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11 year cycle of higher Sun Spot activity may effect wireless networks

Discussion in 'Wireless News' started by Fire14, Jan 8, 2008.

  1. Fire14

    Fire14 Easy,Cheap & Sleazy
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    New Sun Spot Activity Threatens Mobile Phone Networks

    A new 11-year cycle of heightened solar activity, bringing with it increased risks for power grids, critical military, civilian and airline communications, GPS signals and even mobile phones, showed signs it was on its way late Thursday when the cycle's first sunspot appeared in the sun's Northern Hemisphere, NOAA scientists have said.

    "This sunspot is like the first robin of spring," said solar physicist Douglas Biesecker of NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. "In this case, it's an early omen of solar storms that will gradually increase over the next few years."

    A sunspot is an area of highly organized magnetic activity on the surface of the sun. The new 11-year cycle, called Solar Cycle 24, is expected to build gradually, with the number of sunspots and solar storms reaching a maximum by 2011 or 2012, though devastating storms can occur at any time.

    During a solar storm, highly charged material ejected from the sun may head toward Earth, where it can bring down power grids, disrupt critical communications, and threaten astronauts with harmful radiation. Storms can also knock out commercial communications satellites and swamp GPS signals. Routine activities such as talking on a cell phone or getting money from an ATM machine could suddenly halt over a large part of the globe.

    "Our growing dependence on highly sophisticated, space-based technologies means we are far more vulnerable to space weather today than in the past," said Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. "NOAA's space weather monitoring and forecasts are critical for the nation's ability to function smoothly during solar disturbances."

    Last April, in coordination with an international panel of solar experts, NOAA issued a forecast that Solar Cycle 24 would start in March 2008, plus or minus six months. The panel was evenly split between those predicting a strong or weak cycle. Both camps agree that the sooner the new cycle takes over the waning previous cycle, the more likely that it will be a strong season with many sunspots and major storms, said Biesecker. Many more sunspots with Solar Cycle 24 traits must emerge before scientists consider the new cycle dominant, with the potential for more frequent storms.

    The new sunspot, identified as #10,981, is the latest visible spot to appear since NOAA began numbering them on January 5, 1972. Its high-latitude location at 27 degrees North, and its negative polarity leading to the right in the Northern Hemisphere are clear-cut signs of a new solar cycle, according to NOAA experts. The first active regions and sunspots of a new solar cycle can emerge at high latitudes while those from the previous cycle continue to form closer to the equator.

    SWPC is the nation's first alert for solar activity and its affects on Earth. The center's space weather forecasters issue outlooks for the next 11-year solar "season" and warn of individual storms occurring on the Sun that could impact Earth. SWPC is one of NOAA's nine National Centers for Environmental Prediction and is also the warning agency of the International Space Environment Service (ISES), a consortium of 11 member nations.

    New Sun Spot Activity Threatens Mobile Phone Networks
     
    #1 Fire14, Jan 8, 2008
  2. Jay2TheRescue

    Jay2TheRescue Resident Spamslayer
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    So this is why I had problems with my GPS the other day. It said I was 200 miles away, and traveling at 300 mph, but I was standing still! Thinking there was a problem with the software I reset the device, then when it rebooted it said I was in Canada! 5 minutes later all of a sudden it showed my proper location.

    -Jay
     
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    #2 Jay2TheRescue, Jan 8, 2008
  3. RadioRaiders

    RadioRaiders RF Black-Belt
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    Wow, that article made it sound like armageddon is coming. There's always been some minor disruptions due to solar storms, but usually only very, very minor. Nothing much noticable really. But people love to carry around the signs "The end of the world is near!" I'm not saying there won't be any major solar storms coming up, but I just don't see ATM's going down, planes getting lost and all this other doomsday stuff :rolleyes:

    Jay: don't be so quick to go blaming the sun for your GPS malfunction! It said only one sun spot was detected, not any major solar storms yet. They said it's just the start of the season. You may want to look into other reasons for the malfunction.
     
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    #3 RadioRaiders, Jan 8, 2008
  4. Jay2TheRescue

    Jay2TheRescue Resident Spamslayer
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    In total it was screwed up for about 5 - 7 minutes. I thought it was the Tom Tom software so I then tried Google Maps. Google Maps told me the same location. I then soft reset the phone and it still registered as being in Canada @ ludicrous speed. A moment later it was displaying the correct location and speed.

