[ARC5] NDB IDs

[D C _Mac_ Macdonald]

I think we GAVE it to them 'cause it was 
an expensive PITA to retain! 
 
* * * * * * * * * * * 
* 73 - Mac, K2GKK/5 * 
* (Since 30 Nov 53) * 
* k2gkk at hotmail.com * 
* Oklahoma City, OK * 
* USAF & FAA (Ret.) * 
* * * * * * * * * * * 
 
 
 

 

> From: geoffrey at jeremy.mv.com
> To: mmab at cox.net; jeepp at comcast.net
> Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 19:58:20 -0400
> CC: Arc5 at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [ARC5] NDB IDs
> 
> Swan counted as a seperate DXCC country before we were forced to give it to 
> Honduras in 1972.
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Michael A. Bittner" <mmab at cox.net>
> To: <jeepp at comcast.net>
> Cc: <Arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2012 7:27 PM
> Subject: Re: [ARC5] NDB IDs
> 
> 
> >I recall logging Swan Island sometime in the middle '70s from my former 
> >home in Manhattan Beach, CA. Equipment was an RCA AVR-104 running on dry 
> >batteries and the living room curtain rod as an antenna. About the same 
> >time, I also logged Radio Belize, on their then odd-ball frequency of 834 
> >kHz, using a BC-946 with a homebrew AC power supply clipped on the back in 
> >place of the dynamotor.
> > I too lament the passing of so many NDBs and the 4-course radio range 
> > stations for DXing, but not for flying. Doing a fade-90 execise on a 
> > 4-course range in instrument conditions with lightning crashes in your 
> > headphones was no fun at all.
> > I also lament the passing of the Consolan station in Petaluma, CA. You 
> > could always count on it to define the low end of the dial on an 
> > R-23/ARC-5. When it finally went silent, it was like losing an old 
> > friend.
> > Mike, W6MAB
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: D. Platt
> > Cc: Arc5 at mailman.qth.net
> > Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2012 1:47 PM
> > Subject: Re: [ARC5] NDB IDs
> >
> >
> > 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