LORAN-C

[wiley]

The obsolete LORAN-C marine navigation system, which still gets $35 million a year despite being made obsolete by the satellite-based Global Positioning System is set to be shut-down. Where's my rebate?

[HOTSPOT]

No joke man. I never knew it cost that much.

[SCORPIO]

Read an article in Boating Mag. that LORAN C will go away but E-LORAN will take its place. Its supposed to be a better version with features and accuracy to rival GPS as well as being jam proof and not affected by solar events. Or so they say.

[Whiteowl]

I'm still sad to see it go. I have a 1986 Sitex loran that has been of four different boats. It is my old friend. Been back to Sitex once in all the years to get the battery updated. I had to perform surgery on the coupler a couple of times. It is a simple machine that isn't all that simple to operate but it has been good to me for a long time. Ironically, it died just two weeks ago. I don't guess there is much need to try to resurrect it now. As for the cost of Loran, that 35 million is the cost of a day or two for GPS. But maybe the per user cost for GPS is a less than the per user cost for Loran. I was always hoping that Furuno would put out a loran in the GP31 case.

[Snapper Head]

I'm still sad to see it go. I have a 1986 Sitex loran that has been of four different boats. It is my old friend. Been back to Sitex once in all the years to get the battery updated. I had to perform surgery on the coupler a couple of times. It is a simple machine that isn't all that simple to operate but it has been good to me for a long time. Ironically, it died just two weeks ago. I don't guess there is much need to try to resurrect it now. As for the cost of Loran, that 35 million is the cost of a day or two for GPS. But maybe the per user cost for GPS is a less than the per user cost for Loran. I was always hoping that Furuno would put out a loran in the GP31 case.

Yep, LORAN is like an old hound that you have had forever - there is plenty wrong with it, but just no way to dislike it.

Reality is that GPS is much more accurate, and heaps more flexible. And it is Global.

Alot of older airplane pilots have a fondness for LORAN in the cockpit.

Big Al

[Sandy]

Not sure, but I think the backwards-compatible e-loran has been in effect for a while now . Sitex is the only mfgr I am aware of which had put e-loran receiving equipment on the market & that as an add-on to their GPS units. As I understand, it the proposal is to eliminate funding for the loran system at the end of fiscal 2009 (Sept. 30th) and new editions of USGS charts would no longer have loran line overlay after 2009. Sounds like serious stuff for you curved-line die-hards out there, but you never know 'til the plump lady squawks. .

[north coast]

Believe it or not, I know a lot of guys that are still using loran-c., some exclusively. like me! My xj1's have been bringing me to the fish for near 30 years. I find them to be very accurate. excep for the days that they are screwing around with the signal(maintenance etc.) They've been threatening to shut this down for better than 10 years now. I hope they never do. I love my loran.

[Capt-MikeW]

The obsolete LORAN-C marine navigation system, which still gets $35 million a year despite being made obsolete by the satellite-based Global Positioning System is set to be shut-down. Where's my rebate?

So when do they plan on shutting them down. I run both Loran C and GPS units

[Kerry]

So when do they plan on shutting them down. I run both Loran C and GPS units

The key players with regard Loran are DoD who has not approved eLoran as backup for military applications, transportaion, aviation, commercial maritime, rail and highways have all determined there a sufficient alternatives and do not see Loran required as a backup. Loran is also not required by safety-of-life users.

This is all from a pure navigational view point but Loran has been tagged as a possible backup for timing applications.

In any case some of the Loran stations are still running on valves from the 1950's. The USCG who also see not future use for Loran will hand over operation of Loran to the DHS end of this Fiscal year. The DHS have since been head hunting justifications to keep Loran but they don;t have anything to backup their plan.

About the only people still using it appear to be a few moth balled fisherman

[denny-o]

Wait till the Chinese decide to flex their muscle by knocking out a dozen sat birds and your fancy, schmancey, GPS just sits there and looks dumb... Bet you will want a jam proof Loran then...

Same discussion has been had on the pilot/flying boards... The Gov't wants to shut down the ILS approaches to many airports because of the cost of maintenance of the transmitters... But with $200 worth of parts from DigiKey I can wipe out all the GPS approaches for a hundred miles in all directions - think of JFK and Laguardia and Newark airports all immobilized at the same time during rush hour - hoo whee baby...

denny-o