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David Sheriff
Board Administrator
Username: admin
Post Number: 171
Registered: 01-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, August 17, 2008 - 01:32 pm: | 
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MST 218 Calendar
First Class Meeting on: Thursday, 8/28/2008. 6:00 pm. Room: TAS 116
Add without Instructor Permission by: Wednesday, 8/27/2008
Saddleback will not let you register for the course without my permission after Wednesday 8/27. If you want to take the course and you are past the deadline, come to the first meeting of the class.
I can give you a code which will let you register.
If you miss the first class meeting, call me. You may still be able to take the course but your chances are diminishing rapidly.
Drop with Refund by: Friday, 9/5/2008
Elect CR/NC by: Friday, 9/26/2008
Drop without 'W' Grade by: Friday, 9/26/2008
Drop with 'W' Grade by: Thursday, 11/6/2008
Last Week of Class Ends: Sunday, 12/21/2008 |
David Sheriff
Board Administrator
Username: admin
Post Number: 170
Registered: 01-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, August 16, 2008 - 02:37 pm: |
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Navigation involves determining where you are and how to proceed to your destination. Collision avoidance is a separate activity practiced with the aid of several of the same instruments used for navigation. A principal motivation to equip vessels with electronic navigation aids is to enhance safe operation. Therefore this course will treat both navigation and collision avoidance. |
David Sheriff
Board Administrator
Username: admin
Post Number: 168
Registered: 01-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 13, 2008 - 07:55 am: |
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It would seem nearly impossible to find an email from 2003, but sometimes you get lucky. Two computers ago, I was using Mozilla Thunderbird as an email client on a Dell 410 dual Pentium 400 workstation. The computer is still around and I managed to retrieve the original detailed course outline.
Let me emphasize that this was the idea back then. This is not the course outline I will be teaching now. Technology has changed. Reality has set in. Computer simulation software is far more available for much of the covered equipment at reasonable prices. I realized that conducting very many labs on multiple boats would involve a tremendous amount of overhead. Using simulators will buy the student a lot more personal time with the "equipment" in a much more controlled setting. Finally, navigation technology has advanced and the course must advance with it.
"Subject:
Electronic Navigation class detailed outline
From:
David Sheriff <david@electricmarine.com>
Date:
Fri, 19 Sep 2003 22:22:57 -0700
To:
"Mark W. Howe" <markhowe@cox.net>, John Keith <lagunasailor@cox.net>, David Sheriff <david@electricmarine.com>
CC:
115perkins <115perkins@email.msn.com>, mbarrows@saddleback.edu, rgrant@saddleback.edu, plewis@saddleback.edu, dtaylor@saddleback.edu, Tbaggs@saddleback.edu
Gang,
I have been going over the class progression in my mind and have it tentatively mapped out as follows. Input or criticism is welcome. Reasonable lab fee for vessel use highly probable. There is a lot of material here, but I believe I can cover it all in a semester. I may treat some points in less detail or cut a lab if I fall behind. This is not a course that students can easily join after session 3 without doing some real studying.
"ELECTRONIC AIDS TO NAVIGATION"
GPS, Autopilot, Depthmeter, Chartplotter, Radar. Hands-on, lecture and lab including experience on-the-water.
Full semester, 16 sessions, one night per week with various self-guided homework projects. Preferred venue: Dana Point Youth and Group facility large classroom. "Text" may consist of a number of links to relevant materials on the web plus some paper handouts in class. Printouts available at cost for the incurably computerphobic. Will make extensive use of computer screen projector, computer simulations, all materials (possibly including several simulations) available on the web.
Sessions 1 & 2, lecture. Orientation, settling in and Fundamentals of navigation. The Chart: Lat, Lon, bearing, heading, speed-distance-time, reading coordinates, depth, aids to navigation and hazards from a chart. Magnetic vs. true. Student learns just enough navigation to understand what the GPS parameters mean. During session 1, students complete a questionaire regarding their experience, confidence, ability and reason for taking the course. During session 2, Students are organized into teams of 4 to 6 with a mix of ability and experience in each team.
Quiz during session 2: Student answers relatively simple questions and does simple plots on a provided chart.
Sessions 3, 4 lecture/lab. The handheld GPS
Except for radar, The GPS segments present most of the core concepts in the course and will involve more class sessions and field exercises than any other segment. One way or another, every student will have access to a handheld GPS.
a. history, purpose
b. basic principle of operation
c. accuracy, selective availability, differential GPS, WAAS
d. GPS output: LAT, LON, WPL, SOG, HDG, BRG, VMG, XTE, Time, ETA
Major project: In teams or individually, students follow a provided course over land in a vehicle. They answer questions involving every GPS output parameter which can only be determined by following the course properly. Assigned at the close of session 3. Progress review and questions during session 4. Successful completion of the activity will require perhaps four - six hours. This will be done over several weeks as a homework project and will constitute the first major exam.
Session 5 lecture/lab. Depth
a) speed of sound through various media, principals of echolocation. Limitations. Identifying probable false readings. b) lab problems using provided depth equipment measuring depth from dock, and depth using several simulation media. Extra credit: calculate speed of sound in simulation media.
c) Review of progress and questions on land navigation project.
