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23-01-2010, 03:16
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#31
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario - 48-29N x 89-20W
Boat: (Cruiser Living On Dirt)
Posts: 49,082
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Corporate Front Group?
Quote:
Originally Posted by svHyLyte
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Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW): What a fabulous name!
Who is for government waste? It sounds like a wonderful organization of patriotic people who are trying to make government better.
But, CAGW has provided a wide array of services to help corporate groups with Washington lobbying campaigns. Congressional records show the group's lobbying arm, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, has written hundreds of letters to members of the House and Senate on issues that have no apparent connection to the group's stated mission (Tobacco industry, Mexican Avacados, Microsoft, etc).
__________________
Gord May
"If you didn't have the time or money to do it right in the first place, when will you get the time/$ to fix it?"
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23-01-2010, 05:04
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#32
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: 49-29 N, 124-44 W
Boat: Beneteau 305
Posts: 69
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For those worried about the satilities falling from the sky's, and hence less reliability for your little garmin. The satilities which are due to fail are old technology, they are 30 years old. As newer satilites go up, they leave with the latest technology and better radios. You only need 4 satilites to get a fix, trick being that you need 4 continiously. It should also be noted that these are military satilites in which they de-tune for the average user to + or - 10 meters. There is also the russian satilites (called Glasnoss), as well as China (and I think Japan) planing to send up satilites of there own, mainly for military purposes, but will be available for the local user.
Now considering that the U.S. has invested huge resources in this technology for guiding thier missiles and those drone things that fly with no pilots, I would bet my boat that GPS is here to stay, will become more reliable as the newer more modern satilites are put into place.
As for Loran-C, it was great to have when there was nothing else, but now with GPS (more accurate etc..) it is truely time to put this great technology in the shed to be brought out only as a conversation piece.
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08-02-2010, 08:02
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#34
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Gabriola Island & Victoria, British Columbia
Boat: Cooper 416 Honeysuckle
Posts: 6,933
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There turning them down in Canada this year as well. Any ideas on how to repurpose old Loran gear? :-)
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08-02-2010, 08:11
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#35
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,134
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Well the case that holds the electronics for my Kings 8001 unit is pretty rugged. So I might find a use for it onboard. Unfortuntely, the electronics probably will not be useful except for those who like to tinker around. The unit was still reliable after twenty years.
Capt. Mike
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08-02-2010, 22:37
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#36
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2008
Boat: Trident marine Voyager 30
Posts: 814
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There are still Loran chains elsewhere and you could always try to sell it on ebay but I doubt anyone will pay much for it.
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10-02-2010, 05:34
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#37
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Tampa Bay area, USA
Boat: Beneteau First 42
Posts: 3,961
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And now a note from the US Coast Guard's " Now You Tell Me?" Department
BBC News - Sat-nav devices face big errors as solar activity rises
(The video included in the above is informative.)
__________________
"It is not so much for its beauty that the Sea makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air, that emanation from the waves, that so wonderfully renews a weary spirit."
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10-02-2010, 12:36
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#38
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: 29° 49.16’ N 82° 25.82’ W
Boat: Pearson 422
Posts: 16,306
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Quote:
Originally Posted by svHyLyte
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Well, according to the referenced article, sat nav could go down for tens of minutes a few times a year or lose accuracy to ten meters or so. I feel pretty certain I can DR myself across a ten minute or ten meter gap in coverage.
__________________
The water is always bluer on the other side of the ocean.
Sometimes it's necessary to state the obvious for the benefit of the oblivious.
Rust is the poor man's Loctite.
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10-02-2010, 13:03
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#39
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Where the wind does roam
Boat: Alan Pape Cutter 44', Adventures!
Posts: 16
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I thought it was common knowledge that the USA GPS system was rapidly becoming obselescent. Two new systems are being put into service (not USA owned) and new receivers are said to be dual channel to recieve either system. Additonally in Europe eLoran is continuing to be rolled out and supported.
One may say if a system is safety related then its good to have confidence in who has control of the off switch! Or you make sure you have an alternative to hand.
If the demise of GPS is being kept quiet, one may ask why? I did read that certain companies shares have been declining recently.
I suggest we all do some research before committing our pennies to a new navigation tool.
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10-02-2010, 14:20
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#40
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Where the wind does roam
Boat: Alan Pape Cutter 44', Adventures!
Posts: 16
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10-02-2010, 15:26
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#41
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Hayes, Virginia
Boat: 1962 28' Pearson Triton
Posts: 289
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If there was no GPS for civilian use, I wonder how many people would be crossing oceans in sailboats? I'm guessing the number would drastically be reduced. That could be a good thing for those longing for some less-crowded anchorages.
__________________
Jay White
S/V Dove
1962 Pearson Triton, #318
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11-02-2010, 10:58
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#42
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Tampa, FL
Posts: 5,009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skipmac
Well, according to the referenced article, sat nav could go down for tens of minutes a few times a year or lose accuracy to ten meters or so.
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Yeah. Can you say "hyperbole"? The headline says the system may "fail."
I guess an honest headline like "Brief, Minor Interruptions in Satnav System Will Hardly Affect Anyone" wouldn't have been catchy enough for them. A bit of a tangent to sailing subjects, but that's the problem with the media these days. They try to create public hysteria out of every little thing. And the problem with the public these days is that too many of them buy into the hysteria that the media is creating.
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06-08-2013, 12:35
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#43
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Tampa Bay area, USA
Boat: Beneteau First 42
Posts: 3,961
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And Now, 20/20 Hindsight or Oopsie
Ressurecting this old discussion in light of the suddenly recognized realities of GPS fragility, e.g. North Korea's black-out of GPS signals in south Korea for 16 daze and the resulting action Sail-World.com : eLoran - the alternative to GPS - inches towards reality . Think about it...
__________________
"It is not so much for its beauty that the Sea makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air, that emanation from the waves, that so wonderfully renews a weary spirit."
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06-08-2013, 13:19
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#44
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2011
Boat: Valiant 42
Posts: 6,008
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Very unlikely E-LORAN will ever go on the air. Many LORAN antennas have been destroyed. There is zero support within USCG and US Congress. There are less expensive ways to deal with would be GPS pirates.
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06-08-2013, 13:26
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#45
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Homer, AK is my home port
Boat: Skookum 53'
Posts: 4,042
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Re: Goodbye, Loran
Loran was never very dependable in Alaska, it would jump 10 "mikes" with no warning or error messages. We always used radar and dead reckoning as an adjunct.
__________________
" Wisdom; is your reward for surviving your mistakes"
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