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Path: utzoo!yunexus!geac!syntron!jtsv16!uunet!husc6!mailrus!wasatch!utah-gr!uplherc!sp7040!obie!wes
From: wes@obie.UUCP (Barnacle Wes)
Newsgroups: rec.boats,sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: NAVSTAR
Summary: Aren't SATNAV and GPS synonymous?
Message-ID: <232@obie.UUCP>
Date: 23 Oct 88 01:16:15 GMT
Article-I.D.: obie.232
References: <3551@phri.UUCP>
Organization: the Well of Souls
Lines: 22

In article <3551@phri.UUCP>, roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith) writes:
> 	Does anybody know if NAVSTAR is operational yet?  Were the birds to
> be launched on the shuttle (in which case, I'd expect it to be several
> years behind schedule) or on disposables?  Not that it makes much practical
> difference; Rousmaniere estimates that a receiver will cost $25,000; it's
> not likely I'll be able to afford a boat that costs $25k any time soon, let
> alone a nav system.

I think the SATNAV systems you can buy from most marine supply outlets
use the GPS satellites.  There are several (I think 5) GPS satellites in
position right now.  The coverage is not continuous, there are "bands"
of the eart (that move, following the satellites orbits) that cannot
"see" enough of the satellites to get a fix.  I think the largest gap is
only 6 hours or so.  The SATNAV systems for sale right now do not cost
anywhere near $25,000 - the least expensive are in the $1,000 arena.

	Wes Peters
-- 
Copyright 1988 Wesley R. Peters.  Permission is granted to distribute this work
in its entirety as long as it is not modified in any way, and this copyright
remains intact.  No rights other than those expressed here are granted.
	"How do you make the boat go when there's no wind?"  -- Me