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Where In The World?
Geek Speak column
[Published in the Key West Citizen Locals Guide on August 27, 2010.]
Where In The World?
Back in the ‘70s I was nominated for an Army Commendation medal for helping solve a synchronization problem the LORAN (“LOng RAnge Navigation”) system had pinpointing the location of a large communication device. LORAN was an expensive ground-based predecessor to the satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS) that now permeates our lives. This equivalent of those old clunky LORAN boxes is now embedded in cars, cell phones, even wrist watches.
GPS uses a constellation of lower orbit satellites to triangulate your location. The tiny receiver you carry is smart enough to find several satellites currently radio-visible in your sky as they streak around the earth. With careful calculation, the signals from the satellites can tell almost exactly where you are on Earth, and even your altitude above sea-level. We peons actually get a slightly less precise reading, because high-precision is reserved for military & intelligence operations. But it’s close enough to be extremely practical. (more…)