Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

It's not your Loran! If you use loran 9960 or 8970 read on.

Does it work with Vista?

Can I download a brochure?

Is Loran going to remain?

What about Europe, how is Loran doing there?

How do I Convert from Loran to GPS and Visa-versa?(Or what are ASFs and why should I care?)

What if some waypoints fall outside the ASF tables?

What are the program's Import/Export Capabilities?

What does the Northstar upload/download utility do?

What did Selective Availability (now turned off) do to the accuracy of GPS?

How about ASF data for Canadians and Europeans?

Where can I get NOAA charts?

Where can I buy 2D Bathymetric charts?

What Loran chain should I use?

My new laptop doesn't have a serial port, what now?

What is the Sonar Log Harvester?

Why doesn't my printer print all the grid lines?

FAQ Answers:

It's not your Loran!

If you use Loran Chains 9960 or 8970 and have noticed that your waypoints are now all off by 600 ft or so, blame the Department of Homeland Security not your loran. On January 17, 2007, the DHS changed the way the loran stations work for these chains and as a result, your observed 9960 waypoints are off by about 0.5 us on the Xray line and 0.3 us on the Yankee line. See the article: http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/eLORAN/time_of-transmission.htm . I am working on this issue with several customers and have a fix in version 7.0. For the time being, if you are working with loran waypoints taken before this change date, they are OK for conversion to GPs, but a loran will not now agree with them. The DHS has subtracted 0.5 us from the 9960Xray waypoint and 0.3 us from the 9960Yankee waypoint. Therefore, your waypoints taken after 1/17/07 will be off by this amount. For example, if you want to find an old number: 26875.1, 42028.9 you would look for 26874.6, 42028.6 with your Loran today.

The program now has two entries for 9960 and 8970. For example, there is 9960b for the before case and 9960a for the after case. By making your User Preferences include both, you can handle either case. You can also calibrate for either or both.

Does it work in Vista?

Yes. A few problems were found and solved in version 6.3. All bugs will be worked as they become known and updates will be posted with the fixes. However, I cannot recommend upgrading to Vista on an older computer. If this is your first computer and all peripherals and programs you buy are Vista compatible, then you will be OK. Migrating your old peripherals and old software to a Vista machine is fraught with problems. You may have to buy new printers, scanners, and productivity software to go with the new operating system. I bought a Vista machine to test my software on and spent more time on getting things to work with Vista than on improving the program. I gave up and put XP back on it. Same thing with Office 2007.

By the way, 7.0 also has the ability to work with BSB format charts available from www.freeboatingcharts.com .

posted 1/30/08

Is Loran going to remain? A Statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

February 7, 2008

STATEMENT FROM DHS PRESS SECRETARY LAURA KEEHHNER ON THE ADOPTION OF NATIONAL BACKUP SYSTEM TO GPS

Today the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will begin implementing an independent national positioning, navigation and timing system that complements the Global Positioning System (GPS) in the event of an outage or disruption in service.

The enhanced Loran, or eLoran, system will be a land-based, independent system and will mitigate any safety, security, or economic effects of a GPS outage or disruption. GPS is a satellite-based system widely used for positioning, navigation, and timing. The eLoran system will be an enhanced and modernized version of Loran-C, long used by mariners and aviators and originally developed for civil marine use in coastal areas.

In addition to providing backup coverage, the signal strength and penetration capability of eLoran will provide support to first responders and other operators in environments that GPS cannot support, such as under heavy foliage, in some underground areas, and in dense high-rise structures. The system will use modernized transmitting stations and an upgraded network.

2006-THE YEAR OF LORAN

Greetings to the members of the International Loran Association for AD 2006-the Year of Loran!

For the past twelve years, when the decommissioning of LORAN was decreed, we have all engaged in a struggle to save this marvelous, multi-functional technology from abandonment.

I am proud of the professional way this effort has been carried out. Hundreds of papers, committee reports, and projects have been delivered to determine the long term, low cost benefits of LORAN to all nations of the world. Every bit of this work has turned out positive. Originally envisioned as duplicative of, and a threat to satellite PNT, LORAN is now seen as the perfect, protective complement to GNSS. LORAN is the best friend GNSS ever had.

The radio navigation community worldwide now knows of the rebirth and recapitalization of LORAN in the US, and of the emergence of modernized, more capable eLORAN.

The year 2005 has been especially successful for LORAN. First, the US report on the future potential of LORAN was released. Its findings were uniformly positive. Next, the draft proposed European Radio-Navigation Plan (ERNP) was released by Helios Technologies. The ERNP listed LORAN as a core technology for the EU and suggested a path to extend coverage to all of Europe. It also placed LORAN at the top of the cost/benefit chart. Thirdly, the Norwegian plan to stand down its numerous LORAN transmitters was reversed following vigorous interventions from cabinet ministers in the UK and France, and from the European Commission. Finally, an excellent tour d’horizon paper on sources of precise time left no doubt that LORAN was the best back up to GNSS precise time. The contents of this paper should put to rest the last open issue.

The European Commission, lately distracted from the ERNP by procedural issues in the GALILEO program, will take up and likely adopt the ERNP, with LORAN as a core technology, in 2006.

In the Far East many transmitters now have upgraded timing suites. And the Saudis have added Eurofix to their Loran sites.

In the US, the final report on timing is due in January 2006 from DHS. Then the final decision will be made in 2006 by Secretary Norm Mineta, according to a paper by the Coast Guard at ILA 34 in Santa Barbara. I am confident the light will be green.

A number of issues remain after a go ahead is rendered. The most immediate is the fair allocation of the operating cost of LORAN. In the US the Coast Guard pays the full operating costs and feels this is inequitable due to the future multi-model uses of LORAN. The Coast Guard is dead right, although the inter-agency discussion of this is likely to be gritty.

In the longer term, the specific applications of LORAN will emerge. The answer to this question is unknowable until a long term commitment to LORAN is made, but we all know that many manufacturers worldwide have GNSS/LORAN receivers on the shelf ready to go. The first volume production will be in marine receivers, where an integrated GPS/LORAN marine receiver is already on the market-priced under $1000. Within a year after go ahead new marine receivers will include LORAN. Integrated GNSS/LORAN timing receivers for telecom applications will be next, followed at an interval by aviation.

