Recently while in W. Palm Beach Florida I noticed what appeared to be an abandoned a low Freq. beacon site on Flagler Avenue on a platform a short distance out into Lake Worth. It was about 80 Ft. tall, has a fence around it, and a copper grounding system going into the water. It aroused my curiosity and I imagine it was once used as a navigation aid to mariners. Does anyone know the history of this or know where I might look up marine beacons ? There is a lot of info available on low frequency aircraft beacons, but nothing that I could find about marine beacons.
Marine beacon information
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mmckenna
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Dig up some old marine charts, it would be on there. Might be hard to find, though.
ecps92
Member
Marine Beacon / RDF interest / publication ?
The east, west, and gulf coasts....had very low freq, marine radio beacons, which transmitted morse ID signals. At sea, you would tune to the respective freq....and rotate the RDF loop / antenna, to obtain the proper bearing for the beacon antenna, on shore.
You then would have a line of position......and with several stations plotted, you had an "electronic fix."
Many variables at work here......and your equipment must be tested, calibrated, etc. You also...applied a "correction factor" if needed.
It was a method / tool to assist with navigation. I used the RDF beacon system in the early 1970s.
If you are in Baltimore.....check out the USCG lightship....."chesapeake"
She not only acted as a floating lighthouse, but also still has the VLF antenna system in place.
Mariners were cautioned to not "ride the RDF beacon" during foggy weather........or you had the potential of colliding with the lightship.
And at one time, I had the marine RDF booklet....that detailed each stations location, freq, beacon call, etc.
I would like to obtain a copy .... or be able to locate the PDF version.
The pubs that I locate online are too recent to have the stations from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, etc.
Take Care
The east, west, and gulf coasts....had very low freq, marine radio beacons, which transmitted morse ID signals. At sea, you would tune to the respective freq....and rotate the RDF loop / antenna, to obtain the proper bearing for the beacon antenna, on shore.
You then would have a line of position......and with several stations plotted, you had an "electronic fix."
Many variables at work here......and your equipment must be tested, calibrated, etc. You also...applied a "correction factor" if needed.
It was a method / tool to assist with navigation. I used the RDF beacon system in the early 1970s.
If you are in Baltimore.....check out the USCG lightship....."chesapeake"
She not only acted as a floating lighthouse, but also still has the VLF antenna system in place.
Mariners were cautioned to not "ride the RDF beacon" during foggy weather........or you had the potential of colliding with the lightship.
And at one time, I had the marine RDF booklet....that detailed each stations location, freq, beacon call, etc.
I would like to obtain a copy .... or be able to locate the PDF version.
The pubs that I locate online are too recent to have the stations from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, etc.
Take Care
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
And that happened, more than once. Lost a lot of good people.
The light ship Nantucket was struck by the sister to Titanic, the Olympic in fog while homing in on the beacon.
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nd5y
Member
It might not be a marine beacon. It might be an aviation NDB.
ecps92
Member
I guess we will never know the OP has not been back since June 14th
Last Activity: 06-14-2017 8:55 PM
Last Activity: 06-14-2017 8:55 PM
kc8vlv
Member
Sir, about 20 years ago. Their were differential beacons . If you had a loran c. Or a Gps with the Capability. The Furuno gps 28, circa 1996, furuno gps 30 1998 ,furuno 32 2000. Look for the Waas feature.
I know the locations on the great lakes.
mmckenna
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There still are. I've got one just north of me.
WAAS and Differential GPS as used here in the USA are similar in function, but are different in how they get the signal to the user.
WAAS uses correction data sent out by the GOES satellites to the end users.
DGPS uses correction data sent out by more localized long wave transmitters to the end users.
I suspect you are thinking of DGPS, and not WAAS.
If what he was seeing was a DGPS station, it wouldn't look abandoned. All the ones I've been at are fairly well maintained.
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