Do you depend on GPS?
- Thread starter MedDreamer
- Start date
spannerman
Well-Known Member
This was initiated last week in Practical boating Forum under 'Death of GPS', by a Disaster Planner?? and well and truly laid to rest by the more learned members of the Forum
ccscott49
Well-Known Member
You're a bit late!! Been done to death this one! You've been having a long siesta again!!! Coming to the Barca boat show?
oceanfroggie
Well-Known Member
It's difficult to tell if this is being over hyped. Either way navigation is the art of knowing where you are, preferably by combining a number corroborating pieces of information, of which GPS is only one source. Others include the window thingy, eyes, charts, sounder, log, lights, radar, etc.
I'm a GPS fan, but I wouldn't depend soley on it, no more than on one visual fix. It would be fair to say that nowadays most of us use GPS as the primary nav aid, with paper as the secondry. Some perfer the other way around - no probs, each on to their own familiar comfort zone. Anyway by 2011 3rd generation satallite nav systems will have built in error recognition and more ground augmented and corrected signals. At least we will know if the long/lat is reliable and if not by how much, so we won't be blindly following it.
PS: GPS manufacturers love this 'solar flare' hype, it works in perfectly with their marketing plans for us to keep upgrading kit - Unnecessarily! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
I'm a GPS fan, but I wouldn't depend soley on it, no more than on one visual fix. It would be fair to say that nowadays most of us use GPS as the primary nav aid, with paper as the secondry. Some perfer the other way around - no probs, each on to their own familiar comfort zone. Anyway by 2011 3rd generation satallite nav systems will have built in error recognition and more ground augmented and corrected signals. At least we will know if the long/lat is reliable and if not by how much, so we won't be blindly following it.
PS: GPS manufacturers love this 'solar flare' hype, it works in perfectly with their marketing plans for us to keep upgrading kit - Unnecessarily! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
MedDreamer
Well-Known Member
As ever, I have my finger on the pulse /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Would love to come to the Barcelona show Colin but work is geting in the way big time at the moment.
Would love to come to the Barcelona show Colin but work is geting in the way big time at the moment.
sarabande
Well-Known Member
'old 'ard, me 'arties !
On the basis that there's no smoke without fire, I have set a ferret loose in the GPS world to see if / when/ how much an impact a maxxed solar flare in 2011 (thanks SC) would have on the commercial world.
After all, there might be some consultancy work to be gleaned, and whilst it would not allow me carte blanche in ht echandlery, I do fancy gold taps in the heads, and a mainsheet in real silk is SO much kinder to the hands, don't you think ?
If I find any info, I'll let you know dreckly. After all, it's in my interest not to have lots of Ribby types going round in circles and phoning the AA, is it ? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
On the basis that there's no smoke without fire, I have set a ferret loose in the GPS world to see if / when/ how much an impact a maxxed solar flare in 2011 (thanks SC) would have on the commercial world.
After all, there might be some consultancy work to be gleaned, and whilst it would not allow me carte blanche in ht echandlery, I do fancy gold taps in the heads, and a mainsheet in real silk is SO much kinder to the hands, don't you think ?
If I find any info, I'll let you know dreckly. After all, it's in my interest not to have lots of Ribby types going round in circles and phoning the AA, is it ? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
D
Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
Well I did'nt see any threads on this subject either, Martyn. Spose some peeps have so much time on their hands they can keep up to date with all the forums
You can never totally rely on GPS anyway since chart datums vary, electronic charts are not 100% accurate and sometimes the receiver can lose the signal anyway. Always best to be a bit sceptical and back up what the GPS is telling you with another source of position info
You can never totally rely on GPS anyway since chart datums vary, electronic charts are not 100% accurate and sometimes the receiver can lose the signal anyway. Always best to be a bit sceptical and back up what the GPS is telling you with another source of position info
oceanfroggie
Well-Known Member
You've hit the nail on the head Mike /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Agree 100%
MedDreamer
Well-Known Member
I am a bit of an old fashioned boy and always have a marked up chart on the chart table for significant trips.
oceanfroggie
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
I am a bit of an old fashioned boy and always have a marked up chart on the chart table for significant trips.
[/ QUOTE ]That's not old fashoned, that's just SMART thinking /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
IT pays for our boating, so I never trust technology, despite being a self confessed gadget freak.
