Solar storms spell trouble for GPS

http://www.newscientisttech.com/chan...e-for-gps.html
Solar storms spell trouble for GPS

SOLAR flares can drown out GPS signals with potentially serious
consequences for airlines, emergency services, and anyone relying on
satellite navigation.

It turns out these bursts of charged particles, which produce auroras
and geomagnetic storms, also generate radio waves in the 1.2 and
1.6-gigahertz bands used by GPS.

How was such a clash missed? Because GPS receivers only became common
during a period of low solar activity. By 2011 solar flares will reach
the peak of their cycle and receivers will likely fail. Or so
Alessandro Cerruti of Cornell University, New York, told a meeting of
the Institute of Navigation in Fort Worth, Texas, last week. The only
solution would be to redesign GPS receivers or satellites, which may
not be practical, says Cerruti.

From issue 2572 of New Scientist magazine, 07 October 2006, page 27

BFD, All those radios are called Aids to navigation for a
reason, they are conveniences. CAL found Paris with just a
compass and a chart.



"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...
|
http://www.newscientisttech.com/chan...e-for-gps.html
| Solar storms spell trouble for GPS
|
| SOLAR flares can drown out GPS signals with potentially
serious
| consequences for airlines, emergency services, and anyone
relying on
| satellite navigation.
|
| It turns out these bursts of charged particles, which
produce auroras
| and geomagnetic storms, also generate radio waves in the
1.2 and
| 1.6-gigahertz bands used by GPS.
|
| How was such a clash missed? Because GPS receivers only
became common
| during a period of low solar activity. By 2011 solar
flares will reach
| the peak of their cycle and receivers will likely fail. Or
so
| Alessandro Cerruti of Cornell University, New York, told a
meeting of
| the Institute of Navigation in Fort Worth, Texas, last
week. The only
| solution would be to redesign GPS receivers or satellites,
which may
| not be practical, says Cerruti.
|
| From issue 2572 of New Scientist magazine, 07 October
2006, page 27

On Wed, 25 Oct 2006 06:17:38 -0500, "Jim Macklin"
wrote in
:


BFD, All those radios are called Aids to navigation for a
reason, they are conveniences.

Were you aware of the design flaw in GPS as implemented? I just
thought it might be a good idea to provide the information to those
weren't.

Of course, this issue makes no mention of solar mass ejections, that
can potentially knock out any satellite.

It appears that we are (finally?) seeing some technological innovation
tickling down to the GA fleet, but I'm becoming uneasy with the
apparent lack of robustness engineered in these early systems.


CAL found Paris with just a compass and a chart.

Yes. It was an Earth Inductor Compass*. I've never seen one of those
in any aircraft in which I've flown, let alone piloted.


* http://oldbeacon.com/beacon/earth_inductor_compass.htm

Larry Dighera wrote:
On Wed, 25 Oct 2006 06:17:38 -0500, "Jim Macklin"
wrote in
:


BFD, All those radios are called Aids to navigation for a
reason, they are conveniences.


Were you aware of the design flaw in GPS as implemented? I just
thought it might be a good idea to provide the information to those
weren't.

Of course, this issue makes no mention of solar mass ejections, that
can potentially knock out any satellite.

It appears that we are (finally?) seeing some technological innovation
tickling down to the GA fleet, but I'm becoming uneasy with the
apparent lack of robustness engineered in these early systems.


CAL found Paris with just a compass and a chart.

Yes. It was an Earth Inductor Compass*. I've never seen one of those
in any aircraft in which I've flown, let alone piloted.


* http://oldbeacon.com/beacon/earth_inductor_compass.htm


Did anybody see NOVA on PBS last night. The earth is overdue for a pole
reversal. According to the program, we are already seeing issues towards
that. Interesting program.

--

Regards, Ross
C-172F 180HP
KSWI

The Earth is rotating and orbiting within a strong magnetic
field of the Sun, [not to mention the whole Universe].

The magnetic pole is not located on the axis and as a result
the variation wanders. It appears that the Earth's magnetic
field is electromagnetic and AC.

