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Please correct me if I should be wrong: Since GPS is controlled by the US
military it only needs a decision from the US administration to swich it
off. This is, to my understanding, the reason why Europe decided to set in
place their own system called EUREKA.
Marcel
On 4/5/06, Lu Abel <> wrote:
>
> With all respect, Gordon, it would take a lot more technology than the
> terrorists have to turn off GPS much less to make it give incorrect
> positions. GPS uses satellites. One would need satellite-killer
> missiles to "turn off" GPS. Only two or three countries (USA, Russia,
> China?) have the technology (which, BTW, includes the technology and
> infrastructure to track and identify the target before saying to the
> missile "go get 'em"). To make GPS give the wrong position would
> require taking over the US's GPS control centers and I'm sure the US
> military has put a lot of thought and effort into preventing that.
>
> There are GPS jammers available on the arms market, but they work only
> over a small theater of operations. Nowhere I'd be sailing, hope you
> won't be there either.
>
> Last but not least, terrorists are interested in, well, terror. I
> suspect they'd far rather kill a few thousand of their perceived enemies
> than inconvenience them by turning off GPS....
>
> Lu Abel
>
> Gordon Talge wrote:
> > Just for the heck of it, I wonder what would happen,
> > if some terrorists managed to turn off the GPS system, or
> > maybe even better, have it give the wrong positions.
> >
> > I have noticed that a lot of people seem to say they keep
> > a sextant and tables, etc, for backup. The problem that I
> > see with that is it takes a lot of practice to get good at using a
> > sextant and working out sights by hand. Someone who has
> > only tried out their sextant on a calm day or on the beach,
> > may find it hard to get a decent shot on a pitching boat
> > or ship, and then work out a sight where one slip of a
> > plus or minus, or wrong column, would make it all for naught.
> >
> > BTW,
> >
> > Has anyone seen those German films of the U-Boats during World War II
> > in the North Atlantic pitching and rolling? I start getting seasick
> > just watching it. I saw one where a German Officer was taking a noon
> > sight on a sub like that. They may have been the enemy, but they
> > sure had guts. (It took guts to stand up to them too)
> >
> > -- Gordon
> >
> >
>
