[carvingbarn]

Replacement satellites 3years late and some of the system may crash by 2010.Do not though out your old maps. Another Goverment managed program!


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,520636,00.html

 

[alrightandy]

How is your satellite system doing?

 

[BigAl205]

This sounds like the Y2K bug all over again.

 

[scorsone]

It is worse than Y2K! This is a story that was poorly reported by Fox News from PC World that poorly covered the original report by the GAO.

Yes, the satellites used for GPS are old but they are being replaced. You only need 3 sats for basic coverage and 4 sats for the 3d coverage. The governments reliance on GPS is way too high to let the system have any problems.

This is really a story that should be squashed quickly as to avoid more media hype hysteria.

 

[Old Blue]

Article from GPS World

 

[psschmied]

That means that they can introduce the new improved HD GPS !!!

We'll be able to know the exact location and size of every pothole down to the cm, so we can throw our old TVs and GPSs into them !!!

I thought it was bad when everyone had to be available 24x7 via phone. It never occurred to me that we wouldn't know where we were without satellite telemetry, or that every phone would eventually be tracked. I'm starting to feel like I'm actually important to someone. Wish "they" would offer me a job . . .

"Ground control to Major Tom . . ."

 

[Copper]

1984
Fahrenheit 451
Y2K
TERRORIST CROSSING THE BORDER FROM MEXICO
MAD COW
SARS
BIRD FLU
SWINE FLU

I'm not worried I'll be hiding in my basement with my Hazmat suit on, gas mask, 2009 road atlas, about 50 rolls of duck tape, and flailing about in a shallow pool of hand sanitizer.

 

[psschmied]

. . . I'll be hiding in my basement with my Hazmat suit on, gas mask, 2009 road atlas, about 50 rolls of duck tape, and flailing about in a shallow pool of hand sanitizer.

Terrorists crossing the border from the US into Canada. 10/10/10 - will it be lucky, or this it the end or the world. Where will those GPS satellites land? They are growing swine flu vaccine in bird eggs. Don't they worry about a bird-swine flu mutation? Would it make pigs fly? They already have chicken hot dogs and turkey bacon, what's next?

I've got 100 cases of Sierra Springs bottle water, ten brown suites, 50 shirts and ties, 100 cases of MREs, 100 cases of hand wipes, and cots for the Captain and Randy in my bunker. I hope they bring something for themselves to eat. I think it's enough. I hope it's enough. Do you think it's enough? Maybe I should get some more. You can never be too prepared. Do you know what's in the water we drink? Well, I do, and it's amazing.

MM

 

[alrightandy]

Terrorists crossing the border from the US into Canada. 10/10/10 - will it be lucky, or this it the end or the world.

I thought the Mayans predicted that the world will end 12/12/12. I guess we aren't going to make it that far.

 

[MyWheels]

That Mayan Calendar thing is so dumb.
If you were being invaded by foreigners? What would be your priority? Win a war, or finish a calendar?

 

[alrightandy]

I guess if your calendar predicted the end of the world, you would worry about it because it predicted the end of the world and all. I don't believe in that stuff though, I just like the Stressface song "2012".

 

[Bender]

We're all gonna die!

 

[Hondamade4dogs]

Thank God ! I have OldSchool Navigation...It will never fail....(Book of Maps ) it worked for my dad, its good enough for me.

 

[GaryS]

We're all gonna die!

That's the truth.

 

[hapyface]

i guess i can set up a learning institution telling people GPS would die by 2010 and do a refresher course on map reading! think positively.... business opportunity!

 

[Copper]

As funny as this all is Scorsone is Right. Nothing that is that heavily relied upopn by the government and especially the military is going to go by the wayside. There is no way it's going to stop working. I'm sure the people that survived the I-35 Bridge collapse might argue this point.

Besides there is too much money to be made by GPS systems.

Though a small part of me that would like to hack into the systems and send a percentage of the people off course. Perhaps it would shorten my commute.

 

[protaganis]

You've been using the GPS the wrong way then
You use it to find the side roads that all the people clogging the highway try to avoid because "The speed limit is only 30, there."
I make better time on the side roads, with stoplight/signs and the slower limits, just because I can avoid gawker block and crowds.

As for the GPS satellites going out? Nah, they are a military asset. The government won't allow it to cripple us defensively.

 

[EL-MT]

It's a good thing I learned how to use a MAP and COMPASS!

 

[scorsone]

The GPS system is already high-tech. Accuracy on industrial/commercial units are down in the centimeter range. Very important stuff for a utility company when they are trying to find that gas line. Highway construction equipment has been outfitted with GPS so the graders and earth movers know what has been done without needing a survey crew to come in after them and measure.

 

[April_Fool_79]

I refuse to purchase a GPS system, but did break down and install Google Maps on my phone. It gives me an estimated position based on cell tower triangulation, and I've never had a problem finding where I was in that "estimated location" radius fairly quickly, and the maps work just fine for me. The one time I used a GPS (in a rental car), it got me lost. Screw that, LOL.

But I do carry a 50 state atlas in my car, just for backup. And when I'm road tripping to a place I've never been to (a few years ago that would be clubs for concerts, now it's tracks for NASCAR) I print out a fairly detailed map of the area surrounding my destination. A dozen city blocks or so, at least. Gives me easy ways to scout out an alternate route to the interstate to head back home. Never leave home without it!!