There will be a race to approval between the US and the EU. The Europeans understand there is a large world market for LORAN and they want to get there first.

As I said before the Royal Institute of Navigation, we are in the Golden Age of Navigation. 2006 will be a banner year for LORAN and for radio PNT worldwide.

I thank the Board and members of the ILA for electing me President. I promise that the ILA will continue its advocacy of GNSS security and LORAN development for the next 35 years.

Langhorne Bond, President

January, 2006

What about Europe?

The General Lighthouse Authorities award a 15-year eLoran contract to VT Communications

Published:  May 2007

The General Lighthouse Authorities (GLAs) has announced the award of a prestigious fifteen-year contract to VT Communications (part of VT Group plc) for the provision of a state-of-the-art enhanced Loran (eLoran) radionavigation service to improve the safety of mariners in the UK and Ireland.

The first development phase of this contract, until 2010, will build on existing successes and provide a focus for a European agreement on eLoran service provision. This would then trigger the start of the operational phase from 2010 onwards.

The Department for Transport is sharing the costs during the development phase having recognised the broader potential of Loran to improve the resilience of critical transport infrastructure.

eLoran is intended to assist mariners navigating the complex and crowded waters around our shores and those of our northern European neighbours. It complements Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) such as GPS and is entirely independent, allowing users to retain the benefits of electronic positioning, navigation and timing when satellite signals are disrupted.

This contract will see VT Communications develop a new Loran station at its radio communications facility in Cumbria, UK. The first signals from the Cumbrian eLoran station will be transmitted on 1st October 2007 with a full trial service launched in November 2007. The existing trial service will be suspended by the end of July 2007.

VT Communications Managing Director, Doug Umbers says: VT Communications is proud to be working with the GLAs to deliver this critical service to their user community. This contract demonstrates VT Communications unrivalled expertise in delivery of the LF infrastructure and service provision projects, providing the GLAs with a radically improved service.

We chose VT Communications because of its commitment to service provision and its flexible approach to partnership , comments Dr Sally Basker, the GLAs Director of Research and Radionavigation.

Over the last decade we have worked hard to reduce the overall cost of service provision by 50% in real terms. e-Navigation is the maritime sector s future: berth-to-berth navigation in the digital world with its associated safety, security, environmental and economic benefits. As we press ahead with e-Navigation, eLoran provides the only way of maintaining our service levels until 2020 without undue increases in cost or risk. eLoran will help us to deliver a reliable, efficient and cost-effective Aids to Navigation service for the benefit and safety of all mariners.

How do I Convert from Loran to GPS and Visa-versa? | Back To Top
 

The Andren LoranGPS program automatically converts Loran to Lat/Lon or Lat/Lon to Loran and saves both in the waypoints (aka readings) file. If you enter both Loran and GPS for a given spot, it is considered a calibration waypoint and no conversions are performed on it. The conversion equations the program uses were developed by the Navy years ago and are quite complex, but they are the most accurate available.

The conversion accuracy approaches the basic accuracy of Loran if you are using calibrated Additional Secondary Factors (ASFs). ASFs could be called "land area" correction factors and are used to compensate for the fact that the theoretical Loran number (based on the speed of light over salt water) is different from the Loran number you get on your Loran set. Land masses of various wetness, mountains and cities will delay the Loran signals as they travel to you. This delay can change the observed Loran number by as much as 5 microseconds and will cause the Loran to Lat/Lon conversions to be less accurate than they could otherwise be. The delay is, however, usually very stable and repeatable over a many year period. So, old loran numbers are still good.  For a graphic example of what the correction factors are and how they change over an area, check out the ASF charts for the Gulf of Lawrence as provided by the Canadian Coast Guard. Area3ASF_5930X.pdf, Area3ASF_5930Y.pdf, and Area3ASF_5930Z.pdf These charts illustrate that the corrections can get large in some areas and depend on which loran slaves you are using. Look at all three charts to see how the ASFs change and how much they change over the area. Remember the ASFs are in microseconds, and one microsecond of error is (approximately) 400 to 1200 ft depending on the geometry of the lines. A description of how the charts were created was presented in 1988 by David Gray at the Wild Goose Association annual meeting: "ASF Chartlets, a Picture is Worth 1000 Numbers". For the ASF tables covering the US, you can download our ASF display utility that is also a part of the LoranGPS program.

Note that the conversions cannot get any more accurate than the original Loran waypoints were. That is if the Loran waypoint got you to within 70 feet, don't expect a converted waypoint to be any better than that even if you use a WAAS GPS receiver to find it. The LoranGPS program now comes pre-calibrated for several popular areas. More areas are being added as data becomes available from users who donate calibration waypoints. If you are operating in one of the areas where pre-calibrated ASF tables apply, then you will get good conversion accuracy without the need of doing your own calibration. Calibration extends out about 40 miles from where the calibration data is available.

Click here for pre-calibration map for SE US

Click here for pre-calibration map for NJ-NY

Click here for pre-calibration map for NC_SC

Many Loran and GPS sets have either a built in table of ASFs or provision for entering them. NOAA charts are usually corrected for ASFs but they did not give any clue as to the correction used. NOAA once published ASF tables that were the basis of the built-in tables we use. With the help of Point Systems Inc. we scanned them in and OCR'd them to make the tables the program uses. These tables cover many of the commonly used Loran chains, specifically: 5930, 5990, 7960, 7980, 8970, 9940, and 9960. These tables are reasonably accurate, but your own data can be better. The government tables were generated in the 1970s using Milligan's method. This consists of measuring, on a chart, how many miles of wet land, dry land, ocean, and cities the signal travels over for each point and then calculating the delay with Milligan's formula. For you, the most accurate method for determining the ASF factors is to calculate them based on local reference points for which you know the both the accurate LAT/LON (preferably taken from a Differential or WAAS GPS) and the Loran numbers taken with a real Loran set. Enter both the GPS and Loran numbers as you enter your waypoints. Do this for many spots over a broad area to get the best results. Once you have entered the data, run the calibration routine.

