CSDS' Blog

CSDS Mapping & GIS Specialist Kevin Brown will make a presentation on High Accuracy GIS Data Collection Using Current GPS Technologies at the ESRI Forestry GIS Solutions Conference scheduled for May 24-26, 2011.

The presentation will focus on the many developments that have culminated in a newfound ability to achieve higher accuracies than traditionally possible with Mapping Grade GPS recievers. Don't miss this opportunity to learn how you can collect high accuracy data under canopy and in tough GPS conditions by taking advantage of:

• Dual frequency (L1/L2)
• Carrier phase data collection
• Advanced processing techniques
• Trimble Floodlight satellite reduction technology
• Advanced real-time correction sources (including VRS,VSN, OmniStar High Precision, WAAS (SBAS), Beacon and more)

The ESRI Forestry GIS Conference offers an opportunity for you to build your professional community, learn the latest geospatial technology trends, and come away with practical and applicable solutions for your forest. To register, or for more information about the conference, please visit:

http://www.esri.com/events/forestry/about/index.html

The Coalition to Save Our GPS is working to resolve a serious threat to the Global Positioning System. A company has been granted a conditional waiver by the FCC to build 40,000 ground stations in the U.S. that could cause widespread interference to GPS signals—endangering a national utility which millions of Americans rely on every day.

To safeguard GPS, the Coalition seeks a number of remedies from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which recently granted a waiver to a company called LightSquared that allows them to repurpose the satellite spectrum immediately neighboring that of the GPS.

LightSquared plans to transmit ground-based radio signals that would be one billion or more times more powerful as received on earth than GPS's low-powered satellite-based signals, potentially causing severe interference impacting millions of GPS receivers - including those used by the federal agencies, state and local governments, first responders, airlines, mariners, civil engineering, construction and surveying, agriculture, and everyday consumers in their cars and on handheld devices.

YOU CAN HELP PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING...

Voice your concerns directly to congressional representatives.

To voice your concerns about GPS interference, you can send letters, emails, faxes, call or visit your Congressional representatives' office in person to explain how you use GPS as a local business and what the impacts of interference would be to the local economy.

Get involved by Joining the Coalition to Save Our GPS

Help CSDS get the word out by POSTING COMMENTS on our blog expressing why your organization is concerned about the threat to GPS.

GPS must be protected. Don't wait until it is too late. For more information, visit: www.saveourgps.org