I am a bit of an old fashioned boy and always have a marked up chart on the chart table for significant trips.
[/ QUOTE ]That's not old fashoned, that's just SMART thinking /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
IT pays for our boating, so I never trust technology, despite being a self confessed gadget freak.
DepSol
Well-Known Member
Not at all I look at it occasionally to check my position. I got to Jersey, France Alderney, Herm and Sark sometimes with it switched off.
Dom
Dom
Tucepi
Well-Known Member
I agree with the majority here as a boater and pilot GPS are superb and take alot of the pressure when visibility is bad. However GPS has never been the sole primary aid for commercial flying, although general aviation has seen the benefits as pilots infringe regulated air space less often thanks to the equipment providing good information on your exact location.
As anything in life you should have a back up plan, method, equipment and never forget the basic training on how to navigate. The diference in boating and flying is that even novices learning to fly have to prove in a test that they can navigate with basic compass and map.
As anything in life you should have a back up plan, method, equipment and never forget the basic training on how to navigate. The diference in boating and flying is that even novices learning to fly have to prove in a test that they can navigate with basic compass and map.
Kawasaki
Well-Known Member
This was "Done to death" recently on Scutt or Practical I think.
I always do a passage plan/chart work etc if I,m going on a "Trip"
If its just a "Blast round the Bay" I don,t.
On a recent delivery trip from Anglesey to Dublin I was thankfull that I had done the paper bit beforehand.
There was no vis,Radar was tempremental and the gps screen was "dull".
Steered by compass following the 6 positions plotted on the chart, stuck in front of my nose!
Could just make out the gps screen if I handed the wheel to the "crew" (who was badly hungover and next to useless)! and squinted at the screen.
No chance of fixing a postion at sea. Boat was rockin and a rolling, couldn,t see a thing untill we got 1/2 a mile from Kish Lighthouse.
Boat decided to stop at that point and the Dublin lifeboat was summoned! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
Anyway got there in the end OK. That,s another story sometime!
However I was glad to have done the paper bit first.
Two reasons really, I think its safer and I enjoy doing it anyway.
So its the combination of the two for Me.
I always do a passage plan/chart work etc if I,m going on a "Trip"
If its just a "Blast round the Bay" I don,t.
On a recent delivery trip from Anglesey to Dublin I was thankfull that I had done the paper bit beforehand.
There was no vis,Radar was tempremental and the gps screen was "dull".
Steered by compass following the 6 positions plotted on the chart, stuck in front of my nose!
Could just make out the gps screen if I handed the wheel to the "crew" (who was badly hungover and next to useless)! and squinted at the screen.
No chance of fixing a postion at sea. Boat was rockin and a rolling, couldn,t see a thing untill we got 1/2 a mile from Kish Lighthouse.
Boat decided to stop at that point and the Dublin lifeboat was summoned! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
Anyway got there in the end OK. That,s another story sometime!
However I was glad to have done the paper bit first.
Two reasons really, I think its safer and I enjoy doing it anyway.
So its the combination of the two for Me.
duncan
Well-Known Member
done to death - love it!
having only last month left Poole Harbour to fish in Poole bay and ended up in Cherbourg for dinner (with an excellent bunch I should point out) then leaving there at 0700h (because every one else did /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif) we rather meandered back via the banks South and West of Alderney because we had fishing rods on board and wanted to see if there were any turbot around for tea (there were /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif)
We had an almanac on board, and a compass, but I can't remember any paper charts - marked or otherwise. We had a full tank of fuel and lots of spare filters for the one engine too.
So - do I rely on GPS?
Well it's certainly usefull! If it (they) all went down I would still get home/safety without any real drama though. I have a compass.
having only last month left Poole Harbour to fish in Poole bay and ended up in Cherbourg for dinner (with an excellent bunch I should point out) then leaving there at 0700h (because every one else did /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif) we rather meandered back via the banks South and West of Alderney because we had fishing rods on board and wanted to see if there were any turbot around for tea (there were /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif)
We had an almanac on board, and a compass, but I can't remember any paper charts - marked or otherwise. We had a full tank of fuel and lots of spare filters for the one engine too.
So - do I rely on GPS?
Well it's certainly usefull! If it (they) all went down I would still get home/safety without any real drama though. I have a compass.
