I just received this from a reliable source. Not mentioned below but of great importance in the near future is that the EU's navigational satellite system and the Russian system will all be accessible for improved position info. This is forcing the USA to upgrade it's system. The downside is that your GPS will have to be able to decode signals from a variety of sources. You might want to keep your eyes open for mention of satellite compatibility as you price GPS equipment.

Bot

The FAA has just released a timeline for its WAAS satellites. On July 12 2007, the PRN 138 WAAS satellite will become operational. On July 16 2007, the older WAAS satellites, PRN 122 and PRN 134, will be turned off. If you are using any of the Trimble equipment listed below and use WAAS as a real-time correction source, you need to make sure you have the appropriate GPS firmware installed. * If your software is not updated, you will be unable to receive WAAS corrections!

Boise bound tourists could end up in Boston!

On a more serious note, I could imagine a lot of issues more at the local level...being off by 2 streets, etc.

Good information and thanks for posting it.

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Mike Murrell
1991 300-SEL - Model 126
M103 - SOHC
"Fräulein"

There are families at sea all over the world cruising that are in places where they can't upgrade/update their equipment. Granted, the info has been published for a while, but there are some folks who are in real danger out there because they didn't have the means or logistical ability to get up to date. Hope they paid attention in Celestial Nav 101.

Bot- I just got my new decoder ring from a box of Cracker Jacks...

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"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL

Better watch it fly-girl, this may be a question on your pilot test

Hey- I still check outside and make sure I can see the cement plant and the water towers when I'm flying--- I don't totally trust that digital cockpit ya know. As a matter of fact, just last week we lost the air speed indicator for a while...I will be wearing my decoder ring when I take that FAA exam..

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"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL

Hope they know how to use a sextant. I used to know how to navigate but would have to get a thorough retraining.

That ain't something trivial you get from a yellow, "Navigation for Dummies" manual.

B

That's good to hear.

Wear the ring for sure. It might make a good ice breaker for you and the examiner. (Yes - I'm serious.)
If nothing else, joking about it may actually let him know you feel confident enough about your skills to even make a joke in the first place.

JD - No worries. The people boating around out in the world will be just fine.

(I'd explain, but I’ve just been informed that spending my entire life associated with aviation and working with GPS since it came out (civil), does not constitute actually knowing anything about it. That in fact, it’s just my ego that proclaims to. Guess I’ll have to find something else to do from here on out. )


Have fun this weekend Mistress.

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1980 300D - Veggie Burner !

I'm just passing along what I hear from the good folks at Cruising World

Wouldn't this render OnStar useless?

Someone is probably going to end up on the rocks because of this.

Hopefully they are more accurite although currant models are already pretty damn good.

Lots of people still have Loran as a back up, I was using one yesterday actualy. Its pretty accurite, just takes a bit longer to update.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Does anyone else see the humor in this?

I'm missing it, did my poor spelling and grammer lead to another joke?

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Loran is okay for inshore navigation. What are you going to do when you're over the horizon and night falls?

Use GPS, its not my boat I didn't pick out the electronics.

Even GPS has its issues in the more remote parts of the world it seems. According to an article in the latest issue of cruising world a boat that was going around the horn had a bunch of trouble with there chart plotter as they got further south. For example it would be telling them an inlet is on port, but the radar would be telling a very different story.

Then they would pull out the charts that were last updated in 1841, fun stuff!

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200