GPS goes crazy in one specific area on the Interstate.

[tlm1981]

I travel fairly frequently from Southwestern Indiana to up around Chicago. The last few times I've gone, the GPS on my Droid X has totally freaked out on me right around the Kankakee, IL area on I-57. The first time I thought it was just a fluke, but it has happened 3 times since then. The first time, powering down and powering back up fixed it. However, since then it takes several power down/up's to get it to reset itself. Even more annoying is that at that point I'm nearing an exit I need to take. Anybody else ever have a problem like this or know why I might be having this problem? The phone is pretty stock with the typical updates having been done. I'm not rooted or anything..and really a little clueless on the technical aspects. Thanks!

 

[UrbanBounca]

Could there be a big structure at that point that could throw it off? There is a military base in WV that will throw mine off every single time.

 

[tlm1981]

Good question. In looking at Google Maps, there appears to be two separate aiports, each a few miles apart on opposite sides of the interstate. I wonder if that's causing it and I have to get far enough away from the airports before it will reset. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[AirJunky]

We have an intersection in Spokane Valley, Sprague & McDonald, that every single time I drive thru it in any car, truck or bike, the satellite radio goes out for a few seconds...... every single time. No big buildings right by the road or anything. No clue what it is. But has to be some kind of electrical interference there.

 

[AECRADIO]

If you are near a large airport, your GPS may be suffering from the airport's surface search radar, this is the radar system that has a wide beam, but is focused closer to the Earth, to 'see' low flying aircraft approaching the controlled airspace, like an ultralight without a radio, NDB or any other sort of G.A nav/comm. flight navigation systems.

The high powered radar signals do interfere with the low level 'L' band GPS downlink signals.

High structures cause reflection of the signal, as well as multipath distortion and T.D.A to the GPS receiver. (T.D.A = Time Difference of Arrival) A metric to determine the actual signal and that of reflections, and the the difference caused by this action(short ver.)