The Modernization Of Maritime Navigation By Marine Electronics Juneau

By Minnie Whitley


The maritime environment, where salt water is in abundant quantity, is not intuitively the ideal place for sensitive electrical equipment that can be zapped into oblivion for the sake of a single drop. It is paradoxical that vessels from cruise ships to navy destroyers are being fitted with more and more marine electronics Juneau as fast as new gear can be invented. Seafarers who once navigated by the position of the stars are now finding their way using man-made satellites in space.

The transition over to satellite navigation from conventional paper charts is occurring as we speak. Navigation may be defined as any task that involves finding out an object's direction and position. This applies as much to campers at Yellowstone as it does to astronauts in space. Unfortunately, a conventional SatNav system as used terrestrially cannot be used at sea, where there are no traffic lights.

A clever gadget has just been introduced that allows seafarers to turn their own cell phones into satellite navigation systems. The SatSleeve enables seamless communication from terrestrial services to the open sea. It allows voice communication, messaging and even Internet access.

Seafarers will also appreciate the newly-launched flexible TV sets. They have two advantages at sea. For one, they can be bent around to fit close spaces and two, they can be rolled up and put away when not in use, like when this week's episode of NCIS has been viewed.

Other new ultrasonic technologies will help to speed up dry dock time by preventing fouling of the hull from bacteria. For some reason, ultrasonic waves discourage the bugs from attaching to the exterior surface of the hull. By distributing a number of vibrations inside the ship's hull, they may be networked and connected to a power source and control panel.

Situated in the Alaskan panhandle on the Gastineau Channel, Juneau has been the capital of the State of Alaska since 1906, when the local government of what was then the District of Alaska voted to move it from Sitka, under the orders of the United States Congress. Juneau is named after Joe Juneau, a gold prospector, although it had also been known as Harrisburg (after Joe's business partner) and Rockwell.

The climate in Juneau is surprisingly mild, considering its location in frigid Alaska. Because of its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, which has a high heat capacity, the lowest average temperature in the dead of winter, January, is around -5 degrees Centigrade. In the summer time, the blazing heat remains a comfortable 18.5 degrees Centigrade, even in the torrid month of July.

The population of Juneau at the last census was slightly over 32,000 people, making it the biggest city and borough in the United States. It is served by no fewer than 13 elementary, middle and high schools. The local university is the southeast campus of the University of Alaska. The city is in the same time zone as Washington, Oregon and California, Pacific time.




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