USCG announces publication of notice of intention to terminate Loran-C

[gCaptain]

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard's Director of Prevention Policy announced Thursday publication in the Federal Register of plans to cease broadcasting the North American Loran-C signal Feb. 8.
As a result of technological advancements during the last 20 years and the emergence of the U.S. Global Positioning System, Loran-C is no longer required by the armed forces, the transportation sector or the nation's security interests, and is used by only a small segment of the population.

President Barack Obama's fiscal year 2010 budget supported the termination of outdated systems and specifically cited the terrestrial-based North American Loran-C system as such an example. The president did not seek funding for the Loran-C system in fiscal year 2010. Termination was also supported through the enactment of the 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill.

The decision to terminate transmission of the Loran-C signal reflects the president's pledge to eliminate unnecessary federal programs.

The Loran-C system was not established as, nor was it intended to be, a viable systemic backup for GPS. If a single, domestic national system to back up GPS is identified as being necessary, the Department of Homeland Security will complete an analysis of potential backups to GPS. The continued active operation of Loran-C is not necessary to advance this evaluation.

The notice may be viewed online at www.regulations.gov, docket number: USCG-2009-0299. for more information on terminations, reductions and savings contained in the fiscal year 2010 budget, including Loran-C, visit www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/TRS/.

[gCaptain]

Coast Guard announces publication of record of decision on Long Range Aids to Navigation (Loran-C) program

WASHINGTON — The Coast Guard's Director of Prevention Policy announced Thursday publication in the Federal Register of the Record of Decision to decommission the Loran-C program and terminate the North American Loran-C signal.


The final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement on the future of the nation's Loran-C program was announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on June 12, 2009.


The PEIS considered five alternatives for the future of the Loran-C program and two environmentally preferable alternatives were identified. The first alternative is to take no action; the second alternative is to end or reduce Coast Guard management of the Loran-C program by decommissioning the Loran-C program and terminating the North American Loran-C signal. The PEIS is required under the National Environmental Policy Act.


As supported by the analysis in the PEIS, this record of decision supports and confirms the government decision to end or reduce the Coast Guard's management of the Loran-C program by decommissioning the Loran-C program and terminating the North American Loran-C signal. Implementation of the proposed action through the preferred alternative is consistent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's determination that continued public investment in the Loran-C program is not in the national best interest.


President Barack Obama's fiscal year 2010 budget identified potential savings across the federal government to reduce the nation's deficit and to discontinue outdated programs. Included is termination of the Loran-C program in the coming year, specifically the termination of outdated systems such as the terrestrial-based, long-range radionavigation (Loran-C) operated by the Coast Guard.


Termination of the program was also supported through the enactment of the fiscal year 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations bill.


The Record of Decision, PEIS and related materials may be viewed online at http://www.regulations.gov, docket number: USCG-2007-28460.

[robc]

Hi lads first post, I'm rob 2/0 from Ireland working on anchor handlers in the north sea.

Anyway isn't there a new version of loran in devolpment?

[richard8000milesaway]

(LORAN C): terminate. terminate with extreme prejudice.

[yakka]

Does any body Know how long the agreement with the Russians and Canadians to share Loran C signals is? We run a crew boat to a Loran station in Alaska and were hoping to squeeze a bit more time out of them if they have to take care of the international commitment.

[NAUTICART]

Originally Posted by richard8000milesaway

(LORAN C): terminate. terminate with extreme prejudice.

Richard, I'd like to read more.

Oh by the way, glad this dosn't apply to "vehicles"...

[richard8000milesaway]

thx nauticart, see you at the coffee shop. good luck!

[CMA_Decky]

All the LORAN fixes have already been taken off the chart plot exams.

[mike173]

Originally Posted by CMA_Decky

All the LORAN fixes have already been taken off the chart plot exams.

As of when? I had them on my C/M exam just before Thanksgiving.

[Capt_Anonymous]

Originally Posted by robc

Hi lads first post, I'm rob 2/0 from Ireland working on anchor handlers in the north sea.

Anyway isn't there a new version of loran in devolpment?

Yes, it is called eLoran or Loran-e. It was being developed in the USA, no more. But it is being developed in Europe and Asia from what I'm told.

It is a shame that the US doesn't realize that a terrestrial system with nearly the same accuracy as GPS is an important redundancy, not an unnecessary system. Oh well, the decline of the empire continues.

[CaptAndrew]

Originally Posted by CMA_Decky

All the LORAN fixes have already been taken off the chart plot exams.

Not at the school I teach at. We already discussed it here and many schools will not go to the trouble of changing the courses just for that yet. If you teach it you have to test it.

[jdcavo]

Originally Posted by CaptAndrew

Not at the school I teach at. We already discussed it here and many schools will not go to the trouble of changing the courses just for that yet. If you teach it you have to test it.

