|
|
From: (no name) (no email)
Date: Wed Jan 29 2003 - 10:49:38 EST
In a message dated 24-Jan-03 14:52:31 Eastern Standard Time,
writes:
> Radar, loran, GPS,
> SSB VHF and wind instruments. My problem is that I don'r know a
> thing about any of this equipment. Does anyone have a suggestion
> of how I can get enough information on this stuff to be able to
> use it?
Have someone who knows, perhaps a professional, fire up the gear and
determine which works, which doesn't and make suggestions about what to do
about it.
Once everything is working, read each manual cover to cover.
Then read each manual sitting in front of each unit operating every feature
described in the manual.
The wind instruments are very simple and require little learning.
Loran and GPS are very similar in function. Loran is good only on the coast
but GPS works everywhere. On rare occasion one or the other may fail so the
one that is still working will allow you to know where you are so you can get
home, but the GPS is the primary system.
Learn how to pre-plan your voyages using waypoints and routes entered into
your GPS. Waypoints are the points in your voyage where you change course.
Routes are lists of waypoints describing a safe path to go from place to
place. After putting the waypoint and route data into your GPS you will be
presented with a "dotted line" and a "you-are-here". You then simply drive
the boat so as to stay on the dotted line and you will not crash into the
land (go aground). I pre-plan all my routes when going in open water so all
my navigation is done before I get underway. This way I can concentrate on
collision avoidance and actually enjoying the voyaging.
With the new one-meter accuracy of WAAS GPS I sometimes even find it useful
to make very short routes in tricky parts of inland waterways.
Radar is to be able to see in the dark (or fog or rain). The main thing here
is to use the radar even in perfectly clear weather so you get very familiar
with correlating what you see on the radar and what is actually around you.
In this way you will eventually be able to look at the radar and be able to
imagine what is actually around you more-or-less accurately even when it is
invisible to the eye. The main thing I use radar for is avoiding collisions
with other boats or nav aids, but is also helps to confirm that I am where I
think I am according to the GPS or Loran.
The VHF is mainly for talking to other boats nearby. The SSB is for talking
to boats far away or talking to folks on the land. Both can also be used to
pick up weather reports. The VHF is simple, read the manual and invite an
experienced person to walk you through it. The SSB is much more complex, but
again, an experienced person at your side will be the key.
Norm
___________________________________________________________________________
|| The Live-Aboard List : send a "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" request ||
|| in body of message to: ||
|