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Loggings => HF Beacons => Topic started by: n6spp on November 30, 2013, 2008 UTC

Title: 28mhz Aircraft Bcn "A, N" info needed
Post by: n6spp on November 30, 2013, 2008 UTC

Hello group-

About ten yrs ago I read an article about an old beaconing system that small planes used for landing.

The letters "A" and "N" were transmitted at about 5 wpm consistently at a few watts with the transmitter and antenna located near the runway.

Miles from a runway, the pilot (using the plane's rdf antenna?) would hear the letter A ( . _ ) and adjust coarse until it heard the letter N  ( _ .) also.

  Flying straight at the tx antenna the A and N would "mix" together to produce a single long " __ " and the pilot new he was on coarse.

 I copied one of these stns on 28mhz a few times from N.Calif years ago. I think it was from the midwest according to the article.  I can't find any info on this.. I believe Youtube had a clip on it at one time too.

Does anyone have info on this old 10m beacon system.

 thanks, Eric

Title: Re: 28mhz Aircraft Bcn "A, N" info needed
Post by: skeezix on November 30, 2013, 2038 UTC

There's one on 30m. Heard it a few years ago:
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?328169-10-126-WA4SZE-B-(Wider-than-a-pure-single-CW-note-)

Apparently there is some fuss over this beacon. I'll leave it the reader to research further.


Explanation of the old A & N system on the LW spectrum:
http://www.vias.org/basicradio/basic_radio_35_08.html (http://www.vias.org/basicradio/basic_radio_35_08.html)

Title: Re: 28mhz Aircraft Bcn "A, N" info needed
Post by: n6spp on November 30, 2013, 2051 UTC

Thnx skeezix for the info.