[Az-Geocaching] GPS cell phones

[Roping The Wind]

>From: Robert & Linda Smit<Lrsmith at cableone.net>
>Reply-To: listserv at azgeocaching.com
>To: listserv at azgeocaching.com
>Subject: Re: [Az-Geocaching] GPS cell phones
>Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2004 12:09:38 -0700
>
>OK.  I see what you mean.  I think it would be hard for a cell site to get 
>a fix on your phone.  I believe you would need a couple of signals and I 
>don't think the cells overlap to the point where you could use their 
>receivers.  If a cell phone was transmitting ID information to the cell 
>site, I don't see how another cell site could, also receive it to begin the 
>job of figuring out the coordinates.  By the same token, I don't think any 
>2 or 3 cell sites could send data to the cell phone where it could figure 
>out "Where am I"  I would like to know more about how the 911 system will 
>pin point your cell phone.  I understand how the cell site provider could 
>say you are transmitting from your phone in such and such an area based on 
>the signal received by the cell site from you phone.  But that is about all 
>I can come up with right now.  Course, it took me 2 years to understand how 
>the GPS works,,,, so what do I know....
>Bob Smith, Team Petite Elite


According to the news article that Rand had a link to on his original 
post... the cell phones (pre-GPS) had the ability to track where you were 
ONLY within a given 'area' and that area was rather large. In the city, it 
would be possible to track someone within a couple of square miles (or 
somewhere around that) as there are lots of cell towers. However, in rural 
areas where cell towers are farther apart and fewer... that area would be 
very large. With the GPS technology in the phone, it is now possible to 
nearly pinpoint someone (within 300' or better so tells the article, 
although we know GPS's are good within 3 meters now).

My opinion on the ability to go to a website and track were a phone is??? I 
can think of one instance where that would have been great for me! Last 
summer, I lost my cell phone and that day, I did several hikes of varying 
lengths from Sedona to Phoenix. I had no idea which one I lost the phone at! 
It turns out, I lost it in Sedona at my workplace up there! :) I found it 
laying under a tarp on the ground a week later! I had it re-activated and it 
worked great! :) All in all though, I dont like the fact they can track you. 
The article also suggest we will start getting SPAM on our cell phone in the 
near future as they can track where you are and know where you shop and 
such! I sure hope that will SIGNIFICANTLY drop our rates since they are 
making money with the advertising!!! YEA RIGHT! Fat chance! We will probably 
pay as much or more than we are paying now AND have to put up with the spam 
crap. :(

Scott
Team RTW