Land based reference points are not desirable since the ASFs change rapidly near shore. Indeed, the government ASF tables do not cover land areas. A DGPS or WAAS waypoint is the best source of Lat/Lon, whereas a standard GPS waypoint is little better than Loran in accuracy. DGPS and WAAS can provide 15 ft. accuracy where it is available. Whether or not you use non differential GPS, take several waypoints so that the program can average the ASFs calculated from them and the Loran numbers and get better results.

When using the Loran program to convert Loran chain numbers, it is possible to achieve an accuracy of better than 0.2 microseconds for "C" waypoints (about 100 ft.) and 2 microseconds for old "A" numbers. Keep in mind that the old "A" numbers were never very accurate to begin with and the calculations do not improve on that accuracy even if they are carried out to lots of decimal places. The same caution applies to Loran C waypoints.

Care should also be exercised when comparing our LAT/LON conversions with those of your Loran or GPS or other sources such as published lists and maps. Only if they are using the same ASFs and the same formulas will they be in close agreement. Only if the source specifically says that these were measured with both a GPS and a Loran can they be trusted. Since different Loran or GPS sets may use different ASFs and different methods of calculating, they will not necessarily agree with this program, other Loran sets or a GPS. Some older Lorans and plotters used simplified conversion formulas that have a significant error when used near the loran stations. For this reason, most fishermen preferred to record waypoints by their Loran numbers rather then by computed LAT/LON. GPS waypoints are in LAT/LON and are very accurate providing that you use Differential GPS (DGPS) or Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS).

To recap, the reason ASFs are needed is that the Loran waypoints you get at any point differ from the theoretical predictions by an amount that depends on how far over land and over water the signal travels getting to you. Basically, this means that the signals do not travel at the speed of light in a straight line, as radio waves should, but travel somewhat slower and curve around the Earth. As they travel over the Earth's surface (which is slightly conductive), they are slowed down. The equations used in this program are corrected for an all sea water path. The Additional Secondary Factors (ASFs) provide the additional corrections for propagation over dry and moist land, lakes and cities.

For further information on Loran C and the conversion issues for US and Canadian waters, see: Canadian Coast Guard Radio Navigation  This site offers information on radio aids to marine navigation and part 6 is on Loran C and has the charts of coverage and ASFs. Readers are cautioned that the accuracy tables therein show what you would get if you did not use ASF corrections. Another reference for Europe is: New ways of looking at Loran-C ASFs.

We cannot recommend calibrating your conversions based on data taken from dubious sources or over land, so be sure that calibration waypoints are from real measurements at sea.

What if some waypoints fall outside the ASF tables? | Back To Top

If you have waypoints falling in areas where no ASF tables exist, then you will see an increased error in the conversions. If the ASFs for that area are, for example, 2 microseconds and the Loran line spacing is 10 microseconds per mile, then you will have an error of 1/5 mile if 0 is used for the ASFs. In this case, you can use the single ASF per file method of applying ASFs and that will eliminate most of the error. Here, the ASFs are set for the whole file area and you get to set them. You can use the nearest good ASF from the tables or you can derrive the ASFs by calibrating on some known reference points in the area. It is good practice to keep these waypoints in a separate file from those that fall in areas where the calibrated ASF tables exist. The ASF examiner will show you what tables do exist, so you can make that determination. Also, the program shows a warning when, during conversions, it encounters waypoints in a file falling outside the area covered by the tables.

Click here for ASF tables available for 7980 SE US

Click here for ASF tables available for 9940 W US

Click here for ASF tables available for 9960 NE US

What are the program's Import/Export Capabilities? | Back To Top

The file structure used by the LoranGPS program is based on dBASE III which is a very widely recognized data base structure. This program, however, is not tolerant of variations in the field structure or the number of fields in the file. If you have a data base of waypoints in some other form and want to import it into the LoranGPS program use the built-in import routines described here or use the EXCEL technique described at the end of this note. If you can restructure your file to have the LoranGPS dBASE structure, then use the normal File_Open routine. In Version 7.0 three more fields were added to improve the ability to handle data imported from GPSs. Older versions of the LoranGPS program that use DOS have a different file structure but it is recognized by the normal File_Open routine. Version 6.x files will be automatically updated for the three new fields as they are opened for the first time.

If you have a Garmin, Lowrance, Eagle, NorthStar, Sea-Nav, or Magellan GPS, you should be able to use the built-in upload/download or import/export capability of the program in lieu of using another program to upload and download the GPS. Many new GPSs have the ability to load and save the waypoints as files onto a memory card of the SD, FP and CF varieties. The program has import/export utilities to handle many of these files. Our Northstar loader is a utility program integrated with the program. An extra free Furuno loader program is also available. If, however, you are trying to work with another program or data source to import or export data, this list shows what you can do using the LoranGPS program.

IMPORT TEXT (ASCII) (pure text, comma or tab delimited)
The TEXT import routines accept files with many different organizations. A dialog lets you specify where the fields in the file should go. That is, it lets you map the source fields to the LoranGPS fields.

The program will show all files (*.*) in the file selection box since the name and extension of the TEXT file can be anything. The structure of these files is called comma delimited (CSV), which means that all fields are separated by commas (or TABs). A typical file might have rows of data like:

14235.6, 44123.4, "28 34.567", "83 27.765", " ****", "this is the greatest ledge ever " and this would map to: Loran TDs, Lat/Lon, Rating, and Description.

IMPORT Garmin and/or Mapsource

The LoranGPS program can directly upload and download Garmin GPSs through a serial cable or a USB cable. Most new GPSs, however, come with a memory card interface. The LoranGPS program can read and write the GDB files found on these cards. You may prefer to use MapSource, a Garmin program that will upload and download their receivers.  If you want or have to use Mapsource to do the upload/download, the LoranGPS program can read/write .MPS files that work with Mapsource.  You can also save GPX files with Mapsource (using Save As) that LoranGPS can import/export. In addition, Garmin has an older program called PCX5 (PC software kit) that could download and upload a variety of older Garmin GPS receivers. The LoranGPS program can read and write these PCX5 waypoint (and GPX) files and Mapsource can also read PCX5 (and GPX) files.  So, to get files from LoranGPS to Mapsource, just export them as GDB or GPX waypoint format and then open them in Mapsource (Hint, use: Files of Type).
Garmin stores waypoints by name, so no two names can be alike. The program has a function to identify if you have duplicated names. UserData.ADM files are not currently handled, but we are working on this.

