Originally Posted by rick-l (Post 9699079)

That's kind of how it works but the satellites don't send out pulses they send out long strings of 1's an 0's (fixed and unique to the individual satellite). You figure out the time of arrival by seeing how your locally generated stream (sequence known in advance) lines up (time shifts) with respect to the incoming stream (correlates). The satellite encrypts the sequence it sends and if you don't have the key you can't decrypt it to see where it lines up with what you know it should be.

You are trying to measure something coming at you at the speed of light. You are trying to measure it with an accuracy of what it travels in one foot.

You actually need 4 satellites (4 equations 4 unknowns) so you can simultaneously solve for your position x,y,z and the time offset from your local clock to the atomic clock on the satellite like in the intro here Solving the GPS Equations (c is the speed of light)

Originally Posted by wdfifteen (Post 9699116)

We all think the same? No.
Not even close.

Originally Posted by svandamme (Post 9699126)

wel yeah, i did say i simplified it to explain it.
I did mention the encryption and the atomic clock information.. even gave an very simplified example of the strings

Originally Posted by svandamme (Post 9699774)

But the point i made is correct, right
When in War, they simply turn off the public signal
And everybody is in the dark except those who can decrypt the military signal

Originally Posted by svandamme (Post 9698060)

Bit oversimplified if you ask me. It's not really just about having hte best people and building the best nation at home..

The US became a super power because it had geographic advantage, one nation, pretty much a single continent, and that continent had pretty much anything needed to become a huge manufacturing giant and owner of a huge pile of nuclear weapons (which the US as only nation has ever used in anger)./

Europe had the same, but, not united. in fighting between 2 of the 3 major industrialized countries (France & Germany , WW1 & WW2)which broke the back financially of the 3rd one (UK). And Europe had some nukes as well, we all got drawin into that Cold War which really was for the most part USA vs USSR. Capitalism vs Communism.

And at the same time the US got better from both WW1 & WW2, and by disconnecting the currency from the Gold Standard , instead monopolizing the Oil trade currency and agressive foreign police back'ed up by Aircraft carriers & Nukes.

I mean, It was ok to be a dictator in a banana republic or in an oil state, just as long as you were a dictator that played ball with the American foreign policy and did not play ball with the communists..

Like Sjah in Iran in power because he was anti communist (ignoring the human rights abuse he did)The support of Saddam Hussein, Mubutu,Marcos, the list is long and not very distinguished.

Not a single country anywhere in the world has as much military installations, bases and influence around the world like the US does.

And sure you can say 'wel we saved yer asses twice from the germans' or 'we police the world because y'all are weak' yeah yeah. Fact remains US dominance has not been achieved simply from bringing the best to the US and being nice guys all the time. There has been a lot of strong arming.
There have been a lot of very dark grey areas, some even pretty black in terms of ethics used by the likes of CIA, diplomats and even big US companies..

Just look at Union Carbide and how the Bhopal disaster was sorted out.


Most Americans i've ever met are really nice people, but in packs, that being nice goes out the window. Because you all think the same, from the same limited perspective, thinking that perspective is the only right one to have.

All big countries have that, but the USA Has it the most.
Just my 2 cts, coming from a really small country :)

Originally Posted by rick-l (Post 9699784)

No


EDIT: GPS.gov: Selective Availability

So you can play Pokemon Go to your hearts content.

Originally Posted by svandamme (Post 9700327)

That's not what i mean, I read that as

Selective availability is where they do not provide the full accurate GPS to the public
We did not have full accuracy to like 2 meter 10 years ago

And now we do have that accuracy
The US gubmint decided to stop makign that distinction in peace time.
Everybody get's the accurate GPS

But at war, they still have the option to turn off the public signal completely.

Originally Posted by rick-l (Post 9700385)

Official U.S. government information about the Global Positioning System (GPS)
Don't you believe them?