My seatex loran which is on my newly pruchased Catalina 30 is difficult for me to work. Even with the manual I still don't have the hang of it. Should I just buy a GPS? Are they easier to use? Should I discard the loran?
- Status
Old Loran Mumbo Jumbo
John We have an old Micrologic loran, and "logic" was a real misnomer when they did the programming for this baby! I'm an engineer and understand algorithms, but the instructions for this thing are gothic at best. It came with a LONG instruction book, and a short instruction book, both of which made adding, reading, saving or navigating to a waypoint an exercise in futility. I finally did my own quick four line cheat sheet of instructions, which I typed into my loran waypoint log. I rarely use the loran which is down below (helpful place, right?), and I got a free GPS a few years ago from an automobile promotoional deal, and use the GPS on deck, where it should be. I'd keep the loran as a backup if it still works. There are all sorts of GPSs available today (and probably more opinions on their strengths and weaknesses than there are units available!), but I'm still happy with our very basic Magellan 300 Blazer, which gives us simple coordinates, bearings and headings, just like the old lorans used to do. And I get to use the charts, too. The ONLY loran that ever made any sense to me was West marine's Vector, which I had on my old Catalina 25 (wish I'd removed it). The buttons made sense, and you could operate it without a 4,567 page guidebook.
John We have an old Micrologic loran, and "logic" was a real misnomer when they did the programming for this baby! I'm an engineer and understand algorithms, but the instructions for this thing are gothic at best. It came with a LONG instruction book, and a short instruction book, both of which made adding, reading, saving or navigating to a waypoint an exercise in futility. I finally did my own quick four line cheat sheet of instructions, which I typed into my loran waypoint log. I rarely use the loran which is down below (helpful place, right?), and I got a free GPS a few years ago from an automobile promotoional deal, and use the GPS on deck, where it should be. I'd keep the loran as a backup if it still works. There are all sorts of GPSs available today (and probably more opinions on their strengths and weaknesses than there are units available!), but I'm still happy with our very basic Magellan 300 Blazer, which gives us simple coordinates, bearings and headings, just like the old lorans used to do. And I get to use the charts, too. The ONLY loran that ever made any sense to me was West marine's Vector, which I had on my old Catalina 25 (wish I'd removed it). The buttons made sense, and you could operate it without a 4,567 page guidebook.
Ditch the Loran!
Just go ahead and find a Garmin GPS (with WAAS) on sale somewhere. They are easy to use and the WAAS is great for letting you know how far away you are from where you dropped your anchor in feet!
Just go ahead and find a Garmin GPS (with WAAS) on sale somewhere. They are easy to use and the WAAS is great for letting you know how far away you are from where you dropped your anchor in feet!
Keep LORAN
if the installation is neat, and clean. Learn to use it ( it will be good for you). Get a GPS (preferably with WAAS), for your main navigating, and use the LORAN as backup if the GPS system goes down. I have a West Marine Vector unit, and before they turned off SA it was on along with the GPS.
if the installation is neat, and clean. Learn to use it ( it will be good for you). Get a GPS (preferably with WAAS), for your main navigating, and use the LORAN as backup if the GPS system goes down. I have a West Marine Vector unit, and before they turned off SA it was on along with the GPS.
Great answers, I think I will follow the advice and keep the Seatex Loran AND purchase a handheld GPS over the winter. The comment about the Loran being down below is accurate and my manual is about 200 pages and my engineering degree with double masters doesn't help. Thanks again, John
Until it is useless......
We got a GPS Map 76 this year and turned off the LORAN. What makes this one interesting is that the LORAN tower is just about right behind my mooring. Literally right next to the boat when it is on the hard. And I still can't get a decent pickup of the signal when I'm about a mile or two away sailing about. We were out a couple of Saturdays ago and we played the old "What if the gps fell and broke?" game. I switched on the LORAN and was back at the mooring long before it acquired the signal. It currently has a 5 or 6 foot whip antenna, and the previous owner dropped off a 10 footer. With either antenna it still had trouble acquiring a signal. I think I will probably remove the LORAN this winter, it's on a nice swingout, but the kids keep bumping it when they go below, and break down and get a less sophisticated GPS when I think I'll need a backup (maybe even borrow one.) Otherwise, for our day sails having a back-up unit isn't truley neccessary. I can't wait to get that d*** antenna mount off the stern pulpit too, it gets in the way of the horseshoe bouy. Geof s/v Day-O
We got a GPS Map 76 this year and turned off the LORAN. What makes this one interesting is that the LORAN tower is just about right behind my mooring. Literally right next to the boat when it is on the hard. And I still can't get a decent pickup of the signal when I'm about a mile or two away sailing about. We were out a couple of Saturdays ago and we played the old "What if the gps fell and broke?" game. I switched on the LORAN and was back at the mooring long before it acquired the signal. It currently has a 5 or 6 foot whip antenna, and the previous owner dropped off a 10 footer. With either antenna it still had trouble acquiring a signal. I think I will probably remove the LORAN this winter, it's on a nice swingout, but the kids keep bumping it when they go below, and break down and get a less sophisticated GPS when I think I'll need a backup (maybe even borrow one.) Otherwise, for our day sails having a back-up unit isn't truley neccessary. I can't wait to get that d*** antenna mount off the stern pulpit too, it gets in the way of the horseshoe bouy. Geof s/v Day-O
- Status