TOPIC 2 : Electronic Navigation

System
Principal requirements of an Electronic
Navigation System:

An integral source of time which is

precise and stable over the
measurement interval.

A means of measuring the time lapse.

Oscillator
Usually the source of time, the
frequency is maintained constant
within the required stability tolerance.

One method of maintaining a stable

oscillation frequency is to utilize the
natural resonance of quartz crystal.

The number of pulses counted

represents the time lapse in
microseconds.

Types of Electronic Navigation System:

1. Hyperbolic Navigation System
2. Range-range Navigation System
A. Hyperbolic Navigation System:
A method of using the propagation
velocity to determine the distance
and position.
Propagation velocity
Velocity at which Electromagnetic
energy (radio waves) travel between
their source and the point of
reception.
Types of Hyperbolic Navigation
System:
1. Loran A and C
2. Omega
3. Decca Navigator
Centerline

Simplified illustration of measuring time

lapse in electronic navigation system

In this case, the oscillator is set

precisely to a frequency of 1 MHz. The

period of the oscillation is 1sec (t=
1/f)

a.

Zero time difference

The oscillations of sine wave output

voltage is converted to pulses which
are then fed to a pulse counting
circuit.
The pulse counter commences at the
start of event A and terminates at the
start of event B.

Electronic Navigational Aids and DevicesPage 1

Engr. Merv Derek B. Camado

b.

Constant time difference

Set of hyperbolas for specific difference

Simultaneous transmissions occur
from points A and B, and at the point
of reception, the difference in their
time of arrival is determined.
For an observer on the centerline, the
transmissions will be received
simultaneously.
But at all other points other than on
the centerline, there will be a
difference in the arrival time.
The locus of points corresponding to
a given time difference is a hyperbola.
These hyperbolas can be overprinted
on to navigation charts.
The inherent advantage of the hyperbolic
system is the need to make only a
measurement of time lapse.
B. Range-Range (or circular) Navigation
System :

Differs from hyperbolic navigation in

that instead of measuring time
difference, a measure is made of
actual signal propagation time
between the transmitter and receiver.
The resulting loci are therefore circles
centered on the signal transmitter
(source) and with radii corresponding
to the distances which are equivalent
to the measured propagation time.

Electronic Navigational Aids and DevicesPage 2

Engr. Merv Derek B. Camado

Advantages:
1. Only two stations are required to
determine the position.
2. It is an easier technique for
processing several signals, since each
can be dealt with in isolation, rather
than having to consider many possible
combinations of paired stations.

Disadvantage:
1. The limitation of range-range
navigation is the requirement to
maintain absolute time with a high
degree of precision. The clock stability
necessary for the duration of an ocean
passage would demand the use of a
cesium frequency standard.
Radio Range Beacons
Low-frequency radio range beacons
may be used to guide ships or aircraft
along predetermined and fixed
courses.
In this system, special transmitting
antennas are employed in w/c two or
more field patterns are combined to
form a straight line equisignal courses.
The system employs five vertical
towers as radiators.
In the antenna system shown, tower
pairs AA and BB' each form a twoelement antenna array, arranged to

have figure-of-eight directional

patterns in the horizontal plane.
The control tower C continuously
radiates energy from the second
transmitter in an omni-directional
pattern.
The fields radiated by the system are
of equal strength and their phase
adjustments are such that they set up
equisignal courses which are 90%
apart.
The course may be shifted by
reducing the field strength in one set
of towers, or by changing the position
of one pair of antennas with respect to
the other.

Electronic Navigational Aids and DevicesPage 3

Engr. Merv Derek B. Camado

TOPIC 3: Radio Direction Finders

(RDF)
Radio Direction Finders
Devices capable of determining the
direction of approaching radio waves.
Such devices can be found aboard
aircrafts or ships and used as radio
aids to navigation.
One of the main components of a
radio direction finder is a loop
antenna.
Loop Antenna
Commonly used in radio-direction
finding work. It consists of a
continuously wound coil in the form of
a square, circular, or octagonal.

c. An output voltage appears at the loop

terminals whose magnitude depends
upon the angle of lag of the voltage
induced in side S2 with respect to the
voltage induced in side S1.

