[ARC5] NDB IDs

[D. Platt]

Gents,

LF'ing can be very interesting.  My old BC-779 will do a nice job but I 
currently have (for whatever reason) a spare Bendix ADF-T-12C setup with 
the loop and sense antennas. ( We still have on in the aircraft for 
back-up for the back-up and for a little help on ILS approaches).  The 
loop setup is infinitely more quiet, of course.  I was privy to the 
"other end" a few years back when I was on Swan Island, W. Caribbean.  
The 407kHz 1000 watt FAA HH beacon attracted a fair amount of SWL 
activity such that I bought a consignment of SWL cards to send out.  The 
longest distance, as I recall, was an SWL in the Netherlands.  The thing 
is, there are not too many CONUS HH beacons left, if at all.  When I was 
assigned to Swan, I had to go to the Bahamas to get a famiz with the 
equipment. Most LF beacons are "compass locators" running from about 25 
to 75 watts, max, and located (typically) around an airdrome.  In the 
old days, of course, before the VOR system came along, NDBs and Adcock 
ranges were the bee's knees.  I recall as a kid, and a new ham in the 
late 50's, listening to the A/N Adcock range near Millville NJ.  In 
fact, that range was one of the last ones on the East Coast to be 
decommissioned.  Truth told, I don't personally know of any CONUS airway 
segment that is currently defined by an NDB.  There are still a lot of 
non-precision NDB approaches in force, however.  But, GPS is winning out 
in many places.  In the Third World, NDBs were the rule up until global 
GPS came into regular usage.  In Africa, there are still a number of 
medium power LF stations on the air (sic) depending on the state of that 
country's political stability, at the moment.  Another issue there is 
that the QRN can be so bad that reliable lock-up is difficult, at best. 
Again, GPS saves the day.  BTW, I've still got an LF/MF airways chart 
from the 40's.  Its neat to see how it was done in days of yore.....

Jeep - K3HVG