GPS and the K index

Joined
Mar 23, 2017
Messages
330
Reaction score
119
Age
68
Location
Ohio
There was some discussion a while ago about the geomagnetic "K Index" and GPS positioning error. A mention was made that we probably wouldn't notice much until a "K7" or greater geomagnetic storm was in progress. To see if there is a correlation, a K7 storm is now underway (yesterday was a 6), this is a chance to go beyond just arguments as to wether it can affect our birds, to a experiment to see if it actually does at this level.
 
Here in Fla I flew my P2 yesterday and today oblivious (as always as IDC) to the the current index.
No probs with my P2 which does not use GLONASS.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mark The Droner
I flew yesterday as well, at 400' AGL over a bit of conservation forest and my GPS data at Airdata UAV showed at least a "good" or better on the groundtrack. Might make a test hop later today if no rain. I am sure that at some level of K-Index we (and other GPS users) will have trouble, but todays K-Index does give us a bit of correlated data to go by, rather than just guesses.
 
Never had any gps issues. I imagine thousands have flown yesterday and will again today.
Not sure what u mean by guesses, the GPS SVs are constantly moving and your system uses several so it's not guessing.
 
Never had any gps issues. I imagine thousands have flown yesterday and will again today.
Not sure what u mean by guesses, the GPS SVs are constantly moving and your system uses several so it's not guessing.
The "guessing" refers to an actual K-Index that WILL cause problems. If no one reports any problems at a 7 index storm, its gives us a Data Point for that number. If a geomagnetic storm the like of the Carrington Event (1859), or the CME that just missed us around 2012 occurs, we won't be flying our birds, we'll be sitting in the dark...
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
143,066
Messages
1,467,355
Members
104,934
Latest member
jody.paugh@fullerandsons.