GPS Navigation: A Challenge

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SkyBoat
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Re: GPS Navigation: A Challenge

Postby SkyBoat » Tue Nov 17, 2015 10:18 pm

Hi MIG29pilot,

You are coming along with your answers, but the source you used has a number of incorrect answers. So I'll go through each one and let you know if you got it right or not and give you hints on what to look for.

1. Because GPS can cover the entire Globe, outside of Radar range; nor does the shape of the earth interfere with the signal. (versus old systems like Oboe, which had a certain range due to earth's curve.


Your answer is right, but missing the key ingredient that makes GPS work. Hint: It is a very specific kind of effect in the radio signal that allows the GPS satellite to calculate the correct signal to be sent back to earth.

2. Four are required unless you are in a boat or land vehicle, boats and cars generally not going above ground level very often.


Yes and no. It doesn't make any difference if you are standing still or are moving or are in a vehicle or on the water or in the air. Hint: The reason the four must be visible is called what?

3. 11,000 nm.


This answer is incorrect. You need to check another source like Wikipedia or GPS.gov. You also forgot to answer the second part of the question. Hint: On earth the speed of a given satellite appears to what? What is that kind of orbit called? What is the difference between a person looking at the satellite from earth and the satellite looking at the Sun?

4. 31. Also, If they aren't owned by the United States it wouldn't be GPS--It would be Galileo (Europe) or Compass (China or Russia)


Excellent. You nailed this one, and correctly noted that there are other global positioning satellites operated by other international space agencies.

5. About 500 watts.


Unfortunately, this one is also wrong. Hint: the actual wattage is much smaller. Why can such a small amount of power work over so great a distance?

6. What is the power in Watts for a ground-based device such as a GPS watch, a tracker, etc., needed to broadcast a signal to a GPS satellite?


Very good! You got this one right. All of our GPS devices are no more than a computerized radio tuned to receive the GPS radio signal and make the calculations the device is designed to provide.

Bonus Question: The Orion Arm of the Milky Way


Nailed it and for a visual, here's a conceptual drawing of the Milky Way with the Orion Arm and our Sun identified:

Image
SkyBoat

"Dream no small dream; it lacks magic. Dream large. Then make the dream real."
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MIG29pilot
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Re: GPS Navigation: A Challenge

Postby MIG29pilot » Tue Nov 17, 2015 11:30 pm

Will go ovder those tomorrow. By the way, I remembered the other day that Russia's GPS system is called GLONASS
Thanks, Adam
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SkyBoat
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Re: GPS Navigation: A Challenge

Postby SkyBoat » Wed Nov 18, 2015 1:01 am

Good. I'm looking forward to your answers. Hang in there. The end is in sight!
SkyBoat

"Dream no small dream; it lacks magic. Dream large. Then make the dream real."
Donald Douglas

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Re: GPS Navigation: A Challenge

Postby IAHM-COL » Wed Nov 18, 2015 1:28 am

Mig29Pilot, advise when runway is in sight
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/IAHM-COL/gpg-pubkey/master/pubkey.asc

R.M.S.
If we gave everybody in the World free software today, but we failed to teach them about the four freedoms, five years from now, would they still have it?

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SkyBoat
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Re: GPS Navigation: A Challenge

Postby SkyBoat » Wed Dec 02, 2015 8:52 pm

@MIG29pilot--

You've been a really good sport about the challenge and I know you're off on different threads, so I've decided to award the MD-10 splash screen to you.

Congratulations!


Mock up some proofs for me to look at. I am going to start a new thread in aircraft development called Splash Screens so everyone will have a place to either work on developing theirs or showcase new ones.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do!
SkyBoat

"Dream no small dream; it lacks magic. Dream large. Then make the dream real."
Donald Douglas

MIG29pilot
Posts: 211
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2015 4:21 pm
Location: New Hampshire, waiting for the blizzard...This is goodbye for when it comes

Re: GPS Navigation: A Challenge

Postby MIG29pilot » Wed Dec 02, 2015 9:05 pm

Thanks!

Sorry I haven't had time to respond to the questions--I simply never got a large enough chance. I will try to answer them, though!
Thanks, Adam
Professions Splash screen making (commission me!)
Photos http://1drv.ms/1kpo0Lf Dare to mention X-Plane after seeing these
Blog http://fgadam.blogspot.com/
Google+https://plus.google.com/105269990760200962418/posts

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SkyBoat
Posts: 311
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Location: Eugene, Oregon; Home Airports: KEUG, KPDX, KXTA
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Re: GPS Navigation: A Challenge

Postby SkyBoat » Wed Dec 02, 2015 10:34 pm

@MIG29pilot--

Okay, go ahead and finish the answers, but post them over on the new Splash Screen category right next to Liveries in Aircraft Development. Yoo'll see my post there.
SkyBoat

"Dream no small dream; it lacks magic. Dream large. Then make the dream real."
Donald Douglas


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