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

[rbethman at comcast.net]

To ALL:

I am NOT trying to sell or give it away!

I was expressing HOW I came to have it.

Bob - N0DGN

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <rbethman at comcast.net>
To: <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
Cc: <beaconeer at sbcglobal.net>
Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2005 4:02 PM
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] What VLF/LF Boatanchors are "affordable"


> 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