Radio compass

A radio compass or radiogoniometer is an embarked radio operator receiver on board a ship or of a Avion enabling him to receive and of goniométrer (to measure the angle of arrival of the radio broadcast) of radio beacons or Radiophare S. This receiver comprises a graduated pink of 0 with 360°, on which a needle turns indicating the direction of the station. It is used like helps with the navigation.

In aeronautics

Used in very high frequencies (VHF), it is also called VDF (VHF Direction Finder)
When it is used to determine the direction of emission of a fixed Balise in the range HF (high frequencies), it is called ADF (Automatic Direction Finder)

There exist two types of radio operator beacons on the ground which are:

the localizer: in general established in the axis of a track, it has a reduced range (20 to 50 km),
NDB: used like helps with navigation (see also VOR).

Foot-note: The English term locator beacon indicates a transmitting beacon being used for announcing the presence of an apparatus, for example following a crash landing, to direct the helps.

These beacons on the ground function in the beach frequencies from 190 to 1750 Khz and are identified by a code Morse.

Contrary to VOR, this radio help never comprises equipment of measurement of distance DME and must be used with many precautions in the presence of electrostatic phenomena (storms) because of its great sensitivity to these weather demonstrations which cause disturbances in the reading (whimsical indications of the needle which high risk to indicate the direction of the storm). It is also sensitive to the industrial parasites and the effects of coast.

Certain radio compasses combine several information: a needle indicates the Magnetic north and the other the position of a beacon (radiomagnetic indicator, RMI )

The modern Instruments with screen present information of the radio compass integrated into other information of navigation.

(see also compass)

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