Satellite navigation for the masses!

One of the interesting things about eLORAN is that it still remains somewhat of a blank canvas. Despite indications to the contrary it is not abundantly clear what eLORAN actually is and what its final incarnation could be. There are many elements to eLORAN ranging from new differential technology through new operating procedures to new user equipment. In all of these areas there remains scope for research and optimisation of the systems performance.

One of the areas in which the most uncertainty currently exists is the form of the data channel through which eLORAN messages will be carried. At the moment two rival solutions exist: the US backed 9th pulse LORAN data channel and the European EUROFIX data channel. Both are very similar yet subtly different pulse position modulation (PPM) techniques. It has been suggested – but not yet demonstrated – that a user receiver could easily accommodate both techniques.

The interoperability issue that this presents and how it is addressed by the international LORAN community will however speak volumes about how the system will be developed in the future. If the community decides not to standardise on one solution then the problem will not only be thrown to the user equipment suppliers to resolve but it will also hint at a future eLORAN being a system of systems. Effectively any State or operator could start to make decisions about what technology evolutions to include in their own eLORAN stations causing numerous future interoperability problems. On the other hand the community could come together and choose to analyse, debate and ultimately standardise on one preferred solution. The process of doing this would build a stronger international standardisation community and could constitute an excellent basis for future cooperation over system evolutions.

The eLORAN community appears quite consensual. This is understandable given the precarious nature of funding for the system in recent years and the need to pull together to save the system. However, we seem to be emerging from the dark days or LORAN-C into a brighter ‘enhanced’ future. So perhaps it is now fitting that we consider whether a bit of good natured international competition over the data channel technical details wouldn’t be a good thing for LORAN as a whole. It would certainly raise academic and industry interest levels and would really show that there is life in the (not-so) old dog yet.