Sat-nav devices face big errors as solar activity rises

After reading the referenced article it sounds like the effect could be anywhere from a minor hindrance to temporary loss of signal. I think I will find something else to worry about.

I agree with Mike on this! this is the beginning of a 11 year cycle, I remember the last High cycle had little to no effect at satellite frequencies. lower frequencies are a different story however.

Haven't we been through this in another thread recently?

those of us who went through the days of "Selective Availability" (DOD telling the GPS birds to lie to us civilian users) and the last sunspot cycle have been through this.

The old adage, that you need to be sharper than the tools you use, still applies.

But as the tools improve and the user base gets wider, we know what's going to happen. "But it told me to turn here!" "It musa been da sunspots!"

We see those stories now; the excuses will adapt to include the scapegoat du jour -- sunspots, the opposition party, and ... (fill in the blanks).

Keep looking both ways--

can't say I'm very worried. Some folks have been pushing for an active solar cycle for years, and to date it has been dormant. Activity may be picking up, but I really doubt that the Sun is going to ramp up very far. We're more likely in for a quiet 20-30 years of solar activity.