GPS losing lock in US?
Here's an interesting tidbit.Over the past couple of weeks, I've experienced a loss of GPS
satellite signals - in particular during the day. Basically, the
receiver (doesn't matter which manufacturer) loses lock and
you get a "no fix" message. It's happened maybe ten/twelve
times even in the middle of the lake or Bay. When I went to the sat status screen, no signals or very weak signals
were indicated. Then the status screen would go green, the lock would
return and I get the fix. I thought it was just me or maybe I wasn't used to the equipment I was
using, some of which was new to me. I just read on one of the local email lists I belong too, several
messages concerning this same problem with other receivers.
Apparently, this is a mystery to everybody and according to one
message, is being reported to the manufacturers who are stating that
it's happening across the US and they have no explanation. Anybody else have the problem? Or any insight? |
Tom
Oct 11
2006
|
| Which, oddly (oh man I hate to say this - talk about a conspiracy
thing) might have contributed to today's plane crash if he was flying
instrument. Oh don't even think that man. Jeeze... |
Tom
Oct 11
|
| I don't know, but my cable TV just faded out. Eisboch |
Eisboch
Oct 11
|
| Maybe the feds are testing the selective availability. (they *do* have the
ability to block it to all but military) Maybe there's something they know
that they aren't telling us .... maybe ..... Eisboch |
Eisboch
Oct 11
|
| We should all be so lucky. Well, now that they finished showing Miami Vice Season 3 on Sleuth, that
is. |
Alotta
Oct 11
|
| Like NK missiles? :>) I don't know, but I've been looking around a little at some fishing
related sites and there are scattered reports. I would find it hard to believe that they would switch off the signals
because GPS has become so important to the transportation and public
safety system. My youngest's new patrol car has GPS in it (along with
a whole bunch of other really cool tech) for reporting back on where
he is when he makes traffic or felony stops. Trucking firms are
really getting into it and I don't think FED EX could exist without it
nowadays. |
Tom
Oct 11
|
| True. The truckers can't cheat anymore if GPS equipped. It tracks and
records all the truck movements and hours. I haven't heard of any GPS issues, but then again I don't use it as
regularly as you do.
Eisboch |
Eisboch
Oct 11
|
| Both of my vehicles have GPS-based nav systems installed, and are active
anytime the vehicle is running. Also, the boat has a GPS chartplotter that
is turned on anytime the boat is out of the slip. Any loss of signal would
be instantly reported by any of these devices, and I've not noticed any such
issues over the past weeks. |
RG
Oct 11
|
| Tom boats in the CT/RI Triangle. Eisboch |
Eisboch
Oct 11
|
| Too much time spinning through plum gut. |
Harry
Nov 11
|
| It's getting kind of interesting as it appears to be random, but there
appears to be a pretty large sample of those reporting problems. Even car systems are reporting loss of lock - I'm not very good at
using Google, but I saw some gear heads complaining about it. I'm not sure how much you use your GPS or how soon it will reacquire a
signal in case of loss. From what I can gather with my limited search
skills, it's a hit or miss thing and about the only way you would
catch it is you look down or just happen to see the NO FIX blinker. It's getting interesting in that most are guessing that it's a loss of
differential signal and not satellite. Not sure I buy into that. But it is being reported to the manufacturer's so it's not something
coming out of the blue kind of thing. |
Tom
Oct 12
|
| Well, I see it because in all my boats (and cars for that matter) the
GPS units are placed so I can just glance at them and see what's what. Than and the "NO FIX" flashing in the corner. :>) |
Tom
Oct 12
|
| You guys go ahead and laugh. I'm ahead of the curve on this one - guaranteed. :>) CT/RI Triangle indeed. |
Tom
Oct 12
|
| Laugh - go ahead - I'll wait until you stop. :>) Speaking of Plum Gut, did you know there is a magnetic anomaly in the
Plum Gut area? Betcha didn't know that. Oh, and for the record... Spin this. :>) |
Tom
Oct 12
|
| After doing some searching, I've found complaints from the
Agricultural community in the US and in Australia. Apparently the
outages are raising some problems with harvesting wheat, corn and
such (GPS is used for positioning and reporting yields per acre plus
other arcane agricultural stuff) and for planting (like in Australia). Curioiuser and curiouser. |
Tom
Oct 12
|
| I dunno. The Lexus system doesn't make a real big deal out of a lost signal
right away because it has the ability to project an estimated fix from speed
and direction telemetry from the car, but both my Garmins (truck/boat) start
squawking right away if a signal/fix is lost. I don't see any posts about
anomalies over at sci.geo.satellite-nav, and if anybody would be on top of
this sort of thing, it's those guys. Try posting your observations over
there, and see what sort of responses come up. It seems I remember that a
new GPS bird was just launched a couple of weeks ago. Maybe what you're
experiencing is related to bringing the new bird online? |
RG
Oct 12
|
| Good idea - thanks for the tip. I'll do that. |
Tom
Oct 12
|
| Maybe Larrys on to something, Those Iluminate people are probably behind
all this. |
Don
Oct 12
|
| Did your falsies fall overboard there? :>} |
Harry
Nov 11
|
