Thread: 10 years ago today..

Yep, The day after I ordered a differential GPS receiver,


Martyn

and in english?

In English LOL I will try

GPS was introduced initially for the American navy, so when subs popped up they could sort out where they were and hopefully not sink to many Jap fishing boats. After that it sort of got used for every thing. The GPS signal was hidden with in the earths own noise, that’s how the yanks kept it hidden from the russkies for so long. when it became public, and lets face it any one can build a GPS Receiver just as anyone can build a crystal radio, ( IE no control over who receives the signals) so the yanks introduced an error " SA" just to make the system less accurate and so the red commie russkies couldn’t use it to launch missiles against them. 10 years ago is when SA was switched off making the GPS system much more accurate.

NB the russkies may not be red but they have there own GPS system up and running now days.

The American GPS debate, who should pay for the birds? The Navy who started it all, American military because they all use it? Or should I have to pay something because I have a TOMTOM ?

Wait until Defcon 3 or Defcon 4 and they decide to encrypt the signal so only receivers they approve of can use it. Most of the world's merchant fleet will be lost at sea and asking each other which way is New York, as many flag of convenience ships no longer carry an officer who can navigate by sextant, sun and stars. Aircraft cabin crew will reduced to asking the passengers if anyone has been to xxxxx before. Does anyone back there know what xxxxx looks like.

Gees you can be a "sad sack" sometimes Brian.

Civilian GPS is so well-entrenched now that not even the US would disable that capability. Further, they have no need to as when SA (Selective Availability) was disabled, the US introduced regional availability where they could compromise the civilian signal being received in regions of conflict.

Best Wishes,
Peter