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Comment by new23d | Hacker News Reader

Tomorrow Never Dies

So, it can happen.

GPS signals are actually quite weak (though will be boosted with GPS III satellites), and so can be overwhelmed (and jammed):

* https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/07/profe...

The USN has brought back celestial navigation (sextants) as a backup mechanism in recent years:

* https://www.npr.org/2016/02/22/467210492/u-s-navy-brings-bac...

US is examining backup systems for GPS/GNSS, including bringing back (e)LORAN:

* https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2020/12/we-need-backup-gps-...

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loran-C

I believe it was a mistake to decommission eLORAN (both US and Europe), for the reasons you mention. Thankfully we still have terrestrial frequency and time standards (although there was talk of shutting down WWV).

Now that the UK has been kicked out of Galileo, perhaps the government might think about reinstating eLORAN, it would be a good use for some the Longwave AM broadcast infrastructure that will be surplus in the next 10 years or so.

The UK had a go of it with eLORAN for a while, but no one else (France, Netherlands) seemed to have been interested, and so it was shelved AFAICT:

* https://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/notice-to-mariners/27-15-enha...

* https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/europe-gives-up-o...

South Korea is having a go at it:

* http://www.digitaljournal.com/tech-and-science/technology/sh...

A government or three (NATO?) have to decide on a system (eLORAN or other), publish standards, and buy a bunch of equipment (transmit and receivers) to kick start things.

Use an hackRF, yes you can.

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