Loran c

[Cruisingdad]

Originally Posted by Cruisingdad

GPS gives you lat and lon which you reference on a paper chart. What does a Loran give you?

- CD

I'm still waiting for your response, Sway. Or have you refused to answer the question because you know how I am going to respond to your answer? Also, how well does it work on inland waterways (close to land) and how far out?

- CD

PS Just a hint - I know the answers. If you don't, you can ask any sailor except Popeye or Christopher Columbus. I think even Magellan gave up his Loran for a GPS.... in fact, I know he did. I had his name on one of my first GPS!

HEHE!!!!

[camaraderie]

Loran give you two LOP's which you can use to find your sextant!

[sailaway21]

CD,
In a spirit of comity, I'll give CD time to research a bit more on Loran than is available from the dated Wikipedia entry before beating him about the head and shoulders further. Fifteen minutes with google should provoke enough, gee I didn't know that's, to suffice.

[hellosailor]

The USCG has twice asked for public comments before shutting down the LoranC system for good. And each time, they got enough response to quickly decide not to shut it down. Mainly along the lines you've already heard here: It may not have the accuracy of GPS, but it IS a sufficient, reliable, redundant system with a large enough user base and low enough costs that large numbers of users want to see it continued. "The prudent navigator does not rely on any one means of..." has been printed on too many charts, when the public recites it back and says they don't want just one system, GPS or otherwise--it makes a convincing argument. Of course Loran has quakes--but isn't that what GPS is for.

And when GPS quakes, or has to be shut down, it is awfully convenient to have a second fully independent system to fall back on. I don't think anyone is buying new Lorans for the boats--but there are SO many units already out there.

[patrickrea]

Originally Posted by sailaway21

In a doubtlessly vain attempt to return the thread to rationality, I'd ask what everyone here paid for their GPS units or chartplotters. Since the vast majority of sailing is done in waters covered by Loran C and the OP owns one it would seem that his near-offshore navigation needs are quite well met for the near term future. And he will not have to update the unit periodically as all you conscientious chart-plotter users do, correct?

I own 2 portable GPS units; 1 x GPSMAP176 + RAM mount for the Pedestal at CDN$145 on Ebay, 1 x Etrex Legend CDN$110 from Radio Shack. 2 x Bluechart license at CDN$150 each. CDN$555 after tax. Gives me redundant charting capabilities. Even without updating, I get accurate LAT/LON readings to transfer to a paper chart as I need to.

I use the same routes on both units, use them on my other boats up north at the cottage and in the car for trips to strange locations. A free Loran would be nice but it's hard to use in the car and is not exactly portable.

Personally I object to paying for the latest and greatest in the electronics world, be it a GPS or a computer. A brand new chartplotter would be roughly 10-25% of what I paid for the boat in the first place. New old stock and Ebay are the way to go. Let some other sucker defer the R&D costs.

[Valiente]

Patrick, if you had a handheld compass (and a reasonable sense of its variation and deviation in your cockpit) and a chart, you could obtain two LOPs to determine distance offshore in clear weather, or if you have a watch and a steady hand on the tiller, you can use a simple formula to determine boat speed, distance off, etc.

It's the chart that gives you the land feature indicating general location. If you don't actually KNOW the land feature, and think it might be one of two or three features (radio towers look alike), you can determine which one it is via bearings, height via sextant, and so on.

A short coastal pilotage course (combined with a lot of chart work and sailing courses parallel to the shore) taught me more about navigation than years of dicking around with GPSes. Now I'm the guy who says "steer 195 degrees magnetic" BEFORE the GPS goes on. In fact, I ask guys for whom I crew to keep the GPS off until I've provided a course.

If you learn this stuff, you can detect currents, set and drift, all transitory aspects of the watery environment easy to overlook with GPS.

[T34C]

Originally Posted by sailaway21

CD,
In a spirit of comity, I'll give CD time to research a bit more on Loran than is available from the dated Wikipedia entry before beating him about the head and shoulders further. Fifteen minutes with google should provoke enough, gee I didn't know that's, to suffice.

I know CD- has absolutly no use for a Loran since I have not heard any news of them wanting to move his marina.

[Valiente]

Cruel, but fair...

[captbillc]

there was a loran & a GPS on my boat when i bought it in 1993 (second owner) so i kept them both. loran worked well before we had GPS . it gave you the TD positions for use on a chart with TD lines & also Lat & Lon . it doesn't hurt to have a back up