One note I should have added to that post you cite, iy a school never asks to revise its courses, particularly to remove obsolete material, it'll probably be viewed evidence of a lack of an effective instruction design cycle during a Coast Guard audit of the school.

[CMA_Decky]

Originally Posted by mike173

As of when? I had them on my C/M exam just before Thanksgiving.

Very recently. They replaced all of them with with visual bearings and ranges on the exam I just took.

[Mr 100-ton]

The U.S. Coast Guard announced this week it will decommission the Long Range Aids to Navigation (Loran-C) program and terminate the Loran-C signal broadcasts on Feb. 8.
Technological advances in the past 20 years have determined that Loran-C is no longer required as a maritime navigational tool, the agency said in a news release. The final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) on Loran-C program was announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on June 12. Loran stations are expected to cease transmitting by Oct. 1.
Implementation is consistent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's determination that continued public investment in the Loran-C program is not in the nation's best interest.
For more information, visit www.regulations.gov and search for Docket No. USCG-2007-28460.

I wonder how long it will still be on the USCG tests

[Captain Electron!!]

They're adding more questions on steam deck windlass operation and how to fill whale oil fired nav lights to fill in the new blank spaces . .

[steelbeach]

This may not be the best judgement by the current government "folks".
Basic premise of physics is to have a plan B or default position in case you didn't get the numbers correct the first time.
If the hackers can steal my credit card I guess they can at some point dither the G.P.S. system and demand a ransom.
It's most likely a good thing C.G. didn't drop celestial from the scene.
I'm already polishing my "Weems & Plath and blowing dust away from my tables and notes.

[wmoser]

I'm just an engineer who dabbles in the "deck arts", but it seems to me that having a backup system in place that doesn't rely on satellites would be prudent. Any institution capable of putting a satellite into orbit is also capable of taking removing one from orbit, particuallarly if you don't care about collateral damage. Wired mag wrote an article in '02 that includes half a dozen ways that a lot of space capable governments could implement. Same with the argument to get rid of c-nav from licensing tests, what happens if GPS isn't there? "Oh, we have piloting for that." What about all the water in between?

[dougpine]

Europe is charging ahead with eLoran. We're being left vulnerable and behind the curve.

http://www.loran.org/news/The%20Case...oran%201.0.pdf

From the text:

"eLoran is needed both to ensure safety in a higher-risk environment and to deliver a radionavigation dividend – cost savings that result from the introduction of radionavigation services and their take-up in the maritime sector. eLoran is a low-frequency, terrestrial navigation system operating at 100 kHz and synchronized to Co-ordinated Universal Time. It is intended to meet the required navigation performance parameters for a range of transport and timing applications including marine general navigation. Initial differential eLoran trials conducted at Harwich in April 2006 and using the GLAs’ test transmitter at Rugby have demonstrated horizontal positioning accuracies better than 9m with 95% confidence using modern, miniaturised eLoran receivers."

[seadawg]

**if it isn't already this should be chiseled on a stone wall somewhere.."anytime you don't provide for redundancy in the marine environment you invite catastrophe"!!

don't believe that celestial is a viable alternative for coast wise navigation??

do believe that "the decline of the empire continues"!!

[Ashatsea]

My friend is an ET in the Coast Guard and has been a long time LORAN-C operator he is pretty pissed to say the least. That is his baby they are taking down.

[john]

Originally Posted by Capt_Anonymous

Yes, it is called eLoran or Loran-e. It was being developed in the USA, no more. But it is being developed in Europe and Asia from what I'm told.

It is a shame that the US doesn't realize that a terrestrial system with nearly the same accuracy as GPS is an important redundancy, not an unnecessary system. Oh well, the decline of the empire continues.

Not to mention Loran works without the need for an uninstructed sky, which is not normally a problem but the bridges can be problimatic.

The real question is what to do with the 10-point dividers which I've loved from first sight.

[JBPA]

Not true about the Loran C problems being taken off of the USCG Exams. I just had one on my C/M Exam two weeks ago.

[velu]

It s a good thing that the Loran is being taken down. Put that money to better use elsewhere.

Wrote a long post on it just yesterday out here. Please do read it.

Cheers,
Velu

[jdcavo]

Originally Posted by JBPA

Not true about the Loran C problems being taken off of the USCG Exams. I just had one on my C/M Exam two weeks ago.

Some exams still have Loran questions on them, but they will all be removed when the Loran system is turned off.

[john]

Originally Posted by velu

It s a good thing that the Loran is being taken down. Put that money to better use elsewhere.

Wrote a long post on it just yesterday out here. Please do read it.

Note: If anyone has a similar post they would like on the blog, simply post it to the YOUblog section of this forum and we will consider it.

Cheers,
Velu

Although I disagree with you, the post makes some excellent points. Can we repost it on the gCaptain blog (with a link of course)?