I hadn't seen much to worry me about the August 21 GPS rollover until this thread on Rick Cowles forum today. Be sure to scroll down to the conversation between Malcolm Taylor and Bonnie Camp.

Will try to link hopefully without my usual results. link

-- Carlos (riffraff1@cybertime.net), July 31, 1999

Answers

OK. Somebody help please.

-- Carlos (riffraff1@cybertime.net), July 31, 1999.

Rick's dissucion forums are password protected. The only way to pass on that info is to cut and paste the info into this forum.

-- bc (cut@nd.paste), July 31, 1999.

bc,

Knew that, but didn't know the other that. Need a cut and paster here.

-- Carlos (riffraff1@cybertime.net), July 31, 1999.

I found the thread (Bad link; needs an 'A' instead of 'a' near the end... What I found MUCH more disturbing was this post:

-----------------------

The author:

Assistant Professor and Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Global Communications at the International University of Japan.

His conclusions (it's a longer paper):

**In summary, the prospects for safe and dependable electricity service in the United States in the year 2000 remain uncertain, but assuming that NERC's survey data are reliable it appears that industry-wide Y2K activities are increasing. However, despite endorsement of their efforts from the DOE, there is not much evidence to support NERC's conclusion that Y2K will have "minimal impact" on power production and consumption in the United States, particularly when NERC has not defined operationally what "minimal" means in this context. In addition, as Mills has pointed out, it is not possible to meaningfully predict a physical outcome like Y2K impact on electric utilities by asking a trade association such as NERC to survey utilities about their Y2K readiness. There also are some important figures cited in NERC's January 1999 status report that reveal an industry in potential trouble. According to NERC, approximately 46 percent of survey respondents reported that they likely will miss the industry-imposed Y2K readiness deadline of June 1999. Sixteen percent of this 46 percent do not expect to be Y2K-ready until the 4th quarter of 1999. These figures do not include 20 nuclear power facilities that reported that they expect not to meet the June 1999 target date.

**There are perhaps better grounds, based on power engineering principles, for concluding not that "minimal impact" is likely, but rather that long-term electricity blackouts due to Y2K alone are unlikely. Finally, with much yet unknown about the potential difficulties utilities will encounter in the year 2000, one of the most important questions concerns a fundamental dilemma that the electric utility industry has been facing for the past decade--the ability of utilities to maintain sufficient, long-term electricity production margins despite increasing consumption demands and occasional unpredictable stresses to the grid. Whatever the magnitude of impact Y2K eventually has on electricity service in the United States, it surely will contribute negatively to this critical equation.

The URL:

http://www.year2000.com/y2kcurrent2.html

--------------------------------

Got a generator?

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), July 31, 1999.

OK. I'm ready to humiliate myself one more time. If Dennis is right this should work. If not, bc is right. Either way get yourself a password to euy2k.com.

-- Carlos (riffraff1@cybertime.net), July 31, 1999.

Uh,

How do I get a password?

-- R (riversoma@aol.com), July 31, 1999.

There isn't much worry about the GPD rolliver because it was knoen from the beginning and it does not tske much to take a number, get 0 and andd one. then go on from there. It never was a problem and will notbe one. it os just another thing for the mass uninformed to get worrird about.

-- Cherri (sams@brigadoon.com), August 01, 1999.

Rick Cowles Electric Utilities and Y2K Forum:

http://greenspun.com/bboard/q-and- a.tcl?topic=Electric%20Utilities%20and%20Y2K

The EU Forum newly requires password access--contact Rick Cowles at: rcowles@waterw.com to register with a real e-mail address.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), August 01, 1999.

Quick snip...

Presidents Council on Year 2000 Conversion -- Meeting Minutes
Meeting Minutes
June 10, 1999

http://www.y2k.gov/new/ notes610.htm

[snip]

STATUS REPORT ON Y2K COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS CAMPAIGN

[snip]

The Chair thanked the Federal Trade Commission, Department of Transportation, and other agencies that collaborated to establish the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) working group. He explained that the GPS system time will roll over at midnight on August 21, 1999. On August 22, unless repaired, many GPS receivers may claim wrong locations in addition to incorrect dates. Recreational users of GPS receivers must be notified about the potential risk.

[snip--to end]

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), August 01, 1999.

Cherri,

If a GPS working group was started at the Koskinen level... somebody's "concerned" enough about it.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), August 01, 1999.

Cherri, proof-reading before posting is a good idea.

-- J (jart5@bellsouth.net), August 01, 1999.

Ok

Got my nifty password but now can't find article cited here on thread.

HELP!!!

Thanks! ;-)

-- R (riversoma@aol.com), August 01, 1999.

It's a worry for the mainland (it would be a wake-up call!)...here we are on an island-wide net (one plant), with a generator.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), August 01, 1999.

R,

It starts FIRST TIME POST..

After I read the thread, subsequent posts indicated that GPS rollover shouldn't be a big deal for electric. Thankfully.

-- Carlos (riffraff1@cybertime.net), August 01, 1999.