The Earth doesn't physically flip over, the phase angle
flips.



"Ross Richardson" wrote in message
...
| Larry Dighera wrote:
| On Wed, 25 Oct 2006 06:17:38 -0500, "Jim Macklin"
| wrote in
| :
|
|
| BFD, All those radios are called Aids to navigation for
a
| reason, they are conveniences.
|
|
| Were you aware of the design flaw in GPS as implemented?
I just
| thought it might be a good idea to provide the
information to those
| weren't.
|
| Of course, this issue makes no mention of solar mass
ejections, that
| can potentially knock out any satellite.
|
| It appears that we are (finally?) seeing some
technological innovation
| tickling down to the GA fleet, but I'm becoming uneasy
with the
| apparent lack of robustness engineered in these early
systems.
|
|
| CAL found Paris with just a compass and a chart.
|
| Yes. It was an Earth Inductor Compass*. I've never
seen one of those
| in any aircraft in which I've flown, let alone piloted.
|
|
| * http://oldbeacon.com/beacon/earth_inductor_compass.htm
|
|
| Did anybody see NOVA on PBS last night. The earth is
overdue for a pole
| reversal. According to the program, we are already seeing
issues towards
| that. Interesting program.
|
| --
|
| Regards, Ross
| C-172F 180HP
| KSWI

Jim Macklin wrote:
The Earth is rotating and orbiting within a strong magnetic
field of the Sun, [not to mention the whole Universe].

The magnetic pole is not located on the axis and as a result
the variation wanders. It appears that the Earth's magnetic
field is electromagnetic and AC.

The Earth doesn't physically flip over, the phase angle
flips.



"Ross Richardson" wrote in message
...
| Larry Dighera wrote:
| On Wed, 25 Oct 2006 06:17:38 -0500, "Jim Macklin"
| wrote in
| :
|
|
| BFD, All those radios are called Aids to navigation for
a
| reason, they are conveniences.
|
|
| Were you aware of the design flaw in GPS as implemented?
I just
| thought it might be a good idea to provide the
information to those
| weren't.
|
| Of course, this issue makes no mention of solar mass
ejections, that
| can potentially knock out any satellite.
|
| It appears that we are (finally?) seeing some
technological innovation
| tickling down to the GA fleet, but I'm becoming uneasy
with the
| apparent lack of robustness engineered in these early
systems.
|
|
| CAL found Paris with just a compass and a chart.
|
| Yes. It was an Earth Inductor Compass*. I've never
seen one of those
| in any aircraft in which I've flown, let alone piloted.
|
|
| * http://oldbeacon.com/beacon/earth_inductor_compass.htm
|
|
| Did anybody see NOVA on PBS last night. The earth is
overdue for a pole
| reversal. According to the program, we are already seeing
issues towards
| that. Interesting program.
|
| --
|
| Regards, Ross
| C-172F 180HP
| KSWI


What this program stated and I had read it elsewhere, is the magnetic
core within the earth had flipped every 200K to 700K years. Geologist
know how to figure this out from core samples. They said the last one
was over 700K years ago. The north magnetic pole (as we know it) flips
to the south pole.

--

Regards, Ross
C-172F 180HP
KSWI

Larry Dighera writes:

Were you aware of the design flaw in GPS as implemented?

What design flaw?

It appears that we are (finally?) seeing some technological innovation
tickling down to the GA fleet, but I'm becoming uneasy with the
apparent lack of robustness engineered in these early systems.

They seem to be designed just like personal computers, which is very
bad and very dangerous for safety-of-life systems.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

An early version if the slaved compass, just like nearly all
cabin class and all G1000 systems use.



