widgeon
22nd Jan 2007, 21:23
Some not convinced to shelve LORAN
January 16,2007
PATRICIA SMITH
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Federal authorities are considering decommissioning the Long Range Aids to Navigation (LORAN-C) system.
And at least one local boater thinks that would be a mistake.
"I think it would be very foolish, otherwise we'll end up with all our eggs in one basket," said Bill Brogdon, a retired U.S. Coast Guard captain who lives in Cape Carteret.
LORAN-C is a radio navigation system based on technology developed in the 1960s that uses land-based radio transmitters to allow mariners and aviators to determine their position. It is accurate to within a 500-yard diameter, said U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Jonathan Cilley, of District 11 public affairs.
Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based radio navigation system that is much more accurate.
"That's exact, that will give you exact coordinates of where you are in the water," Cilley said.
Last week, the U.S. Coast Guard, under the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Transportation, posted a notice in the Federal Register requesting public comments on whether or not GPS renders LORAN-C obsolete.
The government is asking the public if the nation still needs LORAN-C given that many now use GPS or if we should continue investment in upgrading to Enhanced LORAN (eLORAN).
"GPS is more of a reliable system where LORAN-C is getting to the point where it's outdated," Cilley said.
"Most mariners don't even use it anymore."
Those that do are mainly the old fishing boats, Cilley said.
Brogdon said many of the fishermen do still use LORAN-C to get back to fishing holes they logged years ago. But the main reason Brogdon thinks the nation should keep LORAN-C is because GPS is vulnerable to interference.
"It's a great system, but like anything else, it's manmade. It's not perfect," Brogdon said.
Sunspots can cause temporary blackouts, as can testing of military communications jamming equipment, Brogdon said. There have even been cases where TV and radio antennas from one vessel interfered with GPS signals for nearby boats, he said.
If a fisherman out on the water loses GPS for 15 minutes, he may not notice it. But for a ship coming into port, it could be disastrous without some backup system, Brogdon said.
The government is accepting public comments until Feb. 7.
They should be identified by Coast Guard docket number USCG-2006-24685 and sent to the Docket Management Facility of the U.S. Department of Transporation by mail to 400 Seventh St., SW., Washington, D.C. 20590-0001; by fax to (202) 493-2251; or by logging on to the web at http://dms.dot.gov.
http://www.jdnews.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=/GlobalTemplates/Details.cfm&StoryID=47850&Section=News
January 16,2007
PATRICIA SMITH
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Federal authorities are considering decommissioning the Long Range Aids to Navigation (LORAN-C) system.
And at least one local boater thinks that would be a mistake.
"I think it would be very foolish, otherwise we'll end up with all our eggs in one basket," said Bill Brogdon, a retired U.S. Coast Guard captain who lives in Cape Carteret.
LORAN-C is a radio navigation system based on technology developed in the 1960s that uses land-based radio transmitters to allow mariners and aviators to determine their position. It is accurate to within a 500-yard diameter, said U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Jonathan Cilley, of District 11 public affairs.
Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based radio navigation system that is much more accurate.
"That's exact, that will give you exact coordinates of where you are in the water," Cilley said.
Last week, the U.S. Coast Guard, under the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Transportation, posted a notice in the Federal Register requesting public comments on whether or not GPS renders LORAN-C obsolete.
The government is asking the public if the nation still needs LORAN-C given that many now use GPS or if we should continue investment in upgrading to Enhanced LORAN (eLORAN).
"GPS is more of a reliable system where LORAN-C is getting to the point where it's outdated," Cilley said.
"Most mariners don't even use it anymore."
Those that do are mainly the old fishing boats, Cilley said.
Brogdon said many of the fishermen do still use LORAN-C to get back to fishing holes they logged years ago. But the main reason Brogdon thinks the nation should keep LORAN-C is because GPS is vulnerable to interference.
"It's a great system, but like anything else, it's manmade. It's not perfect," Brogdon said.
Sunspots can cause temporary blackouts, as can testing of military communications jamming equipment, Brogdon said. There have even been cases where TV and radio antennas from one vessel interfered with GPS signals for nearby boats, he said.
If a fisherman out on the water loses GPS for 15 minutes, he may not notice it. But for a ship coming into port, it could be disastrous without some backup system, Brogdon said.
The government is accepting public comments until Feb. 7.
They should be identified by Coast Guard docket number USCG-2006-24685 and sent to the Docket Management Facility of the U.S. Department of Transporation by mail to 400 Seventh St., SW., Washington, D.C. 20590-0001; by fax to (202) 493-2251; or by logging on to the web at http://dms.dot.gov.
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