IMPORT GPX
This is a GPS exchange format found on the internet. Garmin, Furuno MaxSea, and others have embraced this form in their programs. You can import/export data in this format.

IMPORT Lowrance/Eagle
The LoranGPS program can directly upload and download these GPSs through a serial cable.  It will also handle the *.USR files found on the memory card of those GPSs. If you have an older GPS that this routine will not work on, Lowrance, has an obsolete program called WS-1 (PC interface kit) that can download and upload the older variety of their GPS receivers. This import routine can read/write the WS-1 files and extract the way point information.

IMPORT/EXPORT to FURUNO (NAVNET)
There are two basic ways to transfer data to and from most GPSs. Serial cable connection was the way most older GPSs were interfaced. This requires a direct cable connection between the PC and GPS. This is sometimes complicated by lack of a serial port on the PC necessitating a USB to serial converter. More recently the use of the memory chip or card has become the preferred way as it does not require that the PC and GPS be brought together. It is also easier and in some cases allows at-sea changes in the loaded waypoints without a PC present.

Waypoint transfer from a Furuno GPS to PC for the GP30 line of products must be done via serial cable (7 pin cable (Furuno part # 000-145-612) to serial connector). You may have to solder on the serial connector to make this cable. Use the Furuno loader supplied with the LoranGPS program to effect the transfer. It creates a file in the DMX form that can be imported/exported by the LoranGPS program.

Waypoint transfer from a Furuno GP1650/1850, Furuno NavNet, or GP7000 to PC can be done via serial or by utilizing a memory card in either FP or SD format. The GP1650/1850 cable is a 7 pin cable (Furuno part # 000-136-730) to serial connector. There is a pre-made cable FUR-DWN-CBL. The Furuno NavNet and GP7000 cable is a 7 pin cable (Furuno part # 000-154-028) to serial connector. Gthere is also a pre-made cable NET-DWN-CBL)

To make the hardware connection to your computer from your GP32, you should follow the wiring instructions in your operator's manual. If you have lost your manual, it is available on Furuno's web site under manuals and documents. There isn't a pre-made cable made for the GP32 because the serial connector must be wired to your existing power/data cable.

To use an FP card (as opposed to an SD card) you must be using C-Map PC Planner software and card reader to read and write the card as it uses a proprietary format not recognized by a PC. The LoranGPS can handle the *.UP.WPL AND *.DN.WPL formats of PC Planner.

Using an SD card is easier as you may insert it directly into any SD card reader. Some laptops come with a built-in SD card reader. The Furuno GPS will read or write two files on the card named: "GP1650B.ROU" and "GP1650B.RAT". These are the default file names. The LoranGPS program can import and export these files directly, so the transfer of data is very easy. If you want to have two or more files available to load in your GPS at sea, you can take several cards along.

Instructions for the GP1650 navnet units.

To load data into a NavNet VX2 GPS assuming files named GP1650B.ROU and GP1650B.RAT are on an SD card use the following string of commands. B stands for Button, SK for soft key, and T stands for track ball or rocker.

Do the same for saving, but choose Save instead of Load.

This operation will replace all waypoints in the GPS with the new ones. This is the only way to delete more that one waypoint at a time. If for example, you wanted to delete all waypoints, you have two options. You can do a reset and lose all personalized setup information along with the waypoints, or load a file with just one waypoint and then delete it.

MaxSea Planner transfers (SD card)
If you want to use Furuno's free software to assist in the transfer,do the following:

First, set up the device identity. Go to the Route menu and pick Device Upload/Download. Then select Configuration and pick the last transfer protocol: Furuno SD Card. Finally, push Next and Finish. Now the software is set to do all uploading and downloading via the card.

To read what is on the card (download GPS) go again to Route/Device Upload/Download/Download from GPS. This will bring up a screen that allows you to show it where the SD card is in a browse window. Open up My Computer and then click on Secure digital storage device. Then push OK. The data from the GPS should then appear on the screen if you are scrolled to the right area. You can see a list of the data by using the menus: Display/Center/Waypoints. Don't ask why. Verify that your waypoints have been captured either on the map or the listing. Now, use the menu commands: Route/Export and you get a Save As screen that allows you to save the file as a GPX file in a location of your choice. Put it into the C:\LoranGPS folder with an appropriate name like: "Furuno-download-070831.GPX". In the LoranGPS program go to File/Open File. Change the Files-of-Type to all files (*.*). The Furuno file should show up and you can double click on it to open it. The TDs columns will be unfilled. If you want them filled with computed loran TDs, go to Tools/Convert loran and pick the appropriate loran chain. You can now combine this data with any other file if you want and otherwise manage the data. If you are not planning to change what is in the GPS, then I would suggest you print the listings and charts of this data so you have a hard copy of what is in the GPS.

You can take any LoranGPS file and export it to a GPX file format and reverse the above procedure. Keep in mind how many waypoints will fit into the GPS and how you want it organized.

C-MAP PC Planner transfers (FP card)
In PC-Planner we use the File Manager function under the File menu. This form shows two panel pairs with transfer arrows between them as shown below.

We can set each panel to the appropriate location to do a transfer. For example, the above figure shows us ready to transfer a file from the LoranGPS program to the PC_Planner memory (internal database). Files for PC_Planner have a strange naming convention. They have a name followed by .UP.XML or .DN.XML. Once files are in the PC_Planner memory, they can then be transferred to the FP card. In navigating on this screen, the folder with two dots following it is an old style shortcut meaning go up one level in the directory tree.
Naming conventions
Furuno uses the following naming conventions. The short name in the GPS is 6 characters long and there can be no duplicates. The only allowed characters are those that can be entered from the keyboard of the GPS. These include the numbers and upper case letters. The only punctuation allowed is the hyphen, the underscore, and the pound sign. With these facts in mind, the LoranGPS program will go through a file and make sure there are no duplicates, replacing any non allowed characters by allowed ones. Spaces, for example are filled with hyphens. I use these as they are the only common punctuation across brands such as Furuno, Garmin, Lowrance, Raymarine, and Humminbird.

