[Milsurplus] "FuG-10 Pulse Mode LF Transmission"

[Hue Miller]

Is this title sufficiently abstruse?

I had long wondered why the LF transmitter, 300 - 600 kcs,  nomenclatured SK10,
of the German WW2 FuG-10 aircraft radio set, offered pulse transmission.
( You may have seen a unit of this set from time to time on Epay, a cube about
8 x 8 x 8 inches, grey, just a couple of dials, and in big letters on front "EK", "EL",
"SK", or "SL"  ( Receiver Shortwave, Receiver Longwave, Sender Shortwave,
Sender Longwave ).

This is "Electronics", March 1944:

"....the Germans also use the airplane's transmitter for homing. A signal is 
transmitted to a ground d-f station. This signal is interupted or pulsed. When
operating over fairly short distances, of the order of 30 to 40 miles, the ground
station synchronizes  on the  ground [ actually, direct ] wave, excluding the 
sky wave, and thus homes the aircraft without adverse night errors."

Also:

"There is no evidence of any appreciable machine work other than the 
tapping of screw holes....[ goes on to describe use of limited number
of tube types, minimum materials, minimum number of different value
resistors, etc.....]
[ Comparable American equipment offers more features and under
more varying environmental conditions, plus the voice mode.....]...However,
from an over-all production standpoint American equipment could not at
present compete with German construction due to standardization of 
chassis and parts"

via: Hue Miller KA7LXY