes-easy/1847
The battery in a GTM lasts about 24 hours. You could change them by taking them out of a waterpoof case and charging them every 24 hours. Or you can rig a battery pack, charge it via a solar panel, or rig a feed line down to a source of power like I do on my own node here.
Glad I can help organize some thoughts on this. Every situation varies and most plans tend to crumble some once the storm hits, so it’s important to be flexible, diverse in terms of your resources, educated, and well-supplied as you can be.