Dty (116.4)
 

When routing to this beacon, does anyone know if you are over flying the tall BBC radio mast or a smaller VOR beacon somewhere close by. Next time you over fly DTY (116.4) below 4000 take a peek to see if your compass needle is pointing at the large BBC mast, as I can‘t decide!

Any help on this would be appreciated.

Many Thanks

It's unlikely to be the "large BBC mast". The BBC HF transmitter site at Daventry was closed and demolished back in 1992 or thereabouts. The only BBC mast left at the site is the old 648kHz MF vertical at Dodford, which if I recall correctly is used now for Radio Northampton and some commercial services.

According to the current RAF BINA, the VOR is at 52N10.81 001W06.83. AutoRoute puts this location about 1.5nm east of the Dodford mast. If DTY is a Doppler VOR (it sounds like one from here) it should be easily visible from quite high altitude on a clear day.

It's in a farmers field on it's own, (used to pass over it in my PPL days!!)

DTY
 

Many thanks ACW599. The BBC station was indeed decommissioned at the end of the cold war but 1 antennae still remains on the original site on Daventry Borough Hill for commercial broadcasting in addition to the Dodford mast a few miles away. How high would DTY need to be and what type of structure would indicate it was VOR Doppler equipped?

Many Thanks

Problem solved......Cheers Staple!

I think i know the one now!

I did my IR from Baginton last year.

DTY is a VOR 5 NM sse 165' from Daventry town Centre, the Rugby Masts (4) are about 10+NM north.

If I remember rightly it is on one of the many hills in that area away from any built up areas. You can clearly see it from the air, when in the back with a window.

Say hello to it for me, next time you are overhead.

FB




:ok:

>The BBC station was indeed decommissioned at the end of the cold war but 1 antennae still remains on the original site on Daventry Borough Hill for commercial broadcasting in addition to the Dodford mast a few miles away.<

I don't think that's one of the original HF array masts, however. From memory, that one belongs to NTL or Merlin.

> How high would DTY need to be and what type of structure would indicate it was VOR Doppler equipped?<

The antenna of a Doppler VOR is a large structure about 30m in diameter and several metres high. Typically there is a large 'ground plane' with 36 radiating elements -- often brick-red or orange -- above it. There are some nice pictures and a good description of how they work at http://www.trevord.com/navaids. In respect of DTY, the site says:

" The DTY VOR is just North of the Village of Maidford in Northamptonshire - approximately 7 miles SE of Daventry itself. The beacon is in a field and can be easily accessed via a public footpath. You'll need to follow some windy country roads to get to it!

Doppler VORs are somewhat less sensitive to siting considerations than conventional VORs, which is why they're almost universally used nowadays.

Got this off the AIS Website:


VHF navaid Details

Definition
Identifier DTY
Name DAVENTRY
Related airport(s)
Description


Frequency 116.40 MHz
Coverage 25


Localisation
Area code EUR
Country ICAO code EG
FIR ICAO id EGTT
UIR ICAO id
Latitude N52° 10' 49.00''
Longitude W001° 06' 50.00''
Geodetic datum
Magnetic variation


DME
Latitude N52° 10' 49.00''
Longitude W001° 06' 50.00''
Channel
Elevation 600
Offset


Hope its of interest.

FB :)

Truly a leg end FB...or is that legend......

A VOR is not a big tall mast, it's a fairly low, circular antenna. Here's what OCKham looks like:

Ockham DVOR

Thanks HD....what a knowledgeable bunch u are.... This graduate has to get himself into NATS!

I dont know what the thing looks like. Coming up for my IR test and never seen the bloomin' thing, lets just hope its not on test!