GPS, was Re: January AAPT Meeting

[John Gastineau <gastineau@mindspring.com>]

At 11:34 AM 12/5/97 MST, Alex Burr wrote:
> The latest (Dec) issue of QST has an ad for the two cheapest GPS
> receivers that I know of for $138.95. One is Magellan 2000 the
> other a Gamin 38.  I have a Gamin 45 and consider it to be good.
> More details upon request.

I bought a Magellan Pioneer as a gift for my brother last night. K Mart (!)
carries it amidst the guns and ammo for $99.95. The new AES catalog
(www.aesham.com) also has it for the same price. (inexplicably, look for GPS
in the manufacturer list)

The unit is plain-vanilla, with no recording track. You can set 100
landmarks and set one route. It's a multiplexed 12 channel receiver, and
will lock on from inside my office (on the top floor of my house) so
sensitivity is apparently good. 

If your goal is to just demonstrate a working GPS system in order to discuss
the interesting physics, this is a good choice. 

There's a simplified explanation of GPS at 
http://www.trimble.com:80/gps/index.htm

JEG

 __________________________________

John E. Gastineau      gastineau@mindspring.com               KC8IEW
900 B Ridgeway Ave.    http://gastineau.home.mindspring.com        
Morgantown WV 26505    (304) 296-1966