CHAYKA explained

Chayka (Russian: Чайка, lit. "seagull") also known as Radiotekhnicheskaya Sistema Dal'ney Navigatsii abbreviated as RSDN (lit. Radio-technology System for Distant Navigation) is a Russian terrestrial radio navigation system, similar to Loran-C. It operates on similar frequencies around 100 kHz, and uses the same techniques of comparing both the envelope and the signal phase to accurately determine location. The systems differ primarily in details.

Chayka-Chains

Chayka, like LORAN-C, uses different pulse repetition frequencies (Group Repetition Intervals, or GRIs) to allow the identification of different stations operating on the same frequencies.

There are 5 Chayka chains in use:

Chayka Transmitters

The following Chayka transmitters work with very high power and may use very tall mast antennas (similar to LORAN-C transmitters). The masts at Dudinka and Taymylyr (demolished in 2009) were 460 metres high.

GRI 8000

PlaceCoordinatesEmission delay, μs Coding delay, μs Transmission power, kW
M Karachev (44 km from Bryansk)53.1307°N 34.9124°W450
W/1 Petrozavodsk61.759°N 33.6946°W13217.21 10000 700
X/2 Slonim (Belarus)53.132°N 25.3961°W27125.00 25000 450
Y/3 Simferopol44.8889°N 33.8733°W53070.25 50000 550
Z/4 Syzran53.2882°N 48.1148°W67941.60 65000 700

GRI 7950

PlaceCoordinatesEmission delay, μs Coding delay, μs Transmission power, kW
M Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky51.0786°N 142.7014°W700
W/1 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky53.1301°N 157.697°W14506.5 11000 700
X/2 Ussuriysk44.5328°N 131.6413°W33678.0 30000 700
Y/3 Tokachibuto (Japan)42.7437°N 143.7196°W49104.15 46000 600
Z/4 Okhotsk59.4172°N 143.0885°W64102.05 61000 10

GRI 5980

PlaceCoordinatesEmission delay, μs Coding delay, μs Transmission power, kW
M Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky53.1301°N 157.697°W700
W/1 Attu Island (United States)52.8289°N 173.1805°W14506.5 11000 400
X/2 Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky51.0786°N 142.7014°W31506.5 28000 700

GRI 5960

(No longer in service)

PlaceCoordinatesEmission delay, μs Coding delay, μs Transmission power, kW
M Dudinka69.3626°N 86.6974°W1200
W/1 Taymylyr72.5803°N 122.1112°W1200
X/2 Pankratiev Island76.1261°N 60.2153°W250
Y/3 Inta65.9665°N 60.3093°W1200

GRI 4970

PlaceCoordinatesEmission delay, μs Coding delay, μs Transmission power, kW
M Inta65.9665°N 60.3093°W1200
W/1 Tumanny69.0523°N 35.6706°W
X/2 Pankratiev Island76.1261°N 60.2153°W250

GRI 5970

PlaceCoordinatesEmission delay, μs Coding delay, μs Transmission power, kW
M Yuzhno-Uralsk54.385°N 81.6°W
W/1 Yekaterinburg56.7467°N 91.6°W15895,1 15000
X/2 Kurgan55.37°N 87.6°W30939,5 30000

See also