There are hybrid GPS/GLONASS receivers already, actually GPS/GLONASS/GALILEO. http://www.topconpositioning.com/ Laica and Trimble have GPS/GLONASS. But for use in a GPS with a street map or something like that? I doubt it will be worth it, the increase in precession doesn't matter much for that, for professional use it's worth it, especially since you have a better chance of always having enough satellites around.
Yeah, road construction around here is done with machine-controlled machines with GPS/GLONASS equipment to guide them, using RTK. We only use total-stations and other 'conventional instruments' when the margin of error is in mm instead of cm. Of course, if something disturbs the radio signal from the base you lose the accuracy, so I wouldn't want to sit in a car using that kind of system yet.
It is also to cover Europe better, I work with surveying in northern Europe, and our gear uses a combination of GPS and GLONASS satellites, only relying on GPS signals will give you too much downtime. The GPS satellites do not come far enough north. Hopefully this European system will give better accuracy and allow us to use it with centimeter accuracy in more dense forests and other areas where we can not use these things yet.
I read the paper variety all the time, reading a book on the computer is only for desperate times. I have a couple of eBooks on my Palm for when I'm on the bus or waiting, but no matter how I try it's just not no match against having a cheap pocket book with me instead.
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There are hybrid GPS/GLONASS receivers already, actually GPS/GLONASS/GALILEO. http://www.topconpositioning.com/ Laica and Trimble have GPS/GLONASS. But for use in a GPS with a street map or something like that? I doubt it will be worth it, the increase in precession doesn't matter much for that, for professional use it's worth it, especially since you have a better chance of always having enough satellites around.
Yeah, road construction around here is done with machine-controlled machines with GPS/GLONASS equipment to guide them, using RTK. We only use total-stations and other 'conventional instruments' when the margin of error is in mm instead of cm. Of course, if something disturbs the radio signal from the base you lose the accuracy, so I wouldn't want to sit in a car using that kind of system yet.
It is also to cover Europe better, I work with surveying in northern Europe, and our gear uses a combination of GPS and GLONASS satellites, only relying on GPS signals will give you too much downtime. The GPS satellites do not come far enough north. Hopefully this European system will give better accuracy and allow us to use it with centimeter accuracy in more dense forests and other areas where we can not use these things yet.
I read the paper variety all the time, reading a book on the computer is only for desperate times. I have a couple of eBooks on my Palm for when I'm on the bus or waiting, but no matter how I try it's just not no match against having a cheap pocket book with me instead.