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eLORAN News

Irish Lights backs terrestrial navigation
17/02/2010

The Commissioners of Irish Lights still support the idea of alternative navigation to GNSS, despite the US shutting down Loran-C.

Farewell to US Loran
08/02/2010

Today - 8 February 2010 - sees the closure of most of the Loran-C transmitters in the US.

Loran - '. . an error that could leave the US flying blind'
05/02/2010

A paper from the US Foreign Policy Research Institute calls into question the imminent closure of US Loran-C stations.

Canada joins US in dropping Loran
18/01/2010

The Canadian Coast Guard has announced that Canada will join the US in closing down its Loran-C transmitters in 2010.

Alaskan Loran C to shut down in February
09/01/2010

Alaskan Loran-C transmitters will close on 8 February, except 2 bound by bi-lateral agreements - which will shut later in 2010.

GPS-eLoran receiver launched
03/01/2010

December saw the launch of a fully integrated GPS-eLoran receiver in the US with the introduction of CrossRate Technology's eLGPS ...more

Irish Lights backs terrestrial navigation

LoranTower.jpg

The Commissioners of Irish Lights still support the idea of alternative navigation to GNSS, despite the US shutting down Loran-C.

In Ireland, Loran-C was the focus of a row over the siting of a mast at Loop Head some years ago - it was never erected.

But The Irish Times reports that the Commissioners still support the principle of a back-up for satellite navigation - 'We would still be very worried about the vulnerability of GPS at sea', the Commissioners' Head of Marine, Capt Kieran O’Higgins, told the paper.

The paper continues that the Irish lighthouse authority supports development of enhanced Loran (e-Loran) in moves towards an independent European network - adding that it has been recommended by experts, including the US 'father of GPS', Bradford Parkinson, as a critical back-up for safety and security reasons.

Capt O’Higgins concludes 'We don’t want to be totally reliant on satellites, which are subject to error, and e-Loran is a very capable system'.

As for the Loop Head Loran station, the Irish Government spent €1 million on it, but it was never constructed over concerns over health and the environment. The 219 m (720 ft) structure cost over €300,000 to store before it was returned to France.

See the Irish Times below . .