USCG Exam PracticeThree-bearing fix and cocked-hat triangle
A navigator obtains a radar fix by taking range and bearing to a charted object. According to Bowditch, this method produces which type of position?
- A. A running fix, because the radar bearing must be advanced along the DR track
- ✓ A direct fix, because range and bearing to a single target provide both coordinates simultaneouslyCorrect
- C. An estimated position, because radar bearings are less accurate than visual bearings
- D. A line of position only, because a single radar contact yields only one LOP
Why B is correct
Bowditch Ch. 13 §1301 states that range and bearing to a target from radar give a direct fix. A single radar contact provides both a range arc and a bearing LOP simultaneously, yielding a two-LOP intersection at one observation.
Cited:Bowditch Ch. 13 §1301