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European GPS system


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Posted

I saw a reference to a proposed European GPS system called Gallileo - does anyone know anything about it (eg when will it be operational, will it work with my Etrex?)

Posted

Sorry to bring this back up, but might as well now that Gallileo is now going to be a reality. :)

 

So would the european system make any difference to us geocachers? I don't know that much about the GPS system so I ask this as a complete novice.

Posted

My understanding is that the system will be 100% compatible with the GPS system so increased numbers of satellites means better accuracy.

 

It does mean that, but more importantly, it will mean that we will also have better accuracy in more obscure places which presently shade out many of the satellites which are above the local horizon but are blocked by obstructions such as terrain, trees and buildings.

Posted

Another article, the second satellite sounds good, can pinpoint your position to within a centimetre :rolleyes:

 

I think you'll have to subscribe to a premium service for that. And for existing GPSr devices, it could be that the precision of the device will limit the overall performance (cf the improved results people are getting with the new generation chips in the Garmin 60csx).

 

Galileo has been called "the common agricultural policy of the skies", and I certainly wouldn't hold your breath waiting for it. Is EGNOS "fully" live yet? Even if it is, how many years did it overrun - for two satellites?

Posted
Galileo has been called "the common agricultural policy of the skies", and I certainly wouldn't hold your breath waiting for it. Is EGNOS "fully" live yet? Even if it is, how many years did it overrun - for two satellites?

Coming up on three years behind schedule now, massively over budget and still not working properly.

 

Still, the EGNOS experience gives us a good way of forecasting how GALILEO will go...

 

Implementation date: 2010

Budget: Eur 3,250,000,000

 

So that'll be....

 

Implementation: 2013 (but probably even later.)

Cost: Eur 7,500,000,000 (and counting.)

 

:rolleyes: -Wlw

Posted

Another article, the second satellite sounds good, can pinpoint your position to within a centimetre :rolleyes:

 

I think you'll have to subscribe to a premium service for that. And for existing GPSr devices, it could be that the precision of the device will limit the overall performance (cf the improved results people are getting with the new generation chips in the Garmin 60csx).

 

Most Garmin users can already achieve accuracies of better than 5 cm (a couple of inches) if you can log data directly to a laptop or a PDA. The post-processing is not simple, but it can be done with the carrier phase and pseudorange data which "undocumented" capabilities of the 12 channel Garmins allow. With 10 minutes of logged data you should be able to refine a fix to better than 10cm and with 30 minutes worth of data you should be able to get that down to better than 5cm. The Rinex data is freely available from the OS at the GPS.gov.uk website.

 

Quite why you would want single centimetre accuracy is another matter!

Posted

Another article, the second satellite sounds good, can pinpoint your position to within a centimetre :rolleyes:

 

I think you'll have to subscribe to a premium service for that. And for existing GPSr devices, it could be that the precision of the device will limit the overall performance (cf the improved results people are getting with the new generation chips in the Garmin 60csx).

 

Quite why you would want single centimetre accuracy is another matter!

 

Surveying? Um, that's probably about it!

Posted

I don't think funding is the problem here, no one person wants to put their head on the block and actually say they're in charge. Doesn't surprise me really, great projects are always ruined by the people brought in to bring them to reality.

 

Some one in the consortium needs to grow a set of balls and step up to the plate and not be frightened to make the important decisions.

Posted
Galileo has been called "the common agricultural policy of the skies", and I certainly wouldn't hold your breath waiting for it. Is EGNOS "fully" live yet? Even if it is, how many years did it overrun - for two satellites?

Coming up on three years behind schedule now, massively over budget and still not working properly.

 

Still, the EGNOS experience gives us a good way of forecasting how GALILEO will go...

 

Implementation date: 2010

Budget: Eur 3,250,000,000

 

So that'll be....

 

Implementation: 2013 (but probably even later.)

Cost: Eur 7,500,000,000 (and counting.)

 

:D -Wlw

 

Just think how many ammo cans could had been bought for us instead! :laughing:

Posted

I don't think funding is the problem here, no one person wants to put their head on the block and actually say they're in charge. Doesn't surprise me really, great projects are always ruined by the people brought in to bring them to reality.

 

Some one in the consortium needs to grow a set of balls and step up to the plate and not be frightened to make the important decisions.

 

I say, put the Italians in charge. :laughing:

Posted

I don't think funding is the problem here, no one person wants to put their head on the block and actually say they're in charge. Doesn't surprise me really, great projects are always ruined by the people brought in to bring them to reality.

 

Some one in the consortium needs to grow a set of balls and step up to the plate and not be frightened to make the important decisions.

 

I say, put the Italians in charge. :D

 

Yep, they've done wonders for English footy too. :laughing:

On a plus note, if the Brits had been in charge, we'd be 25b in debt. :D

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