For all you aviators.. LORAN-C

[ROX]

As an amateur radio operator for 25+ years, hams have always had to take a back seat to Loran on 1.8 to 2.0 mHz.  Hams were to avoid frequencies used by Loran transmissions and gladly did so.  As for mariners, even most cruise ship captains will go out and look at the stars.  Loran was a nice back-up for their already long experience with navigation by the sun during the day and stars at night.

  Loran for all the help you have given over the years.

Now, hams have a tad more elbow space on 160m.


ROX

[Denholm]

The Loran I had on my 337 had wild spikes of inacuracy. The worst thing about an equipment is not knowing if u can trust it or not. I'd say get rid of it for good. Kind of like those NDB approaches, yeah it's cute and u can impress the local o'club chatter but really ... u can be dead on and yet "way off course".

Back up for solar flaring? If you are in a situation where your life depends on a Loran or an ADF ... u screewed up long before that.

Ah, another good reason to get more sources... Quite a few people I talked to (who used LORAN-C) mentioned it was fairly accurate (not as much as GPS) and was somewhat reliable.

For us regular ol' single engine pilots the only backup needed for GPS is a good map with a line drawn on it.  I've never taken off on a  cross country without a written and mapped out flight plan to follow along with, even though several of those trips were in a G1000 equipped DA-40.  If the screen goes dark I know exactly where I am on the map, plus it helps pass the time. 

I agree with you there, I've had the opportunity to use my GPS multiple times. I opted for the map and compass instead (for the purpose of experience, not fear of technology).

[Maverick]

When I was flying, GPS was a back up to my compass and map. Never a primary navigation tool.
 

[avionix]

Being in the avionics industry, it is amazing how few aircraft even have that equipment installed.  Of the several hundred aircraft that we have worked on in the past 5 years, I don't think one of them had LORAN installed. 

[Maverick]

Why should loran be expected to be installed as a normal navigation instrument? It's been on the cutting block for shutting down for many years and is not part of the IFR instrument requirements much less VFR.

[nirvana]

Old news.  President Obama said he was planning to shut it down shortly after he took office.