stroboscopic direction finder

stroboscopic direction finder

[¦sträb·ə¦skäp·ik di′rek·shən ‚fīn·dər]

(navigation)

A radio direction finder employing a continuously rotating antenna or other directional element such as a goniometer; associated with the rotating element, either directly or remotely, is a mechanism which rotates a thin metal disk in synchronism with the antenna or directional element; the disk has a single thin radial slot which covers a neon tube so that its light can be seen only through the slot; the output of the receiver is connected to the neon tube so that illumination occurs at a reading corresponding to the bearing of the received signal.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.