Editing Utility pole (section)

===Coordinates on pole tags===

A practice in some areas is to place poles on coordinates upon a grid. The pole at right is a [[Delmarva Power]] pole located in a rural area of the state of [[Maryland]] in the United States. The lower two tags are the "X" and "Y" coordinates along said grid. Just as in a [[Cartesian coordinate system|coordinate plane]] used in geometry, X increases as one travels east and Y increases as one travels north. The upper two tags are specific to the sub transmission section of the pole; the first refers to the route number, the second to the specific pole along the route.

However, not all power lines follow the road. In the British region of [[East Anglia]], [[EDF Energy]] Networks often add the [[Ordnance Survey]] Grid Reference coordinates of the pole or substation to the name sign.

In some areas, utility pole name plates may provide valuable coordinate information: a poor man's [[GPS]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Taiwan_Power_Company_grid|title=Taiwan Power Company grid – OSGeo|website=wiki.osgeo.org|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211080807/http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Taiwan_Power_Company_grid|archive-date=2008-12-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://jidanni.org/geo/taipower/index.html|title=Understanding coordinates on utility pole numbers|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927230026/http://jidanni.org/geo/taipower/index.html|archive-date=2007-09-27}} A [[Taiwan Power Company]] example; [[:zh:電力座標]]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.zoklet.net/totse/en/technology/science_technology/readpole.html|title= How to read those little metal plates on Hydro pol|url-status=live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130605221139/http://www.zoklet.net/totse/en/technology/science_technology/readpole.html|archive-date= 2013-06-05}} A [[British Columbia]], Canada example;</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="200px"y>
File:Pole Tag Crisfield MD USA.jpg|The tags on a [[Delmarva Power]] subtransmission pole located in [[Crisfield, Maryland]], United States. The faded tag reads "733"
File:Newpole2.jpg|A utility pole replacement in Saugus, Massachusetts, United States 
File:Utility pole tags.jpg|Tag and marking on the bottom of a wooden utility pole before it is installed
</gallery>