[ARC5] BC-453 usage?

[Mike Morrow]

Bob wrote:

>...in the USAF in the 50's We still had BC-453s in use at the
>time but I don't know what they were used for.
>
>What were they used for? Navigation?

The years of the 1950s to early 1960s were the last in the heyday of the 200 to 400 kHz beacon band.  There were still a fair number of Adcock aural (A-N, no loop required or desired) directional beacons on air, control-tower-to-aircraft transmitting stations in service (of which 278 kHz was the most common frequency), plus many non-directional beacons that, though not usable with a BC-453 for DFing, still broadcast airfield and weather information.  Just about all aircraft provided for beacon band reception.  In private light aircraft of the era, the first and often only item of radio gear on board was a small dry-cell-powered beacon band receiver like the Bendix PAR-3 or Motorola Airboy, retailing for about $30 to $45 at the time.

The USAAF BC-946-B, USN CBY-46145, and USN R-24/ARC-5 broadcast band units were designed to serve as host receivers for the ZB or AN/ARR-1 VHF homing adapter.  The USN ARA CBY-46129, R-23/ARC-5 beacon band and CBY-46145, R-24/ARC-5 broadcast band units also could serve as MF localizer receivers for the USN's short-lived ZA/ZAX or AN/ARN-9 Air-Track ILS system.

But for the lowly BC-453-B, copying the beacon band for navigation, information, or communication was its only intended function.

73,
Mike / KK5F