Hi all, my how this group has grown; firstly thanks to those thoughtful people who gave me the links to my last questions on M/S y2k site etc.

I am now looking for info on the 'Cycle 23 of Solar Max' which is due to happen from mid november 1999 on. anyone got any info on this please?

Also several months ago General Motors denied having a problem with their 'dashboard, and ignitions' inability to roleover to 2000. The WSJ ran an artical on the problem 4 - 7 months ago. I am looking for any info on weather GM is still denying they have a problem, or weather they have fixed the problem, or weather there was a problem in the first instance.

Any body come across any of the above in their travels, please could you drop me a post.

Re Timothy J Wilbur

-- Timothy J Wilbur (timkaz@nor.com.au), October 02, 1998

Answers

Try this:

http://www.sunspotcycle.com/

hope it helps.

yada

-- yada (yada@yada.com), October 02, 1998.

Tim,

Back in August I called the local Chevrolet dealership to ask about any possible Y2K problems with my '94 Blazer. At first the guy I talked to (assistant service manager) seriously wanted to know if I was from Dateline NBC, or some such media entity. (Remember the bogus report on exploding pickup truck gas tanks....exploded by bottle rockets?)

Once I calmed him down with the assurance that I was from the Jerry Springer show, he got rational and did say that most GM products will have no problem. BUT he did say that some late-model Cadillacs with the high-end onboard computers would have Y2K problems.

But what does he know, he's just the guy who runs computer diagnostics on cars in a dealership service shop every working day of the year. The PR executives who probably don't know how to pop a hood surely know much better than him.

-- John Howard (Greenville, NC) (pcdir@prodigy.net), October 02, 1998.

and I just picked up on your location Tim....no relation whatsoever to the Prime Minister! I'm a 'junior', for that matter (^_^) blame it on me pop...actually those who named him...

-- John Howard (pcdir@prodigy.net), October 02, 1998.

by way of explanation for those of you who might be internationally challenged (is that the politically correct term?),

John Howard is the prime minister of Australia. Maybe someday I'll meet him. That was my Dad's name too.

-- John Howard (Greenville, NC, USA) (pcdir@prodigy.net), October 02, 1998.

Solar cycle 23 is predicted to be as severe or more severe than cycle 22. The peak of cycle 22 happened in 1989. Several satellites failed due to geomagnetic storms, half of Canada was plunged into darkness by another storm and computer operations world wide were disturbed. The peak of the cycle is coming earlier than most had expected (mid to late 2000). Dick Altrock of the NOAA in Sunspot New Mexico has pinned the max in Nov of 1999. That is real BAD NEWS for the satellite, power and computer operating industries. Just when we will be bracing for Y2K, we will be hit by storms with the power to fry satellites, overload power grids in the US and Canada and crash computer systems (I think you know what happens if you put a magnet next to a disk or your credit card).

The risk is compounded when you realize we will also be hit this Novemember and November 1999, with the Leonids meteor shower. Trust me there are a lot of Pentagon, CIA and sat industry insiders sweating these storms impact on the sat infrastructure. Add in the vital links that both sat and land line tele services to financial institutions coupled with a very messy Euro conversion and you will think about buying gold coins. Very few people can see the whole picture or how these things will compound each other. It has taken me over a year to understand the ramifications of all these events intersecting in a period that starts this November and ends sometime in mid 2000. When it is over, the world will without doubt be a very different place. A hint, it won't be good. Hope this is helpful.

-- Johnny B Good (jeffsmack@aol.com), October 02, 1998.

Sunspots, solar flares, GM dashboard computers, and the Prime Wizard of OZ, all from one posting - and I thought I was convoluted.

Cool (hot?) info on the flares, thanks. My 13 year old budding astronomistress will love it.

You know what's really more likely to fail (due to date problems) in the automotive worlds thatn the cars themselves?

The "new" super-ozone/NOX polution monitoring computer analysis machines now required in several ozone-action areas, including Atlanta and (I think) LA. Those things took an extra 15 months to come on line, and were broken even then. They are linked to state and county registratoin offices too, so license plate, car registration, car taxes, car sales, and car emission sticker checks might all fail at the same time as plates are due.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), October 02, 1998.

Re sunspot cycles -- check out www.artbell.com That is a web site related to the Art Bell late night talk show. Might be something there, or at least a link. Art has had at least on guest on about that. (Also has had Gary North re Y2K.)

-- David Bean (bean_d@hotmail.com), October 02, 1998.

Information on Solar Cycle

Geomagnetic Storms and Impacts on Power Systems

Sunspot Cycle Predictions

Sunspots and the Solar Cycle

-- Max Dixon (Ogden, Utah, USA) (Max.Dixon@gte.net), October 02, 1998.

The Federation Of American Scientists has a good page regarding this, though it hasn't been updated in a while. The FAS has some good stuff regarding Fun things like Keyhole satellites, etc.

-- Ed Condron (ecokc@home.com), October 02, 1998.

...Something I ran across 'along the way' showed a very strong relationship to solar activity and the stock market. The site took it back about 80 years or so and showed peaks and valleys that were parallel. I find it hard to believe that over such a long period this many coincidences could occur.

...just more fun in store for fall '99...

-- j (hemwat@bellsouth.net), October 06, 1998.

Max:

"Geomagnetic Storms and Impacts on Power Systems" was fascinating. Thanks!

-- Mike (gartner@execpc.com), October 09, 1998.