Wednesday, 9 December 2015

Navigation Instruments

By Carey Bourdier


There are various navigational instruments used by the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, as well as all the other ships navigating the world's waterways. These navigational instruments are used in ships for various purposes. Some are used to determine the present position of the ship and some to indicate the speed as well as determine the direction and some to indicate when the vessel will arrive at its destination. Some of these have been used for years like charts and maps and some are electronics and computer operated. Here are just a few of the instruments used on board sea-faring vessels.

Telescopic marine alidades are navigation instruments used in ships. These are navigational instruments used to take terrestrial bearings of the vessel. The instrument is mounted on a bearing compass or bearing compass repeater when used. It is used to obtain the bearing of the vessel and is equipped with a telescopic sight and prismatic optical system. Through the use of the telescopic marine alidade, an accurate bearing can be made of the object in the distance. This instrument helps provide accurate marine data while at sea.

Another example of navigational equipment that is interesting is the three-arm protractor. This is also instrument that is used inland, although in these days, the use of GPS is overtaking its popularity. This instrument, when used in the ships and navigating in the seas, can be the fastest way to determine the ship's location. Determination of longitude and latitude can be made through calculations with data extracted through the use of the instrument. Other tools, like navigational charts, are used with this instrument. Knowing how to use this tool is certainly beneficial as electrical equipment in a ship can fail, and it's best to know how to navigate with and without electronic aids.

Optical instruments are also used in navigation and are interesting, like the telescopes and binoculars. When looking through these instruments objects and things will look bigger, thus important in navigation. With binoculars, a person can look through, using both eyes because these are like two telescopes that are similar and joined together. Only one eye can be used with a telescope. Both eyes are used with binoculars, and a three dimensional image can be seen. People looking at an object will find it very natural, with binoculars used. The image will look clearer and much bigger, even with objects that are far. Either instrument can be helpful in determine what type of object is located in the distance. These are simple to use and require no power.

Navigational sextants are tools that have been used for centuries and still are used today. This instrument, the sextant, is device and equipment used to calculate the angles between two objects. With this instrument, two mirrors are used, and the horizon is viewed through the first mirror. The second mirror is movable and the light from the sun's reflection is used for determination of data. Data and angle between the two is read through the instrument's scale. The importance of navigational sextants is given a high level because these instruments offer an accurate way to determine your position.

Sonar and radar are also navigational equipment that is very important in navigation and these high-tech devices are very accurate. These tools bounce waves off of objects in order to determine the distance of the objects in relation to your vessel. As the names suggest, radio waves are used in radar and in sonar, sound waves are used. On the ground and in the air, radio waves are used, and under the surface of the water, sound waves are used as medium.




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