Solar flares and GPS

[MarkT]

I was on a road trip 5/11 when my Zumo blew up.  Went completely haywire and I had to leave my blue highways route and go back to major roads I knew.  The 550 was jumping screens, acting like I was doing screen navigation when I wasn't touching it, and ignoring the screen presses I did do.  Wiped out my planned route, and all my waypoints and track and all my other user data. When I got to my destination, my brother said there's a big solar storm going on - and showed me a graph of the activity - he's a yachtsman, and has an ap for that - apparently he's dealt with disrupted GPS navigation while racing on the Great Lakes.  I had heard of this before.  The latest National Geographic has an article about solar flares disrupting hi-tech, esp comm and navigation.  Apparently this is a real problem.  They can get bad enough to take down power grids, even fry transformers to destroy power on a global scale for months, until the transformers can be manufactured en masse and replaced.  WOW.  Much more on that in the article.  So I had to send the Zumo back to Garmin to be replaced.  It's toast.  I mentioned it to the tech guy, he said, that could be, hadn't thought of that.  I think we will be hearing much more of this - per N.G., heavy solar activity is forecast for the near future.

So, has anyone had their GPS suddenly go haywire recently?

[dreamaker]

My first 550 the touch screen went bad and they replaced with a refurb, which I thought was cool because it was out of warranty. The second locked up and they replaced it with a new one. Haven't really put any miles on it yet, but sometimes when it comes on and I get rolling it doesn't show the speed for a while.  Don't know if it is a problem yet.

[Titan]

I'm no expert... on anything. But I would seriously doubt that solar flares were responsible. What are the chances of a massive solar storm burning out a single electronic gadget on this big wide earth. And, if it just concentrated on you, why not any/all the other electronics with you at that instant?

And yet, your luck could just be that bad!

[Gear Jammer]

And yet, your luck could just be that bad!

Then I should be watching out for my Zumo post haste 

[Titan]

And yet, your luck could just be that bad!

Then I should be watching out for my Zumo post haste 

Me too! I just went out and brought my Garmin in the house!

[Michael K (Az.)]

My 450 screen went dead on a trip to Oregon last winter, Garmin said $175.00 to fix. I said,"&^%$%%$#"! Bought a Nuvi 50lt (life time map updates) for $96.00. I like it better and if it rains hard on me, I'll put a sandwich bag over it!

[RedValk]

We Ham radio operators have been watching and dealing with solar flares ...forever!

While I have many, many times dealt with the HF outages it produces ....I've never had anything burned up or ruined

[MarkT]

Here it is:  http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/06/solar-storms/ferris-text

[Gear Jammer]

That's the one I read,, thanks Mark 

[Fudd]

I remember a CME disrupting communications on Air Force 1 with President Regan on his way to China.  I had thought the communication systems on there was shielded to operate post nuclear explosions and the gamma rays that follow.

That CME was mild compared to the one in the late 1800's that melted telegraph wires and systems.

How much better do we expect our equiptment with receivers having sensivities in the microvolts to  hold up if a really bad flare happens?

[art]

I never had any problems with mine .I've had it for many many years.Its called a road map and it folds up and fits in my shirt pocket.

[MarkT]

I never had any problems with mine .I've had it for many many years.Its called a road map and it folds up and fits in my shirt pocket.

Why do you even need a road map, with the range of your horse and buggy transportation which won't be crippled by CME's, you should have all the roads withing range memorized.  Especially since you should be back before dark, without being connected to the power grid which can also be disabled by solar storms - and you can't call for help if your horse breaks a leg stepping in a pothole in the dark, without any electronic communications.

Though I'm not always for the latest in technology - Don't care for smart phones or texting or the whole idea of social networks - there are huge potentials for abuse and that is truly happening - not to mention smart cars for stupid drivers - I embraced GPS when it first became available for consumers a dozen years ago.  I can find my way around in a strange city almost as well as a local, in real time and without pulling out a map indicating to any thugs watching that I'm a tourist and potential victim.

Check out this related article, more on the risk to our infrastructure from solar storms:  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2011/08/110803-solar-flare-storm-electricity-grid-risk/

Excerpted from the above:

The electrical power grid is particularly vulnerable to these extra currents, which can infiltrate high-voltage transmission lines, causing transformers to overheat and possibly burn out.

"The concern is if the electric grid lost a number of transformers during a single storm, replacing them would be difficult and time-consuming," said Rich Lordan, senior technical executive for power delivery and utilization at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).

"These power transformers are very big devices, and the lead time to get a replacement can be two months—if there's a spare one stored nearby. If a utility has to order a new one from the manufacturer, it could take six months to up to two years to deliver."

The danger is becoming more critical, as the sun is approaching what's known as solar maximum—the high point in our star's roughly 11-year cycle of activity. Scientists anticipate stronger storms around solar max, in 2013.

I'm sorta prepared for a power grid failure, at least until I run out of stored fuel, with the generator I wired to the ranch some time ago.  It's needed 2-3 times a year with power outages.  Used to be about monthly.

[John Schmidt]

I never had any problems with mine .I've had it for many many years.Its called a road map and it folds up and fits in my shirt pocket.

Art, I use the same nav system, never had a moment of down time. I've used that system all over the North American continent and sometimes don't pay attention to it....just take off on some "rabbit trail" just to see where it might lead. I get an idea of where I plan to go and a general idea of how to get there, then hit the road. Strangely enough, I've never been lost, but I can't say the same with using a GPS. Tried that twice, ended up tossing it in the saddlebag and getting out the map. Worked every time. 

[tonyfan70]

I don't know about solar flares and all that but....I do know that when my GPS fails on me, it's usually when I need it the very most. Like when I'm in the rig and every road I see says "No Trucks" or "Low Bridge" or "Dead End".

But when I'm on an interstate and I can only go one way and there is no exits for miles and miles....it works like a champ.

[Buda]

No GPS but my satellite radio has been f'in up for the last 3 or 4 days.