NDB – Non-Directional Beacon BE 332kHz – Concord MA USA

Location:  42.479767, -71.388970

City:  Concord, MA USA

Freq:  332 kHz

Call:  BE

Power: <25 Watts

Associated Airport:  BED

Deep in the mosquito infested woods of historic Concord MA is a locator outer marker associated with Hanscom Airport/AFB (BED) in Bedford MA.  There are two different services emanating from the site.

First, this is the transmission site for non-directional beacon ‘BE’.  The site utilizes a flat top multi-wire T-aerial consisting of three wires strung between what looks like a pair of extra tall utility poles.  In the center of the span is a drop wire that connects to the actual transmitter located at the shack.  The station constantly sends out the letters ‘BE’ in morse code which is received by airplane pre-gps navigation equipment which uses it to calculate location.

Secondly there is an outer marker co-located at the site (see above picture).  This sends out a signal received by a plane’s ILS landing system to notify the pilot of his location on the path toward the runway.

LWDX Loggings 2013-04-09

I logged another new LW broadcast station from the other side of the Atlantic!  This time it was Deutschlandfunk on 207kHz from the transmitter site in Aholming Germany.  As with all my longwave loggings, I used a portable Sangean ATS-505 with no antenna helpers.  About 3900 miles at 250kw.

MWDX Loggings 2013-03-28

Logged a new Canadian x-bander.  Content was ethnic music punjabi/indian.

LWDX Loggings 2013-03-28

Atmospheric conditions were in my favor for longwave broadcasts coming from southern Europe and northern Africa.  I logged Medi1 transmitting from Nador Morocco on 171kHz for the first time!  Content was ethnic music, language was arabic.  Confirmed via webcast.  The signal was very listenable and above the noise level.  Radio1 on 183kHz was also very strong at the time.

MWDX Loggings 2013-03-19

I logged a bunch of new Cubans including a Rebelde on 530 fighting with Enciclopedia.  I also logged a low power WHVW from the Poughkeepsie NY area.

WX RadioFax 2013-02-22

I decoded my first weatherfax back on February 22nd.  The frequency tuned was 4235 kHz and I used Black Cat Systems’ HF Fax app for iPad.

MWDX Loggings 2013-03-08

Since CBEF bid farewell to 540 khz, I was curious as to what I would be able to log in its absence.  I was pleasantly surprised by three new loggings on that frequency!   I also picked up another Cuban Rebelde on 550 and a new northern Onatrio on 560!

LWDX Loggings 2013-03-06

I just logged another new NAVTEX!  Bermuda!  Approximate distance is 780m/1255km over open ocean.

At this point there are only two or three more navtex signals that I can hope to receive…. Thundar Bay ON, Goose Bay Labrador NL and the super rare possibility of Greenland, Iqaulit NWT (seasonal).  I think the Antilles and New Orleans are out of the question…. but we shall see.

LWDX Loggings 2013-03-05

I logged two new NAVTEX’s!  First one is from inland Canada… Prescott Ontario.  Distance over land is approximately 270m/435km.  The second is from Miami… approximate distance is 1265m/2035km over the ocean.

LWDX Loggings 2013-03-03

I have never logged this very loud and local beacon before.  There is no way humanly possible I could have missed this.  I’m going to assume that it has been off the air since I began logging beacons after New Year’s.  It’s there now…