When you export a file from LoranGPS, you will be using the Name field for the GPS short name. The Name field can be derrived from the first N characters of either the Description or the Comments. In these cases, you can check a box to avoid duplicates. Some GPSs allow duplicates but not Furuno. Alternatively, you can use the waypoint number assigned by LoranGPS. I prefer this latter choice since I can then coordinate my book with the display in the GPS more easily. If the file to be exported is longer than will fit in the GPS, it can be split on exporting. As an example, my file is 2563 waypoints and only 1000 will fit. So, I split it as the first 950 in one file, the middle 950 in another and the last 950 in a third. This gives me about 200 waypoint overlap between files and leaves 50 waypoints free for at-sea capture. So, you ask, how can I put these three files on the SD card if they are all named the same? The answer is to load three or more cards. Then label the cards as to their contents. These cards can be pretty small and therefore cheap as the files are small. Old camera cards will do.

To upload to the GPS, go again to Route/Device Upload/Download/Upload to GPS. This will bring up a screen that allows you to show it where the SD card is in a browse window. Open up My Computer and then click on Secure digital storage device. Then push OK.

Problems
John McWhite has discovered an issue with the new Furuno Vx2 GPS plotters. They will not transfer the total number of waypoints written to a chip. There is no pattern to it as they have tested multiple units. Everything is right on the chip, and the conversions made by the LoranGPS software work in other units -- 1650, 1850, and GP-7000 units. Seems those Vx2 units running software versions ending in 07 have this transfer issue. If you have this problem, check Furuno for a version ending in 08.

The GP7000 is an entirely different beast and is not supported. This GPS is made by C-Map and has very different software. Transferring files between a GP7000 and a GP1650 does not work. That is, saving the waypoints to an SD card on one and loading it into the other fails. The file structure is too different. You will have to use C-Map software to effect transfers. Then, of course, the program can work w2ith the files created by C-Map's PC-Planner.

IMPORT LORAN LOCATOR
The program imports the files of the obsolete LORAN LOCATOR program in either the original version (LX) or the advanced (AX50) version. The Loran Locator has not been available for many years due to the death of its' creator. These files will have one of the following types of names: LOCATION.DAT or: LX50BOOK.DAT where the [DAT] may be replaced by a user specified three characters. You may have to use RECALCULATE LAT/LON after importing to get the Lat/Lon fields filled.

IMPORT MAPTECH
The program will import either the MARKS.REC files or the Mark32.txt export files of RESOLUTION MAPPING's NAV PRO or MAPTECH programs. The Symbol, Event fields are placed into the RATING field, the Date and Number are placed into the DATECODE field, and the Time field is put in the comments field.

IMPORT NMEA 183
Five NMEA standard text sentence structures, GCL, GLL, GGA, WPL, and RMC from standard LORAN and GPS receivers have navigation information that is of interest. If these data outputs are put into a file on the disk, they can be imported into this program. The basic data is Lat/Lon and is placed into the L/L fields. Some of the other information is placed into the RATING, DESCRIPTION and COMMENTS fields as appropriate.

IMPORT NorthStar PNTI
One NMEA proprietary sentence structure "PNTI" is output and input by Northstar's DB_UNLOD.EXE. These data outputs are downloaded to a file that can be imported into the program. The basic data is Lat/Lon and is placed into the L/L fields. The NorthStar 962 uses a proprietary file structure that is not handled by this program. You can use NorthStar's own software to save waypoints to a file, but that file is not readable by our program.

IMPORT Offshore Hunter
The program will import the text file export of Offshore Hunter. These are comma separated variable (CSV) files.

IMPORT P-SEA WINDPLOT
The program will import the MARKPNTS.DAT files of this program. It places the first 32 bytes of the 71 byte description into the DESCRIPTION field and the rest into the COMMENTS field. It places four parameters, comma delimited, after the description. These are the RBon, Symbol, and two numbers. You can add to this file using LORAN TDs which will be converted to Lat/Lon. We recommend also writing TDs in the description field so they will be retained if the file is later exported to the P-SEA program. You need not be overly concerned with the five parameters following the description as they can be fixed in the P-SEA program if needed. The color white is shown as dark gray.

IMPORT RAYMARINE
We have incorporated the C/E series format (ARCHIVE.FSH), which is a proprietary protocol. The program can import and export this file structure for direct import/export to those units that use SD cards. If that does not work for some reason, you can work with the RayTech Navigator Utility's RWF file export. Use the utility's menu: File/Import/Export Routes and Waypoints/export to File/Export to Raymarine Waypoint File to save as a file in the Raymarine Waypoint style. Then use LoranGPS TOOLS/Import file/Raymarine RWF and import the file.

IMPORT Raytheon
One NMEA 183 standard sentence structure "WPL" is output and input by Raytheon NAV 398 receivers. If these data outputs are put into a file on the disk, they can be imported into this program.

IMPORT OTHER
Through the use of the GPSBabel utility, a large variety of GPS data formats can be converted from one to another. Of these, the GPX format is a good one to use to get the data into the LoranGPS program. A copy of GPSbabel is included with the program.

EXPORT FILES
The LoranGPS program will export files which can be imported by the routines listed above. It will export NMEA in only the Raytheon and NorthStar varieties.

In all the exports that target loading waypoints into a GPS, an Export Options dialog comes up to help you select what is to be exported. The first choice is how many waypoints to export assuming that the file has more than the GPS can hold and the second is whether or not to include the reference Inlet.

For Garmin/Mapsource exporting, assuming you don't want to use the direct upload/download capability, you would use the GDB or GPX capability. The Garmin software will alphabetically sort your file and will reject any duplicated names.

For Eagle/Lowrance if you do not want to use the built-in uploading capability, you can create USR files to write to an MMC/SD card.

Through the use of the GPSBabel utility, a large variety of GPS data formats can be converted from one to another. Of these, the GPX format is a good one to use to get the data into the LoranGPS program. A copy of GPSbabel is included with the program.

USING EXCEL TO TRANSFER DATA
You can use Microsoft Excel to transfer data from any data base into a LoranGPS file. When importing and exporting data with EXCEL or any other program which recognize dBASE files, the following considerations should be understood. The LoranGPS program uses the universally recognized dBASE format for its files but does not have the format flexibility of the more general purpose data base programs. It will refuse if there are not 11 or 14 fields of the expected type and the expected order. Additionally, Excel does not seem to handle the file length right and sometimes loses the decimal places unless you reformat the columns.

