Manufactured in 1987 by Navstar Systems, the ‘Navstar 2000D Decca Receiver’ worked with the Decca Navigator System, a hyperbolic radio navigation system which allowed ships and aircraft to determine their position from fixed navigational beacons.

In the 1980s, advances in the manufacture of consumer electronics made marine electronic navigation devices more accessible to non-professional boaters. Manufactured from 1987 to about 1993, the Navstar 2000 series was developed by a research and development team based in Daventry, UK. The Navstar 2000 Decca Receiver was often sold and used with either the Navstar 2000 Satellite Navigator (ZBA9314) that used the Transit satellite system, and/or the Navstar 2000 Loran Receiver (ZBA9316). Together, the three receivers cover a range of position-fixing technologies used by mariners in the period 1987-1993.

Designed for ease of use, the unit had a backlit LCD display, tactile keyboard and refined software to give simple operation. NMEA interfacing and operation with a full navigational package are amongst its many features.

The Decca system was first deployed by the Royal Navy during World War II. After the war, Decca’s primary use was for ship navigation in coastal waters. The widespread introduction of inexpensive electronics in the 1980s caused Decca sets to dramatically drop in price. Decca was eventually replaced, however, by GPS in the 1990s.