Coast Guard LORAN Stations

[TJ Brennan]

And the fact that TJ was last CO... supports the "he was strange" comments... I know... I served with TJ later in his career and he do was strange!!!!!!

 

Just kidding TJ...   

Best Wishes

Sonny, the truth is the truth!  I don't mind!  It would suck to be normal!!!!!

[BuoyJumper]

LO

FY 2010 Budget Outline Proposes to End Loran
February 28, 2009

Ready for another round?

 
Attu, AK -- Coast Guard crewmembers operating Long Range Aids To Navigation (LORAN) Station Attu
are the only human inhabitants on the remote island located at the end of the Aleutian Chain.
Crewmembers serve a year long unaccompanied tour in exchange for 30 extra leave days and
assignment preference after their tour is up. USCG photo PA2 Keith Alholm

President Obama appears to have weighed in on the long-running Loran/eLoran — on the side of terminating the terrestrial radionavigation system and, apparently, its enhanced version that had been proposed as a backup to GPS.

In a February 26 message to U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) members, Vice-Admiral V. S. Crea, USCG Vice Commandant and Chief Operating Officer, said the Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10) budget outlined in a document sent to Congress calls for termination of Loran-C in the coming year.

Specifically, Crea cited a passage from a section on potential savings across the federal government that proposed “the termination of outdated systems such as the terrestrial-based, long-range radionavigation (LORAN-C) operated by the U.S. Coast Guard resulting in an offset of $36 million in 2010 and $190 million over five years.”

After efforts by several agencies to end the program in recent years, despite the recommendation of an Independent Assessment Team (IAT) that eLoran could serve as a back, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appeared to have embraced completing modernization of the system in former President Bush’s FY09 budget. (See the February 6 article on "2009 Budget Proposal Directs eLoran Implementation")

Language in the 2008 Federal Radionavigation Plan (FRP) released last month, however, made the status of the system appear a little ambiguous. (See the January 27 story on the 2008 FRP).

“Further details of the termination plan will be available upon the submission of the President’s full budget,” Crea said in his e-mail to Coast Guard members.

“The Commandant and I understand the uncertainty this planned termination creates among the highly dedicated men and women who operate and support our LORAN-C Stations, often under very challenging conditions,” Crea concluded. “We will ensure all Loran Station and program personnel are kept fully informed throughout this dynamic period.”

Despite its routine absence from administration budget proposals since 1994, Loran has been rescued by congressional advocates who have provided $160 million since 1997 to enhance the Loran system and conduct research to make eLoran a viable backup to GPS.

Those funds have helped modernize and add to the network of Loran transmitters that cover the United States, equipping every station with three cesium clocks, while encouraging miniaturization of Loran receiver technology able to use new all-in-view techniques that provide positioning and timing accuracy approaching that of GPS.

In a paper presented at the 2006 International Loran Association Convention and Technical Symposium, timing experts from the U.S. Naval Observatory, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and a timing instrument manufacturer wrote, “[W]e have identified eLoran as potentially the best available backup provider to GPS as a reference source for precise time synchronization and frequency control.”

In August of that same year a white paper prepared for the Federal Aviation Administration, “GPS Backup For Position, Navigation and Timing,” endorsed eLoran as well.

The 11-member Loran IAT headed by Brad Parkinson, a Stanford University professor and founding program director for the GPS Joint Program Office, held a series of meetings with PNT equipment manufacturers and users to assess their ideas and sentiments about eLoran before unanimously endorsing the idea.

Original Article

[JerryM]

OK, We've already done away with quartermasters & celestial navigation, & now the Chinese have demonstrated the capability of destroying a satellite.

So, we are going to do away with the ONLY navigational system we now have in operation that doesn't rely on satellites.

BRILLIANT!

[EX-CG-GM]

Seems a tad arrogant to assume that everyone out there now has GPS on their boats and ships.......

[vftb]

I never go out without a QM aboard 

[ET1-Once]

Hopefully you can find a sober one

[vftb]

    Yeah, that could be an issue Gordy 

[EX-CG-GM]

 

Might get one of the new BM/QM guys that would be sober since Coasties    ooops, GUARDIANS, ain't allowed to drink nowadays.

[BuoyJumper]

Bill Introduced in Senate Recommending
US Coast Guard Maintain LORAN-C Navigation System
Jun 16, 2009

WASHINGTON — Members of the Senate's Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee have introduced a bill, S 1194 -- Coast Guard Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011 -- that, if passed, would require that the US Coast Guard "maintain the LORAN-C navigation system until such time as the Secretary is authorized by statute, explicitly referencing this section, to cease operating the system but expedite modernization projects necessary for transition to eLORAN technology."

