Global positioning systems

by Robert Black j

S a topic this week I have decided to A discuss a neat article that I came across

not to long ago in an old EDN magazine. The article described the newest in upcoming options for upscale cars, the Global Positioning System(GPS). GPS applications are already in use on boats, airplanes and trucks, and geolo- gists are also using GPS to locate fault lines and oil deposits. GPS uses 24 satellites in six orbital planes each with an orbital time of 12 hours. This configuration guarantees that a receiver can receive messages from four different satel- lites. These messages contain a pseudo-random noise signal consisting of a clock time and satellite orbit information that is decoded and compared to a receiver-generated code. When the two codes match then the time delay from each satellite to the receiver is determined. The GPS then uses the four satellite time delays and orbital data to translate the geocentric coordi- nates data into longitude, latitude, and altitude. Currently GPS can find locations with a spheri- cal Error probability of about 15m. Pretty wild stuff, I wish I had had it in my car when I drove through Quebec City, maybe I wouldn’t have been so hopelessly lost. Then again it probably would have been easier to learn what East and West are in French. I tried to think up a good quip for this week but it was as hopeless as my tip through Q.C. so I had to plagiarize from Stanislaus J. Lec: ‘‘Is it progress if a cannibal Uses a knife and fork?”’ @

FIRST YEARSCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS

BOWLING ANYONE?

If enough people express interest, we will get

Phat one last time this year for an evening of Un,

DATE: Tuesday, March 23, 1993

TIME: 7:00-9:00 pm

LOCATION: Basilica Recreation Centre 200

Richmond St., Charlottetown ‘

COST: $2 pet game per person (taxes included)

Plus $ .75 shoe rental

DEADLINE FOR SIGN-UP: Monday, March > in Student Services Transportation will be

Provided if needed

The lanes are booked, the peer advisors and

°gram Coordinator are keen to go - all we heed is YOUI!

LETTERS

continued from page 7

dent involved inviting some non-university friends to a hockey game. I discovered that as a student I got in free, nice but ridiculous. My friends, however, had to pay ten dollars for the two of them. So far it doesn’t sound too bad.

Next came the basketball game. The family ahead of me had to pay $24.00 to get in. I think this is absurd. $3.00 for every child under 12 and $4.00 for every child over that age.

The taxpayer on the Island paid dearly to build the Sports Complex and the Civic Centre and pays continually to fund the University. Is this how we repay them? This abuse of the public that is an offence to fair play.

I understand that students, like myself, pay an athletic fee which subsidizes sports events but surely we could pay a dollar or two to see a game if this would help.

Surely the University could see their way clear to have a family rate to put the cost of these sports events within reach of ALL Islanders. I think somewhere in the range of seven or eight dollars per family.

The present system ensures that some of the people, the economically depressed, who might most benefit from seeing what goes on at the University (with their families) will not.

I don’t think a person on U.I.C. or welfare will be paying $19.00 (two adults and three children under 12) to watch a basketball game. Maybe the University is sending a clear mes- sage that we don’t want ‘‘those kind of people’’ at our games, if we are not then maybe we

should initiate a family rate. As you will note in my postscript somebody decided a family rate for booster club members. If the relatively economically advantaged booster club mem- bers need a family rate it stands to reason that the economically disadvantaged person stand- ing at the door to a U.P.E_I. basketball game, mouth agape, facing a $19.00 tab for her unem- ployed fishery worker husband and 4, 6, and 10 year old children could use a family rate.

Just one more beef. Some weekend when the Panthers are playing basketball, or not, try calling the university to find out the times or even if they are playing.

Here are some worthless numbers to try: Sports centre: Main Office 566-0432 Control Desk: 566-0627 Operations coordinator: 566-0720 Project coordinator: 566-0481 CIMN Radio Station: 566-0417 Security (Who, get this, didn’t even know what was going on in the gym!): 566-0373 And the number I tried first (what a joke) Sports Information: 566-0721.

Maybe the University wouldn’t have to gouge the taxpayer quite so much if they promoted the product a bit better.

P.S. Q93, the radio station was tuned in to what was going on.

P.S.S. A conversation with a sports centre staff member informed me of special family rates for booster club members, very — nice, and the dispersal of a quantity of tickets to Island schools. They are not heartless! Perhaps they could see their way clear to reduced family rates at the door and I would feel much better about inviting friends to the game, even my economically disadvantaged ones.

Carl Arnold

“GAS

OOD LOD

Dir. Allison Anders USA 1991, 102 mins. Su , March 7 at 2:00 pm

Adults $6.75 Members $4.25 - Be Garr tie aE A Bicheooand 2992.

Mall Cincmes $10/year