DaveW6DPS
Well-Known Member
I have a couple of older GPS units that appeared to stop working after the April 6 epoch rollover.
If it had just been a simple rollover like has happened before there would probably have been no problem.
This time they "fixed it" by changing to a 16 epoch word, from 10 bit.
Some older GPS units don't work, some do. Recent units should not be affected.
So far I have found one module I use with rockets, another I used for high altitude balloons, and one serial GPS "puck" that no longer work. Another "puck" has the position and date displayed but way off (May 2, 1999).
None of my USB pucks or hand-held units are affected. About half the serial ones. Still testing.
If you are using a GPS for rocketry make sure you test it before your next flight, especially if you have had it more than a couple of years. Finding out during prep or flight that it died would be quite inconvenient.
If it had just been a simple rollover like has happened before there would probably have been no problem.
This time they "fixed it" by changing to a 16 epoch word, from 10 bit.
Some older GPS units don't work, some do. Recent units should not be affected.
So far I have found one module I use with rockets, another I used for high altitude balloons, and one serial GPS "puck" that no longer work. Another "puck" has the position and date displayed but way off (May 2, 1999).
None of my USB pucks or hand-held units are affected. About half the serial ones. Still testing.
If you are using a GPS for rocketry make sure you test it before your next flight, especially if you have had it more than a couple of years. Finding out during prep or flight that it died would be quite inconvenient.