California Regs Kill GPS Reception

[RonBoyd]

It will be interest to see how this shakes out since GPS has become such a necessary part of modern life.

California regs to kill GPS reception | GPS Tracklog

 

[samclem]

From the link

Regulations recently adopted by the California Air Resources Board will require automakers to reduce the amount of solar energy entering vehicles by 45% by 2014 and 60% by 2016. The problem is, the technology used to do this will utilize reflective metal oxide particles embedded in windshields, effectively blocking GPS signals. Stay tuned; I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about this one.

I don't think it will be a problem. Any tinting wil be on rear and side windows, most GPS units sit on the dashboard. Or, make a small "window" in the tint over the antenna.

 

[RonBoyd]

From the link

I don't think it will be a problem. Any tinting wil be on rear and side windows, most GPS units sit on the dashboard. Or, make a small "window" in the tint over the antenna.

embedded in windshields, effectively blocking GPS signals

The antennae is generally inside the GPS unit, sitting on the dash.

What am I missing?

 

[Westernskies]

What am I missing?

a GPS signal, if you live in California after these proposed regulatiuons take effect. Wonder what law enforcement thinks about blacking out vehicles windows?- this inane regulation can't enhance public safety.

 

[samclem]

The antennae is generally inside the GPS unit, sitting on the dash.

What am I missing?

The info at the link you posted implied that GPS units would not operate inside vehicles meeting a new CARB requiremnt to have tinted windows. This is because the window tinting contains metallic particles.

As you note, the GPS unit usually sits on the dash (or affixed to the windshield). It depends on receiving signal primarily through the windshield. I doubt that the CARB requirements will dictate that windshields be tinted very much at all (due to night driving safety requirements). So, the GPS units wil probably grab the signal with little loss.

It's also no problem for automakers to include a small antena outside the car that passively re-radiates the signal into the car. This could even be done as part of the window glass.

As anyone who has tried to make a true RF-tight enclosure can attest, those radio waves are sneaky and will find their way past all kinds of barriers.

 

[RonBoyd]

samclem, that does explain it. This is (most likely) case of me falling for another one of those "media bias" things... I hope.

 

[HFWR]

a GPS signal, if you live in California after these proposed regulatiuons take effect. Wonder what law enforcement thinks about blacking out vehicles windows?- this inane regulation can't enhance public safety.

I'm not sure what, if any, regs there are in the Republic of Texas, but there are plenty of vehicles "with the glass so dark, they won't even know your name"...

 

[Nords]

As anyone who has tried to make a true RF-tight enclosure can attest, those radio waves are sneaky and will find their way past all kinds of barriers.

I've logged GPS fixes underwater*. I doubt a little metal oxide in the window is going to kill the signal.

Sounds like someone's trying to raise their blog hits.

*Famous naval saying: "If you can't be good, you'd better be lucky."

 

[RonBoyd]

Another example of how great this forum is -- making snoopes.com redundant.