View Full Version : GPS system 'close to breakdown'



WhereRWe?
05-19-2009, 02:13 PM
Sheesh!

A very interesting article (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/may/19/gps-close-to-breakdown), which states that so many people have adopted Geocaching as a pastime, they are using up all the signals transmitted by the satellites. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Sabby
05-19-2009, 02:52 PM
I don't think that is quite what is says.

I believe that the satelites are old and in jeopardy of failing and that will cause the system to become inncaurate or not able to be received at as many locations as it is now.

An anology to what you are saying is that if too many people listen to a radio station then the signal is used up and will not be able to be heard. Just isn't so.

Ekidokai
05-19-2009, 03:41 PM
Don't worry. I have a background in these things. This is what can happen...

The satellites like the Hubble and space station Will break down a little bit at a time. The signal will get weaker for some of them at different rates. As it stands now only 5 of ones up there now are 100%. A big stink will be made from different agencies and new ones will fly soon.

Before the economy went bad there was a schedule for replacing them, they really aren't set up to be fixed. Now it will take a little longer. The people expanding the technologies are implementing some fantastic advancements.

As for the receivers, it doesn't make any difference how many there are. The signal is out there no matter how many people are getting or not. I have been watching other countries attempts at what we have and they are making some good strides.

brdad
05-19-2009, 04:06 PM
The satellites are too big to fail!

Screw the auto makers, lets bail out the backbone of geocaching!

TRF
05-19-2009, 04:12 PM
We need GPSr with better use of signal strength! Not those old signal strength guzzling Magellens that are out there. Therefore, let bail out the GPS industry!! :p:)

WhereRWe?
05-19-2009, 04:25 PM
I don't think that is quite what is says.

I believe that the satelites are old and in jeopardy of failing and that will cause the system to become inncaurate or not able to be received at as many locations as it is now.

Sheesh! Maybe I misread the article... ;);)


An anology to what you are saying is that if too many people listen to a radio station then the signal is used up and will not be able to be heard.

Right! Exactly right! Nobody ever listens to AM radio any more for just that reason. :D:D

WhereRWe?
05-19-2009, 04:26 PM
(Sure is hard to start a rumor these days..... :p:p)

Hiram357
05-19-2009, 05:04 PM
We need GPSr with better use of signal strength! Not those old signal strength guzzling Magellens that are out there. Therefore, let bail out the GPS industry!! :p:)

Yeah, get rid of all the Magellans and the signal will go back to being more available!


I think we should hold a bake sale to raise money for a new satelite! :D

Sabby
05-19-2009, 05:36 PM
I think we should hold a bake sale to raise money for a new satelite! :D

Yes, Yes, Yes and it should be in synchronus orbit right over Maine :)

Haffy
05-19-2009, 05:42 PM
Yes, Yes, Yes and it should be in synchronus orbit right over Maine :)

I'd be willing to share it with Maine ,NY and South Carolina....:D

WhereRWe?
05-19-2009, 06:07 PM
I'd be willing to share it with Maine ,NY and South Carolina....:D

Sheesh! It's you guys in "the south" that are using up all the signal! The "film container in every lightpost" crowd - aka "Nashville style" geocaching - takes a lot of satellite bandwidth. :(:(

Sabby
05-19-2009, 07:35 PM
Sheesh! It's you guys in "the south" that are using up all the signal! The "film container in every lightpost" crowd - aka "Nashville style" geocaching - takes a lot of satellite bandwidth.


I think you might be onto something here. It is not the number of cachers with GPSr's that use up the signal it is the number of caches in an area. More signal should be availabe in the less populated areas of Maine than anywhere else.

WhereRWe?
05-19-2009, 08:36 PM
I think you might be onto something here. It is not the number of cachers with GPSr's that use up the signal it is the number of caches in an area. More signal should be availabe in the less populated areas of Maine than anywhere else.

Exactly! But it's too bad that Sirius Satellite Radio didn't have as much signal as the GPS system. The only time I've lost a GPS signal with our Garmin 60CSX is in the "Big Dig" tunnel in Boston. I've lost signal with Sirius under a single big tree! LOL!

Hiram357
05-19-2009, 09:34 PM
Exactly! But it's too bad that Sirius Satellite Radio didn't have as much signal as the GPS system. The only time I've lost a GPS signal with our Garmin 60CSX is in the "Big Dig" tunnel in Boston. I've lost signal with Sirius under a single big tree! LOL!

I've often wondered that myself, I have XM and if I get under a cloud it cuts out... but for some reason my boss knows when my service van is sitting outside paddy murphy's when I cover the little receiver on the dashboard..... :rolleyes:;):D

hide_from_the_kids
05-21-2009, 01:17 PM
I've often wondered that myself, I have XM and if I get under a cloud it cuts out... but for some reason my boss knows when my service van is sitting outside paddy murphy's when I cover the little receiver on the dashboard..... :rolleyes:;):D
pay a kid $5 to ride his bike around the block for an hour with the reciever then just tell your boss you were lost:D

Hiram357
05-21-2009, 02:10 PM
pay a kid $5 to ride his bike around the block for an hour with the reciever then just tell your boss you were lost:D

that is a genius idea!!!!! hey.... do any of your kids wanna earn $5???? :D:rolleyes:;):D

hide_from_the_kids
05-21-2009, 02:19 PM
that is a genius idea!!!!! hey.... do any of your kids wanna earn $5???? :D:rolleyes:;):D
WE CAN PUT IT ON MY YOUNGEST YOUR BOSS WILL BE SO CONFUSED ON WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN HE WONT QUESTION YOU FOR AWHILE.

Hiram357
05-21-2009, 02:31 PM
WE CAN PUT IT ON MY YOUNGEST YOUR BOSS WILL BE SO CONFUSED ON WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN HE WONT QUESTION YOU FOR AWHILE.

no, but they might make me take one of those "pee in a cup" tests.... :eek:

WhereRWe?
05-21-2009, 04:23 PM
no, but they might make me take one of those "pee in a cup" tests.... :eek:

You're in trouble.... They're checking for beer these days... ;);)

brewmaine
05-21-2009, 04:31 PM
MMMM Beer there's that word again I just love that word :-)

Hiram357
05-21-2009, 05:33 PM
You're in trouble.... They're checking for beer these days... ;);)

*gasp* I hope they don't try to take a blood sample from my alcohol veins then!! :eek::eek:

hide_from_the_kids
05-24-2009, 09:05 PM
:eek:if i had a nickel for every beer i drank i'd be rich....i got to stop letting the kids have the returnables.:eek: