GPS - losing signal

[Hilton]

Hi,

I know GPS works in bad weather, but...

When would a GPS lose a signal due to weather? i.e. do certain clouds (or
huge ones) make a GPS signal go bad? Does rain? If so, how much? What
about snow? If I was in a hurricane, would I lose the signal? Lightning?

What other things can make GPS signals go bad? Any good research papers out
there? I'm sure there must be now that we're going to GPS approaches.

Speaking of hurricanes, would it be possible to take off in the eye in a 172
and fly along with it for hours in the eye?

Hilton

[N93332]

"Hilton" > wrote in message
nk.net...
> Hi,
>
> Speaking of hurricanes, would it be possible to take off in the eye in a
> 172 and fly along with it for hours in the eye?

I'd guess it may be possible to fly a 172 around in the eye if it could
survive getting into the eye.

[nooks!!]

hellO!.. im joross!.try to look on this link,
http://www.tpub.com/aviation1.htm
i believe they got infos there regarding aviation, so the site might be
useful!. i hope that one helps!





Hilton wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I know GPS works in bad weather, but...
>
> When would a GPS lose a signal due to weather? i.e. do certain clouds (or
> huge ones) make a GPS signal go bad? Does rain? If so, how much? What
> about snow? If I was in a hurricane, would I lose the signal? Lightning?
>
> What other things can make GPS signals go bad? Any good research papers out
> there? I'm sure there must be now that we're going to GPS approaches.
>
> Speaking of hurricanes, would it be possible to take off in the eye in a 172
> and fly along with it for hours in the eye?
>
> Hilton

[Cub Driver]

On Wed, 19 Oct 2005 03:14:16 GMT, "Hilton" > wrote:

>What other things can make GPS signals go bad?

I once had a GPS that did not work at my own home, which is a couple
of miles from the former Pease Air Force Base. If I flew over my house
(or Pease, for that matter) sure enough, it lost the signal. I always
reckoned that Pease had a death ray going. Then I got an aviation GPS
(both were Garmin) and the problem disappeared. (Of course Pease AFB
about the same time became Pease International Tradeport. Maybe the
USAF took the death ray with them?)

I am now two generations past that first GPS. I've never lost a signal
except due to heavy trees (automobile travel, not airplane). I have
however had user-defined waypoints shift position (and in rather
dramatic fashion, from New Hampshire to somewhere on the
Chile-Argentina border--that is, they went from north latitude to
south latitude).



-- all the best, Dan Ford

email: usenet AT danford DOT net

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

[150flivver]

My handheld GPS Pilot III has lost sight of the satellite constellation
several times but only while I was cross country. The outages ranged
from several minutes to an hour. In several years of flying locally,
it has never failed to lock on and work perfectly. Even on cross
country flights it has only lost track a very small percentage of the
time. On one of those flights I suspect an antenna farm on the ground
was causing some interference but the other times I have no clue what
could have caused the loss of track.

[jc]

N93332 wrote:

> "Hilton" > wrote in message
> nk.net...
>> Hi,
>>
>> Speaking of hurricanes, would it be possible to take off in the eye in a
>> 172 and fly along with it for hours in the eye?
>
> I'd guess it may be possible to fly a 172 around in the eye if it could
> survive getting into the eye.

Fuel would be the problem, hope you are over a suitable area when it gets
low.

This crew have done it with a UAV

http://www.aerosonde.com.au/

It has a fair endurance (1st UAV over the North Atlantic) and at a talk they
were looking at using it to fly into cyclones (hurricanes/typhoons). It is
also unmanned and cheap.
--

regards

jc

LEGAL - I don't believe what I wrote and neither should you. Sobriety and/or
sanity of the author is not guaranteed

EMAIL - and are not valid email
addresses. news2x at perentie is valid for a while.

[Stubby]

Hilton wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I know GPS works in bad weather, but...
>
> When would a GPS lose a signal due to weather? i.e. do certain clouds (or
> huge ones) make a GPS signal go bad? Does rain? If so, how much? What
> about snow? If I was in a hurricane, would I lose the signal? Lightning?
I swear overcast cuts down on my GPS signal, but others say it can't happen.

> What other things can make GPS signals go bad?
Hopefully you aren't flying beneath tree level, but I do a lot of
geocaching. Pine trees with long, conducting needles can really shut
out the signal. Because they are evergreens, the effect happens in
winter as well.

Any good research papers out
> there? I'm sure there must be now that we're going to GPS approaches.
I'll bet you can find some good info on www.af.mil -- doc center or the
like. Because there is a new GPS system being designed, there should be
some good papers. Find out who the contractor is and approach them.
>
> Speaking of hurricanes, would it be possible to take off in the eye in a 172
> and fly along with it for hours in the eye?
Only if I completely lose my mind. Phsyically, probably you can, but
not me.
>
> Hilton
>
>