ELoran

[WDaniels]

Being new to sailing and wanting to get prepaired I started reading the celestral navagation post to learn peoples ideas about sextants. After reading about 10 pages(with over 220 to go) it is close to 50/50 on their having them. What to you old salts think about eloarn? It is suppose to have tremendous range over water, not easily blocked and as easy to use as gps.
Warren

[Idiens]

e-LORAN is not yet fully defined. When it is, old LORAN-C receivers will not benefit much, except there might be a signal to use, whereas LORAN-C was being discontinued. e-LORAN will not be internationally standardised for quite a while. It will not be global, as GPS is, but some believe that we have to have it because if GPS is jammed we will not know how to use radar and pilotage and sextants and stuff to navigate like we always used to before GPS was introduced.

I'm waiting for West Marine to stock an e-LORAN receiver. Despite fervent promises from the e-LORAN supporters' club, for over ten years now, I still can't buy a commercial product. I'm betting dual frequency GPS (L2C or L5) receivers will be available sooner.

[sailingdog]

I think the bird is correct. I think that the EU's version of GPS will be off the ground before e-Loran is...and that you'll be able to get GPS receivers that work with the US satellites and the European ones before you can get an e-Loran receiver.

[johnshasteen]

I do most of my sailing offshsore, so I used a sextant and sight reduction tables for years (and in lieu of Loran), but when I first got a Garmin Map 76, I gave up the sextant, now I have a Map 76CSX, withe the 76 as a back up. If the US satellite system screws up, I could easily go back to the sextant that's stored in oilcloth in one of the lockers behind on of the main saloon couchs, but good charts and dead reconing will be my first choice while waiting for the satellite system to come back up.

[Boasun]

You can get an eLoran set. It ties into your laptop. The USCG & USN have them in their navigation suite. The unfortunate thing is that it isn't widely manufactured which would make the price reasonable. Google it and find out for yourself...

[seabreeze_97]

Looks pretty well defined to me:
eLORAN - USCG Navigation Center

[seabreeze_97]

Some believe we need eLoran? You mean, like, "Finally, Bradford Parkinson, the “Father of GPS,” is reported by the U.S. National Space Based PNT Advisory Board as saying, “The ultimate compliment to GPS is that it is taken for granted . . . A contingency augmentation, like eLoran, is essential and would act as a deterrent to terrorism.”
Awww, what does he know.......

[Idiens]

Originally Posted by seabreeze_97

Looks pretty well defined to me:
eLORAN - USCG Navigation Center

Thanks for the reference, from which I extract:

"The LDC Description document contains a description of the current signal modulation format. Please note that the format is for research only and will be subject to change. We will continue to update the site as these changes occur."

Doesn't sound finished to me.

[Idiens]

Originally Posted by seabreeze_97

... A contingency augmentation, like eLoran, is essential and would act as a deterrent to terrorism.”...

So terrorists will not use GPS as soon as they can use e-LORAN?

[sailaway21]

From Popular Mechanics:
Government GPS Systems Upgrade – eLORAN Backup Plan for GPS - Popular Mechanics