[ the story seems overblown to me, but still worth sharing. follow the last link for some real data. - ch ]
GPS World: Current GPS constellation Aug 30, 2006 <http://sidt.gpsworld.com/gpssidt/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=368448> The current GPS constellation - its health and viability - continues in question and under scrutiny, despite reassurances from the Air Force. Last month's GPS World Survey & Construction e-newsletter relayed user plaints that there aren't enough healthy GPS satellites. Surveyors say they can't use RTK a full day with the current constellation even with every satellite healthy - and that recently there have been more satellite outages than ever before. They've resorted to filling GPS gaps with GLONASS. The online story drew immediate affirmation. "While most of the time we get good coverage, for the last couple months we have had a 4 to 6-hour gap where we 'float' a lot and our precision goes down. Unfortunately this gap is usually between 10 am and 2 pm, which creates some interesting scheduling problems." For years only three companies offered combined GPS/GLONASS receivers; that number recently doubled and now includes all major survey manufacturers. The market speaks. It would be ironic if GPS troubles helped revive GLONASS, just as perceived GPS shortcomings helped launch Galileo. Others have written to ask what the JPO has been doing that has kept them occupied and unable to carry on GPS modernization or effective sustainment. In our September print issue of GPS World, We invited the GPS Joint Program Office to give their view <http://www.gpsworld.com/gpsworld/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=368240> , and we asked an independent consultant for his perspective <http://www.gpsworld.com/gpsworld/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=367591> as well. _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list [email protected] https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
