[ARC5] Non Directional Beacons

Mon Jan 5 16:36:07 EST 2015

  The situation with Nav. Beacons has a parallel with the 'primitive'
  command sets - and the AM B.C. band system.
  Without doubt both the Nav. Beacons and AM broadcast have been
  superseded by systems that offer more - but at a higher cost.
  Here, in Australia the AM B.C. band is subject to interference from
  static (QRN) during summer - as it is in Florida, Texas etc, I'm sure.
  At the same time AM broadcast can be picked up by people who live in
  remote areas.  VHF transmissions just don't have the range.
  I regularly listen to Brisbane at the top end of the AM band (- about
  600 miles north from my QTH).

  For some time I've wondered whether the A.M. system will survive.  I
  hope it does, despite the static, fading and (supposedly) poor
  fidelity.

  Drawing a parallel with the NDB system - yes, it's primitive, but also
  the cost to maintain a transmitter is low.
  The benefit of a beacon to an aircraft (at times) can be great -
  especially if there is an entire network of 'beacons'.
  Listening here (on the E. coast of Australia) I can easily log 50+ NDB
  stations after sun-down.  
  (Using a trusty BC-453 set, of course!)

  I hope both the NDB and AM stations survive.
  I fear they won't.

  73 de Les Smith
  vk2bcu at operamail.com

On Fri, Jan 2, 2015, at 06:52, Sandy Blaize wrote:
> I think just about ALL of the nautical beacons are gone.  All the ones 
> near moth of Mississippi River are gone.  No more beacons to calibrate 
> RDF receivers on any more.  I am still a believer that when they 
> decommissioned the LORAN C system it was a a gross screw up!  It was a 
> very excellent backup for the GPS should it go nuts. Modern navigators 
> don't know what to do with beacons and Loran systems 
> anyway.....or.....celestial navigation via the sextant in spite of the 
> reliability of the GPS system!
> 
> The most terrible piece of crap they ever designed was the Omega system 
> which (Thank God) got scrapped.  They usually went totally nuts when a 
> thunder storm passed over and couldn't get the "lanes" reestablished 
> correctly.  A navigator is useless if it can't tell the mate: "Where the 
> F**k are we?"
> 
> Although aero beacons are basically obsolete, they are HELPFUL getting 
> lined up with a runway where there isn't any ILS, local OMNI to help you 
> out and the weather/visibility is crappy!  MUCH better than nothing at 
> the end of a "wearing" flight due to weather.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Sandy W5TVW
> On 1/1/2015 1:29 PM, DSP3 wrote:
> > You are most correct in saying that NDBs, especially H and HH 
> > facilities, are becoming dinosaurs in the CONUS.  This does not 
> > account for the 3rd World, however!   The vestiges of the CONUS LF 
> > system is now pretty much left to the low-cast compass locators, sited 
> > generally at small airports; those that can't afford or cannot 
> > politically cause the FAA to install something else.  That, of course, 
> > is reinforced by the fact that GPS-based approaches are evolving more 
> > and more.  Of course, its always a good thing to have "something" at 
> > the airdrome, itself, to tell one when you're there. My flight bag is 
> > not convenient at the moment, but looking at a just-expired DC 
> > Sectional, I can readily see about a dozen or so NDBs.  DCA has one on 
> > 332 kHz, Gaithersburg on 385 kHz, The old Ft. Meade NDB (now Arundel) 
> > is on 260 kHz.  Looks like DCA is the only big airdrome with one of 
> > them and, truth told, its also affiliated with Davisson AAF, in 
> > reality. .  Neither BWI, ADW, or IAD have anything LF going, anymore.  
> > Scanning around the chart... there still a number of them heading 
> > south and west.  All the oldies but goodies are gone... Millvile NJ 
> > used to be one of the last  A/N Ranges.  All gone.....  Its also hard, 
> > these days for me to hear much from these 25-50 watt beacons.  I used 
> > to hear OXON (DCA) well up here in Frederick MD but no more.....
> >
> > NDB's are licensed by the FCC, but approved and coordinated by the 
> > FAA.  There are FAA forms one fills out with justifications and 
> > pre-coordination of frequencies.  They are under the FCC "Aeronautical 
> > Services" category, in this case.  If its nautical, then I think the 
> > USGC and the FCC are involved. Are there still any nautical LF 
> > beacons?  I've no idea.....
> >
> > Jeep - K3HVG
> >
> >
> >
> > On 12/31/2014 12:28 PM, David Stinson wrote:
> >> Does anyone know the "correct" way to license an NDB?
> >> I've looked around on the web and can't find anything specific
> >> or clear enough to use.
> >> LF NDBs are dropping dead by dozens.  Sad.
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