GPS Systems Under Attack From "Jammers"
- Thread starter Maine Sail
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Interesting reading
It makes me really question the decision to scrap Loran. I have read that their is a European GPS system that will be independent from the US system in the near future, but it could be defeated with the same technology.
I guess I'll keep on plotting on paper too......
It makes me really question the decision to scrap Loran. I have read that their is a European GPS system that will be independent from the US system in the near future, but it could be defeated with the same technology.
I guess I'll keep on plotting on paper too......
Hey,
This isn't really new and it isn't just GPS that is vulnerable. Loran and ELoran could also be spoofed. Personally, I won't loose too much sleep over this.
It's just another reason to remember to look outside the boat and verify that you are where you think you are.
Barry
This isn't really new and it isn't just GPS that is vulnerable. Loran and ELoran could also be spoofed. Personally, I won't loose too much sleep over this.
It's just another reason to remember to look outside the boat and verify that you are where you think you are.
Barry
GPS jamming and other possibilities
The UK government has been carrying out GPS jamming tests for several years now. FWIW I am signed up to receive an e-mail whenever these tests are due and of their location. The purpose of this notification is in case of unexpected errors. To date the tests have been in lightly used areas far from my cruising grounds.
Also Loran is not dead. European authorities are progressing, albeit rather slowly, the eLoran system. This is to be a terrestrial based Loran back up for satellite based systems for precisely the reason to defeat jammers of satnav or if satellites were attacked.
The problem with the present GPS, Glonass (Russian) and Gallileo (European still to come) systems is the signal strengths received from the satellites are below the 'static' or atmospheric noise which is still rumbling on since the big bang at the creation of the universe. GPS receivers need to use special signal recovery techniques to extract the data from beneath the noise - which is why they are easy to jam.
There is hope yet because a while ago I attended a very interesting Royal Institute of Navigation lecture on 'Pseudolites' here in the UK. These are land based transmitters which imitate satellite transmissions. i.e. Pseudo satellites which can have much higher transmitter powers but over much shorter ranges.
These devices, if placed strategically, will enable even more precise positioning for docking ships in and around harbours and will be much more resistant to jamming and sunspot activity.
Also jamming transmitters are relatively easy to locate and, once located, the authorities can deal with them promptly.
A jamming satellite could cause havoc until another was made ready to destroy it in space, but by then we would probably be into another world war anyway.
Who would wish to jam GPS? Well, apart from an alien power, which would immediately cause a strong reaction from the remainder of the countries so affected, we are left with local small time gangs or organisations intent on making mischief or in the interests of their businesses such as drug running.
Such attacks are likely to be very short term and not very likely to affect the average sailor. Also they are more likely to be land based rather than at sea.
Also there have been reports from yachtsmen that their GPS went doolally when they were in the locality of naval vessels (including US Navy). So I guess they are at it already!
The UK government has been carrying out GPS jamming tests for several years now. FWIW I am signed up to receive an e-mail whenever these tests are due and of their location. The purpose of this notification is in case of unexpected errors. To date the tests have been in lightly used areas far from my cruising grounds.
Also Loran is not dead. European authorities are progressing, albeit rather slowly, the eLoran system. This is to be a terrestrial based Loran back up for satellite based systems for precisely the reason to defeat jammers of satnav or if satellites were attacked.
The problem with the present GPS, Glonass (Russian) and Gallileo (European still to come) systems is the signal strengths received from the satellites are below the 'static' or atmospheric noise which is still rumbling on since the big bang at the creation of the universe. GPS receivers need to use special signal recovery techniques to extract the data from beneath the noise - which is why they are easy to jam.
There is hope yet because a while ago I attended a very interesting Royal Institute of Navigation lecture on 'Pseudolites' here in the UK. These are land based transmitters which imitate satellite transmissions. i.e. Pseudo satellites which can have much higher transmitter powers but over much shorter ranges.
These devices, if placed strategically, will enable even more precise positioning for docking ships in and around harbours and will be much more resistant to jamming and sunspot activity.
Also jamming transmitters are relatively easy to locate and, once located, the authorities can deal with them promptly.
A jamming satellite could cause havoc until another was made ready to destroy it in space, but by then we would probably be into another world war anyway.
Who would wish to jam GPS? Well, apart from an alien power, which would immediately cause a strong reaction from the remainder of the countries so affected, we are left with local small time gangs or organisations intent on making mischief or in the interests of their businesses such as drug running.
Such attacks are likely to be very short term and not very likely to affect the average sailor. Also they are more likely to be land based rather than at sea.
Also there have been reports from yachtsmen that their GPS went doolally when they were in the locality of naval vessels (including US Navy). So I guess they are at it already!
Just the same don't loose your hard won pencil and paper navigation skills!
Might as well get used to losing GPS occasionally. In fact, here in the southern section of the Chesapeake Bay it's not uncommon to lose your GPS signal. Lot of discussion why, but much is attributed to the high power transmissions sent from the numerous US Navy warships in the area (this is the US Atlantic Fleet headquarters!). Wait a moment, reboot the chartplotter and GPS returns. Viola! Nothing's too good for national defense I say.
... say what?
From the article:
Using GPS to occasionally check and correct a local timing reference is less daft, but there still should be some means of detecting gross error.
From the article:
I hope that's just BS or overstatement, because relying just on GPS signals for time reference or clocking would be insane.
Using GPS to occasionally check and correct a local timing reference is less daft, but there still should be some means of detecting gross error.
Atomic clocks broadcast. Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP) gives client/server access to very accurate time over the network. There's no reason for the functions listed in that article to rely on GPS. Reporters don't always dig down into the data to get all the facts. Its more sensational to state that all our infrastructure would be disrupted because of a 100.00 jammer.
(I have my tin-foil pyramid hat on now)
(I have my tin-foil pyramid hat on now)
RDF's as a backup?? Radio direction finders are not particularly accurate but in coastal areas they might be enough to get us home. I used one in my airplane and it worked well. Of course with GPS it was rarely used except on final approach. You just dial in a frequency and keep the needle centered. http://www.angelfire.com/space/proto57/rdf.html
Do not take this lightly. I was out golfing last week with my SkyCaddie GPS and every hole I was coming up drastically short on my shots. It seems the GPS was being jammed and the unit was saying the holes were closer than they really were. My score for the round was awful. I was tempted to quit the game until I realized the GPS was the problem. I prefer to use the gut feel method of positioning. I look around, check out the position of the sun or moon, and using gut feel I just kind of know where I am. On the golf course this works pretty well. Not sure if I was at sea how it would work due to lack of visual references.
"Do not take this lightly, it ruined my golf score." With all due respect, that's funny as all heck !
The only reason I'm not concerned is because I don't rely on GPS to navigate.
The only reason I'm not concerned is because I don't rely on GPS to navigate.
Just a couple of volcanos errupting in a short period of time, I figure would knock everyone on thier butts, no phones !!!! no sat.tv!!! get out the old CB radio's , it could by Y2K all over again !!! 
(which we partied through without a problem)
Still connected, Dean
(which we partied through without a problem)Still connected, Dean
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