[time-nuts] Very early GPS used for timing trials

[Robert Harmon]

I was on the engineering team for the Rockwell Collins Navcore I GPS
receiver back in the late 80s here in Cedar Rapids. The Navcore I was a
single channel sequencing GPS receiver. It was available both in timing and
navigation versions. It had the following cards, power supply, memory, CPU,
and a single channel signal processor. A separate RF assembly was part of
the unit. Later versions had the CPU and memory combined on a single card.
It ran at 12-36 volts, used about 30 watts, and was about 10"x10"x10".
Communication was via a handheld Termiflex terminal. I have fond memories
with the Navcore I on several applications in the field including sitting on
the side of the road at night in the back hills of Tennessee. The sheriff
came up to our vehicle at about 3 in the morning and wanted to know what we
were doing. I told him with a straight face that we were waiting for
satellites. (Who heard of GPS in 1988?) Since there were only about 7 or 8
in existence, we had to wait for at least 3 to navigate and the mountains
didn't help. We had assistance with a digital barometer for altimeter input
and a digital gyro. Of course, the DOPs were not always very good. A few
years later, around '91, Rockwell introduced the Navcore V which was a
complete 5-channel receiver on a single small board, very cool. That begat
the MicroTracker and eventually the Jupiter that was sold to Conexant and
later to Navman and became the Jupiter family that we are familiar with
today.

Bob



>that sure is a antique.
>What size weight and power I would guess.
>And all for $198.

>On Thu, Jan 14, 2010 at 2:51 AM, Robert Atkinson
><robert8rpi at yahoo.co.uk>wrote:

>> Hi,
>> If anyone is interested in historic GPS receivers (or old junk?) Mike
>> Murphy has a Rockwell Collins Navcore I up for sale, see:-
>> http://www.murphyjunk.bizland.com/id8.html (search on the page for navcor
>> if you don't see it).
>> I can't buy it as Mike does not export anything these days. I think he's
>> been warned about prior sales.
>>
>> Robert G8RPI.
>>






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