U.S. Reminds GPS Date Rollover Imminent

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U.S. Reminds GPS Date Rollover Imminent

Updated 7:05 PM ET August 11, 1999WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government has reminded Americans who use Global Positioning System (GPS) navigational receivers to check that they can cope with an internal date change in the system due later this month.

GPS is a satellite-based system run by the Department of Defense that plays an increasingly important role in civilian life, including airline operations, truck fleet tracking, recreational boating and computer maps in cars.

"Receivers that are not built to standards could process satellite data incorrectly and display inaccurate information," the Department of Transportation (DOT) said in a statement.

The August date rollover for GPS occurs because the system was designed to ignore calendar dates, but keep precise time measured in seconds and weeks.

Only 1,024 weeks were allotted from Jan. 6 in 1980 before the system resets to zero. That is due to occur over the weekend of August 21-22.

Older GPS receivers could become confused by the reset, giving either wrong times or positions, or no information at all.

DOT said it had posted a list of receiver manufactures and contacts on the Internet at www.navcen.uscg.mil/gps/geninfo/y2k/default.htm

A boat owners' organization, BOAT/U.S., has advised members that most GPS receivers made after 1994 should be ready for the August rollover.

======================================== End

Nothing like a 10 day head start !

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), August 11, 1999

Answers

It's getting late today. If I fix it tomorrow, I'll still have 9 days for testing...

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), August 12, 1999.

[Commerce Business Daily: Posted in CBDNet on August 10, 1999] [Printed Issue Date: August 12, 1999] From the Commerce Business Daily Online via GPO Access [cbdnet.access.gpo.gov]

PART: U.S. GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENTS SUBPART: SERVICES CLASSCOD: L--Technical Representation Services OFFADD: Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road,Mail Stop 285, Menlo Park, CA 94025-3591 SUBJECT: L--Y2K REPLACEMENT OF OBSOLETE ASTECH GPS RECEIVERS. SOL 99-0000-1198 DUE 082599 POC Trinidad F. Biando (650) 329-4176 DESC: The U.S. Geological Survey intends to procure from Magellan Corporation, the only source for Y2K replacement of obsolete Ashtech GPS receivers. 1. CGRS system GPS receiver with 10Mb memory p/N: 990173-10. 2. Z-FX CORS system GPS receiver with 10Mb memory P/N: 990286-10. 3. DC cables for Z-FX P/N: 730118 4. Software upgrade P/N: 800302-23 EMAILADD: tbiando@wr.usgs.gov EMAILDESC: tbiando@wr.usgs.gov CITE: (W-222 SN365658)

-- g (going@going.gone), August 12, 1999.


---g

Say wha?

It looks important but what does it mean? Does it mean there is only one source for compliant parts?

-- R (riversoma@aol.com), August 12, 1999.


I went flying yesterday. Took the Cessna 172 out for a pleasant jaunt. I went flying again today, this time in a Twin Astir. And I will be flying during the GPS roll over, but I'm not terribly worried. You see, when I sat my navigation exams, there were no GPS systems, so we didn't learn to rely on them. And when I teach my students how to fly I do not teach them to use a GPS. still use the old circular flight computer (like a slide rule) to work out my track and direction. So what if the GPS doesn't work next weekend? It will still work a day later once everything has been recalibrated.

Malcolm (Chief Flying Instructor, Central Otago Flying Club)

-- Malcolm Taylor (taylorm@es.co.nz), August 12, 1999.


Malcolm,

With all due respect it is not your plane I am concerned about. There are many, many systems which rely on the GPS (banking, telcos etc...) that have simply been built around the GPS because it was the simplest way to synchronize computers.

There have been several great threads recently about this topic. Suggest you do a search under "GPS."

-- R (riversoma@aol.com), August 12, 1999.



Going,

Did I just read what I think I just read? The US Geological Survey INTENDS to fix their stuff??? They're just now getting stuff ordered???

I don't feel so good....

Rant ***

Why doesn't anybody listen to me??? I told them LAST YEAR that this GPS thing was going to be like hitting the middle of the bridge before you see the "Bridge Out" sign. TS will HTF and everybody is going to say 'gee whiz, I didn't know they used GPS for THAT stuff...'

I mean my family... (snort, snarl!) My husband, my brother, my father, etc., and my doctor, (all those diplomas don't mean squat when it comes to common sense, do they???) I'm the only one in the family without post-graduate ed, so I must be the stupid one, RIGHT?

Hah! Just you wait! Even if we don't have major disruptions from the rollover, there will be more than enough to make a very nice illustration of what (say it slowly with me, now) IN-TER-CON-NEC-TIV- ITY means. All around us we will hear a rumbling, a whispering thunder as many say in unison and in a round "Jeepers, maybe this Y2K thing isn't something to sneeze at after all. Maaaaybe I might better start some more serious preparations....."

Snort! Snarl!! Grrrrrrrr!

End Rant ***

Thank you very much. I feel better now.

-- Arewyn (isitthatlate@lready.com), August 12, 1999.


Arewyn~ The text posted says they are replacements for noncompliant y2k models - not noncompliant to the reset.

Also, they may not be used in or considered critical systems. Remember that we're only talking about critical systems these days. The non-critical systems will still need to be remediated or replaced some day...

Don't start ranting now! You'll be ranting for years until it allgets fixed or replaced.

-- PNG (Peter Gauthier) (png@gol.com), August 12, 1999.


Hi Peter - Good comments, good advice (up to your usual standards...of course.)

Funny - for something the size of the US Geological Survey Dept - this appears to be an RFP for only "one" unit.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), August 12, 1999.


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