"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...
| On Wed, 25 Oct 2006 06:17:38 -0500, "Jim Macklin"
| wrote in
| :
|
|
| BFD, All those radios are called Aids to navigation for
a
| reason, they are conveniences.
|
| Were you aware of the design flaw in GPS as implemented?
I just
| thought it might be a good idea to provide the information
to those
| weren't.
|
| Of course, this issue makes no mention of solar mass
ejections, that
| can potentially knock out any satellite.
|
| It appears that we are (finally?) seeing some
technological innovation
| tickling down to the GA fleet, but I'm becoming uneasy
with the
| apparent lack of robustness engineered in these early
systems.
|
|
| CAL found Paris with just a compass and a chart.
|
| Yes. It was an Earth Inductor Compass*. I've never seen
one of those
| in any aircraft in which I've flown, let alone piloted.
|
|
| * http://oldbeacon.com/beacon/earth_inductor_compass.htm

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
.. .
| On Wed, 25 Oct 2006 06:17:38 -0500, "Jim Macklin"
| wrote in
| :
|
|
| BFD, All those radios are called Aids to navigation for
a
| reason, they are conveniences.
|
| Were you aware of the design flaw in GPS as implemented?
I just
| thought it might be a good idea to provide the information
to those
| weren't.
|
| Of course, this issue makes no mention of solar mass
ejections, that
| can potentially knock out any satellite.
|
| It appears that we are (finally?) seeing some
technological innovation
| tickling down to the GA fleet, but I'm becoming uneasy
with the
| apparent lack of robustness engineered in these early
systems.
|
|
| CAL found Paris with just a compass and a chart.
|
| Yes. It was an Earth Inductor Compass*. I've never seen
one of those
| in any aircraft in which I've flown, let alone piloted.
|
|
| * http://oldbeacon.com/beacon/earth_inductor_compass.htm

On Wed, 25 Oct 2006 14:38:27 -0500, "Jim Macklin"
wrote in
:

An early version if the slaved compass, just like nearly all
cabin class and all G1000 systems use.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't a slaved compass require
electrical power to operate? "Slim's" Earth Inductor Compass didn't
require any power except that generated by the coil rotating in the
Earth's magnetic field. So if I'm correct, those pilots flying behind
a dead glass-cockpit would only have a whiskey compass to navigate
with.

The Earth compass, was powered by a windmill, just as many
crop dusters power their spray pumps, and similarly to using
a venturi to power gyros, if you're flying you have power.
Using a retractable generator is even part of the modern jet
airliner.

Yes, when your G1000 dies, you will have very limited
navigation or even communication options. Check out the
difference between a Beech Baron or Bonanza G36/G58 and a
Cessna NAV III on the manual section at Garmin. com




"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...
|
|
| "Larry Dighera" wrote in message
| .. .
| | On Wed, 25 Oct 2006 06:17:38 -0500, "Jim Macklin"
| | wrote in
| | :
| |
| |
| | BFD, All those radios are called Aids to navigation
for
| a
| | reason, they are conveniences.
| |
| | Were you aware of the design flaw in GPS as
implemented?
| I just
| | thought it might be a good idea to provide the
information
| to those
| | weren't.
| |
| | Of course, this issue makes no mention of solar mass
| ejections, that
| | can potentially knock out any satellite.
| |
| | It appears that we are (finally?) seeing some
| technological innovation
| | tickling down to the GA fleet, but I'm becoming uneasy
| with the
| | apparent lack of robustness engineered in these early
| systems.
| |
| |
| | CAL found Paris with just a compass and a chart.
| |
| | Yes. It was an Earth Inductor Compass*. I've never
seen
| one of those
| | in any aircraft in which I've flown, let alone piloted.
| |
| |
| | *
http://oldbeacon.com/beacon/earth_inductor_compass.htm
|
| On Wed, 25 Oct 2006 14:38:27 -0500, "Jim Macklin"
| wrote in
| :
|
| An early version if the slaved compass, just like nearly
all
| cabin class and all G1000 systems use.
|
| Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't a slaved compass
require
| electrical power to operate? "Slim's" Earth Inductor
Compass didn't
| require any power except that generated by the coil
rotating in the
| Earth's magnetic field. So if I'm correct, those pilots
flying behind
| a dead glass-cockpit would only have a whiskey compass to
navigate
| with.