FCC Exam Question: 6A546

In determining a "fix" position by a marine LORAN system, what is the minimum number of landtransmitters involved?

A. A master & a slave station
B. 1 slave station
C. 2 slave stations & 1 master station
D. Four, or two pairs of "master and "slave" stations
Correct Answer: D

Explanation: To determine a "fix" position, which typically refers to a two-dimensional location, a receiver needs at least two intersecting lines of position (LOPs). In a LORAN (LOng RAnge Navigation) system, which operates on the principle of hyperbolic navigation, each LOP is generated by measuring the time difference of arrival (TD) between signals from a "master" station and a "slave" station. This master-slave combination forms one pair of transmitters that defines a hyperbola upon which the receiver is located. To obtain two distinct LOPs, which are necessary for a unique position fix, you need two such time difference measurements. These two measurements would ideally come from two independent pairs of "master and slave" stations. If each "pair" consists of a unique master and a unique slave, then two such pairs would involve a total of four distinct land-based transmitters (e.g., Master 1 and Slave 1 for the first LOP, and Master 2 and Slave 2 for the second LOP). While LORAN-C chains often used one master and multiple slaves to generate several LOPs (e.g., Master-Slave1 and Master-Slave2 using 3 transmitters total), the phrasing "two pairs of 'master and 'slave' stations" in option D implies two distinct and separate master-slave units, totaling four transmitters. This fulfills the requirement of two independent LOPs.

Pass Your FCC Exam!

Study offline, track your progress, and simulate real exams with the GMDSS Trainer app.


Includes Elements 1, 3, 6, 7R, 8, and 9.