Some GPS Meat And Potatoes With Chicken Little Sauce
You should be suspicious if your GPS device starts playing up for no apparent reason
Your PC could knock your GPS out
24 Apr 2007 14:04
Computers used anywhere near a GPS receiver can knock your sat-nav system out. Many Intel processors disturb the frequency signals used in GPS systems, a study by the Swedish Defence Research Agency has found.
Using a computer in a car, plane, boat, or anywhere a GPS system is used, can mean that the sat-nav device starts working incorrectly. Many modern processors with high clock frequencies - such as those from Intel with frequencies of 1.7GHz, 2.992GHz and 3.2GHz - have been highlighted as possible sources of interference.
“But these are only examples of processors we have chosen to study. I don’t think there would be any difference if we were to pick other types [or processors] since it is the clock frequency of the processor that decides on what frequency the interference occurs,” said Peter Stenumgaard at the Swedish Defence Research Agency.
The study showed that modern computers produce interfering signals that reach as far as the frequency bandwidths (sic)used for GPS systems (between 1GHz and 2GHz).
Wow! These guys and gals went to how many years of schooling to earn their PhD’s and whatever other degrees and they just found out that computer’s put out high frequencies that may interfere with other electronic devices … especially devices like GPS receivers which are searching for very weak signals? And no place better to get information about the US Department of Defense designed, owned and operated GPS than from a Swedish agency. I mean, where do you think they get their information, hmm?
High frequency interference is an issue that was factored into the GPS design back years ago when GPS was nothing more than paper and a dream. There is absolutely nothing new in these findings. Processors in the 1 to 2GHz range have been around for many years … perhaps not in your hand geld but in the super computers and labs where the GPS was tested every single step of the way. (by the way, Anna, frequency and bandwidth are not the same thing … if that’s a reporter’s error, no problem as I certainly make my share of errors also, but if that language was in the SDRA report then I’m shocked).
If anyone wants to read further just click the link, there’s a number of other issues I have with this report of the painfully obvious that I won’t bore any with here. But at the end of the article is a paragraph which gives me great pause … and also pisses me off because of the prevalent web practice of news sites publishing articles with no way to get in contact with the author and clarify issues. (My contact info, buy the way, is on my contacts’ page< I welcome conversations, corrections, clarifications or general discourse).
This is the paragraph that mystifies me:
Mobile phones have also been mentioned as possible sources of interference. On one flight, all GPS receivers on a plane stopped working after someone had used their mobile handset mid-air.
Where, when, reported by whom, who made the determination that the GPS anomaly was a result of mobile handset usage, etc.? I know I can be pedantic and bitchy but really, people shouldn’t publish nonsense like this without attribution. If it happened as this paragraph suggests it is a much, much bigger story than the painfully obvious re-hashed “research” that is the story’s original focus. Anna, I hope you read this and respond .. or anyone else … the “comments” mike is open.