    -jay
     
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    #4 Jay2TheRescue, Jan 8, 2008
  5. RadioRaiders

    RadioRaiders RF Black-Belt
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    Were you in a dense area with a bad view of the sky? The GPS needs a minimum of 3 satellites to triangulate correctly. Maybe it was picking up reflections or something? :confused: I've had some weird things happen with GPS occasionally too. It could be alot of different things. Software, solar storms, reflections. It's sensitive to alot of stuff. It can be difficult to pin on one thing.
     
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    #5 RadioRaiders, Jan 8, 2008
  6. Jay2TheRescue

    Jay2TheRescue Resident Spamslayer
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    At the time I was on Cascades Parkway in Sterling, Va. There is pretty much a clear view of the sky, although there are some tall hills bordering the roadway in one area. No tall buildings bordering the road. The only other time I've had a GPS signal off was last year when the time changed. My GPS didn't update right away and it tracked me about 100 yards to the east of my actual position until the clock was corrected.

    -Jay
     
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    #6 Jay2TheRescue, Jan 8, 2008
  7. RadioRaiders

    RadioRaiders RF Black-Belt
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    Strange. I've no idea what could have caused that. Maybe we'll have to blame that one on the sun ;)
     
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    #7 RadioRaiders, Jan 8, 2008
  8. bobolito

    bobolito Diamond Senior Member
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    One day I remember my GPS pointed I was in the middle of the Pacific, but I think that was because reception was weak.

    Now my question is, if a sun storm is coming can I just use an umbrella to protect sensitive equipment? ;)
     
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    #8 bobolito, Jan 8, 2008
  9. Jay2TheRescue

    Jay2TheRescue Resident Spamslayer
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    I guess I should consider myself lucky I was in Canada, and not in the Atlantic ocean!

    -Jay
     
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    #9 Jay2TheRescue, Jan 8, 2008
  10. M in LA

    M in LA Mobile 28 Years Plus
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    :lmao: You must have gotten a good laugh from this!:lmao:
     
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    #10 M in LA, Jan 8, 2008
  11. Jay2TheRescue

    Jay2TheRescue Resident Spamslayer
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    I can laugh now, but I was really scared something was wrong with the phone, and I was already fearing calling TomTom and getting my registration moved to a new device. (After dealing with warranty exchange). Last time I switched devices it took me 3 days to get it activated on the new device. I was seriously Jonesin' without GPS for 3 days!

    -Jay
     
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    #11 Jay2TheRescue, Jan 8, 2008
  12. Analog man

    Analog man Member
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    looks like the sun is screwing up gravity, causing satalites to orbit incorectly. We rely hevenly on gps technology now so if satalites stop working, were screwed. hey, if gps is a thing of the past, bet verizon will activate my old phone :)
     
    #12 Analog man, Jan 9, 2008
  13. M in LA

    M in LA Mobile 28 Years Plus
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    Now that you mention it, I'd be disconcerted too. I'm glad you got it working again. I just couldn't get over the 300 miles an hour while standing still. That one's a keeper.
     
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    #13 M in LA, Jan 10, 2008
  14. Jay2TheRescue

    Jay2TheRescue Resident Spamslayer
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    It was nothing I did, it just all of a sudden started getting closer to my location, then it was correct. I'm thinking, with solar storms could that cause the satellite signals to "skip" and travel farther then intended? (I know this can happen with radio transmissions.) If that is the case I'm sure that's what happened. It saw a satellite that from my location, it shouldn't have, and using that data extrapolated the wrong position.

    -Jay
     
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    #14 Jay2TheRescue, Jan 10, 2008
  15. Jerro

    Jerro Bronze Senior Member
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    Sounds like your GPS came with the transporter option. Enjoy the trip?
     
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    #15 Jerro, Jan 10, 2008
  16. Jay2TheRescue

    Jay2TheRescue Resident Spamslayer
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    You know HTC did put a lot of features in the Tilt, I wasn't aware of the Transporter option. I guess the transporter option is the next best thing to the TARDIS option...

    -Jay
     
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    #16 Jay2TheRescue, Jan 10, 2008
  17. KevinJames

    KevinJames WA's 1st retired mod
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    Here's a quick fix: Put the phone in the flux capacitor cradle and shove it into reverse. Engage the warp engines but only at impulse power. Align the dilithium crystles to point to at the sun spot. Buckle up. ENGAGE!
     