In March of this year, the Coast Guard announced that they would be closing down the 24 LORAN-C (Long Range Aid to Navigation) stations operated under the auspices of the USCG. LORAN stations provide navigation, location and timing services for both civil and military air, land and marine users. According to the USCG, LORAN-C is approved as an en route supplemental air navigation system for both Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) and Visual Flight Rule (VFR) operations. The LORAN-C system serves the 48 continental states, their coastal areas and parts of Alaska.

On February 26, 2009, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) publicly announced the President's Fiscal Year 2010 Budget. In the section for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the budget "supports the termination of outdated systems such as the terrestrial-based, long-range radionavigation (LORAN-C) operated by the US Coast Guard, resulting in an offset of $36 million in 2010 and $190 million over five years." The USCG, once a part of the US Department of Transportation, is now under the direction of DHS.

S 1194 authorizes appropriations to the Department of Transportation of $37 million for each of fiscal years 2010 and 2011 "for capital expenses related to the LORAN-C infrastructure and to modernize and upgrade the LORAN infrastructure to provide eLORAN services." These funds are in addition to the almost $9.5 billion the Committee appropriated for "necessary expenses of the Coast Guard for each of fiscal years 2010 and 2011."

The bill also instructs the Coast Guard to provide a detailed five year plan for transition to eLORAN technology to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The plan would include "the timetable, milestones, projects and future funding required to complete the transition from LORAN-C to eLORAN technology for provision of positioning, navigation, and timing services," as well as "the benefits of eLORAN for national transportation safety, security, and economic growth."

A modernized, or eLoran version, has been proposed as a back-up for GPS and other global navigation satellite systems, as both old and new versions are much more resistant to jamming. According to the 2001 Volpe Report from the Department of Transportation, "GPS also is vulnerable to spoofing, broadcast signals with deliberately misleading information, and to unintentional interference. The latter can be due to natural causes (for example, solar flares and ionospheric scintillation), but also to human sources (for example, TV broadcasts, Mobile Satellite Services, Ultra Wide-Band systems, military jamming/spoofing tests and military communications systems). A peculiar but valid class of vulnerability is the degree of unrealistic expectations that can be produced in enthusiastic but unwary GPS users."

LORAN-A stations were developed beginning in World War II, and signals were transmitted on frequencies in and around our present-day 160 meter band. LORAN-A was responsible for reduced Amateur Radio operations -- including frequency and power limitations -- on 160 meters in the United States. In 1979, the Coast Guard phased out the LORAN-A stations; they were replaced by LORAN-C stations. The newer stations operated on 100 kHz, enabling the restrictions on 160 meters due to LORAN functions, to be dropped.

The Senate bill is sponsored by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), with co-sponsors Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME). Similar legislation is before the House Appropriations Committee.

Original Article

[BuoyJumper]

News Release
Date: January 07, 2010
Contact: District 17 Public Affairs

Alaska-based Long Range Aids to Navigation
(Loran-C) stations to cease broadcasting



KODIAK, Alaska — As a result of technological advancements during the last 20 years and the emergence of the U.S. Global Positioning System, Alaska-based Long Range Aids to Navigation stations (Loran-C) will cease broadcasting a signal this year.

The North American Loran-C signal will cease broadcasting Feb. 8, with the exception of stations Attu and Shoal Cove which are bound by bi-lateral agreements with other nations.  Attu and Shoal Cove are expected to stop broadcasting later in the year.

"Coast Guard men and women, working largely with antiquated systems and little fanfare, have stood a steadfast watch for more than 50 years in some of America's most isolated regions," said Admiral Christopher Colvin, Commander, 17th Coast Guard District, "I am proud of their professionalism and hard work."

Loran-C is no longer required by the armed forces, the transportation sector or the nation's security interests, and is used by only a small segment of the population.  Users of Loran-C are strongly encouraged to make the transition to GPS navigation and plotting systems immediately.

The decision to terminate transmission of the Loran-C signal reflects the president's pledge to eliminate unnecessary federal programs. The president did not seek funding for the Loran-C system in fiscal year 2010. Termination was also supported through the enactment of the 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill.

The Loran-C system was not established as, nor was it intended to be, a viable systemic backup for GPS. If a single, domestic national system to back up GPS is identified as being necessary, the Department of Homeland Security will complete an analysis of potential backups to GPS. The continued active operation of Loran-C is not necessary to advance this evaluation.

