I just heard this on local radio so I googled it. This is what I found:

Posted 6/11/2004 5:02 PM

Military testing system designed to jam GPS signals off coast

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) - Military officials are testing a system for jamming
signals from navigational satellites - an experiment that could disable
boaters' GPS devices and force them to rely on dead reckoning.
The test began Friday and will run through June 20, as part of a NATO
training exercise along the Atlantic Coast.

The Coast Guard said GPS signals will be unreliable or unavailable in waters
up to 60 miles off North Carolina and along the coast of northern and
central Florida. Officials said the testing may affect cell phones as well
as GPS navigation devices in boats, airplanes or cars.

Coast Guard stations are trying to get word out about the interference.

"What we kind of foresee happening is some confusion on the mariners' end,"
said Petty Officer 1st Class David Christensen.

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Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

--
Ken Heaton & Anne Tobin
Cape Breton Island, Canada
kenheaton AT ess wye dee DOT eastlink DOT ca

On Sat, 12 Jun 2004 07:15:29 -0300, "Ken Heaton"
wrote:

I just heard this on local radio so I googled it. This is what I found:

Posted 6/11/2004 5:02 PM

Military testing system designed to jam GPS signals off coast

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) - Military officials are testing a system for jamming
signals from navigational satellites - an experiment that could disable
boaters' GPS devices and force them to rely on dead reckoning.

And this is bad how?

Did anyone else read Jimmy Cornell's column in the last Cruising World
about cruisers generally giving up paper charts for GPS only
navigation?

In the SOUTH PACIFIC?

Bah. I'm getting a sextant. Fearless Leader can't put out the
stars...yet.

Perhaps instead of busting my nuts saving up for a boat in North
America, I should just ship a RIB to Polynesia and hang around the
reefs, waiting to claim salvage on some twit's 50 foot coral setting.

Certainly would be more pleasant a wait than here.

R.

Comment below:

"rhys" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 12 Jun 2004 07:15:29 -0300, "Ken Heaton"
wrote:

I just heard this on local radio so I googled it. This is what I found:

Posted 6/11/2004 5:02 PM

Military testing system designed to jam GPS signals off coast

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) - Military officials are testing a system for
jamming
signals from navigational satellites - an experiment that could disable
boaters' GPS devices and force them to rely on dead reckoning.

And this is bad how?

Did I say anything about bad? ;-)
--
Ken Heaton, Cape Breton Island, Canada
kenheaton AT ess wye dee DOT eastlink DOT ca

On Sun, 13 Jun 2004 21:26:07 -0300, "Ken Heaton"
wrote:

Comment below:

"rhys" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 12 Jun 2004 07:15:29 -0300, "Ken Heaton"
wrote:

I just heard this on local radio so I googled it. This is what I found:

Posted 6/11/2004 5:02 PM

Military testing system designed to jam GPS signals off coast

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) - Military officials are testing a system for
jamming
signals from navigational satellites - an experiment that could disable
boaters' GPS devices and force them to rely on dead reckoning.

And this is bad how?

Did I say anything about bad? ;-)

No, refreshingly, you didn't. G

Now, if I can only befriend a very, very old sailor with a decent
Plath sextant in working order...G

R.

rhys wrote in
:


Now, if I can only befriend a very, very old sailor with a decent
Plath sextant in working order...G

R.

http://www.artofthesea.com/images/simex_a.jpg

I bought this Simex Sextant in perfect condition in a thrift shop for $50.
I don't think they knew what it was....(c;

It was complete, even with the registration cards and paperwork.

Larry

On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 02:25:29 -0000, Larry W4CSC
wrote:

rhys wrote in
:


Now, if I can only befriend a very, very old sailor with a decent
Plath sextant in working order...G

R.

http://www.artofthesea.com/images/simex_a.jpg

I bought this Simex Sextant in perfect condition in a thrift shop for $50.
I don't think they knew what it was....(c;

It was complete, even with the registration cards and paperwork.

Larry

Stop it, Larry, you are making me jealous. I have yet to discover such
a great deal locally (perhaps because I am on the Great Lakes and most
navigation is coastal pilotage), but I have a better shot at finding a
sextant that is in mint condition (bought, used little and put away)
than something on a salty coast.

Or maybe that's wishful thinking G

Anyway, I am keeping my eyes open for something of quality. A lot of
older sailors are swallowing the anchor locally and I expect various
attic cleanings will produce something I can use before I go cruising
in five years or so.

R.

On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 10:24:03 -0400, rhys wrote:

On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 02:25:29 -0000, Larry W4CSC
wrote:

rhys wrote in
m:


Now, if I can only befriend a very, very old sailor with a decent
Plath sextant in working order...G

R.

http://www.artofthesea.com/images/simex_a.jpg

I bought this Simex Sextant in perfect condition in a thrift shop for $50.
I don't think they knew what it was....(c;

It was complete, even with the registration cards and paperwork.

Larry

Stop it, Larry, you are making me jealous. I have yet to discover such
a great deal locally (perhaps because I am on the Great Lakes and most
navigation is coastal pilotage), but I have a better shot at finding a
sextant that is in mint condition (bought, used little and put away)
than something on a salty coast.

Or maybe that's wishful thinking G

Anyway, I am keeping my eyes open for something of quality. A lot of
older sailors are swallowing the anchor locally and I expect various
attic cleanings will produce something I can use before I go cruising
in five years or so.

R.

Something may well turn up. I went to an auction of antique scientific
instruments and timepieces at Christie's once. A sextant came up that
nobody was interested in. I paid $180 for it.

It was a 1958 Kelvin & Hughes that had hardly been out of the box. It
is a lovely thing to use, but I wouldn't call it a substitute for a
GPS.


Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a


Ask not with whom the buck stops . . .