GPS just got better

[GM]

See #####www.msnbc#####/news/401984.asp?cp1=1
The government turned off the scrambler that
made GPS less accurate because of the military.
Now you can get back to your spot way more accurately than before. I suppose this isn't such hot news for those who shelled out money on
DGPS.You shouldn't get the floating like before
when you were stationary such as anchoring.

[Jeff_IN]

I saw that. It starts midnight tonight (May 1). The story said it will take the accuracy to within an area approximately the size of a tennis court.

[Kevin A]

This is news (good news), it was supposed to happen 5-6 years from now. But those of us with DGPS needn't feel bad. With DGPS you can get within 10 meters. Non-SA GPS will get you within 17-25 meters. (SA GPS is good to 100 meters). Now when one considers all those waypoints that were saved with DGPS are still as accurate as they always were and all the waypoints that were saved with GPS are still out there within 100 meters of the true spot, even with SA off, things aren't that bad.

The Coast Guard press release:
"#####www.navcen.uscg.mil/gps/policynotes/saannounce.htm"

We'll probably start seeing the differences in the quality of various GPS manufacturers come to light. With SA the mfg differences were pretty washed out.

Very cool news!