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

[Sheldon Daitch]

rbethman at comcast.net wrote:

> 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.

Hmm, all the NDB approaches I've ever shot never needed me to know if the signal (level) was
increasing or decreasing.

Even as far back as the late 1970s, every ADF receiver I ever saw had a needle indicator that pointed at the beacon, so you always knew if the beacon was in front or behind you.  The biggest problem was tracking away from an NDB for an approach was that it was slightly more difficult to remain on the correct track to the airport.  Much less of a problem if the
beacon were either on the field or after the airport.

see:  http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/ADF.htm

Maybe I missed something here.

73
Sheldon
WA4MZZ