The designation of any one of the erroneous fix positions obtained with a revolver or swinger
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TREENAIL
A long wooden pin used to fix planks of ship to the timbers
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CELESTIAL FIX
A fix established by means of two or more celestial bodies
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CHECK BEARING
An additional bearing, using a charted object other than those used to fix the position, observed and plotted in order to insure that the fix is not the result of a blunder
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DOUBLING THE ANGLE ON THE BOW
A method of obtaining a running fix by measuring the distance a vessel travels on a steady course while the relative bearing (right or left) of a fixed object doubles. The distance from the object at the time of the second bearing is equal to the run between bearings, neglecting drift.
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ESTIMATED POSITION
The most probable position of a craft determined from incomplete data or data of questionable accuracy. Such a position might be determined by applying a correction to the dead reckoning position, as for estimated current; by plotting a line of soundings; or by plotting lines of position of questionable accuracy. If no better information is available, a dead reckoning position is an estimated position, but the expression estimated position is not customarily used in this case. The distinction between an estimated position and a fix or running fix is a matter of judgment.
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ERROR ELLIPSE
The contour of equal probability density centered on the intersection of two straight lines of position which results from the one-dimensional normal error distribution associated with each line. For the 50 percent error ellipse, there is a 50 percent probability that a fix will lie within such ellipse. If the angle of cut i
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FIX
A position determined without reference to any former position; the common intersection of two or more lines of position obtained from simultaneous observations. Fixes obtained from electronic systems are ofte
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OUTSIDE FIX
A term describing the fix position determined by the method of bisectors when the lines of position result from observations of objects or celestial bodies lying within a 180° arc of the horizon.
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RUNNING FIX
A position determined by crossing lines of position obtained at different times and advanced or retired to a common time. However in celestial navigation or when using long-range electronic aids, a position determined by crossing lines of position obtained within a few minutes is considered a FIX; the expression RUNNING FIX is applied to a position determined by advancing or retiring a line over a considerable period of time. There is no sharp dividing line between a fix and a running fix in this case.
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SELECTIVE AVAILABILITY
A Department of Defense program which degrades the accuracy of the pseudorange measurement of the GPS signal by dithering the clock time and ephemerides data, providing a less accurate fix for civilian users. It can be turned on or off at will by DoD.
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