[Boatanchors] LightSquared (sort of)

[J. Forster]

LORAN-C was just discontinued within either last year or two years ago. It
was on 100 kHz (actually 90-110 kHz because of the pulse envelope)..


>
> LORAN (LOng RAnge Navigation) was developed to provide a
> locationing method over the oceans of the world.  It was
> positioned in the 1750 - 2000 kHz frequency spectrum. It
> was totally adequate to find England, France, or whatever
> from the USA.
>
> It did NOT work over land areas other than just a short
> distance inland from water.  I don't remember if LORAN
> was installed around the Great Lakes area. In February
> 1962, fresh out of USAF Navigator school at Harlingen
> AFB, TX, I probably could have told you!
>
> As has been previously stated, it was deactivated in the USA
> around 1980.

-John

============
>
> LORAN-C at VLF (Very Low Frequency) was developed long after
> LORAN-A, and was installed at some inland locations in the USA
> and did function fairly well.  Boaters, especially those engaged
> in fishing, really liked it because they could record coordinates
> (or TDs) of their favorite fishing spots down and find those
> spots again!
>
> The LORAN-C stations, maintained by the US Coast Guard, were
> deactivated a few (10 or so?) years back when the GPS constellation
> (group of satellites) was upgraded to WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation
> System) to enable a much higher level of accuracy than was previously
> available.  At one time, DGPS (Differential GPS) was available in
> some areas to provide a higher level of accuracy.  This used separate
> transmitters in the LF (Low Frequency) range (~200-500 kHz) at known
> ocations which transmitted short range (< 100 or so miles) corrections
> to be compared with those in the GPS receiver to gain that improved
> accuracy. These DGPS capabilities were usually in coastal areas that
> had high concentrations of marine (civil and military) shipping.
>
> * * * * * * * * * * *
> * 73 - Mac, K2GKK/5 *
> * (Since 30 Nov 53) *
> * k2gkk at hotmail.com *
> * Oklahoma City, OK *
> * USAF & FAA (Ret.) *
> * * * * * * * * * * *
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>> From: frledda at att.net
>> To: jfor at quikus.com
>> Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2012 08:50:30 -0500
>> CC: boatanchors at mailman.qth.net; drewrailleur807 at yahoo.com
>> Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] LightSquared
>>
>> GPS by design can detect lack of accuracy; this can be done, since
>> multiple
>> solutions can be determined using different satellites; a cross check
>> can
>> identify errors.
>>
>> I don't know much about LORAN to know how it could compute multiple
>> fixes to
>> detect errors. Cross check with what? A GPS signal?
>>
>> I know that LORAN is more than aviation, but I am familiar about
>> aviation.
>>
>> FL
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: J. Forster [mailto:jfor at quikus.com]
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2012 8:14 AM
>> To: Francesco Ledda
>> Cc: 'Drew P.'; boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
>> Subject: RE: [Boatanchors] LightSquared
>>
>> > The problem with LORAN was that there was no way to detect an error
>> > and/or degradation of accuracy; this limited its use for aviation
>> > application to enroute applications.
>>
>> Well, since the potential shutdown was known for many years, no
>> manufacturer
>> was inclined to make the design effort to write the SW to provide cross
>> checks. A chicken & egg problem.
>>
>> Also, LORAN-C was never designed to be an ILS. It was certainly good
>> enough
>> to get you within a mile of your destination.
>>
>> > LORAN had some problems when closing in to bad storms. I did
>> > experience the LORAN going "blank" at the "wrong time" due to heavy
>> > statics, few times; it is not fun, when flying.
>>
>> Again, flying is NOT the one and only use.
>>
>> > I still think that E-LORAN will come back one day.... may be, it is
>> > wishful thinking.
>> >
>> > FL
>>
>> IMO, it will require a government that takes terrorism seriously or
>> another
>> 9/11 type incident.
>>
>> "Ossama Bin Laden is dead,
>> Al Queda is alive and well."
>>
>> -John
>>
>> =================
>
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