LORAN-C SYSTEM

The US Air Force had worked on a different concept, known as

Cyclan, which the Navy took over as Loran-C. The LORAN-C system
was brought to operational status during the period 1952-1956. The
first operational chain was installed along the east coast of the
United States in 1957. Subsequently, LORAN-C chains were
constructed in the Mediterranean Sea and in the Northeast Atlantic.
In view of the rapid expansion taking place, the United States
Delegation to the Geneva Radio Conference (1959) proposed that
the frequency band 90-110 kc/s be allocated on a world-wide basis
to the radio navigation service.
OPERATION OF A LORAN-C
• The receiver is designed to accept a carrier frequency of 100 kc/s with a bandwidth
commensurate with requirements for pulse type reception (approximately 25 kc/s).
• When the received signals are of sufficient amplitude to be observed on the oscilloscope swept
at the rate of transmission, the received signals appear stationary. Signals on rates other than
that selected at the receiver drift through the stationary signals.
• After selecting the proper recurrence rate, the operator then synchronizes the receiver with the
master signals.
• Synchronization of the receiver on slave signals is then accomplished by visual or automatic
means.
• When the receiver has synchronized on a master and slave signal, the arrival time-difference is
directly and continuously displayed as the receiver moves in the service area.
• Automatic alarms have been incorporated in most receivers to inform the operator when the
receiver is tracking on a combined groundwave-skywave signal.
 STATIONS

Loran-C transmitters are organized into chains of 3, 4 or 5

stations. Within a chain, one station is designated "Master"
(M) while the other "Secondary" stations identified by the
letters W, X, Y and Z. Different secondary designations are
used depending on the number of station in a chain.
Phase Coding
To reduce the effects of interference and noise on
time difference measurements, and to assist in
distinguishing between master and secondary
stations, the carrier phase of selected transmitted
pulses is reversed in a predetermined pattern.
RECEIVERS
DECCA NAVIGATOR SYSTEM
HISTORY
• Was a Hyperbolic Radio Navigation System which allowed ships and aircrafts
to determine their position by receiving radio signals from fixed navigational
beacons.
• The syatem was invented in the US, but development was carried by DECCA in
UK.
• It was first deployed by the Royal Navy during World War II.
• Decca primary use was for ship navigation in coastal watersoffering much
better accuracy than LORAN System.
• Decca was eventually replaced along with LORAN and other similar navigation
systems, by the GPS during 1990’s.
DECCA NAVIGATOR SYSTEM FACILITY
• A Master Station
• 3 Secondary Stations
• Baseline Length: 60 – 120 nautical miles
• The Master Station normally transmits a “6f” unmodulated carrier wave signal
in the 85 KHz band.
• Red Slave: “8f” ; 112KHz band
• Green Slave: “9f” ; 127kHz band
• Purple Slave: “5f” ; 71kHz band
• 150Hz band spacing
DECCA OPERATION
• The system operates at low frequency. 70 – 129 kHz.
• Each station transmits a continous signal.
• As there were three secondaries, there were three patterns termed as
Red,Green and Purple.
• The transmissions from the chain are received by a special shipborne
receiver, which measures the difference in phase of signals arriving from
master and slaves.
• The detected phase differences are displayed on phase meters called
'decometers', and the readings may be plotted onto Decca lattice charts, on
which the lines of position are numbered in the same units as those shown on
the decometers.
A CHAIN EXAMPLE
SET OF DECOMETERS
DECCA OPERATION
• The areas between the lines of zero phase difference in a Decca pattern are
known as "lanes". The width of each lane on the base-line is approximately
Red: 450 metres, Green: 590 metres and Purple: 350 metres.
• Lanes are grouped into Zones. Each Zone contains 24 Red lanes, 18 Green
lanes, or 30 Purple lanes.
• Readings at the Master Station are Red A 0.00, Green A 30.00 and Purple A
50.00.
FIX POSITION READING