Posted by Brendon Baillod on August 08, 19103 at 11:35:39:
In Reply to: CLAYTON BELLE posted by SNOWSCUBA on August 06, 19103 at 18:28:21:
Mike,
It's not too hard to convert numbers electronically. Most LORAN machines can be set to read in LAT/LON. However, as I may have explained, there is not a perfect mathmatical correspondence between the two coordinate systems because of the LORAN land propagation error. As such, the converted numbers will definitely be 50+ yards off and probably more like 1/4 mile to a mile off. However, the converted numbers will get you in the general area. If the wreck is deep you will need to do a LOT of trolling to find it.
There is a conversion utility that I have used. You have to know the LORAN transmitter code for the towers in your area, but it works reasonably well and gives a better interpolation than some other free utilities. It will do both GPS to TDs and TDs to GPS. There is a commercial conversion utility that will give slightly better results, but you can expect a very significant error with any conversion. The only way to get accurate GPS is to measure it with a GPS receiver.
Frankly, I'd recommend that you bring a LORAN receiver on the boat with you, locate the wreck using the LORAN TDs, then take a new reading with a GPS. That will save you a LOT of time and trouble. I've had to work with converted TDs before and in every case, it was far easier to simply use a LORAN receiver to locate the wreck and take a new reading with a GPS. It takes a lot less time to find and set up an old LORAN receiver than it does to search a mile of bottom with a fish finder.
Regards,
BB
: I AM LOOKING FOR SOME HELP ON G.P.S. NUMBERS FOR THE CLAYTON BELLE IN LAKE HURONS SANILAC RESERVE. THE NUMBERS I HAVE FROM CHRIS KOHLS BOOK DON'T SEEM TO BE ACCURATE ENOUGH AS I FOUND OUT LAST NIGHT. I SINCE HAVE RECIEVED LORAN NUMBERS 30837.0 AND 49633.3 BUT DO NOT KNOW HOW TO CONVERT THEM TO MY LAT LON NUMBERS . WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE SOME HELP PLEASE.