[time-nuts] some recent news apropos timing

[Christopher Hoover]

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All GNSS Up and Running - To Varying Degrees
<http://sidt.gpsworld.com/gpssidt/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=394809>

...
The third GPS Block IIR-M satellite, launched on November 17, was declared
operational on December 13. SVN58/PRN12 is in slot B4. Meanwhile, the Air
Force has brought back a golden oldie: it reactivated SVN23, the first Block
IIA satellite to be launched (as PRN23), as PRN32.  
This satellite was launched on November 26, 1990, and initially
decommissioned on February 13, 2004, after more than 13 years of service.
SVN23/PRN32 is in slot E5 and is operating on its Rb2 clock.
 
PRN32 was last used by SVN32. It used that code until January 28, 1993, when
its code was switched to PRN01. 
It is believed that SVN23 was initially reactivated with a non-standard code
that cannot be tracked by standard GPS receivers. However, on December 2, it
started to transmit the standard PRN32 code. Nevertheless, the satellite was
set unhealthy as it reportedly had been reactivated only for test purposes.
...
"Approximately 10 January 2007, SVN 23 utilizing PRN 32 will be turned on;
transmitting L-band and kept unhealthy. SVN 23 will still not be included in
the operational constellation almanac. The GPS Operations Center will
transmit a General NANU reminding users of this activity."
...
Meanwhile, the new GPS IIR-M satellite SVN58/ PRN12 was declared operational
on December 13.
...

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UK Launches eLoran Procurement
<http://sidt.gpsworld.com/gpssidt/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=394889>

Trinity House, a U.K. organization that jointly with the General Lighthouse
Authorities (GLA) of the U.K. and Ireland provides marine aides to
navigation in England, Wales, the Channel Islands, and Gibraltar, issued a
request for proposals for an enhanced long-range navigation (eLoran) system
as a backup to GPS, in case of jamming or disruption.
...
Ongoing debate in Congress and industry seeks to determine whether the
United States needs a similar backup system to provide an alternative to GPS
for air and marine navigation and for communications networks that rely on
GPS timing signals.  [ Perhaps now is time for all good time-nuts to write
to Congress? –ch ]
...