Coast Guard announces decision to end LORAN-C

[unhappycamper]

Coast Guard announces decision to end LORAN-C
By Susan Schept - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jan 7, 2010 16:42:57 EST

The Coast Guard officially published its decision Thursday to discontinue its radio navigation tool, known as LORAN, after 66 years of operation.

The decision to decommission the Long Range Aids to Navigation program was published in the Federal Register. The Coast Guard will begin shutting off the North American signal Feb. 8 and finish the process by Oct. 1. The Coast Guard operates 24 LORAN-C stations.

The 2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, signed into law Oct. 28, directed the Coast Guard to discontinue the latest iteration of the program, LORAN-C, as long as certain conditions were met: Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen had to certify that the loss of the signal would not impact the safety of maritime navigation, and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano had to certify that the system is not needed as a backup to the satellite-based GPS system, which has made LORAN-C obsolete.

Both certifications were made.

On June 12, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement on the future of the LORAN-C program. The impact statement identified two environmentally preferable alternatives — to take no action or to end or reduce Coast Guard management of the LORAN-C program by decommissioning it and terminating the North American signal. The impact statement was required under the National Environmental Policy Act.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/01/coastguard_LORAN_010710w/

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. Loran saved my butt once.

Crossed the tiny itty bitty lake Michigan on my boss' brand new 36 ft bayliner. The water was as clear and flat as glass.
Two days later, on the return trip, we left the harbor only to run into 10 foot breakers, with the occasional 15 footer. Everything broke down, radio, radar, everything, except LORAN. No matter how hard we tried to point the boat back to Chicago, the storm blew us close to greenbay. But at least LORAN let us find the shore, the closest harbor, and eventually, shelter.

I promised never to go out on his boat again.

[quabbin]

2. Loran-C

I share your sentiments about Loran-C. I flew a Cessna Cardinal RG for many years that was equipped with a Bendix-King KLN-88 Loran-C receiver. It never failed me and on several occasions it saved my butt. Sad to see that reliable old ground based system that served so many mariners and pilots fade into history.

[MineralMan]

3. This was inevitable. GPS has taken over navigation chores.

However, it might be worthwhile for those who used LORAN-C as a backup on their vessels to invest in a backup GPS unit, preferably one with its own battery power. Just in case, you know.

[NJmaverick]

4. My concern is for the satellites and weather issues

that could cause a problem with GPSS in general. The costs for the system don't seem all that expensive, in terms of a good back up system.

[MineralMan]

5. Yes, that could be a problem, I suppose, but the system

should stay up.

It doesn't matter for me, since I never go on any waters where I can't see both shorelines all the time. My little 12' aluminum boat is not a big water boat, even though I do take it on the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers. I'm almost never in the main channel, though, except to cross it once in a while.

I do love going through locks in it, though. Little tiny boat in a barge lock. Fun times.

[qnr]

6. Ah ... as a former COCO's Assistant at the MEDSEA chain, I'm sad it see the era ending n/t