LORAN was an electronic navigation system used in the United States from 1958 to 2010. It compared the signal strength of the radio signals from any two LORAN transmitters to identify the location of a shipboard receiver on an electronic grid, accurate to within 1 mile. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is an artificial constellation of satellites, using computer technology to localize a vessel based on the relative distance from three or more satellites, and accurate to 15 feet or less. Some computer programs convert LORAN to GPS, but their calculations aren’t quite as accurate as manual conversion. The indicators are essential in converting the LORAN readings to GPS waypoints: a position that’s 90 degrees west longitude and 29 degrees 57 minutes north latitude, for instance, is in New Orleans, LA. A position that’s 90 degrees east longitude and 29 degrees 57 minutes south latitude is in the middle of the Indian Ocean, halfway between the west coast of Australia and the east coast of Africa. Without the indicators, the GPS might send you to the Indian Ocean instead of the French Quarter. For example, touch “Navigation,” then use the keypad to enter “29 57 00” in the first set of blanks–flashing, before you make an entry–and touch “Enter.” When the second set of blanks begins to flash, enter “90 00 00” and touch “Enter.” As soon as you touch “Enter,” you will be returned to the navigation screen and the waypoint will appear, along with the distance, travel time and compass bearing to the waypoint. Writer Bio
