[RVRC] Navigation in the 1940s: The Four Course Radio Range

Thu Jun 10 14:13:40 EDT 2010

I got this great response from my friend Gary, K2GW. He's the Section  
Emergency Coordinator & Asst. Section Manager fit the SNJ section!

Sharing with RVRC!  73
GJ

Sent from my iPhone
Pls 4give typos & brevity!

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Gary Wilson <k2gw at optonline.net>
> Date: June 10, 2010 11:40:21 AM EDT
> To: 'Joe Cro N3IBX' <n3ibx at verizon.net>, 'Gerry Jurrens' <gjurrens at gmail.com 
> >, 'Drew Moore' <rvrc at mailman.qth.net>, 'DSRC' <dsrc at lists.epiphanydesign.net 
> >
> Subject: RE: [Dsrc] [RVRC] Navigation in the 1940s: The Four Course  
> Radio Range
>

> Gerry:
>
> Thanks for the video on the recreation of the simulated Radio Range  
> on the
> 10 meter band.  It was very interesting.
>
> BTW, the concept was first developed by the Ford Motor Company (who  
> were
> trying to sell Trimotors) in 1927 following the Air Commerce Act.  
> What the
> video doesn't show was the loss of signal over the station as one  
> entered
> the "Cone of Silence" (later made into a "Get Smart" joke) caused by  
> the
> nature of the antennas needed to let one fly "on the beam".
>
> The original radio ranges were low frequency between 200-400 KHz  
> and, unlike
> later aids, only needed a simple receiver to receive them. They  
> later tried
> to recreate the concept on VHF as VHF Four Course Visual Aural  
> Ranges (VAR).
> There they sent Morse B and Y on one set of beams to help you  
> distinguish
> which of the four beams you were on.  These were quickly replaced by
> Rho-Theta based systems such as VOR's which allowed omnidirectional  
> range
> beams to be established from the station.
>
> Some useful books are "Aviation Electronics" by Keith Bose, AFROTC  
> "Air
> Navigation", and AF Manual 51-40 Volume 1 "Air Navigation".  There  
> used to
> be a neat display on the Radio Range system in the Air Transport  
> section of
> the National Air and Space Museum.  It was the key component in  
> establishing
> regular commercial air transportation in this country.
>
> I think perhaps we might schedule a DSRC meeting for the fall on the  
> concept
> of short distance terrestrial based electronic aids to aeronautical
> navigation.  Long range aids (for over water or enemy territory) are  
> another
> topic.
>
> BTW, old topographic maps show that there was a radio range station  
> just to
> the east of Quakerbridge Road opposite the PSEG building.  The  
> access road
> and square protective fence line  (now filled with some animal shed by
> American Cyanamid) can still be seen on Google maps aerial photos.
>
> 73
>
> Gary, K2GW
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dsrc-bounces at lists.epiphanydesign.net
> [mailto:dsrc-bounces at lists.epiphanydesign.net] On Behalf Of Joe Cro  
> N3IBX
> Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2010 9:33 AM
> To: Gerry Jurrens; Drew Moore; DSRC
> Subject: Re: [Dsrc] [RVRC] Navigation in the 1940s: The Four Course  
> Radio
> Range
>
> Hello Gerry,
>                  I found the "Youtube" URL tio be most interesting.  
> Not
> only from the technical standpoint, but for something I've been  
> trying to
> find out about for a long time. I had originally thought it was for  
> a "VOR"
> navigational beacon, but instead I discovered it's probably for a  
> "Four
> Course Radio Range" navigational beacon system after viewing the uRL  
> on your
>
> post.
>
> I appear to have a (somewhat if not totally) complete Four Course  
> Radio
> Range beacon  transmitter, controller, and antenna setup, made by  
> "Sparton"
> (Sparks-Withington) company sometime in the late 1930's - 1940's. by  
> the
> Sparton (Sparks-Withington) Co. It has the N's and A's written on  
> the front
> panel to control that segement of it, and other controls of which I  
> know
> little or nothing about. I've been seeking to find out what it was  
> used for,
>
> and I think the link you sent gave me the answer!
>
> If you know of anyone into the history of Aeronautical navigation,  
> I'd like
> to ask them some questions, etc to find out more about it. It came  
> from a
> old air field near Kansas City,Mo. along with some WWII Comm gear.
>
> If there is anything that you, or anyone on the reflector might know  
> about
> this, please either contact me or (if possible) forward this note to  
> someone
>
> to have them contact me.
>
> Thanks in advance for any help, or allowing me to help someone else  
> with the
>
> devices I have.
>
> Very Best Regards,
>                              Joe Cro N3IBX
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Gerry Jurrens" <gjurrens at gmail.com>
> To: "Drew Moore" <rvrc at mailman.qth.net>; "DSRC"
> <dsrc at lists.epiphanydesign.net>
> Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2010 7:26 AM
> Subject: [RVRC] Navigation in the 1940s: The Four Course Radio Range
>
>
>> Check out this interesting video on YouTube:
>>
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-VqtNY8vpw&feature=youtube_gdata
>> 's to mid 's to
> d in AOPA Pilot article June 2010. www.barryschiff.com wrote it.
>>
>> There are two David Frantz's listed in QRZ at the same address.
>> Probably father & son. The 54 year old is an 8,000 hour pilot for
>> Airline Transport Comminications & Navigation.
>>
>> GJ
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> Pls 4give typos & brevity!
>>
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