According to Engadget.com, the FAA has released a warning that GPS signals may be “unreliable” or “unavailable” due to testing. The tests are expected to run through Feb. 22nd and will last for 45 minutes, with an additional 15 minutes of off time. The site says, “While this particular advisory is directed at pilots, it will presumably will also affect all other GPS devices, as the FAA doesn’t mention any GPS issues specific to aviation.” For the complete story, go to www.engadget.com.
I asked the USCG if we would be warned when the GPS was going to be down and got this reply:
Thank you for contacting the USCG Navigation Center. The Navigation Center will get 72 hours and sometimes 14 day notices of GPS testing and will notify the maritime public. This notification is for the purposes of including the notification in Local Notice to Mariners and Broadcast Notice to Mariners respectively. Usually, testing which falls over a navigable waterway will require 72 hour notice as well as 14 day notice so we can do a broadcast.
For the most recent approved GPS testing and the policy for canceling GPS testing please visit the following site.
http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=gpsServiceInterruptions
If you do experience GPS service degradations, outages, or other incidents or anomalies, please submit a GPS outage report http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/? pageName=gpsUserInput and complete the form with as much information as possible.