What is an off course alarm?
I have recently joined the Merchant Navy and as part of my training i have to compile an assignment on on off course alarms e.g. what one is, why its gone off, what my actions would be etc. I have looked throught the internet but all i can find are companies selling them..no real information!
Any help you could give would be great, thanks in adavnce ; )
Answers:
An off course alarm is a safety alarm which indicates that you are not maintaining the course desired. Typically you find such an alarm on an autopilot. An autopilot senses direction either through through connection to a compass or to a GPS, or both. Since constant, exact course keeping is, of course, an impossibility given conditions at sea, the pilot programming allows you to set an acceptable correct course range (say, for example, five degrees). If the ship is on a course within this range the alarm stays off. If outside of this range or off course for a specified length of time, then the alarm rings.
A similar alarm also exists on chart readers connected to GPS. In this case, of course responding to chart information in reference to actual position as indicated by the GPS.
It's basically a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver that you pre-programme with waypoints, if your going to miss the waypoint by going "off course" it sounds an alarm for you to correct your course. I believe they would be good say on a vessel in an emergency with no electronic navigation equipment, or one that doesn't have any such as a row boat!
In a boat where the GPS is integrated into the autopilot, an off course alarm might sound. It could also be set to sound in just a GPS if you were not making the course set. Actions of course would be to immediately take a course reading, manually or by GPS. Then determine course correction action needed, after consulting the charts and other devices(RADAR) to see what dangers might be in the area.Of course alarms can also be set for anchoring to check on draging. Always remember visual observations, and that electronics can fail.
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