Is Your GPS acting Funny ?

[Jim Almquist]

Solar flares might be the cause !

From the Politico HSOforum:

Energy released from solar plasma blasts will reach Earth throughout Friday and Saturday, potentially disrupting communications and electrical grids, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The explosion on the sun’s surface could affect precision satellite systems such as GPS and high-frequency radio waves, which airlines use for communication.

“High-precision GPS navigation systems may not work as well today,” said Joseph Kunches, a space scientist for the NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

Friday’s explosion is second of three recent blasts on the sun’s surface directed toward the Earth. The experts said the current wave could go on until Saturday night at the latest.

“You can think of them as sort of tsunamis in space,” said SWPC Director Tom Bogdan. “The first one was fairly weak, and we’re now seeing the next one coming in.”

However, Bogdan said these effects will be more potent throughout the next few years, adding that Friday’s storm is a “two or three out of five” in terms of its potential impact. This kind of activity will increase in frequency, he said, peaking sometime around 2013.

“Space weather really is everybody’s business, and the sun has an activity cycle very much like the hurricane season,” Bogdan said. “The sun’s season is about 12 years long, and we’re just coming up to the next maximum in solar activity, so we expect to be seeing more of these storms coming from the sun over the next three to five years.”

Magnetic disruptions also have the potential to affect electrical grids. However, Kunches added that power grid managers have anticipated this wave, using tools such as resistors and capacitors to prepare for the impact of a solar explosion.

The potential impact of such storms is historically severe, Bogdan said, citing telegraph stations that reportedly burned down in a record storm in 1859.

Moreover, Bogdan said the increasing frequency of solar storms could induce an aurora visible in the mainland United States if the current wave is strong enough. He said that during the record 1859 storm, an aurora was seen as far south as Havana, Cuba, and Brisbane, Australia.

[Gordie]

Last time mine worked it was new years day on rainy lake and now it wont pick up nothing still stuck on rainy. I think it finnaly bit the dust from falling in the lake a couple years ago at least its on the tech list at lowrance for replacement. just have to send it in but they want 150.00 to replace it so not sure if I will do that.

Not a solar flare problem just a problem

[Jim Almquist]

Maybe it needs a little solar flare to fix it

[Gordie]

After I retrived it from 27fow in Mille lacs the tech from Lowrance said that they would replace it for 150. but I should try to let it dry out then try it but he said what ever you do DONT try and dry it out in the microwave. I laughed and he said you wouldnt belive all the people that tell him that it really doest work and now they have to buy a new GPS along with a new microwave.

So I think I will turn it on set it on the picnic table and let the solar flare try and fix it

[RebelSS]

Yes!!! For the past 2 weeks, mine won't display the time/date..just flashes zeros. Every other function ok. Figured it wasn't my unit!!!

[DTro]

Could not get a signal on my phone last night...

[CAMAN]

A buddy works for Xcel, he got called in this AM because the underground transformers in Minneapolis were setting off weird alarms. He'll probably be there all day fighting with the sun.

The GPS on my phone has been screwy the last couple days.

[cruiseforever]

One very good reason to keep paper maps around.

[LMITOUT]

I didn't notice my GPS signals being affected but I sure got a nasty sunburn on Friday.

[Steve Foss]

Even driving through open country yesterday, I noticed that my in-car Garmin Nuvi was all over the place with speeds, fluxing from 50 to 68 mph though I had the cruise on 57.

[Jim Almquist]

I thought I had a grid issue today. Power went out but was kinda there. Here a branch took out the ground wire in the back yard. Blew 4 power strips but all else is working just fine. Very strange to check your power and its around 145 volts and then drops to 50 volts

[LMITOUT]

Hope you got it fixed! That can be dangerous.

[Jim Almquist]

Minnesota Power came out right away. I had already shut every breaker off just to be sure it did not cause any more problems.