DIRECTION FINDING

WDSR Wannniarachchi
Sqn Ldr
No 03 Maritime Sqn
PRINCIPLES OF DIRECTION
FINDING

receiver

Transmitter
(Radio Beacon)
communication link

θ Bearing
 AUTOMATIC DIRECTION
FINDER
• The Automatic Direction Finder (ADF)
airborne receiver of NDB. It consists with,
– AM receiver
– Sense Antenna
– Loop Antenna (directional antenna)
– Indicator (fixed or movable card)
ÀDF SYSTEM
 ADF RECEIVER
• Calculates the relative bearing from the
output of loop and sense antenna and sends
the same to indicators.
• The AM receiver demodulates the Morse
code signal.
 ADF ANTENNA
• The Loop antenna will show the line of
position by sensing the difference of signal
strength between one side and the other
side of the loop.
• The sense antenna allows the system to tell
which side of the station the airplane is on.
LOOP ANTENNA
SENSE ANTENNA

F
ADF OPERATION
 ADF INDICATORS
• Fixed card
– With a fixed card there are two ways to
determine magnetic bearing to the station:
• Turn the aircraft toward the station and note
heading
• MH + RB = MB (to the station)
– MH = aircraft magnetic heading
– RB = Relative bearing
– MB = Magnetic Bearing (to the station)
– (If the result is more than 360 then subtract 360)
 FIXED CARD INDICATORS
• The simplest display is a fixed compass
card with an ADF pointer.
• To fly to the station, the pilot turns right or
left and brings the pointer straight up.
MOVABLE CARD INDICATORS
• Sets aircraft heading at top of the indicator
and read the relative bearing to the station.

N
Magnetic
indicator

φ1

φ2

Radio compass NDB B

indicator 2 Radio compass
indicator 1
NDB A
RADIO MAGNETIC INDICATOR
• The RMI has a moving compass card that
follows the aircraft heading so the top of
the card always indicates aircraft heading.
CONCLUSION
THANK YOU