Understanding Space Weather and Magellan-GPS Starts Here

Part 3 - SPACE WEATHER AND HF, VHF & Magellan-GPS

Part 3 of a 3 Part series on the impacts of space weather on GPS-navigation and communications

SPACE WEATHER AND GPS

The ionosphere is well known for the effects it has an HF and Ham radio, but a lot less known in boating and yachting circles are the effects on GPS-marine. It is an important source of range and range rate errors for users of GPS-marine satellites where high accuracy is required, in particular the offshore oil industry. Ionosphere range error can vary from a few meters to tens of meters; with tropospheric range error at a peak can be up to 2-3 meters. It can alter rapidly in value, changing over one day by one order of magnitude. In practice the troposphere range error does not alter more the + or - 10% over long time periods. These effects are called atmospheric scintillations. GPS-marine, Garmin-GPS and Magellan-GPS are all affected by space weather. Understand the affects and how to deal with it,

HOW GPS SIGNALS ARE AFFECTED

The GPS signals pass through the ionosphere but suffer propagation delays. This can result in ranging errors of tens of meters in extreme ionosphere conditions, but typically it is 5-10 meters. If you are in the region be aware of this, don’t assume the GPS-marine has failed. DGPS is also subject to the effect. These equatorial spread (ESF) irregularity events are often associated with plasma bubbles that characterize the unstable state of the night-time equatorial ionosphere and are subject to much ongoing research. Ionosphere plasma bubbles are a natural phenomena consisting of large scale regions of space within the atmosphere, and were first detected in Brazil in 1976. Bubbles are known to interfere with satellite communications in the frequency range VHF to 6GHz, and also are known to interfere with GPS-marine causing position errors. The bubbles are highly aligned with the earths geomagnetic field lines along which they may extend 1000’s of kms and across geomagnetic field lines they measure 100-400km. GPS-marine, Garmin-GPS and Magellan-GPS are all affected by space weather. Understand the affects and how to deal with it,

WHEN DOES INTERFERENCE OCCUR?

They occur after sunset and exist at nights only, and activity generally is more active in frequency of occurrence during periods of maximum solar activity so 2000/2001 are scheduled to be very active. Irregularities in the ionosphere produce both diffraction and refraction effects, causing short term signal fading, which can severely stress the tracking capabilities of the GPS receiver. Signal enhancements also occur, but the GPS-marine user cannot get any benefit of brief periods of strong signal. Fading can be so severe that the signal level will drop completely below the GPS-marine receiver lock threshold and must be continually re-acquired. GPS-marine, Garmin-GPS and Magellan-GPS are all affected by space weather. Understand the affects and how to deal with it,

HOW WIDESPREAD IS THIS ACTIVITY?

The equatorial scintillation region can cover up to 50% of the earth. Strong scintillation effects in near equatorial regions are observed generally 1 hour after local sunset to local midnight. If precise measurement using GPS-marine can possibly be avoided during 1900-2400 hours local during periods of high solar activity and during months of normal high scintillation activity the chances of encountering the effects are small. There are also seasonal and solar cycle effects that also reduce chances of encountering scintillation in near equatorial regions. In the period April to August the chances are small of significant scintillation in the American African and Indian regions. In the Pacific region scintillation effects maximize during these months. September to March the situation reverses. The regions where the strongest scintillation effects are observed are Kwajalein Island in the Pacific and Ascension Island in the South Atlantic. The occurrence of strong amplitude scintillation is also closely correlated with the sunspot number; in years with near minimum solar activity there is little if any strong scintillation effects on GPS-marine in equatorial or low latitude regions. GPS-marine, Garmin-GPS and Magellan-GPS are all affected by space weather. Understand the affects and how to deal with it,

So next time you set out on a protracted offshore voyage, make sure you check up on the Space Weather Forecast, it just may have some affect on your gps-marine. The HF predictions are a useful guide to what's ahead, and checking may save you some needless worry about the equipment failing, or beeping as you loose GPS-marine signal lock, or simple unexplainable inaccuracies. May you have solar fair winds and good GPS-marine fixes GPS-marine, Garmin-GPS and Magellan-GPS are all affected by space weather. Understand the affects and how to deal with it.

Part 1 of this 3 Part Series on the Space Weather and GPS, and Marine Communications Click on this link to go to Part 1 of 3 Parts on the affects of space weather on marine communications and Magellan-GPS

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Be sure to purchase a discount price copy of my books from Amazon, all you need to know about Magellan-GPS and all other boat systems is there, your perfect and practical onboard reference manual

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