Marconi VOR radio-navigation beacon

This pallet consists of various objects linked to Marconi VOR radio-navigation beacon, type AD 503. There are two light grey cylindrical metal units with circular plates at its top. At the centre of one there is a motor where beneath there is a spinning plate and an open circular base, it has a serial tag titled CROYDON. The other is covered by a metal case and has two brown turning dials at the centre and is connected with electrical wires. Next, there is a silver square voltmeter which has open sides revealing capacitors, valves and wiring, at one side there are various circuit boards and capacitors with writing, 'RV 124 AGC BIAS,' at the front there are several dial indicators for 'valve voltmeter' and 'azimuth selector, field intensity' and turning knobs. A smaller componenet is a square Milliammeter which is metal blue grey, a circular mesh section at its top, a dial indicator shows milliamperes and there is a switch which is labelled 'crystal current' , and above a metal plate writes, trans/ rec type no. c.e. 63, ECKO Electronics lts England, serial no. 129. There are nine identical long metral rods each terminating in rectangular beige bases. Another componenet is a rectangular metal case is labelled as Marconi Vor AE Changeover Relays T x2 only, when the lid is lifted it reveals electrical components and valves, there is a lead in the back that terminates in a small silver screw and a pin. There are three identical small grey cylindrical objects that have holed casing, each labelled with 'Artifical load, ref. 33505 EDA, they are mounted with four grey ceramic tubes each at the top with small rectangular cut outs. There is a long grey indicator unit which has vented lenths and at the sides is fitted with outlets and knobs and dials and a glass disc that reads 'nautical miles.' There are 15 identical stacked beige lengths of plastic that have a curved relief at the centre.There is a long metal based component that consists of two cylinders bracketed at three points, the patina is very tarnished and dark.

V.O.R means 'very-high-frequency omni-directional radio-range.' The beacon transmits a pattern of radio signals which are recieved by the aircraft, and a compass dial on the instrument panel shows the bearing of the aircraft from the beacon. When a pilot flies the aircraft to hold a particular bearing, he is following the airway from one beacon to the next.

This beacon was installed at Seaford Head near Brighton in 1960.