Solar storms spell trouble for GPS

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