USCG Tender Deployable Differential Reference Station

D. B. Wolfe, D. J. Godfrey, M. W. Parsons and R. W. James

Abstract:	The U.S. Coast Guard’s Short Range Aids to Navigation Program has an operational requirement for a Tender Deployable Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) reference station. This requirement arose because the new 225’ Juniper and 175’ Keeper Class buoy tenders require a DGPS signal as their primary input to the Dynamic Positioning System (DPS) and the Automated Aid Positioning System (AAPS). The DPS is used for vessel maneuvering and AAPS is used for positioning Aids to Navigation (Aids to Navigation). Many areas in Alaska, Hawaii and Guam, where the Coast Guard has Aids to Navigation responsibilities, do not have DGPS beacon coverage. Development of a deployable system will allow buoy tenders to take advantage of DGPS accuracy and ease of operation when positioning Aids to Navigation. This will enable more efficient operation of Coast Guard cutters and ultimately facilitates improved service to maritime customers. Engineers at the Coast Guard Command and Control Engineering Center (C2CEN) were provided with a set of minimum operational requirements for a Tender Deployable DGPS (TD-DGPS) system. After researching Commercial Off The Self (COTS) DGPS Reference Stations and available data linking systems, C2CEN engineers assembled a suite of equipment that satisfies the TD-DGPS requirements. Engineers constructed a prototype and have tested it on several operational units. This paper reviews the Coast Guard’s initial requirements for a deployable DGPS reference station, engineering development, test procedures and results, the current project status, and steps remaining to fully implement the system.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 14th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 2001) September 11 - 14, 2001 Salt Palace Convention Center Salt Lake City, UT
Pages:	1663 - 1669
Cite this article:	Wolfe, D. B., Godfrey, D. J., Parsons, M. W., James, R. W., "USCG Tender Deployable Differential Reference Station," Proceedings of the 14th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 2001), Salt Lake City, UT, September 2001, pp. 1663-1669.
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