Loran-C stations in Alaska include Attu, Shoal Cove in Ketchikan, Tok, Narrow Cape in Kodiak, Port Clarence and St. Paul Island.

The notice of termination may be viewed online at www.regulations.gov, docket number: USCG-2009-0299. for more information on terminations, reductions and savings contained in the fiscal year 2010 budget, including Loran-C, visit www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/TRS/.

For Loran history visit: http://www.uscg.mil/history/stations/loran_volume_1_index.asp

News Release

[BuoyJumper]

News Release
Date: February 04, 2010
Contact: District 17 Public Affairs

Coast Guard concludes Loran-C, Alaska
Commander to turn off Tok signal



KODIAK, Alaska — The Alaska-based domestic Long Range Aids to Navigation signals will cease broadcasting Monday, with the exception of stations Attu and Shoal Cove which are bound by bi-lateral agreements with Russia and Canada.

Rear Adm. Christopher Colvin, commander of the 17th Coast Guard District, will terminate Loran Station Tok's signal 11 a.m. Monday.

Loran Stations Attu and Shoal Cove are expected to stop broadcasting their international signal in June. Attu has been broadcasting since 1942, making it the oldest Coast Guard Loran station in operation.

"My sincere appreciation goes out to the Coast Guard men and women for their service in keeping the signal at nearly 100 percent availability for 67 years, 8 months and 24 days," said Colvin.   

Station crews in Alaska will wait one week before preparing the stations for closure. This process includes physical security to prevent intrusion, installation of remote facility monitoring systems to ensure tower aircraft warning lights are operating properly and securing the communication circuits.

Electronic equipment and all hazardous materials will be removed prior to final closure of the stations. Electronic equipment that is of no further value to the government and is too large to remove and store may be left in place. Finally, crewmembers will be reassigned to other units throughout the Coast Guard.

Loran-C is no longer required by the armed forces, the transportation sector or the nation's security interests, and is used by only a small segment of the population. The decision to terminate transmission of the Loran-C signal reflects the president's pledge to eliminate unnecessary federal programs. The president did not seek funding for the Loran-C system in fiscal year 2010. Termination was also supported through the enactment of the 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill.

The Coast Guard strongly urges mariners currently using Loran-C for navigation to shift immediately to a GPS navigation system and become familiar with its operation.

Alaska has six Loran-C stations which include the only isolated duty Loran stations in the Coast Guard, located at Attu, Port Clarence and St. Paul.

News Release

[BuoyJumper]

News Release
Date: February 04, 2010
Contact: District 17 Public Affairs

Coast Guard concludes Loran-C signal
broadcast after more than 67 years



LEFT:  Coast Guard Loran-C Station Narrow Cape's 625-foot tower stands silent after the ceremony for switching off the loran signal Feb. 8, 2010. The loran signal has been operating for 67 years, 8 months, and 24 days from May 25, 1942 to Feb. 8, 2010.
LEFT MID:   ET3 Class Robert Perkins works on the Loran Station Narrow Cape signal during the termination of the Gulf of Alaska signal Feb. 8, 2010. Perkins was stationed at the Kodiak Island unit directly out of Electronics Technician "A" school and has served for a year and a half.
RIGHT MID:  Equipment at Loran-C Station Narrow Cape sits in stand by mode following the termination of the North American Loran-C signal Feb. 8, 2010.  The crew will stand by for one week before beginning final closure of the station.
RIGHT:  (back row left to right) Storekeeper 2nd Class Jonathan Clary, Machinery Technician 1st Class Tim McGuyrt, Chief Electronics Technician Thomas Sears, Electronics Technician 2nd Class Mark Canchola, (front row left to right) Electronics Technician 3rd Class Robert Perkins and Electronics Technician 3rd Class Jeremy Berg pose for a crew photo after the termination of the Loran-C signal ceremony Feb. 8, 2010.  U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Lally.

KODIAK, Alaska — Crews at the Coast Guard Long Range Aids to Navigation stations, including the six Alaska-based stations, turned off their domestic signal across the nation at 11 a.m. Monday.

The shutdown of the signal concludes the broadcast of the U.S. domestic signal. Stations Attu and Shoal Cove, which are bound by bi-lateral agreements with Russia and Canada, will continue to broadcast their international signals until later this year. All the stations will continue to be maintained and manned as the closure of the facilities proceeds over the coming months. Decommissioning dates have yet to be set and plans for the dismantlement of the stations are in development.

