Wayne.B wrote:
On Fri, 10 Mar 2006 08:19:30 -0500, Jeff wrote:


Yes, of course. And now for the third time I'll point out that
noticing the compass bearing of an RDF target change is no more
complex than watching the x-track change.


I agree but if you are starting to drift off your track line, you will
usually pick it up on cross track error well before you see a bearing
change of even one degree.

Of course. I certainly wouldn't argue that RDF and Compass is more
accurate than GPS with x-track. My point is simply that anyone who
would unknowingly "spiral in" on an RDF target probably couldn't be
trusted to understand a GPS either.

If all you do is blindly minimize x-track you might not appreciate the
nature of the current, and how it's affecting other boats.

Actually, my recollection of using RDF is that when we approached a
harbor in limited visibility we made sure that the compass bearing was
shifting in the proper direction, to ensure we were on the proper side
of the transmitter.