[Milsurplus] Command Set Receiver Coffee-Grinder

[Mike Morrow]

Dave wrote:

>I know there was at least one "A-N" range still operating 
>that could be heard in north Louisiana in 1969-1972, 
>because I remember listening to it as a boy.  It was very strong
>and always audible at night.
>I want to say it was just above the broadcast band
>(this was nearly 35 years ago, so memory is tricky),
>and someone once told me it was in the Caribbean.
>There was long-path involved, because the signal would
>slowly rotate through "A"  to "N" to steady carrier.
>Don't imagine that was the case in the near field.

Except for the frequency you cite (above rather than below the BC band), what you describe sounds just like a "Consol" radionavigation beacon signal.  Read an interesting discussion of what it sounded like (dots merging into steady tones turning into dashes, what its range was (long!), what equipment was required (just a simple non-directional beacon-band receiver), etc. at:

http://www.jproc.ca/hyperbolic/consol.html

The signal pattern heard from a normal A-N directional beacon would not change for a stationary listener, but Consol would sound pretty much like what you describe.

Mike / KK5F