Loran-C was originally developed to provide radio-navigation service for U.S. coastal waters and was later expanded to include complete coverage of the continental U.S. as well as most of Alaska. Twenty-four U.S. Loran-C stations work in partnership with Canadian and Russian stations to provide coverage in Canadian waters and the Bering Sea. The system provided better than 0.25 nautical mile absolute accuracy for within the published areas and provided navigation, location, and timing services for both civil and military air, land and marine users. It was approved as an en route supplemental air navigation system for both Instrument Flight Rule and Visual Flight Rule operations.

The Loran-C system served the 48 continental states, their coastal areas, parts of Alaska and neighboring countries. Dedicated Coast Guard men and women have done an excellent job running and maintaining the Loran-C signal for 67 years, 8 months and 24 days. It is a service and mission of which the entire Coast Guard can be proud.

News Release

[BuoyJumper]

News Release
Date: May 25, 2010
Contact: District 17 Public Affairs

First of six Alaskan Loran-C
Stations decommissioned


Coast Guard Loran-C Station Kodiak, Alaska                         Chief Thomas Sears, OIC of Loran-C Station Kodiak (Click photo for video)

KODIAK, Alaska — Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Thomas Sears, officer in charge of Loran-C Station Kodiak, speaks on the history of Loran Stations in Alaska at the decommissioning ceremony for Loran Station Kodiak at the Golden Anchor on Coast Guard Base Kodiak May 25, 2010.

Sears is the last officer in charge of the Loran Station in Kodiak serving 10 percent of the time at the Kodiak-based station when it was in active duty and is the first of six Alaska-based Loran-C station to be decommissioned.



Above left:  Coast Guard Cmdr. James Boyer, 17th Coast Guard District Waterways Management Division chief, left, and Cmdr. Marc Sanders, executive officer of Navigational Center in Alexandria, Va., right, present Chief Petty Officer Thomas Sears, officer in charge of Loran-C station Kodiak, center, with a Coast Guard Achievement medal at the Loran-C station Kodiak decommissioning ceremony, at the Golden Anchor on Coast Guard base Kodiak, May 25, 2010. Loran-C station Kodiak ended its signal Feb. 8, 2010, after broadcasting for more than 30 years. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Charly Hengen.

Above right:  Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Thomas Sears, officer in charge at Loran-C station Kodiak, left, presents, Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathon Clary, storekeeper, with a plaque at the Loran-C station Kodiak decommissioning ceremony at the Golden Anchor at Coast Guard base Kodiak, May 25, 2010. Clary is one of six Coast Guard members who served at Loran-C station Kodiak during its signal termination, which occurred Feb. 8, 2010. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Charly Hengen.

News Release

[BuoyJumper]

Photo Release
Date: August 27, 2010
Contact: District 17 Public Affairs

Loran Station Attu Island is decommissioned
and the transmtting tower destroyed.

VIDEO



ATTU ISLAND, Alaska — Boards cover the lower windows of the Loran C station on Attu Island Aug. 27, 2010, during the decommissiong ceremony. The building at Massacre Bay, originally a Navy weather observatory was converted to a Loran A and then Loran C station in 1960 and the site will be hardened to a BRAC III level for possible use in the future as DoD and Coast Guard environmental clean up and Japanese soldier repatriation activites take place over the next five years.

Above right:  The final 20 man crew of Loran Station Attu, lead by Chief Warrant Officer Jeff Rosenberg (right) and Chief Petty Officer Alex Limonte (left), stands on the steps of decommissioned station at Massacre Bay Aug. 27, 2010. A Loran station has been active on Attu since 1943 though it was originally located at Theodore Point. U.S. Coast Guard photos by Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis.



Above left:  Chief Petty Officer Alex Limonte, executive officer Loran Station Attu, sends the station's final messages following a decommissioning ceremony Aug. 27, 2010. Limonte is one of 20 men who are the station's final crew.

Above right:  Cmdr. Marc Sanders of Coast Guard Navigation Center Alexandria, Va., Chief Warrant Officer Jeff Rosenberg, commanding officer Loran Station Attu, and Cmdr. James Boyer of Coast Guard District 17 Waterways Management offer hearty congratulations to the current and former crew of Loran Station Attu for operating the Loran A and Loran C signals faithfully and in tolerance for 66 years Aug. 27, 2010, during the station's decommissioning ceremony. Rosenberg is the final of more than 60 Attu Loran station commanding officers. U.S. Coast Guard photos by Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis.

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