When a loop is rotated 360, a figureof-eight reception pattern will be

produced. Looking down on the loop,
signals approaching at a 90 angle
from the plane of the loop will be
received as nulls. Signals approaching
in the direction of the plane of the loop
will be maximums. Signal from other
directions will be intermediate in
amplitude.

The figures below show the directional

patterns of the loop antenna.

A loop antenna that is properly

balanced produces a perfect figure-8
reception pattern as shown in figure
2(a). Small differences in the length of
wire between the two sides or
differences of distributed capacitance
between the two sides and ground (or
shield), will unbalance the loop.
Unbalance results in one of the
reception lobes being greater than the
other, a lack of complete nulls, and a
shifting of the nulls from their normal
180 relative positions (see figure
2(b)). In the unbalanced condition
neither minimum is suitable for

The output voltage of the loop will depend

upon the position of the loop in relation to
the direction of the signal wavefront:
a. When the plane of the loop is in line
with the wavefront, the induced output
voltage of the coil is maximum with
the voltage in side S2 lagging the
voltage in side S1.

b. When the plane of the loop is

perpendicular to the direction of the
wavefront, the induced output voltage
of the coil is minimum with the voltage
induced in side S1 equal to that at side
S2.
Since the two voltages are out of phase, the
resultant output loop voltage is zero. This
position of the loop with zero output voltage
is known as the null position of the loop.

Electronic Navigational Aids and DevicesPage 4

Engr. Merv Derek B. Camado

determining direction. The lack of a

deep, sharp null on stations within 50
miles usually indicates loop unbalance
and erroneous bearings.

Practical ship loop antennas are 10- to

15-turn coils of 3 feet diameter
encased in a hollow brass or aluminum
case. This shield is broken only at the
top, at which point an insulating
segment, no signal would be able to
penetrate the pick-up wires inside. The
insulation allows oscillating currents to
be induced in the metal shield,
inducing voltages into the internal
pickup wires.

Unidirectional Bearings

The loop alone gives bidirectional or

bilateral bearings within a 360
rotation. If the loop is intentionally
unbalanced, a distorted figure-8
pattern results, and if the distortion is
sufficient, the amplitudes of the two
maximums are noticeably different.

The stronger maximum is used as the

indication of the direction of station.
This is known as unidirectional
bearing. Since it is a maximum signal
indication, it is not accurate by itself.
It is necessary to sense the direction
of the signal first (take a
unidirectional bearing) and then take
a balanced (bidirectional) null bearing
on the station.

The indicator on a direction finder is

directly coupled to the rotator wheel
and has two pointers (Figure 4).

Electronic Navigational Aids and DevicesPage 5

Engr. Merv Derek B. Camado

Figure 4: RDF bearing indicator that rotates

with the loop

The unbalancing of the loop is

accomplished by pressing a sense
switch that resonates and couples the
sense antenna to one side of the loop.
The sense antenna is usually about 20
or 30 ft. long, is erected as close to
the loop as practical, and must be
vertical. The amount of sense-antenna
signal, determined by the antenna
length, tuning and degree of coupling
to the loop, affects the shape of the
reception pattern. A small value of
sense signal decreases one maximum
a little and increases the other. With
the correct value of signal, one of the
maximums can be canceled entirely
resulting in a cardioid, or heart-shaped
reception pattern. Its null is frequencysensitive and is not sharply defined
enough to make it practical. With
greater sense signal a pattern with no
minimum will result.

Figure 5: Reception pattern of loop antenna

with the sense antenna
Things to Accomplish:
1. Watch this supplementary video posted on
youtube about RDF.
o Link 1 :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=tJ1JWNwL3i0
2. Homework is to be passed next week.

From this note, loop antennas are

used as receiving antennas for RDF
so what are the other receiving
antennas used for RDF? For each
antenna, place a description and a
short history of the antenna in
terms of its use in RDF.
What are the major errors that may
affect RDF systems and what are
the cures to it.

Electronic Navigational Aids and DevicesPage 6

Engr. Merv Derek B. Camado

Sources :

The assignment is to be placed in

long bond paper.

http://www.bahreya.com/bb3/1/butterworth__electronic_navig.pdf