Low frequency radio reception - aircraft beacons

Reception of aircraft beacons (NDBs) to demonstrate low frequency radio reception.

Beacons, usually located near airports, transmit their two or three letter callsign by morse code. These callsigns are abbrevations of the beacon's location. Beacons near major airports transmit voice information including location and weather conditions.

NDB signals around 200 - 500 kHz are picked up by the ferrite rod (visible inside the larger black box) and are upconverted to around 4 MHz. This is received on an HF receiver. The converter uses an NE602 mixer/oscillator chip and was designed by Drew Diamond VK3XU.

Low frequencies are used by broadcast stations in parts of Europe. Radio amateurs in some countries also have access to parts of the LF spectrum. In Australia amateurs must obtain a permit.

List of Australian NDBs: http://www.radiospecialists.com.au/NDB%20frequencies.htm

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• LF
• radio
• low
• frequency
• long
• wave
• non
• directional
• aircraft
• beacon
• morse
• AM
• navigation

[GMSamuelRhine]

@floydiangreen not really i use a portable radio with a ferrite rod and i can tune nav beacons easy

[floydiangreen]

wow, antennas must be massive at those freqs.