The Anecdotal Life Part.39
Coming to terms with the terminology in the boating world can be maddening..and funny. My GPS course that started Tuesday night following the Seamanship class the night before, threw the usual blockbuster tsunami of information in my face. Just as I was getting to my feet knowledge wise in the Monday course too. Ah, well.
Here's some samples. The captain/ teacher gave us an hour's worth of GPS history, while pitching in phrases such as "ephemeris data" from satellites. When I could get up the courage to satisfy my all too ample supply of curiosity, I raised my hand. He looked shocked anyone might want to know what ephemeris meant. He was curt. " position", was the reply. I guess getting position from a satellite would be ephemeral. Meaning, I supposed, the minute you get it, it's not true anymore, but it may keep you from whamming into a few landmarks, Oscar Freem's Marina or land itself. There's a lot of things to run into on the Chesapeake. There is an unsettling disclaimer on Garmin handheld GPS which states emphatically that pinpointing your position won't help worth a darn in dodging all the possible obstructions. Not meant to be soothing is it?
Here's a few other lines: "Vector Sum" is that Dim Sum's smarter brother? Azimuth came up again. I now have six definitions for it. The ninth wave came at me called " pseudo-random pulse code modulation".Then for good measure they threw in a hyberbola and Doppler effect. Oh, let's not forget the inertial characteristics of the earth itself. I am going to need a week in the Bahamas when this is all over. So will the captain who is mentoring me, my brother-in-law, various friends, and the lovely ladies at the Annapolis library. I am supposed to make a route from the Annapolis docks to the baybridge on the Garmin by driving there and entering the position. I hope they don't mind if I get the position from Hats In The Belfry store right next to the docks. How could that hurt?
Copyright: November 9, 2006.
Here's some samples. The captain/ teacher gave us an hour's worth of GPS history, while pitching in phrases such as "ephemeris data" from satellites. When I could get up the courage to satisfy my all too ample supply of curiosity, I raised my hand. He looked shocked anyone might want to know what ephemeris meant. He was curt. " position", was the reply. I guess getting position from a satellite would be ephemeral. Meaning, I supposed, the minute you get it, it's not true anymore, but it may keep you from whamming into a few landmarks, Oscar Freem's Marina or land itself. There's a lot of things to run into on the Chesapeake. There is an unsettling disclaimer on Garmin handheld GPS which states emphatically that pinpointing your position won't help worth a darn in dodging all the possible obstructions. Not meant to be soothing is it?
Here's a few other lines: "Vector Sum" is that Dim Sum's smarter brother? Azimuth came up again. I now have six definitions for it. The ninth wave came at me called " pseudo-random pulse code modulation".Then for good measure they threw in a hyberbola and Doppler effect. Oh, let's not forget the inertial characteristics of the earth itself. I am going to need a week in the Bahamas when this is all over. So will the captain who is mentoring me, my brother-in-law, various friends, and the lovely ladies at the Annapolis library. I am supposed to make a route from the Annapolis docks to the baybridge on the Garmin by driving there and entering the position. I hope they don't mind if I get the position from Hats In The Belfry store right next to the docks. How could that hurt?
Copyright: November 9, 2006.
posted by The Anecdotal Life at 9:24 AM
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