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Topband: LORAN, Radiolocation

To: "topband@contesting.com" <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Topband: LORAN, Radiolocation
From: Donald Chester <k4kyv@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 06:26:08 +0000
List-post: <topband@contesting.com">mailto:topband@contesting.com>
>Which does "radiolocation" mean?  Radar or loran/GPS/etc. or both?



>Not obvious.

>Rick N6RK


LORAN was a system of radionavigation, not radiolocation. Not the same thing. 
Radionavigation is just what it says, a system used to help navigate a moving 
ship, plane or land vehicle. It was a useful tool for ships trying to navigate 
through unfamiliar waterways.

Radiolocation uses single a beacon, transmitting from a fixed point to help 
ships, planes or other vehicles arrive at a destination. The 160m radiolocation 
beacons were widely used to enable ships and planes to find oil rigs in the 
Gulf of Mexico.

GPS has pretty much rendered both systems obsolete. It's a lot cheaper and 
easier to use a small handheld or dash-mounted device, linked via satellites, 
than to build, operate and maintain a high power MF transmitter and large 
antenna  system similar to that used by an AM broadcast station.


Don k4kyv


                                          
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