GC164V8 NDB-400-FN
Type: Traditional | Size: Small | Difficulty: | Terrain:
By: W0AIR @ | Hide Date: 09/22/2007 | Status: Available
Country: United States | State: Colorado
Coordinates: N40° 21.815 W104° 58.258 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 4
             

---

Near Nondirectional Beacon (NDB) "FN" on 400KHz.

---

A half-century before GPS, aircraft instrument navigation depended on Nondirectional Beacons (NDBs). High-power NDBs were used for transcontinental navigation, while lower power NDBs guided pilots to within sight of an airport's rotating beacon.

NDBs transmit signals in slow Morse Code on channels just below the commercial AM broadcast band. Loran, VOR, TACAN and GPS have all but eliminated long range NDBs in North America and Europe, but over 1,600 lower power NDBs remain in service in the U.S. to aid automatic direction finders aboard aircraft. In the face of advancing technology, it is questionable how much longer these historical transmitter sites will remain open. We are definitely seeing the last days of these "radio lighthouses."

Worldwide, NDBs still perform efficient and reliable service, but advanced navigation systems such as GPS are quickly making NDBs obsolete. Monitoring NDB signals from great distances is a fascinating challenge for many radio enthusiasts.

A history of the NDB system can be found at http://www.navfltsm.addr.com/ndb-nav-history.htm with more early cross-country aviation background at: http://www.navfltsm.addr.com/howitbegan.htm

The purpose of this cache is to commemorate the long service of NDB station "FN" which transmits on 400KHz. You might hear a harmonic of this signal on an AM car radio or portable tuned to 800KHz when you're very near the transmitter. Listen for tones with this pattern: .._. _. (dit dit dah dit dah dit).

DO NOT CROSS THE FENCE INTO THE TRANSMITTER SITE and do not trespass on the oil pumping field near the site.

Cache is on public right-of-way, but parking is very limited.

Small container with log book & pencil and:

DERA Travel Bug C1EZQZ
DERA Challenge Coin
DOD Challenge Coin

05/05/2019 By grammydoll
Thanks

05/05/2019 By sproutsnana
Okay this was a fun fun thank you I found it in the grass put it up where I thought it belonged

04/04/2019 By mooseyaround
Third cache today in route to my church craft group.

04/02/2019 By OTRCACHER
After having no luck with the lost cache at the service station near by I came and got this one and the one down the road.

08/17/2018 By FresnoDancingFool
I avoided annoying any nearby farmers by walking to this one from a nearby letterbox hybrid, although that wasn't much fun with more fast-moving traffic than I would have expected along a road with slender shoulders. I did make it safely to the vicinity of GZ and tried to follow the hint to a likely spot, but said spot was empty of containers and logs. Then I followed my GPSr o a slightly less likely beacon, but that one had the goods. Nice job and TFTC!

04/16/2018 By CamrynLizardbreath
TFTC, easy find!! Parked across the street to get off the road and got harassed by the farmer.

04/16/2018 By 25cents
Tftc!!

04/16/2018 By extratestical
Howdy

03/02/2018 By waawhoo
Going on a little cache run this morning. Finally stopping back out here to grab this older guy. Love hearing about how there was travel before I-25. Thanks for the hide!

02/18/2018 By Rohatx
Spending the day caching Longmont for mysteries, letterboxes, and multies plus the occasional traditional.
That’s some steep parking across the street!
Thank you for the placement!

01/28/2018 By dustyriver
Caching after the 10th annual Wingin' It event in Greeley with Liquidelle and BriGuy - Known as the SWAC gang = Best Wishes, DustyRiver / Terry

01/28/2018 By Liquidelle
Found this sunny Sunday with SWAC crew. TFTC.

01/28/2018 By _BriGuy_
Out caching after the 10th annual Wingin' It event in Greeley with Liquidelle and Dustyriver.
SL w\"SWAC".TFTC

12/26/2017 By SkipPhase
In town for the holidays and decided to go on a short cache run. TFTF SL