    #17 KevinJames, Jan 10, 2008
  18. billp

    billp Junior Member
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    Wirelessly posted (LGE-VX8300/1.0 UP.Browser/6.2.3.2 (GUI) MMP/2.0)

    Keep the tardis on the dl some of us time lords are hideing still
     
    #18 billp, Jan 11, 2008
  19. Jay2TheRescue

    Jay2TheRescue Resident Spamslayer
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    Of course, but a TARDIS can disguise itself as anything, so why not a mobile phone?
     
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    #19 Jay2TheRescue, Jan 11, 2008
  20. bobolito

    bobolito Diamond Senior Member
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    So Jay, when you're traveling at 300mph, where were you supposedly heading in the GPS? Did you get a speeding ticket? ;)
     
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    #20 bobolito, Jan 11, 2008
  21. Jay2TheRescue

    Jay2TheRescue Resident Spamslayer
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    No ticket, and I was traveling through Ontario. It would have to be one hell of a police car to catch up to my truck traveling @ 300 mph. Man its nice having a fuel injected 350. At 300 it only felt like I was going about 45. It was a nice trip, I've never been to Canada before... ;)

    -Jay
     
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    #21 Jay2TheRescue, Jan 11, 2008
  22. M in LA

    M in LA Mobile 28 Years Plus
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    Wow! That must have been SOME trip!!!:cycle::lmao:
     
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    #22 M in LA, Jan 11, 2008
  23. Jay2TheRescue

    Jay2TheRescue Resident Spamslayer
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    Oh, did I mention my truck was amphibious as well? I drove straight through one of the great lakes to get back to the US. :)

    -Jay
     
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    #23 Jay2TheRescue, Jan 12, 2008
  24. M in LA

    M in LA Mobile 28 Years Plus
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    SWEET!!! Too bad you couldn't get it on video. Your experience would have been a YouTube sensation! :lmao:
     
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    #24 M in LA, Jan 13, 2008
  25. Jay2TheRescue

    Jay2TheRescue Resident Spamslayer
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    Yeah, I'm thinking that maybe the fact that I was going 300 mph that the surface tension of the water was such that I could drive over it... ;)

    -Jay
     
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    #25 Jay2TheRescue, Jan 13, 2008
  26. M in LA

    M in LA Mobile 28 Years Plus
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    :lmao::rotfl::lol:
     
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    #26 M in LA, Jan 15, 2008
  27. KyleAndMelissa22

    KyleAndMelissa22 Woot Woot, Splat !!!
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    My tiny GPS worked well in an airplane.
    the 3D fix was hard to accomplish (for correct elevation) but horizontal distance and speed was accurate.
    Then I reset it, and it said my elevation was about 2,000 feet when I was actually at about 38,000 feet. :eek:
    Here's a picture of my GPS (Garmin Foretrex 101) while in an airplane 7-31-2007:
    [​IMG]
    I was 770 miles east of San Francisco, so I was flying above West Central Colorado.
     
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    #27 KyleAndMelissa22, Jan 15, 2008
  28. Jay2TheRescue

    Jay2TheRescue Resident Spamslayer
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    That's cool. I'd take a look at my GPS next time I'm flying, but I rarely fly. I prefer to drive. For my purposes its cheaper than flying and renting a car for a week, and by the time you arrive @ the airport early for the security checks, check in, board, wait to takeoff, 2 hrs in the air, circle the airport waiting to land, then pickup the rental car and drive the last hour its quicker and easier to drive. Plus flying is very painful for me. My ears hurt so bad and I'm miserable the whole flight. The longest trip I make to to visit family in Florida, and I can make that trip in 11 - 12 hours if there's no traffic.

    -Jay
     
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    #28 Jay2TheRescue, Jan 15, 2008
  29. KyleAndMelissa22

    KyleAndMelissa22 Woot Woot, Splat !!!
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    My GPS only worked in the plane if it was within 6 inches of the window, otherwise no signal.
    Same for my cell phone, but I was able to find many SIDs on the ground.

    Heres the list of those SIDs:
     
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    #29 KyleAndMelissa22, Jan 15, 2008
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