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Solar storm knocks out GPS?
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Dänk 42Ø
Mar 8, 2012, 1:26:13 PM3/8/12
to
I recently bought a Canon PowerShot SX230HS which has a GPS logger
feature. When I upload the logfile to Google Earth, it seems to record
my journey fairly accurately, though it needs a much faster logging rate,
and I think it has trouble getting a lock when I'm in a car.
But on Tuesday night local time, or Wed 07 Mar 2012 around 01:00 to 04:00
UTC, the GPS logger went all flaky, showing me walking several blocks in
the opposite direction at one point, and showing me zig-zagging across an
entire city block while waiting on a corner for a bus.
I had heard there was a large solar flare on Tuesday, but it wasn't
supposed to reach earth until last night, and it wasn't supposed to
affect consumer-grade GPS devices. I'll test it again today.
BTW, I want to purchase a dedicated GPS logger for a trip to India. I
want it to have a fast update frequency, one hertz or more, good enough
reception to get a lock inside a bus or airplane, and able to log at
least 24 hours at a time without recharging or running out of memory. It
would be nice if it could record record compass orientation for my
photos, but this isn't absolutely necessary. Any suggestions?
feature. When I upload the logfile to Google Earth, it seems to record
my journey fairly accurately, though it needs a much faster logging rate,
and I think it has trouble getting a lock when I'm in a car.
But on Tuesday night local time, or Wed 07 Mar 2012 around 01:00 to 04:00
UTC, the GPS logger went all flaky, showing me walking several blocks in
the opposite direction at one point, and showing me zig-zagging across an
entire city block while waiting on a corner for a bus.
I had heard there was a large solar flare on Tuesday, but it wasn't
supposed to reach earth until last night, and it wasn't supposed to
affect consumer-grade GPS devices. I'll test it again today.
BTW, I want to purchase a dedicated GPS logger for a trip to India. I
want it to have a fast update frequency, one hertz or more, good enough
reception to get a lock inside a bus or airplane, and able to log at
least 24 hours at a time without recharging or running out of memory. It
would be nice if it could record record compass orientation for my
photos, but this isn't absolutely necessary. Any suggestions?
Holger Issle
Mar 11, 2012, 9:23:35 AM3/11/12
to
On Thu, 08 Mar 2012 12:26:13 -0600, Dänk 42Ř <da...@nugget.org> wrote:
>UTC, the GPS logger went all flaky, showing me walking several blocks in
>the opposite direction at one point, and showing me zig-zagging across an
>entire city block while waiting on a corner for a bus.
This usually is caused by reflections of GPS signals on buildings
>UTC, the GPS logger went all flaky, showing me walking several blocks in
>the opposite direction at one point, and showing me zig-zagging across an
>entire city block while waiting on a corner for a bus.
(combined with not really optimal receiver hardware), not by solar
fire.
--
Ciao,
Holger (GUS-KOTAL, GUS#1100, GRR#51)
90-92 Honda CB400 10 Mm | 93-95 Yamaha TDM 850 26 Mm
95-97 KTM 620 LC4 13 Mm | seit 97 BMW R1100GS 81 Mm (Die Renndrecksau!)
cu @ http://www.issle.de
Lon
Mar 15, 2012, 12:06:22 AM3/15/12
to
On 3/11/2012 07:23, Holger Issle wrote:
is well below zero. After a few minutes, it figures out I am driving
on the 4 lane street instead of the lake a block or so away.
> On Thu, 08 Mar 2012 12:26:13 -0600, Dänk 42Ø<da...@nugget.org> wrote:
>
>> UTC, the GPS logger went all flaky, showing me walking several blocks in
>> the opposite direction at one point, and showing me zig-zagging across an
>> entire city block while waiting on a corner for a bus.
>
> This usually is caused by reflections of GPS signals on buildings
> (combined with not really optimal receiver hardware), not by solar
> fire.
On a Garmin, I've also seen it caused by trying to use the GPS when it
>
>> UTC, the GPS logger went all flaky, showing me walking several blocks in
>> the opposite direction at one point, and showing me zig-zagging across an
>> entire city block while waiting on a corner for a bus.
>
> This usually is caused by reflections of GPS signals on buildings
> (combined with not really optimal receiver hardware), not by solar
> fire.
is well below zero. After a few minutes, it figures out I am driving
on the 4 lane street instead of the lake a block or so away.
Gene E. Bloch
Mar 15, 2012, 2:42:49 PM3/15/12
to
On 3/14/2012, Lon posted:
Although at those temperatures you could possibly *be* driving on the
lake.
Some people have talked about odd results near high powered RF
transmitters, such as radars and short-wave broadcasting stations.
I have achieved very high bogus speeds (and of course bad location
fixes) which I thought might be ascribed to such a cause, driving on a
stretch of Highway 101 somewhere in Mendocino or Sonoma County,
California, but I've been lazy, so I haven't tried to figure out if
there is such a transmitter in that area. Given the size of those
counties, it should be clear that I no longer remember exactly where
that happened.
--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)
lake.
Some people have talked about odd results near high powered RF
transmitters, such as radars and short-wave broadcasting stations.
I have achieved very high bogus speeds (and of course bad location
fixes) which I thought might be ascribed to such a cause, driving on a
stretch of Highway 101 somewhere in Mendocino or Sonoma County,
California, but I've been lazy, so I haven't tried to figure out if
there is such a transmitter in that area. Given the size of those
counties, it should be clear that I no longer remember exactly where
that happened.
--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)
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