While we have covered eLoran before, most notably in this eLoran FAQ early last year, new headlines provide the need for revisiting the topic. In an article titled “Will Obama Kill Navigation Backup System as GPS Threatens to Fail?” Popular Mechanics tells us:
Even as a government watchdog agency warns that GPS navigation satellites could fail, the Obama administration’s proposed fiscal 2010 budget has quietly killed the nation’s backup navigation system.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report last week warning, “It is uncertain whether the Air Force will be able to acquire new satellites in time to maintain current GPS service without interruption. If not, some military operations and some civilian users could be adversely affected.” The report also notes that the current program is about $870 million over budget and the launch of its first satellite has been delayed to November 2009, almost three years late.
This GAO report comes at a bad time for the Obama administration, which cut funding for the nation’s only backup to GPS from its 2010 budget. The LORAN system, which stands for Long-Range Aids to Navigation, is a network of terrestrial transmission stations, equipped with antennas as tall as 900 feet and staffed with Coast Guard personnel.
The network has been on the verge of obsolescence because GPS has a wider range and can transmit more precise information. That’s why Peter Orszag, director of Obama’s Office of Management and Budget, in an online posting on the White House’s websitewrote the “long-range, radio-navigation system has been made obsolete by GPS.” (Full Article Link)
From its invention by Alfred Lee Loomis to assist the Navy and Air Force during WWI to the wide scale adoption of GPS in the 90’s, Loran served the navigation needs of mariners in coastal waters. While Loran-C receivers have been taken off the bridges of most merchant ships it’s replacement, GPS, suffers from enough faults that every mariner is still required by the US Coast Guard to learn both terrestrial and celestial navigation. [Continue Reading →]
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Tags: · electronic navigation, eloran, gps, Navigation, USCG
Could it be time to dig out your old ten point dividers and loran-c charts? Probably not but the same technology behind these devices is making a comeback. HKLaw tells us:
Budget of the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2009 and related documents. Among other things, the Budget documents note enhanced LORAN (eLORAN) has been identified as the primary candidate as the national backup system for position, navigation, and timing. This budget includes funding for modernization of LORAN-C as the first step to implementation of eLORAN. Through a contracting-out arrangement, the Coast Guard will operate the LORAN-C/eLORAN system on behalf of the DHS National Protection and Programs Directorate. In addition, the budget provides $20 million in new funding for more USCG marine inspectors.
eLORAN FAQ
What is eLORAN?
Enhanced Loran is an internationally standardized positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) service for use by many modes of transport and other applications. It is the latest in the long-standing and proven series of low-frequency, LOng-RAnge Navigation (LORAN) systems and takes full advantage of 21st century technology.
eLORAN meets the accuracy, availability, integrity and continuity performance requirements for aviation non-precision instrument approaches, maritime harbor entrance and approach maneuvers, land-mobile vehicle navigation and location-based services, and is a precise source of time and frequency for applications such as telecommunications.
eLORAN is an independent, dissimilar, complement to Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). It allows GNSS users to retain the safety, security and economic benefits of GNSS, even when their satellite services are disrupted. (Source: USCG NavCen)
Why is it needed?
- e-Navigation is a potential enabler of new applications to meet emerging and future requirements for marine navigation
- e-Navigation has the potential to deliver direct benefits to users through improved operational capabilities and also to reduce Light Dues if it enables the GLAs to remove physical AtoNs
- the benefits of e-Navigation could be seriously eroded through the measures that would have to be taken to avoid prejudicing safety in the event of failure of a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) that was the sole source of input position data
Translated that means eLORAN will be able to enable new technologies like positioning devices that work indoors and it provides redundancy to gps and gallileo systems.
How Is It Different From GPS?
Post 9/11 Concerns:
“And look: the weaknesses of LORAN are so different from those of
GPS. GPS is vulnerable to interference because the distant satellites
deliver so little power to our receivers. LORAN, with its megawatt
stations and tall transmitting antennas, is at least 10,000 times harder
to jam. Then, you cut out single-point failures by using microwave
signals from satellites and low-frequency signals from LORAN. On
land, where buildings and mountains block GPS signals, LORAN
travels along the earth’s surface, deep into city centres, even into
buildings and – for aviation – down into the valleys, to ground level. And
like GPS, LORAN’s a complete navigation and timing system.” Professor David Last
eLORAN in Operation
To find out more visit the USCG Navigation Center’s eLORAN page then download their eLORAN info PDF.
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Tags: · dynamic positioning, electronic navigation, eloran, enhanced loran, gnss, gps, marine electronics, Navigation
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