For this operation, you do not use the regular LoranGPS Import routines but instead paste the information into the right kind of file using EXCEL. The easiest procedure for importing is to have the LoranGPS program make and save a bogus file with at least as many waypoints as you are importing. You can Combine the test file with itself repeatedly in order to get a big enough file. This insures that the structure of the file is correct and it is big enough to hold all the data. Then open this file with EXCEL. You will need to change the file type to dBASE (*.DBF) in EXCEL's "list files of type" part of its' open file dialog box. Also open the source file that has the data you want to import. Then copy the data from the source file columns and paste it into the columns of this LoranGPS file. Start at the second row as the first row is used by the LoranGPS program for file specific data that is not displayed. This is the data normally found in the File Properties dialog. Do not overwrite the first row! Use the Window menu to toggle between the files. If you do not have data for the Latitude and Longitude or Loran TDs fields (or any other fields for that matter), erase what is there to leave them empty. The minimum fields (columns) required for a waypoint are the Lat & Lon, or TD1 & TD2 and Chain. All other fields can be blank or filled in. Erase any information that you do not want in the new file. After you have cut and pasted the field information into the LoranGPS dBASE file, you should fill in the Chain column with the appropriate numbers. Use 0 for lat/lon entries, a number from 1 to 8 for TD entries and a double digit number like 92 for simultaneous loran and GPS numbers (calibration data). Once the file has your data added, highlight the columns that have numbers in them like TDs or Lat/Lon. Then go to the Format menu, select Cells, and make sure the selection is "numbers" with sufficient decimal places. Then close the file in EXCEL and open it with the LoranGPS program to verify that it is all there. If the Lat/Lon fields are blank or wrong, you can calculate them using RECALCULATE LAT/LON from the UTILITY menu. If the TD fields are blank or wrong, you can calculate them with CONVERT LORAN from the TOOLS menu. First, however, make sure the center Lat & Lon are right in the file header by checking FILE PROPERTIES from the FILE menu. If the newly created file is longer than the imported information, trim it using SPLIT from the FILE menu or just delete the extra waypoints one by one.

One thing to keep in mind is that EXCEL may not keep the "number of records" indicator adjusted correctly. This is the reason we recommend that you start with a file at least as big as the number of records you are going to import. In addition, Excel sometimes deletes the fractional part of Loran TDs or Lat/Lons. To prevent this, make sure that the format of these columns is "number" and that it has the appropriate number of decimal places.

In data base vernacular, the following definitions are used:

• The data base is your collection of waypoints which are called records.
• The data base is shown on a spreadsheet which consists of rows and columns.
• A waypoint or record consists of the data in a row. Each waypoint contains the same types of information as every other waypoint in the data base. The LoranGPS program cheats on this by making the first row contain the center Lat/Lon, inlet, and other file specific information. It is not displayed by the LoranGPS program but shows up in EXCEL.
• A cell is the box defined by a particular row and column.
• A Field is defined as a column of the spreadsheet.
• A computed field is one that the program fills in based on other fields and a formula. It is not directly editable, but changing the data it was derived from will change it also.
• Fields can contain either numbers or text and the text length depends on what the field is used for.

What does the Northstar upload/download utility do? | Back To Top

The NorthStar loader is intended to upload and download waypoint files to and from NorthStar GPS's like the 941/951. It is a program that is used by the LoranGPS program as a utility. It can create a dBase III file of the downloaded waypoints in the format of the Andren LoranGPS program. It can also take such a dBase file and upload it to the NorthStar. To use it you will need a NorthStar loader cable supplied by NorthStar or created by a technician. See below for details.

It is our understanding that NorthStar has not included the capability to directly connect a PC to their model 961. They are relying on the use of a flash memory card to transfer data to and from their unit. Make sure that the NorthStar model you have can talk directly to a PC and can be uploaded and downloaded via a cable to a PC. The flash card should be able to take the NorthStar export file.

Rules of operation
Several peculiarities of the Northstar must be taken into account to understand what will happen to your data.

• The Northstar stores waypoints by NAME in alphabetical order. Names are the search key for the Northstar. This means that no two NAMEs can be the same. NAMEs are 6 characters long and follow certain rules.
• Saved waypoints' NAMEs begin with a dash and have a specific description generated by the unit
• NAMEs that are only 4 characters long are associated with saved routes.
• On downloading, the names of the waypoints will be used as first 6 characters of the Comments field and can be re-uploaded later.
• If, on uploading, the "use Comments for Name" box is not checked or the Comments are blank, the Northstar loader program will create NAMEs that are the waypoint number in your LoranGPS list. i.e. 001, 002, 003,…….999
• This will keep the waypoints in the same order as your printed list and look good on the display.
• However, if there are residual waypoints in the Northstar, the waypoint numbers will start at that number and increment upwards from there.
• If, on uploading, the "use Comments for Name" box is checked, the Northstar loader program will attempt to use the first 6 characters to make the NAMES. If the field is blank, it will revert to the numbering procedure above.
• All names and descriptions must be in upper case. The program will convert them if they are not. Characters not available from the Northstar's keyboard are removed before uploading to the NorthStar to avoid problems.
• The uploader will use the first 16 characters of the LoranGPS description as the waypoint description.
• The downloader will store the avoidance radius as the second 6 characters of the Comments field. On uploading, if the data in the Comments field is a number from 0.01 to 1.00, it will use that as the avoidance radius.
• The NorthStar does not report symbols associated with the waypoint to the program, so they are lost in the translation.

Setting Up
The NorthStar must be set up to see the proper communications port. Remember to record any changes you make to the configuration so that you can undo them later to restore the GPS to its original configuration.

• Push the star (*) key enough times to see the "User Customization" or "Port Setup" tab
• Push the Port Setup Options tab and go to the RS232 Setup; edit
• Set the RS232 port to Copy Port 1
• Connect the interface cable to the computer's serial port. (COM1 or COM2)
• Note: you will not see the waypoint indicator on the NorthStar change immediately during the uploading process unless you cycle the view to refresh the screen. If you wait, it will catch up eventually.

