Future Of Gps - Future Of Geocaching

[+TeamSpider3]

The May 2004 issue of Scientific American has an article by Per Enge entitled "Retooling the Global Positioning System". It is quite well done, and compliments "A Walk in the Woods" in the February 2004 issue, which is about the author's (Mark Clemens) introduction to geocaching. Both articles are HIGHLY! recommended.

 

One figure cited in the Enge article is that over 200,000 GPSrs are shipped EACH MONTH! While not all of 'em are going into the hands of would be geocachers, a recent experience of teaching a class in geocaching (GCJ4DY), in which everybody brought in previously under-used GPSrs, says there are a lot of new potential geocachers out there.

 

Enge's article appeared arrived a few days after the class, DRAT! It has a really good explanation of D-GPS and other more exotic topics. He postulates that GPS will get WAY better in the future.

 

What happens to geocaching when we all have centimeter accuracy? Commercial survey units have this today, and while they take a second mortgage to buy, the inexorable pace of technology means that soon, highly accurate GPS will be available in almost every conceivable form. Last Thursday (22 Apr 04),

local (I'm in Silicon Valley) GPS chip producer SiRF did an Initial Public Offering (IPO) that shot up 20%. (No, I have no association or financial interest in them.) Their thing is GPS enabled cell phones to comply with the E911 requirements for automatic location of emergency calls.

 

I'm a TNLNSL kinda guy, so the hunt is what keeps me going. Will it be as exciting when the geocaching/mapquest/mapoint/whatever maps take you within a thumbnail width of the actual cache position?

 

In some ways, we'll always be able to place caches that require insight and activity. Here in Silicon Valley, centimeter accuracy is of no value in solving one of The Rat's (and several other) puzzle caches. Just helps at the end.

 

So, fellow geek geocachers, where are we headed? What will the sport look like in two/five/ten years?? How can we keep it as captivating as it has become for me and you???

 

spider3

[+beckerbuns]

Hi Spider3 from a cacher local to you.

 

I am not one for puzzles. Quite frankly I like to hunt caches that my kids can get to with me because when I'm free to cache, they are not in school and need to come with me.

 

I usually don't map out how to get to the caches before I set out for them either. To me that spoils the fun. It's more fun to work my way there (even though I have maps on my GPSr).

 

The future of geocaching? I don't see it doing anything other than growing! I am worried about the parks depts. and regional authorities, though. They have already been spoiling the fun throughout the US. I think that is the biggest concern for the future.

 

Just my $.02. I'm too hot and tired and sweaty to comment further.

[+Torry]

True micro-caches. Hundreds of 5 micron silicon logos glued to lamposts throughout America....

 

... and itty-bitty pencils to log 'em...

 

... and teeny-tiny golf balls and smiley stickers.

[Kerry.]

Two years? won't be much different. Feb 2005 will see the first of the modified IIR's (IIR-14/M-1) launched, with IIR-15/M-2 in April and IIR-16/M-3 in June/05. This will be the start of something new but even by June/06 one wouldn't expect enough IIR-M's or IIF's to be really usefull and certainly not anywhere cm accuracy.

 

Five years? probably starting to achieve a useable civil L2 dual freq number of sats, around the 20 mark but still not complete. Maybe around 10 sats with the third civil L5.

 

Ten years? probably still on the short side with L5 but one might expect a full constellation of L2 dual freq.

 

cm accuracy in a single piece of gear? umm one day, maybe? but not any time soon and some rather large hurdles to jump first.

 

Cheers, Kerry.

[+Blipple]

If you love the hunt, TNLNSL, and GPS coordinates get too accurate to suit- try letterboxing.

[+PandyBat]

Two years? won't be much different. Feb 2005 will see the first of the modified IIR's (IIR-14/M-1) launched, with IIR-15/M-2 in April and IIR-16/M-3 in June/05. This will be the start of something new but even by June/06 one wouldn't expect enough IIR-M's or IIF's to be really usefull and certainly not anywhere cm accuracy.

 

Five years? probably starting to achieve a useable civil L2 dual freq number of sats, around the 20 mark but still not complete. Maybe around 10 sats with the third civil L5.

 

Ten years? probably still on the short side with L5 but one might expect a full constellation of L2 dual freq.

 

cm accuracy in a single piece of gear? umm one day, maybe? but not any time soon and some rather large hurdles to jump first.

 

Cheers, Kerry.

Yeah, what he said.