My GPS etc........final comment

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I was tracking (as if I knew), and went on to explain that
the Americans had built in an error so that GPS equipment
could not be used for terrorist purposes against America.
He said my problems were all down to the nature of the
difficult world political situation at the moment, and
that if I had a more modern piece of equipment which
tracked non-American satelites, I would have more success.

Out of date [censored].

In article <[email hidden]>, Tom Reid

url=''URL:/url said:

Yesterday morning, while I was still in the throes of
sorting out the etrex GPS settings, I visited a local
supplier of walking gear to buy a new pair of
socks.......saves washing!. While I was in the shop I
noticed an etrex on display and I mentioned my difficulty
to the man who was wrapping up my socks. He understood the
problem instantly, asked if it was American satelites that
I was tracking (as if I knew), and went on to explain that
the Americans had built in an error so that GPS equipment
could not be used for terrorist purposes against America.
He said my problems were all down to the nature of the
difficult world political situation at the moment, and
that if I had a more modern piece of equipment which
tracked non-American satelites, I would have more success.
I just thought you would like to know that.

Tom

Could you enlighten the group as to which retail outlet this
is? I think it is your duty to warn others who might wish to
buy a GPS to stay away from that store if they wish to get
some knowledgeable advice!

Mike <URL:http://www.path.cam.ac.uk/~mrc7/>
--
o/ \\ // |\ ,_ o Mike Clark <\__,\\ // __o | \ / /\, "A
mountain climbing, cycling, skiing, "> || _`\<,_ |__\ \>
| immunology lecturer, antibody engineer and ` || (_)/
(_) | \corn computer user"

Tom Reid said:

He understood the problem instantly

Actually, he didn't...

Quoted message said:

asked if it was American satelites that I was tracking
(as if I knew)

You are. They are all American. The GPS system is built for
the US Department of Defense and run and maintained by
them. That Mere Mortals can use it is a (very) useful
fringe benefit.

Quoted message said:

and went on to explain that the Americans had built in an
error so that GPS equipment could not be used for
terrorist purposes against America.

"Selective Availability", built in to prevent highly
accurate non-NATO military use originally, but it was turned
off by order of President Clinton (which should give you an
idea it's been a while...) and hasn't been turned back on,
even post 9/11.

Quoted message said:

He said my problems were all down to the nature of the
difficult world political situation at the moment, and
that if I had a more modern piece of equipment which
tracked non-American satellites, I would have more
success.

Your man was talking a lot of [censored]. To recap, GPS is a US
system, period. More modern equipment will still track the
same satellites and use the same signals and the same
calculation basis (more modern systems pick up more
satellites for a better fix). SA has been turned off for
years now.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

"Tom Reid" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

He understood the problem instantly, asked if it was
American satelites

that

Quoted message said:

I was tracking (as if I knew

Run by the 50th Space Wing USAF, Schriever AFB, Colorado.
And provided for free which is rather nice of them.

KRO

In article <[email hidden]>, Paul Saunders
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Peter Clinch said:

Your man was talking a lot of [censored]. To recap, GPS is a
US system, period.

There is a European system planned but that won't happen
anytime soon. And what happened to the Russian system?

GLONASS - still there but suffered from a lack of satellites
until quite recently. There are currently 9 operation
GLONASS satellites.

I am not aware of any consumer grade receivers that can use
the GLONASS system but there are survey grade and OEM
receivers that use both GPS and GLONASS. I am sure there are
also plain GLONASS receivers available but I have not come
across them.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

SA has been turned off for years now.

Since 1st May 2000 to be precise. What a happy day
that was...

Maybe the guy in the shop hasn't got his own GPS set up
right. Perhaps you could go back and tell him the correct
settings Tom! ;-)

Indeed, a good idea.

--

dscs.demon.co.ukdscs.demon.co.ukOpen ↗

couldn't agree more. the americans turned off 'selective
availablitiy' years ago.

"marc" <marccdimspamremovedimspamto
[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I was tracking (as if I knew), and went on to explain
that the Americans

had

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

built in an error so that GPS equipment could not be
used for terrorist purposes against America. He said my
problems were all down to the

nature of

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the difficult world political situation at the moment,
and that if I had

a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

more modern piece of equipment which tracked non-
American satelites, I

would

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

have more success.

Out of date [censored].

Store location is St John Street, Perth

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Peter Clinch said:

Your man was talking a lot of [censored]. To recap, GPS is a US
system, period.

