What will Happen to you when GPS goes Down

[Svan]

Those who were in it will never forget the 2003 norrheast blackout. The effect in toronto was vivid.

In honour of that we sail with paper and hand compass once a year. Good to know it can be done in a pinch.



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[bobconnie]

Connie and I sailed for a few years without GPS or any type of electronic navigation. We found our way just fine ! We had to waste some time to get in harbors cus we were getting there to late to make the entrance in good light, but we still do that with gps lol It would bother me for a week or so but not to much !!

[sailorboy1]

The real questions is not what will happen to boaters, it is what will happen when people's smart phones don't know where they are.

[Canibul]

i've been practicing my smoke signals.

Biggest problem so far.....nobody to talk to.

[Pirate999]

Originally Posted by Canibul

i've been practicing my smoke signals.

Biggest problem so far.....nobody to talk to.

I've seen you. Message received.. Beer on the way.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

The real questions is not what will happen to boaters, it is what will happen when people's smart phones don't know where they are.

Nah, those all support GLONASS already

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

Yabut... The water is going to be boiling. You're gonna need some insulation.




I'm going back to bed. Work, fixin' boats and mucking around seems so futile with only a few hundred million years left...

Here's a test. Go to a park. Get on a merry-go-round. Put a golf ball out about 50 feet. Put on a blindfold and carry a supply of rocks. Have some one spin you around. Make the merry go round 3d, like tilt-a-whirl.

If you can hit the golf ball in the next hundred million years I will give you my boat...

I hit the golf ball, today. I have witnesss, do you deliver?

[charliehows]

would I be safe from solar magnetic ejaculations if I put my bucket over my head?

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I hit the golf ball, today. I have witnesss, do you deliver?

Hella yeah! Get yer butt over here to get it.

Oh - ya gotta prolly put in about 150 manhours to get it floating again

BTW - on reflection ya gotta probably be able to hit the golf ball with a BB to simulate an asteroid or a flare.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Tag 4 further study

[bella]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

Do you have any electronics on your boat?

Why do you trust them?

You should remove them all and get some whale blubber lamps.

Perhaps you are just afraid of GPS and can't understand how to use it.

Would you like some help?

I would think that the point of his comment is that should the GPS satellites go down what will you do? I know a LOT of sailors who rely solely on thier electronics and would be lost if they had to plot a course using a sextant and maps. I realize that you might think they will not ever go down..but sunspots and all that can create a real problem. It is always a possibiliy. As sao;prs dpm we a;waus tru tp plan for every possibility?

[Ex-Calif]

Therein lies a fundamental, I hope we can agree to disagree, diferrence.

Many folks don't have to plan for "every" eventuality to go sailing.

I am betting that 1) GPS doesn't go down. My call my bet. My money. and 2) If it does I can DR to somewhere dry if I need to.

3 & 4 - 3) If GPS goes down it may come up again in 5 days - I can live for 5 days with no gps and 4) If the event is so catastrophic that the ocean catches fire - we are all doomed anyway.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Nah, those all support GLONASS already

Master,

- some do some do not, chipset dependent (I believe),
- also, not all software decodes glonass data,
- any proof they are not "gps OR (gps AND glonass)"?

The second doubt after reading garmin glo specs which clearly suggested glonass used but not that the device would work on glonass solely. (Meaning, some are possibly not gps OR glonass devices).

Regards,
jar jar binks

[muttnik]

Originally Posted by d design

How many people here even know how to get simple 3 point fix? I see so many computer geeks here talking about their Ipads and Iphones and crap.

Are you perhaps doing the nautical equivalent of confusing TV engineers with couch potatoes?

I strongly suspect that you'll find a disproportionate amount of sextant ownership amongst recreational sailors with degrees in computer science. Aptitude for mathematics can engender an interest in both computing and traditional navigation.

It's not unknown for me to devote large chunks of time to writing software to do interesting things with navigational data. It's probably my main posting topic on this forum. My interest in electronic navigation however is orthogonal to my interest sailing for which I stick with more "traditional" techniques.

I must however confess to never having experimented with sunstones. Yet.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by charliehows

would I be safe from solar magnetic ejaculations if I put my bucket over my head?

Takes a tin foil hat I believe, but maybe if you have a metal bucket?
See if we can get a grant to study it