Running the Program.

• The program starts when called from the LoranGPS program's Tools/Upload/Download/NorthStar selection. You normally enter as either uploading or downloading. 
• Select the COM port. Sometimes the mouse is on COM1 on a desktop computer unless it uses a PS-2 mouse so try COM2 too.
• The very first step should be to download what is in the NorthStar to save it. You will see the waypoints being downloaded on the monitor screen. This program creates a file called "north2logps.dbf" and then waits for further instructions. Quit the NorthStar loader to return to the LoranGPS program.

For Downloading from the Northstar to the PC:

• The steps of operation are as follows: First the LoranGPS program halts and runs the NorthStar loader program. The NorthStar loader program reads the waypoints from the GPS and creates a file called: north2logps.dbf. Then the user quits the NorthStar loader and control returns to the LoranGPS program.  You un-halt the LoranGPS program which then opens the file.  You should "Save As" the file to a different name after you are done.
• If any of the waypoints were stored as a loran number, be sure to set the Loran Chain for the LoranGPS. The Loran Chain is an artificially selected number from 1 to 8 that only has meaning to the Andren Software Co. LoranGPS program and your selection of Loran chain stations.

For Uploading from the PC to the Northstar:

• The steps of operation are as follows: First the LoranGPS program saves the current file to the disk as: logps2north.dbf. It then halts and runs the NorthStar loader program. The NorthStar loader program reads the file and writes the waypoints to the GPS. Then the user quits the NorthStar loader and control returns to the LoranGPS program.
• You may either clear the waypoint storage and add all new waypoints or just add more waypoints (ADD/REPLACE) to what is already there. Remember that if any of the new waypoints have identical NAMES to the existing ones, the old one will be replaced.
• You can upload the waypoints as loran or Lat/Lon by checking the box. If you upload as loran, the Northstar will calculate the Lat/Lon itself and that may differ slightly from the LoranGPS program's conversion. If you upload as Lat/Lon, the process will use the LoranGPS program's value for the Lat/Lon.
• When uploading as loran, the Northstar needs to be informed of the GRI or Group Repetition Interval of the loran numbers. Set the GRI to the appropriate number. For example, the Southeast US uses GRI number 7980.
• If a number (0.01 to 1.00) is found in the second 6 characters of the Comments field it will be used as the avoidance radius.

When you are done, return the NorthStar back to its original configuration if necessary.

The cable to connect a PC and NorthStar looks like:

FAQ - What did Selective Availability (now turned off) do to the accuracy of GPS? | Back To Top

Selective Availability (SA) is the term that the government called the technique of denying civilians the full accuracy of GPS. They turned it off on May 2, 2000, but warned that, in the case of war, they might turn it back on. While the government now seems serious about keeping SA off, remember that DGPS and WAAS will still be better than GPS without SA. Expect about 75 ft of accuracy for Loran C and GPS waypoints accurately converted from loran, 60 ft. accuracy for ordinary GPS, and 15 ft. for DGPS or WAAS.

If they should turn SA back on, the following screen capture shows how the GPS system using SA reduces the accuracy of GPS. This is a caution to those who do not have the differential GPS capability. Be aware that you will not get the accuracy that you expect. SA can be overcome by using differential GPS (DGPS) or Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) as the following data shows.

The plot shows several captures of position using the LoranGPS program at our place. The oval composed of black dots is a down load of the GPS track (without differential correction) captured walking around the block. The black blob on the on the eastern end of the block is the DGPS track of the boat in the driveway. The purple line that repeatedly wanders all over the place is a three-hour capture of the GPS (with SA and without differential correction) reported position of a chimney which is about 75 ft south of the boat. You can see that the SA corrupted GPS fix (without differential correction) averages to the right place, but can be way off when you need it.

Where can I buy the NOAA charts? | Back To Top

1/30/08 Special note

Version 7.0, handles BSB charts as well as NOS/GEO charts and works with Windows Vista. Maptech recently bought out marineplanner.com and made their BSB charts available for free. See: http://www.freeboatingcharts.com/index.cfm . However, they do not have the NOS/GEO charts any more and the BSB charts do not include 2-D bathymetric charts. Therefore, I made the BSB charts work with my program and I have all the regions of 2D bathy charts shown except Alaska. I can supply those 2-D charts or regions.

To find which 2-D Bathymetric charts are available: Click here. There you will find the bathymetric chart Region that contains your area of interest.  Then click on one of the regional selections to get a list of charts in that region as well as a graphic showing the coverage of the charts.  Note that coverage is not complete in all areas of each region.

To add a region to your order with all its' charts will cost $25 whereas an individual chart will be free with the purchase of the program or an upgrade.  To order 2-D bathymetric charts call: 321-725-4115 or order on-line, For individulat charts, it is best to use the chart ID like: "NNH16_7", whereas a region is named like: "3A".   Chart regions can be supplied on stand alone CDs, but are normally burned onto the distribution CD along with the program.

What Loran chain do I use? | Back To Top

For the USA, the Loran system covers most of North America as shown below. Loran chains are represented by the Group Repetition Interval (GRI). This represents the period between radio pulse groups sent by the master and slave stations in the chain. For example, the Southeast is covered by the 7980 chain. This chain radiates pulses every 79,800 microseconds.

A chain consists of a master station and from 2 to 5 slave stations. The stations are located hundreds of miles apart and provide coverage up to 1000 miles. For example, the 7980 chain is served by a master in Malone FL, and 3 slaves in Grangeville LA, Raymondville TX, Jupiter FL, and Carolina Beach NC. They are known as the Wiskey, Xray, Yankee, and Zulu slaves. You need to use two slaves to get a fix. So, on the East coast between Jupiter and Carolina Beach, you would use the 7980Y and 7980Z slaves.

LORAN-C COVERAGE GUIDE

Anomalies do exist in certain areas regarding the selection of a pair of stations. Local knowledge may suggest that a pair, other than those indicated below, are the stronger pair.

THE GREAT LAKES

The 9960 chain gives the best coverage in Lake Ontario and in Lake Erie. 9960W and 9960Z is the preferred pair in Lake Ontario. 9960Y and 9960Z is the preferred pair in Lake Erie.

