Egnos goes live!
- Thread starter Phoenix of Hamble
- Start date
rivonia
Active member
Phoenix of Hamble
Active member
Should do.... looking forward to trying it!
Lady Campanula
N/A
I imagine that, for wholly understandable commercial reasons you may 'absolutely need' to buy a new receiver. There may well be a simple software/firmware upgrade which does the trick, unmentioned by the OEM for warranty and bottom-line reasons, so it's likely there will be someone along here any minute with a bitTorrent solution - or three.
"What does it do?" did someone mutter? Well, it should permit your DGPS-enabled ( or should that be E-GPS )to tell you which side of your cockpit you're sitting on, or whether you're berthed portside- or starboardside-to.....
....and every time the Lymington ferry goes past, making you bob up and down a bit, your anchor alarm will go off. Clever, eh?
Phoenix of Hamble
Active member
In fairness, a lot of GPSs shipped in the last few years have been WAAS/EGNOS enabled already... mine certainly at 4 years old is thus equipped... its just a matter of enabling it in the options settings.
Why would bobbing up and down set the anchor alarm off?... perhaps settings might be a tiny bit too tight if that's the case and benefit from neasing slightly?
Why would bobbing up and down set the anchor alarm off?... perhaps settings might be a tiny bit too tight if that's the case and benefit from neasing slightly?
noelex
Well-known member
Thanks for the update.
I have been using EGNOS for the last year (despite it not having full approval) and its been working well with a noticeable improvement in accuracy.
Unfortunately I am now just outside the EGNOS coverage area.
I have been using EGNOS for the last year (despite it not having full approval) and its been working well with a noticeable improvement in accuracy.
Unfortunately I am now just outside the EGNOS coverage area.
earlybird
Well-known member
My GPS has been latching onto EGNOS seemingly quite often over the last few years.
TBH, it hasn't really made any practical difference that I've noticed. (I wouldn't believe my charts to the supposed degree of accuracy anyway).
TBH, it hasn't really made any practical difference that I've noticed. (I wouldn't believe my charts to the supposed degree of accuracy anyway).
geoid96
Active member
For marine use, the improved positional accuracy that EGNOS provides is probably of little direct benefit. The main advantage is that the output is more stable. This means that less damping is needed and speed and heading displays can be more responsive.
noelex
Well-known member
As others have said GPS without differential correction is already more accurate than most maps. This makes yachtsmen very apathetic towards EGNOS which is a pity since it does have benefits.
Speed is more stable and accurate (which helps secondary calculations like MARPA)
GPS anchor alarms can be set with tighter limits and there are fewer "are we dragging concerns" when looking at the plotter.
Returning to a precise anchor spot ( usually unnecessary, but occasionally very useful) is possible.
Retracing your path along a resonably narrow channel or entrance is feasible.
EGNOS is not essential, but its nice to have and completely free for most boat owners. Like any navigation input treat the information with caution and be aware of the accuracy limits, but give it a try.
Speed is more stable and accurate (which helps secondary calculations like MARPA)
GPS anchor alarms can be set with tighter limits and there are fewer "are we dragging concerns" when looking at the plotter.
Returning to a precise anchor spot ( usually unnecessary, but occasionally very useful) is possible.
Retracing your path along a resonably narrow channel or entrance is feasible.
EGNOS is not essential, but its nice to have and completely free for most boat owners. Like any navigation input treat the information with caution and be aware of the accuracy limits, but give it a try.
T
timbartlett
Guest
With all respect to the venerable Beeb, this is hardly "news": EGNOS "went live" in the Autumn of 2009: I fear the point the headline writers may have missed (but the writer didn't) was that it is now approved so that commercial pilots can admit to using it.
The real news (if only it were true) is that Galileo is "soon-to-launch". Hmmm. Galileo has been like free beer tomorrow for nearly a decade. In 2005 they were telling us it would be operational in 2008. In 2007 it had slipped to 2014. This year, I believe they are talking about having 18 satellites operating by about 2015, but full operating capacity probably not until 2019-2020. There's a kind of logic to it:
in 2005 it was 3 years away
in 2007 it was 7 years away
in 2011 it's 9 years away.
Artist's impression of Galileo Satellite (attached)
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noelex
Well-known member
It has been available (and I have been using it for some time) but the website has warned it was that officially it was broadcasting for testing purposes.
The system as of early March certified for "safety of life" purposes
Some GPS would not use the information prior to March because of the satellite was broadcasting that it was test signal only. Some GPS could be forced to ignore the warning, but not all GPS units.
I assume with the status change that most GPS will now be able to use the correction. Many have no selectable option for turning the differential information have these automatically started using the differential satellites?
Some units will need a firmware upgrade, but hopefully not many.
Has anyone noticed a change in fix? The chartplotter should change from GPS fix to DGPS fix or something similar.