Jump to content

GPS is in DANGER of being lost!

MikeinTyler (MiT)
Followers 2

Recommended Posts

MikeinTyler (MiT)

+MikeinTyler (MiT)

Posted
Posted

I just saw a protest in downtown Tyler, TX led by a professor and students from TJC. Apparently the FCC has granted radio frequency bandwidth, very close to the GPS frequency, to a company called Light Squared. When their signal goes online it will be much stronger that the current GPS signal and will interfere with ALL personal and private GPS devices ability to receive a GPS signal.

 

This has been kept quiet by the FCC and president obama, who likely stands to benefit personally from the success of the new product to be launched THIS YEAR by Light Squared.

 

Light Squared has announced that they have a solution for the interference problem. It is in the form of a mysterious product that THEY have developed and will gladly SELL to all GPS users!

 

THAT'S RIGHT!!!! THEY WILL CHARGE US TO USE GPS!!!!

 

Please go to http://saveourgps.org/ and make your voice heard! Tell the FCC that you want to keep GPS FREE for all to use!

Link to comment
Pup Patrol

Pup Patrol

Posted
Posted

There are 2 or 3 other threads covering this topic.

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=266928

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=279734

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=277201

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=276492

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=274047

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=271781

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=270921

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=270552

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=268939

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=267675

Link to comment
ecanderson

+ecanderson

Posted
Posted (edited)

There was a guy posting about action to save our GPS. Anyone happen to remember the link he was posting? I can't seem to find it now.

No idea. But I do not understand why the OP here didn't append his plea to the existing thread. FWIW - some of the links on that site are broken.

 

I'd also like to know what stake Akin, Grump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld have in this, and who they are actually representing. Given that they're normally paid for such services, and that among their 'specialties', they include

 

"Akin Gump's communications practice represents clients before domestic and international regulatory agencies regarding the formulation of policy in the United States, the European Union (EU) and elsewhere, and also with regard to a wide range of day-to-day compliance issues. We have represented our clients' interests before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC); the National Telecommunications and Information Administration; the departments of Commerce, Justice and State; the U.S. Trade Representative; the National Aeronautics and Space Agency; the U.S. Information Agency; and Congress."

 

one wonders why a lawyers' office has expended the time and money to set up the site.

 

The site is owned by Prism Public Affairs, and their time doesn't come cheap, either. One of their functions is to conduct 'issue campaigns' on Capitol Hill on behalf of paying clients.

 

It would be a chuckle to find out that Verizon, AT&T and others have retained these companies to assist in deep 6'ing LightSquared's access to inexpensive spectrum for expensive purposes. LightSquared (and by contract now, Sprint) stands to gain a great deal from sales of bandwidth that was bought on-the-cheap due to its SUPPOSED unavailability for widespread terrestrial use.

Edited by ecanderson
Link to comment
AndrewRJ

+AndrewRJ

Posted
Posted

This has been kept quiet by the FCC and president obama, who likely stands to benefit personally from the success of the new product to be launched THIS YEAR by Light Squared.

 

Really!? I would love to see some data to back this wild claim up. I mean its great to see such concern over a hobby we all enjoy but where the heck does this sentence fit in.

Link to comment
JBnW

+JBnW

Posted
Posted

This has been kept quiet by the FCC and president obama, who likely stands to benefit personally from the success of the new product to be launched THIS YEAR by Light Squared.

 

Really!? I would love to see some data to back this wild claim up. I mean its great to see such concern over a hobby we all enjoy but where the heck does this sentence fit in.

I'm pretty sure this claim would fail in the face of the public comment period on the granting of the original conditional waiver, and the 6-month testing period which included monthly public releases of the testing results.

 

Some secret. <_<

Link to comment
MikeinTyler (MiT)

+MikeinTyler (MiT)

Posted
  • Author
Posted

The thing is, LightSquared will DEFINITELY cause interference with GPS when they throw the switch. Many experts in the field, none the least US Air Force Space Commander William Shelton, "claim that such filters would cost billions and take decades to install, if they could be made to work at all. So clearly there's a disparity of views here which need more attention."

(check out this article by a British publication http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/09/22 ... red_magic/)

 

The fact that the obama administration is trying to under-the-table it through should be SCREAMING red flags to everyone. It is the "Green Jobs" effect all over again.

 

The only people who say the LightSquared signal won't adversely effect GPS are THE VERY PEOPLE who stand to benefit from a solution to the adverse effects. The fact that LightSquared claims that they HAVE a solution is an admission that there REALLY IS A PROBLEM. You just don't need a solution if there is no problem.

 

Please go to http://saveourgps.org and take action.

I personally have written to Both of my Senators, My Congressman, and The Chairman of the FCC.

It took a little effort, but it is worth doing.

Link to comment
MikeinTyler (MiT)

+MikeinTyler (MiT)

Posted
  • Author
Posted

This has been kept quiet by the FCC and president obama, who likely stands to benefit personally from the success of the new product to be launched THIS YEAR by Light Squared.

 

Really!? I would love to see some data to back this wild claim up. I mean its great to see such concern over a hobby we all enjoy but where the heck does this sentence fit in.

I actually saw this on a CNN report today.

"- If Solyndra isn't bad enough, we now have LightSquared, a company whose majority owner, Phillip Falcone, is a huge Democratic donor. People at the Pentagon and in Congress are under the impression the Obama Administration pressured a General to change testimony to benefit LightSquared and pushed a project few wanted to help a donor. Oh, and then had LightSquared agree to not resell part of its wireless spectrum to Obama Administration critics AT&T and Verizon." (http://johnkingusa.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/15/be-in-the-know-todays-political-bullet-points-313/?iref=allsearch)

 

Here is a link to an article by a British agency - they are less biassed than most others when it comes to American politics:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/richard-adams-blog/2011/sep/17/obama-administration-barack-obama

Link to comment
Viajero Perdido

+Viajero Perdido

Posted
Posted (edited)

Relax. There are parties out there (US military and airlines come to mind) that have a lot more at stake than we tupperware-hunters. They'll make sure nothing bad happens to our little hobby. (You are one of us, aren't you?)

 

In the meantime, maybe have a look at Challenges. It might be a backup way to have fun in case GPS goes all blooey.

 

PS: If you post that link one more time, I'm going to punch the internet.

Edited by Viajero Perdido
Link to comment
MikeinTyler (MiT)

+MikeinTyler (MiT)

Posted
  • Author
Posted

The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.

-Albert Einstein

 

...and for you Canadians

 

Scientists announced today that they have discovered a cure for apathy. However, they claim no one has shown the slightest interest in it.

-George Carlin

Link to comment
luvvinbird

+luvvinbird

Posted
Posted

and for you Canadians

 

Scientists announced today that they have discovered a cure for apathy. However, they claim no one has shown the slightest interest in it.

-George Carlin

 

Wtf

Am I reading it wrong or does the press release dated yesterday on the Light Squared website, say that they have a fix for the problem? I didn't read anything about there being a user fee involved.

Link to comment
ecanderson

+ecanderson

Posted
Posted

Am I reading it wrong or does the press release dated yesterday on the Light Squared website, say that they have a fix for the problem? I didn't read anything about there being a user fee involved.

They have (they say) a prototype of a device with enough selectivity to avoid being swamped by the adjacent signal. It seems their 'fix' is to have everyone with a problem replace their unit with one of a new design.
Link to comment
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
Followers 2
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...