There is a European system planned but that won't happen
anytime soon. And what happened to the Russian system?

Quoted message said:

SA has been turned off for years now.

Since 1st May 2000 to be precise. What a happy day
that was...

Maybe the guy in the shop hasn't got his own GPS set up
right. Perhaps you could go back and tell him the correct
settings Tom! ;-)

Paul
--
wilderness-wales.co.ukwilderness-wales.co.ukOpen ↗
wildwales.fsnet.co.ukwildwales.fsnet.co.ukOpen ↗
photosig.comuserphotosOpen ↗

Paul Saunders said:

There is a European system planned but that won't happen
anytime soon. And what happened to the Russian system?

Obviously there were Very Good Reasons for them to have one
a while back, and when SA was still on there was a market
window for a system without the restrictions, but since that
went I guess it makes a lot more sense for the now Nice
Friendly (but rather cash-strapped) Russians not to spend a
few billion replicating something they can use anyway.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Paul
Saunders <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Maybe the guy in the shop hasn't got his own GPS set up
right. Perhaps you could go back and tell him the correct
settings Tom! ;-)

Indeed, a good idea.

I suggest a deputation. Dominic and Chris Malc can blind the
poor chap with science, with others as back-up, and Paul
will go on explaining to him until his ears bleed and he
falls over in a dead faint.
--
Gordon

Tom Reid said:

Yesterday morning, while I was still in the throes of
sorting out the etrex GPS settings, I visited a local
supplier of walking gear to buy a new pair of
socks.......saves washing!. While I was in the shop I
noticed an etrex on display and I mentioned my difficulty
to the man who was wrapping up my socks. He understood the
problem instantly, asked if it was American satelites that
I was tracking (as if I knew), and went on to explain that
the Americans had built in an error so that GPS equipment
could not be used for terrorist purposes against America.
He said my problems were all down to the nature of the
difficult world political situation at the moment, and that
if I had a more modern piece of equipment which tracked non-
American satelites, I would have more success. I just
thought you would like to know that.

Hilarious!

Suggest you try the gun and fishing tackle shops next.
--
Chris Malcolm [email hidden] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
["]http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

"Chris Malcolm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Tom Reid" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Yesterday morning, while I was still in the throes of
sorting out the etrex GPS settings, I visited a local
supplier of walking gear to buy a new pair of
socks.......saves washing!. While I was in the shop I
noticed an etrex on display and I mentioned my
difficulty to the man who was wrapping up my socks. He
understood the problem instantly, asked if it was
American satelites that I was tracking (as if I knew),
and went on to explain that the Americans had built in
an error so that GPS equipment could not be used for
terrorist purposes against America. He said my problems
were all down to the nature of the difficult world
political situation at the moment, and that if I had a
more modern piece of equipment which tracked non-
American satelites, I would have more success. I just
thought you would like to know that.

Hilarious!

I laughed my socks off.

Oh wait, maybe I hadn't put them on yet.

They were definitely on the other side of the room when I
finished that story.

Quoted message said:

Suggest you try the gun and fishing tackle shops next.

I'm right with Chris here. I'd love to see the results
of growing the misinformation above into a genuine
fishing story!
--
Mark South: World Citizen, Net Denizen

"Gordon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Paul
Saunders <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Maybe the guy in the shop hasn't got his own GPS set up
right. Perhaps you could go back and tell him the
correct settings Tom! ;-)

Indeed, a good idea.

I suggest a deputation. Dominic and Chris Malc can blind
the poor chap with science, with others as back-up, and
Paul will go on explaining to him until his ears bleed and
he falls over in a dead faint.

If Paul is going to make his ears bleed, we'll need someone
else to photograph the event as a warning to the others :-)
--

-- M.

"Mark South" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Gordon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Paul
Saunders <[email hidden]> writes
>
>Maybe the guy in the shop hasn't got his own GPS set
>up right. Perhaps you could go back and tell him the
>correct settings Tom! ;-)
>
Indeed, a good idea.

I suggest a deputation. Dominic and Chris Malc can blind
the poor chap with science, with others as back-up, and
Paul will go on explaining to him until his ears bleed
and he falls over in a dead faint.

If Paul is going to make his ears bleed, we'll need
someone else to photograph the event as a warning to the
others :-)

Oh, and on reflection, that will make rather a mess, so
we'll need Fran along to do the house-cleaning afterwards!
--

-- M.