[Boatanchors] What VLF/LF Boatanchors are "affordable"

[rbethman at comcast.net]

Phil, et al.

I use an HP-312A.

10kHz to 18 mHz.

My cost - " take it with you.  The wife wants this stuff to go away!"

Manual cost around $30 to $40.  It's been a year or two and memory doesn't work like it used to!

Not significantly different then the "B" model.

I QUIT chasing beacons!  Why?  It used to be part of flight training to tune them in on the ADF as part od getting your license.  Once I got my pilot's certificate, I NEVER bothered to chase another beacon.

The biggest reasons:

             The not too brilliant General Aviation manufacturer's ALWAYS installed them to the FAR right of the instrument panel.

              VOR beacons are MUCH easier to dial in and have proliferated in massive numbers, PLUS they have MUCH superior accuracy.

               If you are forced to make DF Beacon landing, Rotsa 'Ruck!  We lost that one USAF executive aircraft within the last ten years trying to mak a landing using one of those.  There is NO way to tell directly whether you are flying toward it or away from it WITHOUT making several circuits of flight to determine if signal is increasing or decreasing.  

                This is ABSOLUTELY "NOT" for the single engine/single pilot!

                What I really like about the HP-312's, is that you can calibrate them, and give an ACCURATE signal report in dBm.  Although MOST folks won't know how to interpret it.

Bob N0DGN