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Apparently any GPS module made in the US and exported is classified as a munition if it is:

Capable of providing navigation information under the following operational condition:

  1. At speeds in excess of 515 m/sec (1,000 nautical miles/hour);
  2. At altitudes in excess of 18 km (60,000 feet).

http://www.armscontrol.org/documents/mtcr

Would the GPS still be usable above 18 km or while travelling more than 515 m/sec?

I have a Droid Charge.

Robz
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  • Is this a real question? – Lie Ryan Sep 12 '12 at 06:21
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    Yes, it is a real question. – Robz Sep 12 '12 at 07:27
  • It may be a real question, but it's not on topic for this site. This isn't a problem on your Android device; it's a question of law. – ale Sep 12 '12 at 12:30
  • @AlEverett I've rephrased the question. I think it's on topic now. –  Sep 12 '12 at 14:00
  • Er... How often do you move in such a manner? – SaintWacko Sep 12 '12 at 18:16
  • This isn't a question of law, it's a question about the stats of a typical GPS receiver on android phones--with an interesting application in US law. I guess it's just interesting to me, and off-topic to everyone else. – Robz Sep 12 '12 at 23:16
  • @SaintWacko Why does that matter? I could strap my phone to an intercontinental ballistic missile. I could send it to a space station. I could give it to a pilot of an airplane that goes mock 3. Or is it not good enough to say, hay man, just wonderin...? – Robz Sep 12 '12 at 23:23
  • Oh, no, it's a perfectly fine question, I was just wondering myself :D – SaintWacko Sep 13 '12 at 00:22
  • @SaintWacko A few people have sent android devices to space as payload on weather ballons. Those regualrly go higher than 18 km. –  Sep 13 '12 at 07:32
  • I don't see why would this be regarded as a question of law. It states that there's a law in the us and ask if this phone is limited by that. –  Sep 13 '12 at 07:33
  • @RichardBorcsik - Oh, that's true, hadn't thought about that. Hm, I wonder what they did for GPS, then. Unless they just didn't bother with GPS above 18km. – SaintWacko Sep 13 '12 at 12:45

1 Answers1

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No it's not.

Commercial GPS receivers (like the one in your phone) only work below 18 km and below 515 m/sec. The rationale behind this is that this way they can't be used in ballistic missiles (yes, I'm serious.)

In order to circumvent this you'd need to flash a different firmware to your GPS chip, if you didn't do this you're safe. No current android device ships with munitions grade GPS receiver.

  • +1, but is there any documentation that allows us to follow up on this issue? – Zuul Sep 12 '12 at 10:34
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    @Zuul Anything specific you're looking for? I've found that arms regulations are not the most documented things in the world :) –  Sep 12 '12 at 10:37
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    Someone came up with these limits to the civilian world. Somewhere, there's a paper or an article about it that one can read to better understand the surroundings of this issue :) Ultimately, I'm trying to have your answer corroborated by "official" documentation :D (I've already up-voted, that should suffice to tell you that your word is enough for me) – Zuul Sep 12 '12 at 10:42
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    @Zull, please my answer to the question http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/508/how-accurate-is-the-gps-in-my-mobile-phone/26945#26945. – Narayanan Sep 12 '12 at 10:53
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    @Narayanan Thank you for the follow up. ps: It's Zuul :D – Zuul Sep 12 '12 at 10:57
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    Terribly sorry @Zuul. :) – Narayanan Sep 12 '12 at 12:02