Please Help Me Identify this Piece of Equipment

[BlueChicago]

I have no idea what this is.

It's on the bulkhead at the nav station.

Thanks!

-BC

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[four winds]

My wild ass guess, RDF radio direction finder.

The light probably gets brighter on homing, and a tone too probably.

Select a frequency, Keneth. And adjust antenna (or boat?) For the brightest light?

[UNCIVILIZED]

RDF would be my guess too. What does the antenna look like, & is it fixed or mobile?

[skipmac]

The numbers on the outer ring around the knob correspond to the frequencies of AM broadcast band which is (was) commonly used for RDF navigation so looks like an RDF to me.

Not sure how it works exactly but a little fiddling around with the knobs should show you.

[BlueChicago]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

RDF would be my guess too. What does the antenna look like, & is it fixed or mobile?

I've just started the daunting task of chasing all the wires in the boat. I'll look for one tomorrow.

Thanks

-BC

[dfelsent]

Brooks and Gatehouse Heron receiver. Meant to be used with a B&G Homer directional antenna as a radio direction finder. I actually have my Dad's though not used for real in decades. Quality gear. Dated tech as long as GPS works 😄

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by dfelsent

Brooks and Gatehouse Heron receiver. Meant to be used with a B&G Homer directional antenna as a radio direction finder. I actually have my Dad's though not used for real in decades. Quality gear. Dated tech as long as GPS works ��

Good one! Man that was going to bug me all night... B&G! Of course! I kept thinking Bendix for some reason and was surfing for photos. I remember seeing one like that on a high grade boat when I was a kid and was jealous 'cause I used my table top RDF all the time. Sure miss it.
CF has been there before: see post 35
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-113729-3.html

[Bruce K]

B&G Heron, RDF, Use one in the 70's pre Sat Nav and GPS. The Antenna (Homer) was a beautiful thing, topped with a Sestrel hand bearing compas. Enabled amazingly accurate positions, especially by an experienced operator. You got used to RF "bending" when crossing coasts/Mountains at an angle, much like waves refracting around islands etc.

[BlueChicago]

Well, I found what I think is the antenna - maybe I am wrong.

I'm curious what the dial is.

[a64pilot]

It has a tone, the bfo selection stands for beep frequency oscillator.
Usually you tune until you get a null, or lowest tone to know your on freq.

[Steve Bean]

Beat frequency oscillator ?

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Steve Bean

Beat frequency oscillator ?

Yeah.
The idea is you aim the antenna till it nulls out and then read the compass heading to the station. Get two ( 3 is better) stations and draw the lines on your paper chart to see where they cross and there you are. On my old table top I jury rigged a hockey puck compass on top of the antenna with a wooden mount and it actually worked pretty well. But there must be a whole bunch of us older folks here who used these things, no? I mean I ain't THAT old... am I ?
Oh and the dial you are referring to is the compass or is it the sight on it?

[Adelie]

You are older than I am Don.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Adelie

You are older than I am Don.

Yeah, maybe, but I am not sure I'd bet on wiser!

[Adelie]

Of course not, I'm an idiot, and ugly to boot.