How do I go through Mission Planning to find out when WAAS satellites are available? Do I just need to know which #'s are the WAAS sats? If so, what #'s are they?
Garry
Dude, I done hooked you up!
http://gpsinformation.net/exe/waas.html
Dangerous Dave
You can't (and don't need to) use mission planning to determine WAAS availability.
WAAS sats are geosynchronous. They don't "move across the sky" like GPS sats do. They set in one place with respect to the earth.
The problem you have is that the WAAS sats the MMCE is capable of tracking are very low on the horizon (they are at 142W longitude and 178E longitude). The reason you are getting spotty coverage is because of the terrain. The closest WAAS sat to you is only 8 degrees or so above the horizon.
Sat
Hey D.D. - I actually already looked at that website.
Sat Al - I thought someone had said before that these sats did move and that at this particular time of year / day we couldn't get good coverage. So you mean this is how it's always going to be? And if they don't move, then how come I can get coverage, then lose it for awhile, then get it back again? (Speaking of right outside our office.) Do they move just a little bit - enough for us to lose "signal" for awhile?
Garry
WAAS are in a geosynchronized orbit. They orbit once every 24 hours thus appear to be at the same longitude. They are not exactly. There orbits if plotted would show a small figure 8 centered on the equator. They move North and South but for most purposes appear stationary. If they are low on the horizon, they may not be visiblw when they are at the Souther extremity of their daily orbit.
Check your Satellite Sky View to see where they are.
Paul in PA
You need the MMCE update mentioned in the above thread. This will make WAAS more practical for you to use.
Sat
So it does make sense for us to get and loose WAAS signals. If I check the "Satellite Sky View" how do I know which ones are the WAAS?
Yes, I'll try the update. Can't wait though until it's "Final" and don't have to run the WAAS patch everytime we turn the unit on!
Garry
It makes sense to "get and loose" the WAAS signal because it's so low on the horizon with respect to your position.
After the update, this shouldn't happen as frequently.
You have to run the patch everytime you turn it on? Interesting....I haven't tried it yet.
Sat
Yea, I was wondering about running the patch every time it is turned on? Maybe this is just till the sats are fully operational.
terry