[ntp:questions] Re: Good GPS for attic?

jimp at specsol-spam-sux.com jimp at specsol-spam-sux.com
Mon Feb 14 17:49:00 UTC 2005


In comp.protocols.time.ntp Gary S. <Idontwantspam at net> wrote:
> On 14 Feb 2005 10:48:26 -0500, David Magda
> <dmagda+trace050112 at ee.ryerson.ca> wrote:

> >"David Schwartz" <davids at webmaster.com> writes:
> >
> >> "Ivor Jones" <ivor at despammed.invalid> wrote in message 
> >> news:374g4cF5b3e1sU1 at individual.net...
> >[...]
> >> > GPS provides for so much more than merely a time server.
> >> 
> >>     Nevertheless, it is now the world standard for time
> >>     synchronization.
> >
> >Which may be a bit worrisome since the US Administration said it is
> >willing to shut it down in emergencies / terrorist acts:
> >
> >http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/200412/msg00099.html

> True, but shutting it off, or munging the civilian signal, including
> Selective Availability has always been an option, making the US GPS
> useless for any user without a military encrypted GPS.

> Selective Availability was turned off by Presidential (Clinton) order
> in May 2000. It has not been used since.

> It was not turned on during the 9/11 attacks, and you would have to
> think that if it takes a larger event than that to interfere with GPS,
> knowing the exact time would be a rather low priority.

> Shutting down GPS entirely is possible, but even less likely. This
> announcement merely states what could happen during an emergency, but
> this has been an option all along.

> Another scare story about how the US military controls GPS after
> making everyone dependent on it. That's why there is a need for
> Europeans to spend lots of money to have their own independent system
> which the US or Russia cannot control.

> Also, even if it is the world standard for time synchronization, there
> would not be complete chaos if it were shut off for a short time.
> There are multiple other sources for a timing signal.

> Happy trails,
> Gary (net.yogi.bear)
> ------------------------------------------------
> at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

> Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
> Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

Not to mention it is rapidly becoming the primary means for aviation
navigation and instrument approaches, all with the blessing of the US
government.

In the very near future, shutting it off WOULD be chaos for aviation.

-- 
Jim Pennino

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