May 15th, 2008
While MegaPulse has dominated the Loran transmitter market for decades it looks like there is a new player in town. Today Nautel and UrsaNav released joint press releases announcing the successful test of Nautel’s new eLoran transmitter at the Loran Support Unit in Wildwood, NJ. UrsaNav was announced in the press releases as the global distributor for Nautel Loran solutions.
Though the price for these new eLoran transmitters was not listed Chuck Schue, CEO of UrsaNav and former Commanding Officer of the Loran Support Unit, did note: “Nautel’s new Loran transmitter technology significantly decreases the cost of [the eLoran system].”
Competition is good. The emergence of an additional Loran receiver manufacturer only three months after the eLoran announcement by the Department of Homeland Security shows that the private sector is anxious to push eLoran. Not only in the U.S. but around the world. From my perspective as a receiver company I say go forth an concur…the more eLoran coverage the better.
As a Mainer I must tip my hat to Nautel…those of us in Vacation Land apparently do more than eat lobsters and swat at mosquitoes.
March 5th, 2008
This past weekend I had the opportunity to participate on a panel discussion at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum. The discussion focused on the use of positioning receivers by fishermen and listening to the other speaker and the audience comments one concept came through very clearly. On the water performance should be defined by the error circle and not the absolute position accuracy.
I am reminded of an incident that occurred last summer. My mother had a 32′ Bristol sailboat that she chartered out. Last summer she came back with a chunk missing out of the port side. Apparently the two sailors had set a buoy as a way point and had been so enthralled with the chart plotter that they drove as if playing a computer game. At the last minute the wife finally looked up and realized that they were about to sail straight into the buoy. After running into the buoy all the two sailors could do was marvel about how accurate GPS was. Personally I think they were simply running on a bad luck streak. Ignoring the absolute accuracy of the GPS unit the swing circle of the buoy they managed to run into was so large that it really was simply bad luck that they ran into it.
As with any incident there are several take aways…not the least of which is that you should watch where you are going when driving a boat.
But when looking at the application of the positioning technology for navigation I argue strongly that it is the potential error rather than the absolute accuracy that matters the most. Having an appreciation for what the position on the chart plotter really means is critical to the safe operation of any vessel. Understanding that just because the chart plotter is showing you in the middle of the channel does not mean you are really in the middle of the channel. In many narrow channels and inlets the potential positioning error can easily place the actual location of the vessel outside of the channel and in harms way.
Unfortunately, many mariners today drive their boats based solely on their chart plotter without ever looking out over the bow. They may have looked on the spec. sheet and seen some claim by the GPS manufacturer about positioning accuracy but you can generally be assured that they did not dig into the details of the claim. The accuracy is taken for granted and people can’t understand when they end up hard up the rocks when their navigational system says they are in good water.
February 23rd, 2008
For all those that have been involved with the eLoran cause the recent announcement from DHS on eLoran’s future (DHS Press Release) and the inclusion of the program in the President’s budget have come as welcome vindication. Vindication that the work and effort to ensure the U.S. maintains a robust radionavigation system has not been in vain.
While many of us are basking in the glow of recent successes it is important that we do not forget the significant amount of work that lays ahead of us, including:
- Finishing the modernization of the Alaskan and Canadian stations.
- Building out the differential monitor sites and transmission systm.
- Development of user equipment and standards.
- Ensuring appropriate funding is included in the budget in FY09 and the future.
- Ensuring eLoran is appropriately included in the next Federal Radionavigation Plan.
- Conducting the international work that must be done to ensure continuity of the system for users throughout the world.
As progress and setbacks occur relating to eLoran and radionavigation in general I will use this forum to express my thoughts. I encourage people who are interested in these issues to view this blog as a means to develop and maintain a dialog.
