Solar Radiation Threat

[anjou]

Who said the living is easier in the sun?

A stronger than normal flare surge may well knock out satnav

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/s...ists-warn.html systems

[cdennyb]

You did pack the sextant and the tables didn't you? Even if the flare takes out your 10,000 dollar satnav station, those stars and moon will still be there and that class you took will come in handy huh?

LOL

I can't help but imagine how many of millions of people out there with the "Tom-Tom's" on the dash will be totally lost and won't be able to find the grocery store or their way to work in the morning. LoL

Why do I need a dash mounted GPS to find my way home from work? That totally 'cracks me up'.

LoL

[Captain Bill]

OMG I might be out of position by 2/3 of a boat length if this happens. Unless I was tied fast to something firmly attached to mother earth, by the time I calculated my position with a sextant and tables I would'nt be there any more and even then I couldn't get my accuracy down to 10 meters.

[cdennyb]

You're killing me......

[Triton318]

I was pissed when my wife bought my 16 year old twins a GPS for their car. Sure enough, even though the rules were laid down on using it (i.e. not inputting an address, etc. while driving), my son was in a minor accident recently due to being distracted by the GPS. Yes, it was his fault. I wonder how many accidents can be attributed to distracted driving from looking at or using a GPS while driving? So now the next generation will not only be able to not communicate verbally (because of texting) and be terrible spellers (because of texting and online chatting), they'll also not be able to use a map. (Whew...I've been holding that in for a while.)

[cdennyb]

EXACTLY! I threw a fit, took it out of my daughters truck and said "FLAT NO WAY!" and I'm glad I did. I sat down with her and asked... "Don't you know how to get to town from here?" She said, "Well duh, of course Dad"
So I asked again, "Do you know how to get to work?" She replied, "Yes." and I asked if she knew how to get to school and of course got the same answer. I asked her again, "Why do you think you need a GPS?" She just sat there with a blank look on her face. "It'll be cool." was the reply... which is all I needed to remove it completely and made it perfectly clear that no phone GPS either.

It's amazing how ignorant our culture is getting for the most part.

[promax]

EMBRACE the future

[bstreep]

I'm a real estate appraiser. Yes, there are times when I LOVE my GPS. I have a high end unit that will sort 10 addresses for me, and take me on the most efficient route. It's GREAT for that. I also love the "traffic" feature, that gives me real time traffic on my route.

However, those of us in this business have noticed a deterioration in our mapping skills. So, I made a decision to USE this technology as a tool, rather then RELY on it to get me to where I'm going. I keep paper maps in the car, and I still use them heavily. By relying on GPS only, we lose our spacial skills - we don't know "where we are".

As well, these tools are really BAD sometimes. I still laugh because when going to downtown San Antonio, it tells me to exit the freeway, and then get right back on in 200 yards. In rural areas, they can be WAY off - at times worse than not having one at all.

[Hampus]

Keep a sextant and be done with it.

""You might find for a number of hours or even a day or two you couldn't go out surveying or be able to dock your oil tanker at the deep-ocean oil well," he said. "

How did they dock oil tankers pre GPS?

Besides, a 10 mtr error won't bother anyone. Most merchant vessels are equipped with DGPS and the "D" has 0 to do with satellites. They'll be just fine.

/Hampus

[ConradG]

Ahh, the gps rant!
I have been using my computer, streetatlas and a gps for routing 15000 mile trips with 30+ stops for the past 15 yrs. at 120000 miles a year on the road. Pretty wonderful things, but oh how right about checking the routes before you go and oh how right about the potential for big mistakes! Should require way more training than people realize.
In aviation we have a saying: "always fly the airplane first! navigate second, communicate third" (atc). We are trained extensively to do just that. Every examiner and bianial flight reviewer will test you on it. Aviate, navigate, communicate.
The other thing that relates to gps navigation in sailing from flying is the fact that although gps can be extremely accurate and even provides lower minimums on some intrument appraoches, you must have alternate means of navigation. An airplane with only gps can't be certified for instrument flight.
So keep those sextants, compasses, paper charts and use them so as not to forget. Use the gps as a the convenient aid it is supposed to be! The heck with the solar flares! Use sunscreen

[senormechanico]

I've read several accounts from Search and Rescue groups where they find people frozen to death in the mountains after the GPS recommended a "short cut" across the pass.

Darwin at work.

[Captain Bill]

It wasn't the GPS's fault, if you ask for the shortest route, that's what you get. Same thing happens in a boat when you plot the shortest line between two points without looking at the water depth. All the technology in the world won't protect the stupid. They'll always find a way to hurt themselves.

[barnakiel]

A one button push at the White House can also wipe out our Sat-Nav.

Do not rely on them, dead reckon.

b.

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by cdennyb

EXACTLY! I threw a fit, took it out of my daughters truck and said "FLAT NO WAY!" and I'm glad I did. I sat down with her and asked... "Don't you know how to get to town from here?" She said, "Well duh, of course Dad"
So I asked again, "Do you know how to get to work?" She replied, "Yes." and I asked if she knew how to get to school and of course got the same answer. I asked her again, "Why do you think you need a GPS?" She just sat there with a blank look on her face. "It'll be cool." was the reply... which is all I needed to remove it completely and made it perfectly clear that no phone GPS either.

It's amazing how ignorant our culture is getting for the most part.

Can you make a fire without matches? Can you make a flint arrowhead. Can you identify flint? Can you make a bow and and arrow good enough to kill a deer? Can you hitch a horse up to a plow? Do you know how to preserve venison without a refrigerator? Can you build a wagon wheel with hand tools?
Cheers there Dad (tongue in cheek of course)

[ConradG]

Sure, and make the cordage for the bow from inner bark, shrink the iron tire on to hold the wheel together... All that stuff isn't difficult although some of it is forgotten. It's good stuff to know however. I think the point is that to put your eggs in one basket, especially one that the manufacturers themselves say not to put them in, isn't a good idea. Gps are wonderful but they are aids to navigation. Those who depend on them alone could, and do sometimes, end up in trouble.