Re: SG2.5 or a laser finder?


"The_Professor" <dbid@xxxxxxx> wrote in message news:7dda1c45-aa8c-4d66-82b2-c8571d5d3940@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Mar 5, 6:34 pm, "Dave Lee" <DaveLe...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
"The_Professor" <d...@xxxxxxx> wrote in message

news:6a63c91b-9ab8-4c89-bd23-f89240ddd253@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Feb 29, 2:51 pm, johndagolfer <Johndagol...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

snip

On the course, GPS is great when it works and selective availability
is not on, but sometimes not enough satellites are not lined up just
right for your location, or you have atmosphereic problems between you
and one or more satellites or the military has decided to turn on
selective avaiability (SA reduces accuracy to 100 yards!).

If I had to have one or the other, I'd go with the laser rangefinder.
If the universe changes in some way such that it doesn't work, it
won't matter!

snip

Everything that I have read indicates that SA was turned off in 2000 and I
haven't read anything that states that it is occasionally turn back on. The
capability is still there, however.

Are they really turning SA on occasionally?

dave

As you know, the military use of this technology allows them to shoot
cruise missiles down your throat. For some reason, the US military
doesn't like it when adversaries use the technology, so they do from
time to time, turn it back on again, or so I have been told. Part of
the Tick off the Taliban strategy! We might see it used (maybe even by
Columbians!) to reduce "Hugo's" inventory of tanks in the near future
too!

I have read in a number of places that they have basically "reserved the right" to turn SA back on. But I have never read where they actually did (or even stated an intent to) turn it back on. It is hard for me to believe that, given the number of GPS golf users out there every single day, we wouldn't hear about it from them if that had happened when the satellites were over the US.

The FAA says the following regarding SA at

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/techops/navservices/gnss/faq/gps/#6

.. It is not the intent of the U.S. to ever use SA again. To ensure that potential adversaries to do not use GPS, the military is dedicated to the development and deployment of regional denial capabilities in lieu of global degradation through SA.


dave

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: SG2.5 or a laser finder?
    ... GPS is great when it works and selective availability ... but sometimes not enough satellites are not lined up just ... the military use of this technology allows them to shoot ...
    (rec.sport.golf)
  • Re: SG2.5 or a laser finder?
    ... GPS is great when it works and selective availability ... but sometimes not enough satellites are not lined up just ... Everything that I have read indicates that SA was turned off in 2000 and I haven't read anything that states that it is occasionally turn back on. ...
    (rec.sport.golf)
  • Re: GPS maybe be dead soon
    ... Selective Availability was discontinued by a 1996 executive order and ... Satellites after 2007 don't even have the capability. ... Airplanes are NOT ready for any of this. ... Airplanes are not GPS guided, ...
    (sci.physics)
  • Re: GPS maybe be dead soon
    ... It is uncertain whether the Air Force will be able to acquire new ... satellites in time to maintain current GPS service without interruption. ... The United States Government Accountability Office issued on May 7 an alarming report on the future of GPS, characterizing ongoing modernization efforts as shaky. ...
    (sci.physics)
  • Re: Air Force to respond to GAO report on the Global Positioning System
    ... recent GAO report titled "Global Positioning System: ... acknowledge what AFSPC has done to address constellation sustainment. ... with 31 operational satellites currently on orbit. ... GPS has never failed to exceed performance standards. ...
    (sci.geo.satellite-nav)