Burgenland's Second Control Point Opened 22.10.2024 - St. Margarethen im Burgenland now has a GPS control point for smartphones. The control point was opened on the main square on the 17th of October.
A GPS control point for smartphones was opened at St. Margarethen im Burgenland on Thursday, making it possible to check the accuracy of the location. The point is located at the main square and is based on a donated sandstone from the Römersteinbruch. A precisely measured bolt is embedded in this stone. Above the bolt is a metal plate with a QR code that leads to the control points website of the Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying - BEV. The deviation between the real coordinates and those displayed on the smartphone is shown there.
Practical Placement of the Topic “Surveying”
Initial tests during the opening showed an average deviation of 0.9 meters. According to BEV President Dipl.-Ing. Wernher Hoffmann, this value varies depending on environmental factors. The control point was surveyed with an accuracy of +/- 2 centimeters and is intended not only for technical use, but also to encourage people to think about the precision of GPS data. The point is particularly interesting for schools to present the subject of surveying in a practical way.
Mayor Eduard Scheuhammer, himself a retired surveyor, sees this as a special service and an attraction for St. Margarethen im Burgenland. The installation, a collaboration between the municipality and the BEV, is also intended to raise the profile of the municipality.
In addition to St. Margarethen, there is already another control point in Oberwart in Burgenland, and 29 such points are already in operation throughout Austria.
Geographical coordinates (WGS84):
Longitude: 16° 36' 22.16'' East
Latitude: 47° 48' 10.63'' North
Ellipsoidal height = 195.5 m
Sea level: 151.0 m above the Adriatic Sea
More information about the control points can be found on our website at kontrollpunkt.bev.gv.at.