Ever heard of DGPS?
Mar 10 '00
Unless you absolutely MUST have a GPS unit, I recommend a "wait and watch" attitude. Some new technology is in the works that has applications to GPS land navigation. I'll try to keep this as un-technical as possible. If you have questions, please post.
I work on military avionic equipment, including navigational aids like GPS. Because of an impending boom in commercial air traffic, the FAA is developing a radical improvement to civil GPS (that's the signal we military folks intentionally screw up because we really hate being shot at by precision weapons). The new technology is called Differential GPS (DGPS) and it works something like this: one can take the known positions of all visible GPS satellites, compare their signals, and calculate a correction factor that negates the military error signal. This calculation is done by a geosynchronous satellite (which is already up there, working) which then transmits the signal to airborne receiving equipment. The result is better-than-military-quality GPS. This part of the system is called Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) and is intended to function similar to LORAN or TACAN equipment, only much, much more accurately. A partner system, Local Area Augmentation System (LAAS) is under development, and is intended to provide precision-approach capability to LAAS-using aircraft at most civil airports. If you are a civil pilot, I strongly recommend buying into this new technology. By 2010, you will probably lose VOR/TACAN capability because those systems are due to be shut down in favor of WAAS. LORAN is supposed to go offline by 2018.
What does this mean for backcountry and maritime navigation? Greatly improved GPS navigation, including altitude calculations, and ocean-wide precision navigation ability. While I do not recommend throwing out the map and magnetic compass, I think you will find DGPS to be a very good primary navigation source.
The fly in the ointment is that no one has yet adapted DGPS for land navigation. Think of the applications for trucking and emergency/rescue services. Imagine being able to carry a small emergency beacon that transmits a precise, DGPS-calculated position to the rescue folks. This is why I think land-based DGPS receivers will be available soon. In the meantime, keep your eyes open for small aircraft DPGS receivers.
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