GPS Rollover Saturday, Y2K...08/19/99
By Michael J. Martinez ABCNEWS.com
The Coast Guard announced today that many mariners using navigation devices based
on the Global Positioning System will be affected by a GPS rollover this weekend.
On Saturday, the Global Positioning System — a network of interlinked satellites
used in navigation — will have a Y2K-like date rollover that will affect older
navigation systems on the ground. Coast Guard officials and other experts
say the effects will be minor. All military and most commercial GPS receivers
already have accounted for it. But individuals depending on the devices should
contact the manufacturers to make sure their receivers work properly.
“Most navigation systems that are 5 years old or older need
to be checked,” said Master Chief Petty Officer Rick Hamilton, watch supervisor
for the Coast Guard’s Navigation Information Service. “Some will display the
improper time and date. Some will shut down and need only get their memory erased
[and restarted]. Some will fail altogether.”
Regardless of the readiness of GPS devices, Hamilton said, “You need to not
depend on one source of information where safety of life or navigation are involved.
Always have a contingency plan.”
