Sunspots and Cellphones

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Good Day All!

Not sure where to put this, hopefully this is the right spot.

A Co-Worker asked me a question - Does sunspots have an affect on cellphones? I don't know much about a cellphone or how they work ( I only have one in case the XYL needs to contact me). He told me that lately his Sprint/Nextel phones has been having a lot of interference, no matter where he is at.

All I could say is that my Shortwave and Amateur radio, haven't heard a strong signal in weeks :)

Sorry if this is a dumb question, just thought I would ask here since I didn't have a answer for him.


Thanks in advance,

Steven
 

w0fg

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No. Sunspots have minimal effect on radio wave propagation on frequencies above 100 Mhz. (Cellphones are in the 800, 900 and 1900 Mhz bands.) Even if they did, we've been in a period of zero or near zero sunspots for months, the result of a prolonged bottom to the 11 year cycle, which is why you're hearing fewer HF signals.
 
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kb2vxa

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There's a little black spot on the sun today
It's the same old thing as yesterday
There's an antenna in a high tree top
There's a flag pole antenna that you'll never spot

I have stood here before inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles running 'round my brain
I guess I'm always hoping that you'll end this reign
But it's my destiny to be the king of pain

Henry had a scanner.
 

ka3jjz

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Ah Sting and the Police - gotta love 'em - although I'm not sure how it pertains to the topic....73 Mike
 
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No. Sunspots have minimal effect on radio wave propagation on frequencies above 100 Mhz. (Cellphones are in the 800, 900 and 1900 Mhz bands.) Even if they did, we've been in a period of zero or near zero sunspots for months, the result of a prolonged bottom to the 11 year cycle, which is why you're hearing fewer HF signals.

Thanks for the direct answer, I will pass it along to my co-worker.

Thanks Warren for the jingle, made me chuckle, and now the tune is stuck in my head....


Steven
 

k9rzz

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FYI ... in 6 or 7 years when the sunspots are at a peak, and there's a major solar flare, that might affect cell phones.
 

kb2vxa

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Well Mike, absolutely nothing. (;->) Look at Rick's signature tag line above my post.

As for you Steven... heh heh heh heh heh heh.

John, it won't affect the RF but a good flare can knock out power by induced EMF currents tripping out feeders like in Quebec at the peak of the last cycle. Then they have this weird ricochet effect, they'll cause a communications blackout for a few hours but in the following couple of days the bands get pretty hot and the MUF takes a good peak.

Oh BTW Steve, watch your spelling; "I will pass it along to my co-worker." Actually that's cow orker without the hyphen.
 

k9rzz

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Sure can affect cell phones if conditions are right:

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/cell_phone_020306.html

" ... Gary explained that the problem has to do mostly with the fact that cell phone towers need to face the horizon in order to communicate with users and other towers.Those that face east or west look directly into the Sun at sunrise or sunset. If a burst occurs then, the tower sustains a direct hit and is unable to sort out wireless calls from unwanted signals."
 

gcgrotz

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That sounds like a stretch, although the sun does affect satellite reception at certain times of the year for a few minutes when the sun is directly behind the satellite. But that's not sunspots, just general RF noise from the sun.

Having been in the wireless biz for almost 30 years, I have blamed - more than once - some customer's trouble on sunspots. Or Neutrinos.
 

texasemt13

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Or Neutrinos.

Yes, but then you could just blame it on sunlight IF neutrinos ACTUALLY effected reception, which they don't.
If any object is directly lit by the sun it is being bombarded by MANY BILLIONS of neutrinos per square centimeter, on every surface (yes even the underside) - in fact since matter does very little in the way of absorbing any flavor of neutrino even the dark side of the planet is absorbing billions at a time...
 
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