[Psml] GPS at Risk of Failing in 2010

[Bob Miller]

I have been monitoring this thread for a while and thought it time to join
in. 

There is no question that GPS is vulnerable. Though inadvertently, I have
actually use a simple $20 electrical device that disrupted GPS reception for
about a 1000 ft radius. The device was a television antenna amplifier on my
boat which was subsequently recalled. The issue is that the GPS signal is
extremely weak on the earth surface. This makes it very susceptible to
interference. This being the case our government has chartered a backup
solution. That backup is call Enhanced Loran or ELoran.  If you search the
internet on ELoran you will find a lot of information. The point here is
that we need to accept that GPS is not the be all end all navigation tool.
Nor will ELoran be the end all, though it will help mitigate the problem to
some extent. ELoran is being integrated with GPS receivers and is now
becoming available in some products. The idea here is that there will be an
automatic fall back from GPS to ELoran whenever the GPS signal fails. 

Of course if you lose electrical energy or a device fails you likewise lose
the use of the device. That is why we still need to maintain our traditional
navigation skills. Y'all remember those don't you? Those would be the skills
for using compasses and paper charts, plotting course and DRs, etc., etc. 

Just a few of the links to check are:
http://www.locusinc.com/pdf/Loran%20Brochure_What%20is%20E-Loran%20w%20logo6
.pdf  
http://www.loran.org/news/The%20Case%20for%20eLoran%201.0.pdf
http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/tag/eloran/


Bob

            Boating is fun...we'll  show you how



-----Original Message-----
From: psml-bounces at usps.org [mailto:psml-bounces at usps.org] On Behalf Of C.
Henry Depew
Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2009 10:52 AM
To: boatsafe at comcast.net
Cc: United States Power Squadrons Mailing List
Subject: [Psml] GPS at Risk of Failing in 2010

Greetings!
      Along with possible solar storms, there seems to be some 
question about the future of GPS.

P/C C. Henry Depew, SN
Crystal River



>GPS at Risk: Doomsday 2010
>May 12, 2009
>GPS World
>
>The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued on 
>May 7 an alarming report on the future of GPS, characterizing 
>ongoing modernization efforts as shaky. ...
>
><http://sidt.gpsworld.com/gpssidt/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=597841>http:
//sidt.gpsworld.com/gpssidt/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=597841
>
>

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