[Milsurplus] Command Set Receiver Coffee-Grinder

[Dan Arney]

Well guys I have been following this coffee grinder thread for seems 
like months.
The LF ranges were both airways and used for approaches. If you used an 
ADF then it would give you a bearing to the station, not a radial.
The primary  design criteria was to provide a 4 leg range with two A and 
two N sectors as you crossed a leg it would become a steady tone due to 
the convergence of the A and N morse signals. You would go from an A to 
a solid tone into an N zone. FIRST AND FOREMOST YOU WOULD TUNE AND ID 
THE STATION BY CW i.e.. BUR FOR BURBANK. FOR THE CLEAR AND STRONGEST ID 
THEN NEVER TOUCH THE TUNING i.e. COFFEE GRINDER AGAIN UNTIL LANDING IF 
USING IT FOR AN APPROACH.  You would turn the volume to the lowest level 
to hear the signal to determine if it the signal was building or fading 
to see if you were going to or from the station. If you were going 
toward the station the signal would build and when you crossed over the 
station you would experience a "CONE OF SILENCE" THAT WAS LONGER THE 
HIGHER YOU WERE OVER THE STATION. SO WITHOUT GOING INTO ALL OF THE 
DETAILS OF AN APPROACH TO AN AIRPORT ONE LEG WOULD BE ALIGNED AS CLOSE 
AS POSSIBLE TO THE NON PRECISION APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY USING ALTITUDE 
CHECKS. 74 mc AIRWAY BEACON, OUTER, MIDDLE AND INNER MARKERS WHICH 
PROVIDED A TONE, PLUS COLORED LIGHT TO designate THE CORRECT MARKER.
This approach required a stair step descent to altitude to the marker or 
cross reference plus timing of your speed across the ground considering 
headwind, DR and your approach speed. which gave you time to go to 
minimums or a MISSED APPROACH at which point it was "MAX POWER POSITIVE 
RATE GEAR UP NOTIFY APPROACH AND GO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN.

I have flown Range approaches to get my Instrument rating in the mid 
50's and that has saved my A** more than once.

The chip was located between the ears with no reset capability.
Todays pilots are trained to proficiency  to pass a check ride and if 
the computers bail out then it is KATY BAR THE DOOR AS 95% Plus are 
going to bite the dust.

  I have over 20,000 hours in the log for pay plus a lot more for fun 
and leisure. From J-2 cubs through the Boeing 747.

Hank
KN6DI/5

SO KEEP ON GRINDING.