Could you live without your satellite navigation system?

[John Vigor]

Many of us lived without GPS for many years before GPS was born. We survived. I guess we could do it again. Not that I want to, though, so I hope they get this sorted out before the worst happens.

Where is Loran-C when you really need it?

John V.

[Joe CD MS 300]

This a link to a 1/20/11 letter sent from the attorney of the US GPS Industry Counsel to the FCC regarding this issue based on a study done by Garmin. The issue / problem sounds ligit.

http://www.gpsworld.com/gnss-system/sig ... port-11030

However, I can't see the FCC letting this happen. The effect on pleasure boaters like ourselves pales in comparison with the potential effect on commercial shipping, commercial and private aviation, trucking, national security and the tracking of large vessels. They all rely on GPS far more than us yachties.

[BubbaThePirate]

When I start my Big Wander to the remote and far away world, I plan to have a small GPS as an emergency backup to my sextant; not the other way around. I like the Schulz quote - words to live by if you are off to the wider world.

Cheers,
Todd

[drysuit2]

I think we managed the first 40 years of my sailing career. I still only use it when I am entering a harbor I don’t know well. It is probably harder for cruisers. But I am only a day sailor.

[Joe CD MS 300]

I could and have but why would you want to other than on occasion to practice your skills? As cheap as they are these days its almost unseamanlike (is that a word?) to not use one or have one available. Who ventures out on the water without a VHF? Is that prudent just because you have a signal mirror and knoe morse code? Chosing not to use GPS in certain situations is like chosing to drive with one eye shut.

[BubbaThePirate]

IMHO, relying on GPS for coastal navigation is fine. Crossing an ocean, or even the Gulf Stream is another kettle of fish. If GPS has got you to the middle and something breaks, you wouldn't want to have to only recently dabbled in celestial navigation.

I fear this is one of those topics like 'the best anchor.' Each captain should be comfortable with his own definition of seamanship.

[Como No Cruising]

Have you ever heard of lightning? All of our electronics were lost when our masthead was struck while we were anchored in the Rio Dulce river, Guatemala. Thankfully, we knew where we were at the time. The thing that bothered us the most was not the loss of GPS or refrigeration, it was when we discovered that the autopilot was also fried. Again, we were in luck. We had a wind vane. We also had paper charts, a sextant, tables and alamanac. We also knew that if we sailed north from Guatemala we would likely end up in the USA. The compass was not affected-we did swing it. Since repairs and replacement of the electronics and other systems were not feasible in the River we elected to sail back to Texas. So, yes, it can be done without satellite navigation equiptment.

After repairs we went on to circumnavigate over a 10 year period. We always carried our sextant and paper charts and could have managed well without GPS. That said, the Sextant went back in the box only to come out one or two times a year for cleaning and inspection. Don't leave home without redundant systems and the knowledge to implement them. O.K., lots of people leave on long voyages with only electronic charts and no knowledge of traditional navigation methods and they do well. Not for me. As the saying goes "I saw the light"----literally.

Will

[tartansailor]

What's that?
Hate to sound like a dinosaur, but in my 70 year sailing career, never
used it.
Only recently was given a used Garmin hand held GPS 72, and will admit to using it to correct the time on my hack watch, and check for errors in my fix. Ha! what errors.
Seriously, GPS definitely has it's place aboard for most folks, but for me, I'll stick to what was so hard to learn and become proficient, and has served me so well for so many years, that the thought of becoming stale is an anathema.

Dick

[Roy J.]

Given that the farthest I go by sea is Marblehead to Provincetown or someday through the Cape Cod Canal, I could live without GPS and still find my way with paper, knotlog and a compass. On the other hand, the commercial airliners on which I fly regularly for business travel, and the US air traffic control system will have a hard and costly time accommodating itself to new GPS interference that requires retro-fitted filtering systems and software updates. Who are these LightSquared people anyway, and why do they get bandwidth and license approval prior to proving feasibility and compatibility with existing services?

[Joe CD MS 300]

Given that the farthest I go by sea is Marblehead to Provincetown or someday through the Cape Cod Canal, I could live without GPS and still find my way with paper, knotlog and a compass. On the other hand, the commercial airliners on which I fly regularly for business travel, and the US air traffic control system will have a hard and costly time accommodating itself to new GPS interference that requires retro-fitted filtering systems and software updates. Who are these LightSquared people anyway, and why do they get bandwidth and license approval prior to proving feasibility and compatibility with existing services?

Did you see something indicating that the Light Squared proposal had been approved? I wasn't aware that it had and don't think that it will. Not that I know any thing about he process. It wasn't just the GPS fighting it but also governmental agencies.

[Roy J.]

The last graphs in the section after the electronic "fold" say that the approval was somewhat unusual insofar as they were given approval prior to proving no practical problems, with the proviso that they would have to correct any problems. The article rightly wonders who will have to pay for the corrections required by the interference. on the Lightsquared website you can find that their EVP for Govt rels was something like chief of bandwidth policy at the FCC from 2001 to 2005, and wrote a bunch of their policies. so he really knows how to work the approval process. Jeff Carlisle is his name.

[rghinson]

I was the navigator of a Spruance class destroyer that had every navigation system imaginable-- SATNAV, LORAN, GPS, Omega, etc. Enroute from San Diego to the Indian Ocean every single electronic system failed. We had technicians with 30 years experience and unlimited parts support that could not fix these systems. For the next 8 months we navigated with a sextant. I would never put to sea without one and also a full compliment of updated and corrected charts.

Electricity and salt water don't mix.

Reid Hinson
CD33 First Star
Oriental, NC

[Joe CD MS 300]

That's a little scary to think that our navy took that long to fix things. Can't imagine what we paid for those systems. For the price of what the govenment pays for a toilet seat you could of at least had a couple of Garmin handhelds as backup on board.

[Dean Abramson]

could of at least had a couple of Garmin handhelds as backup on board.

Heck, I would sell them mine for less than a million dollars.

[tartansailor]

I was the navigator of a Spruance class destroyer that had every navigation system imaginable-- SATNAV, LORAN, GPS, Omega, etc. Enroute from San Diego to the Indian Ocean every single electronic system failed. We had technicians with 30 years experience and unlimited parts support that could not fix these systems. For the next 8 months we navigated with a sextant. I would never put to sea without one and also a full compliment of updated and corrected charts.

Electricity and salt water don't mix.

Reid Hinson
CD33 First Star
Oriental, NC

Edward P. Stafford would be proud.

Dick