8970X and 8970Y is the only reliable pair for Lake Superior and Lake Michigan.

Lake Huron falls in the coverage area of both the Great Lakes Chain (8970) and the Northeast Chain (9960). 8970X and 8970Y is the preferred pair but the 9960W and 9960Y pair also provides strong coverage in the southern part of the lake.

THE NORTHEAST COAST

The preferred coastal LORAN-C pair from the Canadian Border to Nantucket Island is 9960W and 9960X, close to shore. 9960W and 9960Y give reliable coverage further off-shore.

THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST

From Nantucket to Cape Hatteras, NC, the preferred pair is 9960X and 9960Y.

THE SOUTHEAST COAST

From Cape Hatteras to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. the preferred pair is 7980Y and 7980Z.

There is some overlapping coverage between the Northeast chain (9960) and the Southeast Chain (7980). South of Cape Fear, N.C. to Brunswick, Georgia, 9960X and 9960Y can be used offshore. Closer inshore from Cape Fear to St. Catherine's Island, GA., 9960Y and 9960Z is the preferred pair.

SOUTH FLORIDA AND THE GULF COAST

From Fort Lauderdale around to Cape Sable the preferred pair is 7980W and 7980Z. 7980W and 7980Y provide the most reliable coverage along the entire west coast of Florida from Cape Sable to Panama City.

From Panama City to Mobile, Alabama, the preferred pair is 7980X and 7980Y.

In the western Gulf of Mexico from Mobile to Grangeville, Louisiana, the preferred pairs are 7980W and 7980X. From Grangeville to Brownsville Texas, the preferred pair is 9610Y and 9610Z.

THE WEST COAST

5990Y and 5990Z is the preferred pair from the Canadian Border along the Washington State Coast down to about 44 degrees latitude (along the Northern Coast of Oregon). 5990X and 5990Z give a strong fix further off the Washington and Oregon Coast.

Off the southern portion of the Oregon Coast and the extreme northern portion of the California coastline, 9940W and 9940X provide the best intersections.

9940W and 9940Y are the preferred pair along the northern California Coast to just below San Francisco. 9940X and 9940Y is the best pair off the coast of southern California.

OBSOLETE CHAINS

If you have really old data, it is possible that the waypoints are from a now obselete chain. For example, from 1966 to 1978, the East and South East US was covered by the 9930 chain. Data on this chain is available in the program and it can be converted to Lat/Lon.

For Loran A coverage, consult the following graphic:

Loran A used two station pairs to get a fix. For example, for Tampa on the West coast of Florida, the typical pick was 3H0 and 3H1.

The LoranGPS program will help you find the right chain and slaves for your area.

My new laptop doesn't have a serial port, what now? | Back To Top

For track plotting or for uploading and downloading GPSs, a serial cable is needed. Some new computers are coming without a serial port for connecting to peripherals like a GPS. They do have two or more USB ports and you will need to purchase a USB to Serial converter in order to connect to devices that only work with the standard RS-232 serial port. Converting USB to serial is not just a rewiring issue. You can get one such converter at:

http://www.superlogics.com/sl_spec.asp?cat=54?=1470

I have tested this converter and found it to work, but this is not an endorsement of this brand. You might also find this device convenient for some computers where the USB ports are on the front of the computer and the serial ports are on the back or the serial ports are all taken.
Alternatively, if you have a Garmin GPS with a USB connection, the Garmin upload/downloader will handle the connection with USB only.  

And, if you have a GPS with a memory card and a computer with a card reader you may be able to import/export the card's file format. That way, you do not need a cable at all.

What is the Sonar Log Harvester? Back To Top

Some Lowrance GPS combo units have a recording sonar that has the capability to log (save) all their sonar (depth recorder) data to a memory card. This creates a very large file on the card (for example 300 MB) containing all the sonar data for a whole day's trip. You can use the free SonarViewer from Lowrance.com to replay all the sonar data. This gives you the ability to find all the places where you passed over a ledge or wreck and save that data to a LoranGPS file. You might not have been watching the sonar screen when going over something interesting, but it is captured nonetheless. SonarViewer version 1.2.2 allows you to play back and adjust the settings of any sonar log file recorded with the LCX-104C, LCX-110C, LCX-111C HD, LCX-15CI, LCX-15MT, LCX-16CI, LCX-17M, LCX-18C, LCX-19C, LCX-20C, LCX-25C, LCX-26C HD, LCX-27C, LCX-38C, LCX-28C HD, LMS-240, LMS-320, LMS-320DF, LMS-330C, LMS-332C, LMS-335CDF, LMS-337C DF, LMS-480M, or LMS-480MDF. By pausing and hovering the cursor over the sonar trace, you get a pop-up box with the Lat/Lon, depth, date, time, and sounding number. Without the harvester, you have to write down this data and manually type it into the LoranGPS program. However, the SonarViewer can output chart information to a text file in a comma-delimited form. This data is not the sonar trace itself, but the data in the pop-up window for every sounding. There are typically around 100,000 soundings in an 8-hour log. The LoranGPS Sonar Log Harvester can read this file and create a waypoint when given only the sounding number. It notes the GPS speed and calculates the ledge height while it is doing the capture. For this operation is useful to have a large computer screen or dual monitors so you can more easily go between these two programs.

Why doesn't my printer print all the grid lines?

A customer wrote: "If anyone calls you with problems printing the spreadsheets with the new HP Photosmart 6280, it's the printer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I printed the Andren program fine for years on my XP powered desktop. I reinstalled my old reliable HP 2575 and it prints the grid lines as it always did.  The HP C6280 would print the first 2" of the grid lines (only the first two columns) and stop.  All the remaining columns printed fine, but no grid lines.  I bought this C6280 for my new Vista powered laptop which does not like my old reliable HP 2575.  The result with the C6280 was the same for the desktop and the laptop, no grid lines after the first two columns. If any of your other customers experience this problem with HP, I can recommend a Dell "All in One" 926 Printer.  I tested my son's on my Vista powered laptop and it has no problem with grid lines!"

Another customer wrote: You can add the HP Photosmart 7280 All- In- One to this driver problem list

last edited 4/24/2008