Motoring Discussion > Anyone lost? Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Old Navy Replies: 7
View Threaded 

New Thu 22 Dec 16 08:21 
 Anyone lost? - Old Navy
I knew there was a reason I keep a roadmap in the car, (and I know how to use it). :-)

Daily Mail

tinyurl.com/zjy8kne
Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 22 Dec 16 at 08:22
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 22 Dec 16 10:20 
 Anyone lost? - sherlock47
A pity it has to come from the DM - recycled 'news' at its best!

The RA site does not appear to have published any 'domesday' article in the last 42months ! Despite being quoted as an authorative source.

www.raeng.org.uk/search?q=gps

But some good xmas cheer reading in the RA articles!
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 22 Dec 16 10:24 
 Anyone lost? - rtj70
But the issue is the dependence on other systems of the accurate timing of the time signal from the GPS satellites. Encrypted communication links use GPS signals to get the time and if this goes wrong then the link fails. End result could be you might not be able to do banking transactions.

It has nothing to do with navigation.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 22 Dec 16 10:30 
 Anyone lost? - sherlock47
In someways it might be a good thing. Better than using an EMP airburst, neutron bomb, or dirty fission weapon. We would just all starve to death rather die a nasty radiation death.

Let ON fill in the details? I am sure he was not misled by the simplicity of the DM. (Well I hope not!)
Last edited by: sherlock47 on Thu 22 Dec 16 at 10:31
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 22 Dec 16 10:52 
 Anyone lost? - zippy
Pretty dreadful design in the mentioned systems if there is no back up time base used like the NPL radio clock or similar!
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 22 Dec 16 12:20 
 Anyone lost? - Manatee
Systems generally do have backup time but the problem is accuracy. It would probably only take a couple of weeks for the cellular networks to become badly affected as the clocks in the cellular base stations drift off time. It wouldn't be long before it just wouldn't work and you won't even be able to make a mobile phone call.

Only an atomic timer is accurate enough to make a base station independent of an external time source and they are properly expensive. Someone I know worked for a short period for a startup developing rubidium source clocks as a lower cost alternative, there were funding hold-ups and I don't know what happened to it. The difficulty is bringing it to market was presumably that using GPS is essentially free - as long as it works. When it doesn't, the costs will be incalculable.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 22 Dec 16 12:05 
 Anyone lost? - Old Navy
Nuclear submarines were using GPS to reset their inertial navigation systems for decades before Joe public knew it existed. The accuracy is required to hit a target with an ICBM or cruise missile. Not that you need absolute accuracy with a nuclear weapon, anywhere within a few hundred yards will do. :-)
Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 22 Dec 16 at 12:07
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 22 Dec 16 14:39 
 Anyone lost? - Mapmaker
>> anywhere within
>> a few hundred yards will do.

Pansy little nuclear device.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
Latest Forum Posts