[ARC5] Navigational Beacons

[Robert Eleazer]

To add to David's interesting info I will point out that Non Directional Beacons in countries outside the U.S. often are CW rather than modulated.  Hence the need for a BFO even on commercial ADF equipment.  In contrast the cute little radios used to receive the A-N ranges in the U.S did not have BFOs (I think they are cute; I have 4 of them). 

And many of the commercial radios intended for AN and tower communcations were battery powered due to the lack of electrical systems in the majority of light aircraft manufactured before WWII.  Heath even made one.  It was also common for the standard tower freq of 278 KHZ to be marked right on the dial.

The last A-N range in the US lasted into the mid-70's; it was in Montana, I think.

To get an appreciation of how bad and how challenging fighter comm and navigation was in the early years of WWII, take a look at what I think is the October 2001 issue of Wings/Airpower Magazine.  A squadron of early model P-40's tried to fly from Arizona to Oregon in 1941.  Between the trip up and the one back down they basically lost the whole squadron and left airplanes wrecked or parked on country roads all over California.

Of course, the November 2001 issue of Airpower magazine is much more interesting but I am too modest to say why.

Wayne
WB5WSV