Session 6: Critique of individual land navigation projects. This project is essentially the mid-term. Students will be given an opportunity to redo or complete the assignment to raise their grade before the start of session 10.
Session 7 Lab with multiple sailing vessels inder auxillary engines only. Students apply extensive experience in land GPS exercises on the water. First Lab aboard vessels using GPS, depthmeters and charts. Practice navigation with GPS and following depth contour(s). Contour work not completed during this session can be conducted during the last three lab sessions.
Each lab session as the course proceeds will incorporate skills practiced in earlier lab sessions.
All labs involving multiple vessels will use the instructor plus experienced, qualified volunteer assistants in direct radio contact with the instructor. The volunteer assistants will be responsible for the safety of the boats. Students will be required to wear PFDs when on the water. This is not a boating class. Some students may be qualified to drive at the slow speeds and low power to be used. Normally, though, a student will direct the skipper to steer. The skipper will turn the vessel through the number of degrees the student watching the instruments directs. The student must anticipate the time it takes the boat to turn, but is not distracted by personal inexperience at the helm.
Quiz: Each student or team navigates a course following a depth contour. Evaluation by analyzing GPS reported course followed. Possibly report depth measured at various GPS locations in the field. Each student gets a different location. This activity may be moved to sessions 14,15,16.
4) Session 8 (lecture) Autopilots
a) How the autopilot knows which way it's going: the fluxgate compass and others. Very basic treatment.
b) Autopilot principles of operation.
c) how does the autopilot steer the boat? Backlash, sensitivity to error, critical damping, overdamping, underdamping, resulting courses followed. Compass safe distance for magnetic objects.
d) data from GPS or Chartplotter: Communication systems. Demonstration of real-time NMEA 183 output from a moving GPS. d) Using the magnetic and GPS data. How the Autopilot uses heading, bearing, cross-track error. Actions taken by system to compensate for set, drift, wind, compass error, etc. Possible autopilot simulator in class.
e) consequences of improper autopilot operation. Example: setting a course, going below for a few beers to pass the time and running aground some time later at full cruise speed while napping.
Session 9 (lab). In teams, students use GPS and autopilots on the water demonstrating proper and improper functioning. As exercises followed by hands-on exam, students follow proscribed courses in the water and report data which can only be determined by following the course correctly. Platforms are sailboats under auxilliary power. End of session critique: GPS tracks for each team projected overlaid on relevant chart, graded and discussed. Written quiz possible.
e) possible demonstration of autopilot operation aboard fast boat, noting differences in control settings between slow and fast speed. Computer simulator would be good here too.
Session 10 lecture. Chartplotters.
a) chartplotters as GPS driven computer copies of paper charts. In-class simulations.
b) setting waypoints with a mouse. plotting courses, following courses, moving around on the chart. Changing scales. Other chartplotter stuff.
c) chartplotter interface with helmsman or autopilot: exactly the same as for GPS with a nicer user interface. GPS is to DOS as Chartplotter is to Windows.
d) reviewing comparative features of several leading chartplotters. Determining common feature set. Discussing bells and whistles. This might be done for a few pieces of equipment and making further comparisons left to the student as a compare/contrast report. Or it might be done completely as individual homework projects posted on the class website by session 14.
Sessions 11, 12 lecture/demonstration - Radar
a) brief history, principles of operation.
b) The radar horizon. Why your 36 mile radar only picks up the tops of the mountains at full range. c) Demonstration: elements of a modern recreational radar sans radome. Block diagram discussion of what everything does. d) Interpreting the radar display, probably using a simulator projected on large screen. e) The operator adjustments: Range, display intensity, tuning, STC, FTC, trails, EBL, VRM, etc. Touch on advanced equipment which automatically tracks targets. f) identifying objects that are moving. Determining whether colliosion course is probable. What to do in the event a collision course is certain. Brief rules of the road as they apply in this situation followed by handout of the complete rules. g) What you cannot see on radar that may be anywhere in your path. Radar reflectors.
Lab during session 12: Demonstration of low-power short-range radar in the parking lot with students walking around pretending to be vessels of different sizes. Safe microwave exposure guidelines will be strictly and conservatively followed. Hands-on operation of radar controls in a low-stress situation.
Session 13 Lab: Radar aboard a larger vessel which will accomodate the entire class, rotating teams at the display. Demonstrate overlay of radar image on chartplotter. Professional captain will be employed to control any motor vessel. It takes time to get into trouble with a sailboat but things can happen very quickly aboard a power vessel. One advantage to using a large power vessel is that it will likely be equipped with the most sophisticated equipment the students will be exposed to in this class.
Sessions 14, 15, 16 On-the-water experience, Review, wrapup, exam
The course concludes with several labs using multiple smaller vessels, each with a different equipment set. Teams rotate through all vessels to demonstrate proficiency with all instruments. Each student or team must, at some point, execute a blind approach to the harbor entrance and into the channel using only electronic navigation aids. (Others will be keeping a sharp lookout.) This will take place late in the fall after sunset. A critique will be held at the conclusion of each lab. Students will be graded on their on-the-water ability with all the equipment.
Final written exam."
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