Article
Article
Radio compass
Article By:
Markus, John Formerly, Consultant, Sunnyvale, California.
Last reviewed:January 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.567800
A popular term for an automatic radio direction finder used for navigation purposes on ships and aircraft. It is not strictly a compass, because it indicates direction with respect to the radio station to which it is tuned, rather than to the north magnetic pole. The modern radio compass uses a nondirectional antenna in combination with a bidirectional loop antenna to provide a unidirectional bearing indication. The navigator thus knows at all times whether the craft is traveling toward or away from the radio station used as a reference. The antennas are used with a special radio receiver that provides a visual indication of direction on a meter or cathode-ray indicator. See also: Direction-finding equipment
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
