Can someone identify this, nautical related

[PurpleFox]

Currious to find out what this is before I bin it, all I know is it's old and most likely nautical related.

FIL gave me a box of junk err stuff from their loft clearout last time we were round.

[dontlookdown]

Looks like an old hand held RDF. Radio direction finder. You could home in - kinda - on a couple of radio beacons and triangulate your position in the dark/fog in the days long before GPS.

It wasn't very accurate but could keep you out of trouble in extremis. My Dad had one in the 70s, not quite the same as yours but near enough.

[2xChevrons]

Looks like a radio locator compass - you'd hold it with the pistol grip and tune into radio beacons, turning the whole thing until you got the strongest directional signal. The compass bit would let you take bearings and several bearings would give you a position fix.

That looks like a relatively late and fancy one - the ones I've seen before look much more improvised and WW2-era, not all neatly put into the smooth casing.

This sort of thing: https://www.catawiki.com/l/13578385-vintage-sestre...

[pequod]

As others have said, it's an RDF, completely obsolete these days but may be of historic interest? Ask the Maritime museums before you bin it.

Or up-cycle (?) it into a desk lamp...

[lazy_b]

It might be a receiver for Consol (developed from the German Elektro-Sonne) or Hi-Fix (Decca Navigation System); both post-war systems for small coastal vessels.

I remember as a "Short Wave Listener" in the 1960s hearing the distinct tones of the Consol stations, and the "Jingle Bells" of Decca Hi-Fix, as well as the pulses from the Loran ("Long Range") navigation transmitters.

[PurpleFox]

Thanks for that, just had a google and found a little more about RDF, before my time but interesting.

[Simpo Two]

lazy_b said:

...as well as the pulses from the Loran ("Long Range") navigation transmitters.

Goes back to WW2! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LORAN

[Psycho Warren]

i remember the decca system, a few old charts still had the decca line grid on it when i joined up.