[time-nuts] GPS Usage

[J. Forster]

This is a surprise:

"in reality more than 90 percent of the users of GPS worldwide use it
primarily for a timing reference."

That makes the LORAN shutdown look even more idiotiuc!

-John

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Copied from <http://www.gpsworld.com/defense/gps-insights-april-2007-8428>:

"I recently...participate[d] in a...study that determined...that if GPS
were to fail today, there is an excellent chance that credit cards would
not function, gas pumps would not operate, cell phones would not work,
internet, bank and stock transactions would slow to a crawl, and on and
on.

"To fully understand this, remember that the Global Positioning System is
also known as a PNT or Positioning, Navigation and Timing system. The
position and navigation part is what we generally think of, but in reality
more than 90 percent of the users of GPS worldwide use it primarily for a
timing reference.

"This timing discussion provides a nice segue to the topic of LORAN and
eLORAN, which last month I listed as a key augmentation for the perfect
handheld GPS transceiver. Several of you asked why and there are a myriad
of reasons including: LORAN is a mature and proven system with much
greater signal strength (you can use it indoors)....

"Why do we need a backup? Here is a classic case in point..... [I]t took
NAVCEN and supporting agencies 72 hours to pinpoint the jamming
source...."

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