GPS--This just in from GAO

[E_Page]

I've seen this portrayed in recent posts in other forums as a system-wide failure or shutdown.

The chicken-littles need to calm down. There are enough satellites up there to ensure that the system will continue.

What might happen is brief periods where there are insuffucient satellites to provide reliable survey grade results, the ocassional bad GPS afternoon.

It wasn't all that long ago that if you wanted to work with GPS, you needed to do some careful planning and often plan to work late at night or in the wee hours of the morning to collect your data.

I doubt that we will see a return to those conditions.

[RasterMaster]

Excellent information, thanks Sean. I had no idea. I think Evan is hitting the nail dead on.... I remember those day's....errr night's.

[goodgps]

Good information.

Today, we take GPS for granted. We fail to realize how delicate the system really is. It costs a lot of money to keep the system up, running and reliable.

Not too long ago, the government had options to redirect satellites or signals for their defense use. Remember The last time baghdad shot skuds at Israel ?

Im sure Evan is right in-so-far that the sudden loss of coverage may not be as severe as the "old days"

Check your mission planning and dust off the old tyme total station.

Happy surveys to all